Actiontec VoSKY Internet Phone Wizard for Skype

That USB criticism is ridiculous. Is it really that hard to reinstall software that take 5 minutes to load?I am user of skype, I have a computer that I leave on all the time, and I hate using headsets. So i was looking for something that I could use to hook into a expandable cordless phone system that I already have. I bought something cheap on ebay and that didn't work well at all. I got this thing and it works great on my cordless phone system. It works with the newest version of Skype (2.0) and the sound quality is excellent even when I am downloading something that is sucking down most of my bandwidth. It can also split duties with an existing phone line (I don't have a phone line so I dunno how well it works.) I am thinking about getting skypein to use with this device.Only quirk that took me sometime to get used to when using skypeout with this device is that you have dial 00 + country code (US is 1) + area code and phone number. It is written in the instructions, but took me a while to notice it. I was used to just typing the '+' sign on the keyboard.In summary, the device works well. If u already phones and a computer and a connection that is on all the time, and do not plan on playing USB musical chairs with the device, this solution will work well for u. I am not sure why Skype doesn't sell the device on its own website.The pertinent specs on the computer I am using with the device is as follows: 1ghz AMD duron processor, 1GB SDRAM, USB 1.0 port, and cable modem service.

This product doesn't work on Vista and after contacting Actiontec regarding this issue not only they ignored my messages, but when I browsed over the net for help, there was only a couple of responses from them one year old at least. Although this product is excellent running on XP, the lack of support and incapacity to keep up with current operating systems is at least unacceptable. If you plan to ever update to Vista, don't spend your money on it.

Skype 1.2* for Linux is somewhat temperamental, to say the least. It requires some tinkering with sound mixers and drivers to get the program to work, and when it does, an ordinary microphone produces terrible feedback. So it seemed a good idea to order this device, reportedly equipped with feedback elimination technology.Alas, this product may work very well, but it is NOT a plug-and-play device. It works ONLY on Windows operating systems, and very likely requires a late-model XP system to run properly.However, as of last week when I ordered this device through Amazon, from a marketplace seller, (and as of July 7, 2006, as I write this review) the manufacturer had not yet included that very pertinent information on the Amazon product page.Thus, I received my Vosky unit on Wednesday, plugged it in and was very disappointed to discover that it simply will not run on my computer.Not only does the accompanying software program only run on Windows. The owner's manual also omits any information about how to construct a workaround to run the device on Linux.The device did recognize my land-line phone, and my land-line dial tone came through loud and clear. But the computer did not recognize the presence of a UBS phone device.A little further research proved that this product is also useless on Mac computers.In addition, the USB cable is much too short. It is barely long enough to reach from the back of a computer to the phone, even one on an adjacent table.As to how the item works on compatible Windows machines, please consult other reviewers. I gather, even there, results are mixed.A final caution: if you actually plan to try this device when you get it, review return policies very carefully first.Do NOT buy from a marketplace seller, as at least one is less-than-forthright in return policies stated on its Amazon pages: nothing indicates that full refunds are given ONLY for unopened packages. Yet the seller insisted that a restocking fee would apply to my return, in addition to my original shipping payment. The loss would have been a quarter of my total cost.What saved me in this case was the Amazon A-Z marketplace guarantee. The thing is simply not what it was advertised to be.

This device worked great while I was using XP (no problems using using home cordless phone to place/receive skype calls) though it is a bit harder to setup than I think most people will want (I'm a tech guy) but the company never updated it's driver and this won't work with any of my computers now (all Mac or Win7).Anybody wants to buy mine ? :)

Note: If the SkypeOut contact does not have a speed dialnumber, dial the number using the followingformat: 00+Country Code+Area Code+LocalPhone Number.I have seen some people saying that they could only dial from the computer. That is not true, but you have to know how to do it from your phone.When you dial from Skype software on your computer, it already knows your country. So if you are in the US, and you want to call 1-800-555-1212, then you just put that into the Skype window and it calls the number.BUT, when you are on the actual telephone, you need to first dial ## (only if you have the regular phone line connected), then once you are on Vosky/Skype, you have to dial 00, and then the number.So, if you are in the US, and you want to call 1-800-555-1212 from your regular telephone using Vosky, you would dial ##-00-1-800-555-1212.I hope that clears up some of the confusion. Also, Skype for some reason does not offer speed dial from within the Skype software (as of this writing), and I have seen no plan to re-enstate that feature. So the only way you can dial from your telephone with Vosky IPW is to enter the actual number as shown above, or program it into your telephone's speed dial.

Very difficult to set up. It's now been discarded.