I need an easy way to call my dad over seas. Can't use skype cuz he's 80 and technologically inept. How can I call from my computer to a land line? Thanks.
Internet phones...?
- Thread starter Dog Welder
- Start date
80?
If you can find some really long string, this should work.
If you can find some really long string, this should work.
walkie talkies.
Sign up for a vonage account or something like it. I've never used them, nor do I see myself using them in the future, but they do have interesting commericals.
Vonage
Something Like Vonage
Vonage
Something Like Vonage
Skype can make calls to a land line (I think?)
Vonage is $24/mo and calls to Europe are included.
morse code?
And I have heard good things about the cost & connection.
Skype, $15 worth of credit will last me a year including calls to overseas mobile phones. Can't speak highly enough of this company.
Buy a Vonage account locally (i.e. get a local phone number through them). Ship him the Vonage box. Boom, local number dials his house overseas.
Haven't used Skype much so if it's cheaper, that's a good way to do it. But I do know this Vonage box works that way: it doesn't matter where the actual phone is, the phone number determines what fees you pay. Local phone number = local call.
Haven't used Skype much so if it's cheaper, that's a good way to do it. But I do know this Vonage box works that way: it doesn't matter where the actual phone is, the phone number determines what fees you pay. Local phone number = local call.
Vonage works great for me. The quality is perfect and calls to Europe are included in the $25/mo fee. I got two cordless phones which includes the router for under $50 from Circuit City. You can also buy numbers where ever you want so people in those areas can call you for free. No regrets. I think it is funny when the cable company asks me if I have my phone through them and when I tell them that I have Vonage they go silent.
Skype also worked flawlessly for me when I tried it on my son's PSP.
My buddy in Iraq uses skype to call my cell and I was shocked at the quality. I've never used skype before, but the quality is at least as good as cell to cell.
I use Vonage as a home phone and it's awesome.
I use Vonage as a home phone and it's awesome.
Thanks again you guys
same here. computer to computer (from China) was faster and clearer than using a cell phone (and free as opposed to $3/minute). video makes the trips overseas much more bearable for the wife and I, and calling phones is $0.024/minute with no connection charges. The only thing to note is that some countries charge cell phone charges to the caller (and not the owner of the cell phone), so the charges to cell phones are sometimes higher. regardless, $10 usually lasts me all year...
totally love skype
Dongle is a technical term
Use Skype.
I use it for my business and get unlimited calls to land lines for $3 per month per person. And people can call from home, the office, wherever.
You can do international unlimited plans for $4-5 month.
Then go to fry's or radioshack and get a headset for $20-$40. I recommend Plantronics because they have better noise-cancelling mic's. It helps for non-echoing calls and better clarity.
I use it for my business and get unlimited calls to land lines for $3 per month per person. And people can call from home, the office, wherever.
You can do international unlimited plans for $4-5 month.
Then go to fry's or radioshack and get a headset for $20-$40. I recommend Plantronics because they have better noise-cancelling mic's. It helps for non-echoing calls and better clarity.
Skype has exemplary customer service. Recently (August 12th or 8/12) I bought some more credit from them. It went through instantly and everything was working smoothly but when I received the confirmation e-mail it said I'd bought the credit on December 8th. Now I have my language preferences set to Australian English so the dates appear as, you guessed it, 8/12 so I could see where the problem had occurred. Obviously a software glitch. So I sent off an e-mail to them.
Now Skype has literally tens of millions of users so I was expecting a reply to a pretty trivial question maybe 2-3 days later. Skype would have none of this, I had a reply literally within the hour, directly addressing the problem and with the name of the customer service person who had answered. This was followed by an extensive customer support questionairre asking how well they'd done. Needless to say I gave full marks.
Now I give my hard earned yen to a few different internet based companies and frankly most of them are pretty ordinary on the customer support front but not Skype. Yeah, so I'm a cheerleader. I live overseas and every ex-pat, every single one, uses Skype.
Now Skype has literally tens of millions of users so I was expecting a reply to a pretty trivial question maybe 2-3 days later. Skype would have none of this, I had a reply literally within the hour, directly addressing the problem and with the name of the customer service person who had answered. This was followed by an extensive customer support questionairre asking how well they'd done. Needless to say I gave full marks.
Now I give my hard earned yen to a few different internet based companies and frankly most of them are pretty ordinary on the customer support front but not Skype. Yeah, so I'm a cheerleader. I live overseas and every ex-pat, every single one, uses Skype.
Here's a tech question maybe some of you smart guys can answer - if I ditch my long distance carrier can I *receive* LD calls on my home phone & then use Skype for any of my *outbound* LD calls?
Yes, you can even get a skype phone with a skype number. Check it out SS, they can be found on the internet!!
Well... WTF am I waiting for? Skype... here I come.
I'm not sure I want a Skype phone or a Skype number. Wouldn't that make me some sort of cult follower?
I haven't drunk all the Kool-Aid just yet SS, only a few sips. I'm quite happy just using my computer and a headset. Skype/Messenger is how I keep in touch with all my friends and family. Skype is better than Messenger which can be buggy ime.I'm not sure I want a Skype phone or a Skype number. Wouldn't that make me some sort of cult follower?