Can anyone suggest a VOIP Cordness phone that only needs USB?

Isobutane · 10-05-2009, 8:04 PM

In order to keep calling costs down when abroad, I've recently been converted to the idea of VOIP, however, for the past year, I've simply been using my mic and speakers, and I've been considering the idea of getting a cordless USB phone.

However, in order for it to be most usable abroad, I want it to be entirely USB powered, as if you have a phone where the base station is connected to the USB, and the phone is connected to the power supply, that could be a problem in countries that use different voltages.

So, could anyone suggest a resonably inexpensive (ie under £40) cordless VOIP phone that requires a USB connection only? Will most VOIP phones work with most providers? I don't tend to use Skype, I generally use either Sipgate or Voipcheap. Will most VOIP phones work with most providors?

Also, will using VOIP via a hotel router be a problem? Does it tend to be blocked?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Binatone-L10...1986632&sr=8-5

I found this pretty cheap Binatone cordness USB phone. While for £3, it's not going to be great by any stretch of the imagination, would it work with providers like Sipgate, etc?

Thanks

sleekyG · 11-05-2009, 5:55 AM

I haven't subscribed to any voip services out there. But have you tried contacting your VOIP providers if they have any recommendation with the phone compatible for their service? I am sure they can recommend one.

How about that Binatone Cordness phone reviews, have you tried reading some reviews about it's compatibility? Hope you can figure it out.

Isobutane · 11-05-2009, 4:40 PM

Another spanner in the works (or maybe not). I emailed Sipgate concerning compatibility and their response was that Sipgate is compatible with any phone that is "sip" enabled. Is SIP different to VOIP, or is all this SIP/VOIP stuff just different terminology for essentially the same thing?

I'm confused, lol.

Chris Muriel · 11-05-2009, 6:43 PM

Both Skype and Sipgate use VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol).
Skype use their own proprietary version, incompatible with anything else (but it's still VoIP).
The normal open standard for VoIP is SIP, which is what SipGate and most others use - making them interoperable with other SIP users - but not with Skype.
I am sure that Wikipedia has explanations for all of this if you want more detail.

Chris Muriel, Manchester