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ronin1
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| Joined: | Saturday January 21st, 2006 |
| Location: | S.F. Bay Area, California USA |
| Posts: | 622 |
| Visits: | 7 | | Currently: | married |
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Posted: Saturday September 9th, 2006 06:27 am |
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As everyone is getting tired of me saying that this venture is expensive, technology is easing the buried a little. Long distance phone calls are a part of the search for the perfect RW. Also, living happily ever after is not complete without phone calls to the in-laws on a regular basis. It's just part of the territory.
Ok, VOIP is a way to use your high speed internet lines (that you already pay for) to make the phone connections for you. It offers the potential of digital voice transmission from end to end (this means crystal clear connections, however this doesn't apply to connections to Russia all the time). Additionally, the service rates are very low. There are many forms of VOIP so be careful for which you intend to use and how much you want to invest in hardware. Calculate everything in to be sure it is the best option for the service you will be getting. Many VOIP companies are offering free basic services for the first 6 month to a year of operation before they start charging hard cash so keep that in mind.
VOIP industry is a very competitive business right now. Everyone and their dog wants in on this business. According to VoipProvidersList.com there are over 577 VOIP providers operating in the US alone. Over a 1000 worldwide. All are as well regulated as the cell phone business (hope you get the joke ). This makes it rife for less than reputable practices. So be careful. If anyone has recommendations, please place them here.
Here is a information sheet that tells more of the basics: FCC VOIP
Some links to the top VOIP providers. Check them out and give a review: Gizmo Project, Skype, Packet8, Vonage, ViaTalk, Verizon VoiceWing, AT&T CallVantage, SunRocket, Lingo, NetZero, BroadVoice, America Online, Eartlink
Ronin
Last edited on Thursday December 18th, 2008 07:54 pm by ronin1
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HABurke
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| Joined: | Friday September 8th, 2006 |
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| Posts: | 3 |
| Visits: | | | Currently: | learning about RW |
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Posted: Monday September 11th, 2006 01:40 pm |
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This will be somewhat of a repeat, but given I am new to this forum and such, please be patient. I see that I should have begun a new thread the other day...
I have been using SKYPE for a couple weeks now to communicate with a RW in Chelyabinsk. I was finally able to get her contact info from a less than savory site and we have been quite happy with the quality of the sound using this program. Skype has instant chat windows much like other programs available (MSN, Yahoo Messenger, etc.) in addition to the VOIP. My friend is able to share video, but the video version of Skype for Mac OS is still BETA (I do not recommend it yet). Mac users are fortuante in that we do not have to purchase additional gear to use VOIP programs, ie. a head-set. The built in mike and speakers on my lap-top work just fine and she hears me quite clearly, much better than the times we attempted phone based conversations. If your RW friend has a computer then this is defiantely a great option! The program is very stable and easy to use in this version. No crashes or glitches at all. Ronin mentioned to be careful of charges, and that some may appear after an initial trial period - I will have to check the fine print, but saw no mention of this when I first loaded Skype.
As a side note: when my friend wants to see me, I use Yahoo Messenger with video. I use the small window size as it is obvious she is on a dial-up connection. For some odd reason her video cam picture is not right at all. Her son and I are experimenting to figure out the whys of this. Seems young men (our sons are are both 20) on both sides of the world are computer savvy... Also, Yahoo talks about a VOIP version being available (but not for Mac OS yet?)
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ronin1
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| Joined: | Saturday January 21st, 2006 |
| Location: | S.F. Bay Area, California USA |
| Posts: | 622 |
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Posted: Tuesday September 12th, 2006 04:01 am |
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HABurke,
Thanks for repeating your post. You hit on an important topic that warrants its own thread. Limitations in the forum platform make it very difficult to move individual posts. If you have any more info on the matter, feel free to clue us old guys in.
Ronin
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