Who uses VoIP?

[Steve B]

So my girlfriend is in South Africa working and I spoke to her on skype the other day using Skype Out to call her African mobile. It was pretty cheap; much cheaper than her phoning home from the same phone.

Does anyone else use skype or another VoIP client?

I'm quite interested in getting a phone for the house, or poking Brendan Holland into releasing the Skype Plugin for aTV Take 2., but just wanted to know what anyone's thoughts were.

[cubiter]

I use the method where you open an account with a provider, add a prefix to all calls (easy if using the phone contact list IE pre-stored), and all uk codes except 08 etc are free apart from the initial connection charge. International calls are very cheap eg US mobiles are 2p a minute. The advantage is that you use a normal house phone with no extra boxes or PC switched on. They bill by direct debit once a month. Easy and simple.

[lancia]

These are quite good for calls.. http://www.topupdiscount.co.uk/ i topup my number at £1.50 and i speak to people in america and india very cheap and you can use your normal phone, you also dial a local access number. Hope this helps. I think moneysavingexpert has a phone section where it tells you the cheapest way to phone abroad to either mobile or landline..

[Jay]

I use TRIXBOX for our help desk system with Cisco 7940 IP Phones, its very good and can email voice mail to your mail box etc. I have my Server room and home office linked in and simply log off one phone and onto the other. Where ever I am logged on my extension follows.

[oralpain]

The only kind of VoIP is use is Ventrilo and TeamSpeak. Don't use a phone enough to justify it for that.

[lancia]

Yeah but with teamspeak and ventrill you can't make a phone call.. I suppose it's good if you've both got a pc and you arrange a time to call each other by e-mail or something?? Bit of a pain though..

[oralpain]

I normally leave my server all the time, and people idle in it. If we need to get a hold of each other, a holler will get their attention, if they are at their PC and want to talk.

It's true that it's not always as convenient as a phone, and you can't do it on the go, but it sure is less expensive.

[lancia]

I agree.. "Oy pick up your mic!!!" hehe i can imagine

[Peter77]

what about VOIP over mobile phone? i got nokia N78 with wifi so i can connect to internet on my skype account and chat or made calls. when they bring mobille internet prices down.... after little while .... will be great what do you think?