The Skinny on Internet Calling

One type of gadget that sure found its way all across CES last month was the VoIP-Internet phone. You know, the ones that let you make calls over the Internet for a fraction of the cost (and about three quarters the call quality) of traditional landlines.

Some phones, like the IPEVO Free-1 that works with Skype, are not much more than headsets in handset form (but you still need a computer). Others, like many of the Vonage phones (and now some Skype phones) combine the adapter-box/router that houses your VoIP number with a full-fledged phone (you don‘t need a computer). And some, like the Thomson USB DECT 6.10 Cordless Dual Mode Phone, can handle regular landline calls and Skype VoIP calls all in one, without the unsightly router (or a computer!)

If all these phones are confusing, you can turn to today's New York Times, where David Pogue breaks down three ways to get your Internet calling on. He discusses the Vonage option, which consists of an adapter-box, (or, router) that houses your Internet number and into which you plug a regular phone. He also highlights the hyped V-Phone, also from Vonage, a plug-and-play USB solution that requires no downloads, installations, or routers—just a broadband connection and a computer.

Lastly, he talks about Skype, the service that lets you call other Skype users anywhere in the world for free (not unlike similar services from Yahoo!, AOL, and MSN)—this solution requires that you be at your PC and that your friends also have Skype. As mentioned above, some of the newest Skype phones let you get rid of the computer, Vonage-style.

Skype also offers the SkypeOut service, which lets you call any regular number, anywhere. Considering SkypeOut is only $30 a year (and just $15 until yesterday) for unlimited calling to any phone in the U.S. and Canada, it's increasingly hard to turn away from Skype, or to turn towards Vonage (which costs about $30, per month, for pretty much the same deal). And you'll have plenty of choices this year: There were more than 40 Skype phones alone on the CES show floor, according to this pictorial roundup (thanks, Engadget).

Though it cuts to the chase on VoIP, the piece for some reason plugs the extremely disappointing Vonage V-Phone, which is a purported favorite with celebrities (whatever). Yes, the way that it just starts up once you plug it into your computer's USB drive is dazzling, but if there's any background noise when and where you make the call, you can pretty much forget having a conversation since your friend on the other end of the line won't understand you at all. The whole point of the USB-sized thing is that it's portable—I certainly wouldn't use this thing in my house. Why this doodad gets such plugs I'll never know.

Also, don't forget there are other options to Skype and Vonage (and the Skype-like offerings from Yahoo!, MSN, AOL, and the like), including Verizon VoiceWing and Packet8, among others, which are no better or worse than Vonage and may offer you the better phones or deals you‘re looking for.

Thankfully, Pogue does not mention the Wi-Fi VoIP phones that purportedly let you make calls anywhere there's a Wi-Fi hotpsot. In my experience, these just don't work consistently enough to be worth it. I'll take my comparatively trustworthy cell phone instead any day. But maybe some of you out there have had better experiences with Wi-Fi VoIP phones. If so, please tell.

Anybody out there with VoIP service—wired, wireless, or otherwise—who either loves or hates it? If so, please share your opinions and experiences.

Related links:

Stop Insulting My Wi-Fi, Vonage!

For Dummies: Understanding What VoIP Means