divoch wrote:
> I am not using VOIP yet so please bear with me.
>
> I came across NETGEAR SPH101 Skype WiFi Phone, UTStarcom UTS F1000 WiFi IP
> Phone Wi-Fi phones. Use of Wi-Fi phones seems to me potentially useful
> development but I am rather unsure about
> a] compatibility of these or any other similar devices with current VOIP
> services. What do I need to look for to ensure compatibility or would these
> work with any VOIP provider?
> b] how do they actually connect. I have a home network with Wi-Fi router,
> desktop PC with cable modem connection and a Laptop that connects via Wi-Fi
> c] has anyone used one of these and could he or she recommend any of them?
I have experience with the UTStarcom F1000 and the Zyxel p-2000W WiFi
phones.
They both are 802.11x compatible and connected to my Dlink DSL-G604T
fairly painlessly. They both handled my WEP key without any problem.
They both use SIP and handle NAT ok. I found the phone interfaces on
both of them to be very cumbersome and immature when compared to todays
current crop of mobile phone interfaces.
Call quality was acceptable but even with the volume turned up they were
a little on the quiet side, this was also true for the ringer. Battery
life is not brilliant again compared to mobiles but then again WiFi
takes more juice to run.
One major problem I found was that they tend to lose registration which
is not good, the only way to sort it was to reboot the phone.
I had both of the phones on evaluation but after testing i wouldn't buy
one myself.
> I've not used them but I know people who have and the general consensus of
> opinion is that a normal DECT cordless phone plugged into either an ATA or
> combined router/ATA is the way to go if you really want cordless
> operation. It's theoretically possible to use a WiFi phone at a wireless
> hotspot but I don't know of anyone that has successfully done it, given
> that you have to log on and pay with a credit card at most of them.
I agree with you. I prefer ATA and DECT. In fact I prefer ATA fullstop :-)
"Jon Farmer" <jon@nope.com> wrote in message news:44c33fd3.0@entanet...
> Ivor Jones wrote:
>
>> I've not used them but I know people who have and the general consensus
>> of
>> opinion is that a normal DECT cordless phone plugged into either an ATA
>> or
>> combined router/ATA is the way to go if you really want cordless
>> operation. It's theoretically possible to use a WiFi phone at a wireless
>> hotspot but I don't know of anyone that has successfully done it, given
>> that you have to log on and pay with a credit card at most of them.
>
> I agree with you. I prefer ATA and DECT. In fact I prefer ATA fullstop :-)
That is OK for home use but not really very useful for travelling, is it?
Free hotspots, as someone mentioned, is what I have in mind.
There are not many free high speed ones yet but it seems to be a growing
trend.
divoch
>
> The whole point is to use the growing number of free or associative
> (such as fon) hotspots.
>
Could you use a FON hotspot, considering you need to log into a web
service to use them?
> I saw one such at a friend's. He has it on loan. and has used it at
> free hotspots. Says it works.
>
I saw a fella in the pub with one, said it worked in a free hotspot
(somewhere).
On Sun, 23 Jul 2006 07:03:10 +0200, My Name <spam@gohome.com> wrote:
>
>I saw one such at a friend's. He has it on loan. and has used it at
>free hotspots. Says it works.
>
There was a review of it in today's Satellifax (French publication).
The reviewer said he was going to try it on hot spots abroad during
the holidays. The main problem was the battery charge doesn't last
very long. But I suppose that's cos wi-fi makes a considerable drain
on current.
My Name wrote:
> On Sun, 23 Jul 2006 07:03:10 +0200, My Name <spam@gohome.com> wrote:
>
>> I saw one such at a friend's. He has it on loan. and has used it at
>> free hotspots. Says it works.
>>
>
> There was a review of it in today's Satellifax (French publication).
> The reviewer said he was going to try it on hot spots abroad during
> the holidays. The main problem was the battery charge doesn't last
> very long. But I suppose that's cos wi-fi makes a considerable drain
> on current.
>
The strange thing is, the Nokia phones seem to last a lot longer (and
they have colour screens etc. to power).
Re: Wi-Fi phones, any good? 
Linear Mode
