VOIP suggestions

[poofdogg]

Hey all..

I'm in the market to jump onto the VOIP bandwagon and haven't stuck my hand into it at all. I've looked into the bundled version with my cable company, but don't want to spend the $30 a month that they want.

Should I look into a service like Skype? If so, any suggestions on wireless headsets or handsets?

Just looking for some suggestions for favorite services and devices. Thanks!

[slam]

last christmas i bought my family some phillips skype phones. they're pretty nice, in that they don't require a computer at all (so no worries about which OS, etc). just plug the base unit into your router and you're set.

even with a a properly set firewall and a super fast internet connection, the call quality could still be crap. while home internet connections have very high throughput, they don't always have low latency, which is vitally important for crystal clear audio. so i think the VoIP is nice, but it's always good to have your cell phone handy.

[paul]

I have Speakeasy's VOIP + DSL package. It's a little pricey for what I'm getting (1.5 mbit up, 384 k down, VOIP service, for $98/mo), mainly I'm not happy because the DSL isn't that fast. My upload especially sucks.

They provide a VOIP gateway, that goes between my DSL modem and my firewall/router that connects all of my computers. It's sort of nice, I set it up in my basement, patched it into my phone system, and now my phone jacks and regular phones work just like they always did.

The good things I'll say about it is that Speakeasy's tech support is second to none. They're awesome about setup and product delivery, I've had a grand total of about 10 mins downtime in the last year, I can get them on the phone and they don't talk to me like I"m an idiot, they support Linux. It goes on and on, and it's really the only reason I overpay for this service. I see it as I'm getting discount "business" service when I order their residential services.

Anyway, that's my story. What Slam said is also a different, great, and cheaper, way to get into VOIP.