voice over ip
hi, we just moved into our new apartment in NYC... Very old buildings with no phone lines and a crappy customer service of verizon make it actually very hard to get phone service.
Besides my loved TiPB I also use a Sony Vaio laptop with Windows 98 and I just discovered an application "PC Phone" which provides phone service with an internet connection. Works fine for outgoing calls... Incoming calls require Win 2000 or XP, otherwise it provides a voice mail function - maybe I'm going to upgrade this PC.
My question to you guys is, if you know any internet phone (PC to phone) applications for OSX.
Also I'm wondering if anybody uses an IP phone or any kind of adapter to use an analog phone with a broadband connection. Does it actually work properly? If so, does it work with any kind of wireless router (I'm using the original silver Apple Airport BS)?
Besides my loved TiPB I also use a Sony Vaio laptop with Windows 98 and I just discovered an application "PC Phone" which provides phone service with an internet connection. Works fine for outgoing calls... Incoming calls require Win 2000 or XP, otherwise it provides a voice mail function - maybe I'm going to upgrade this PC.
My question to you guys is, if you know any internet phone (PC to phone) applications for OSX.
Also I'm wondering if anybody uses an IP phone or any kind of adapter to use an analog phone with a broadband connection. Does it actually work properly? If so, does it work with any kind of wireless router (I'm using the original silver Apple Airport BS)?
Comments
Originally posted by doxx
hi, we just moved into our new apartment in NYC... Very old buildings with no phone lines and a crappy customer service of verizon make it actually very hard to get phone service.
Besides my loved TiPB I also use a Sony Vaio laptop with Windows 98 and I just discovered an application "PC Phone" which provides phone service with an internet connection. Works fine for outgoing calls... Incoming calls require Win 2000 or XP, otherwise it provides a voice mail function - maybe I'm going to upgrade this PC.
My question to you guys is, if you know any internet phone (PC to phone) applications for OSX.
Also I'm wondering if anybody uses an IP phone or any kind of adapter to use an analog phone with a broadband connection. Does it actually work properly? If so, does it work with any kind of wireless router (I'm using the original silver Apple Airport BS)?
I can't answer all of your questions, but I can say http://www.mac2phone.com offers os x client software for VoIP calls. If you spend $150 (ebay) on a cisco VoIP phone, you can plug it right into your broadband and make calls that way (mac2phone.com supports this and other services). The quality through that will be much higher than any os x / windows application.
Originally posted by doxx
hi, we just moved into our new apartment in NYC... Very old buildings with no phone lines and a crappy customer service of verizon make it actually very hard to get phone service.
Besides my loved TiPB I also use a Sony Vaio laptop with Windows 98 and I just discovered an application "PC Phone" which provides phone service with an internet connection. Works fine for outgoing calls... Incoming calls require Win 2000 or XP, otherwise it provides a voice mail function - maybe I'm going to upgrade this PC.
My question to you guys is, if you know any internet phone (PC to phone) applications for OSX.
Also I'm wondering if anybody uses an IP phone or any kind of adapter to use an analog phone with a broadband connection. Does it actually work properly? If so, does it work with any kind of wireless router (I'm using the original silver Apple Airport BS)?
Got broadband? If so I've got one word for ya...
Vonage! - http://www.vonage.com/
$39 flat rate per month. Free local AND long distance US calles (you supply the broadband) they supply the phone number (a REAL ONE that anyone can call). International calls do cost pre min but from what I've read their rates are good.
You also get...
Free Voice Mail
Free Caller ID
Free Call Waiting
Free Call Forwarding
Free Three Way Calling
You buy the Cisco VOIP router from them (at a good price BTW) and tell them what areacode you want (yes you can choose from MANY different area codes) oh and this works with NORMAL phones it doesn't require a computer at all.
I've been using the service since Oct 2002 and I love it!!
Living in NJ (where vonage is located) I'm stuck paying tax but other than that the price is indeed FLAT.
Oh and when someone leaves me a message I even have the option to get an email telling me I have a new message and the phone number of the person who left it.
Too cool and I'm still in love with the service (can you tell?) but the best part was telling Verizon to take their phone service and shove it. They held me HOSTAGE paying $150 per month ISDN rates and at the price I only got 150 hours of usage per month (our town is too far from the CO for DSL) if I went over the time I'd get charged an additional .02 per minute. Well as soon as cable modem service came it I dropped ISDN (duh) and once I found out about Vonage I dropped my voice line too.
Updade: I just checked and calls to Canada are included in the $39 per month price.
Verizon Free and loving it!
Dave
P.S. Private message me if you like and I can get you $39 off your first bill (1st month free so to speak).