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WLAN VOIP PHONE

THESE PHONES MAKE AND RECEIVE INTERNET CALLS (SUCH AS THROUGH SKYPE) AND DO NOT DEPEND ON A MOBILE PHONE COMPANY OR OTHER TELEPHONE SYSTEM.

SKYPE OFFERS A "GATEWAY" WHICH ENABLES CALLS BEING MADE TO AT RELATIVELY LOW COST TO EXISTING TELEPHONE MOBILE AND LAND-LINE PHONES ..

NETGEAR SPH101

REVIEW:-

I TOOK UMBRAGE WITH A MAGAZINE WHICH REVIEWED THIS MODEL AND MARKED IT DOWN BECAUSE OF SHORT BATTERY LIFE AND THE FACT THAT IT CAN'T HOOK UP TO NETWORKS WHICH NEED BROWSER AUTHENTICATION. THEY WERE TREATING IT AS A POSSIBLE MOBILE REPLACEMENT AND THAT'S A JOB THAT IT SIMPLY CAN'T DO. APART FROM ANYTHING ELSE, THE OPEN WIRELESS INFRASTRUCTURE IS TOO PATCHY TO ALLOW SEAMLESS ACCESSIBILITY. THINK OF WHERE MOBILE PHONES WERE 20 YEARS AGO AND THAT'S WHERE THIS IS AS FAR AS ON-THE-GO ACCESS IS CONCERNED.

YOU COULD CERTAINLY CARRY IT AROUND WITH YOU SO LONG AS THE NETWORKS YOU INTEND TO ACCESS ARE EITHER OPEN OR YOU KNOW THE KEYS, WHICH RULES OUT HOTSPOTS WHICH USUALLY REQUIRE A BROWSER WHICH THIS DOESN'T HAVE.

THE REASON I BOUGHT IT WAS TO ALLOW MY WIFE TO CALL ME USING SKYPE WITHOUT HAVING TO SWITCH ON THE PC. SHE'S NOT A GREAT FAN OF "SILLY COMPUTERS" THOUGH SHE HAS COME TO TERMS WITH THEM OVER THE YEARS AT WORK BUT LOVED USING THIS. WHAT IT DOES IS SIMPLE ENOUGH - IT HOOKS UP TO YOUR WIRELESS NETWORK AND ALLOWS YOU TO MAKE AND RECEIVE SKYPE CALLS WITHOUT HAVING TO TURN ON THE PC.

THINK OF IT AS BEING A CORDLESS PHONE THAT USES SKYPE. THE BATTERY LIFE IS NOT GREAT BUT THAT DOESN'T MATTER SO LONG AS YOU REMEMBER TO CONNECT IT TO CHARGE WHEN YOU'RE NOT USING IT. YOU ALSO NEED TO BEAR IN MIND THAT, LIKE ANY VOIP CONNECTION, THE QUALITY OF THE CALL DEPENDS ON A LOT OF FACTORS BECAUSE THE CALL IS ROUTED VIA THE INTERNET.

WORKING OUT OF THE COUNTRY AND SPENDING A FORTUNE ON PHONE CALLS (YOU ONLY REALISE HOW FAR THE TELECOMS INDUSTRY STILL HAS TO GO IN TERMS OF OPENING UP COMPETITION WHEN YOU SEE HOW EXORBITANT INTERNATIONAL RATES REMAIN) IT WAS EXACTLY WHAT WE NEEDED. I'VE SINCE BOUGHT A COMBINED LANDLINE AND SKYPE PHONE FROM SKYPE FOR USE BY MY WIFE AND TAKEN THIS WITH ME SO NOW WE CAN BOTH MAKE AND RECEIVE SKYPE CALLS WITHOUT THE INCONVENIENCE OF BEING AT THE COMPUTER.

IF YOU RECOGNISE IT'S LIMITATIONS AND SPEND ENOUGH ON CALLS TO MAKE THE PURCHASE COST WORTHWHILE THEN YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED. IT WORKS STRAIGHT OUT OF THE BOX, HAS THE FAMILIAR SKYPE INTERFACE AND DOES EXACTLY WHAT IS CLAIMED. TRY AND PRETEND IT'S SOMETHING ELSE - E.G. A MOBILE - THEN YOU WILL DEFINITELY BE DISAPPOINTED...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/review/RT4IFZQHF1RIM/ref=cm_cr_pr_viewpnt#RT4IFZQHF1RIM

"Poor Man's WiFi" ?

Harbour 10Km Link

A popular site with lots of imaginative and interesting low cost antenna ideas for DIY antenna from Massey University New Zealand.... Frying pans, Cooking Woks, foil and mesh lined Umbrellas.

"Gains typically ~12-15db with LOS ranges ~3-5km, AND great cost benefits from using cheap RF loss free USB cable" (repeater cables every 5metres length)


Stan Swan
Wellington, New Zealand

http://www.usbwifi.orcon.net.nz/

Oct 2005

What is Wi-Spy™?

Wi-Spy™ is the world's smallest 2.4 GHz spectrum analyzer*. Wi-Spy is
perfect for troubleshooting interference from the following devices:

• Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n)
• Microwave Ovens
• Cordless Phones
• Baby Monitors
• Bluetooth

Wi-Spy is a fraction of the cost of traditional spectrum analyzers!
*Wi-Spy's frequency range is 2.400 - 2.483 GHz

http://www.wi-spy.co.uk/