Monday, October 20, 2008

Make Calls For Free On The Internet


This month I will explain the process of using your pc to make free calls over the internet. With a little planning you could save a ton of money off your telephone bill using this technology.

Hardware You Will Need
Your computer must be equipped with sound output (Speakers or a headset) and a microphone to make calls. You can also purchase a special phone which hooks directly to your pc for around €30. Most webcams have a built-in microphone but the quality may not be the best. The quality of the telephone calls will be determined by the speed and reliability of both your and the called parties broadband and the quality of the sound hardware used. If you don’t have the necessary hardware the suppliers of the software will sell you the hardware but you will find you can get a better deal elsewhere.

Software You Will Need
There are many products now providing this service including Skype, Oovoo, Voipstunt and MSN. The most popular seems to be Skype but some of the less popular products may suit you better. Oovoo, for example, provides three way video conferencing which you may find more attractive but be aware this requires that all parties have good high speed broadband connections and webcams.

What it Costs
Calls made pc to pc are free. To call your friend they must have the same software installed as you. Thus you can’t use Skype to make a pc call to an Oovoo user. When you download and install the software you pick a unique id and this id serves to identify you and enable others to call you using the free service. With Skype and Oovoo there is no limit to the amount of time you can talk on the free pc to pc service. You are only charged when you make a call to a landline or mobile using the service. Be aware that the quality of calls made to landlines and mobiles can be very poor at times and in some cases you will hang up due to the poor quality. The cost for making non-free calls is very inexpensive. Skype for example charges 2 cent a minute to call USA phones from Ireland.

Conclusion
With little or no investment you can save yourself some serious money on your telephone bill but be aware that you should use these services as an additional option and not as a substitute for a regular landline or mobile phone. These products should never be relied on for emergency services.

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Oliver Reidy is a computer technician and has been in the industry since 1981.You can contact him via email at help.desk@reidyonline.com or at these telephone numbers 041.988.7526/087.797.0740.