News

Skype? That rings a bell - on the cordless phone!

Skype is cheap; but what good is a phone if you don't know someone is calling? And that's the trouble with computer-based phones - they don't ring in your pocket, or in the kitchen - until now. Actiontec's Internet Phone Wizard with Skype makes your home cordless phone ring when a Skype call comes in.

Does it work? According to Tom Keating's blog, yes; it works very well.

He writes: "The Internet Phone Wizard will send ring voltage to your phone on an incoming Skype or PSTN call. I tested both and it performed without a hitch."

The product page on Actiontec's own web site doesn't illustrate the device at all well; it looks like a weird DSL modem or similar device. At the back, connections:

It needs Windows XP or 2000, but almost any ordinary phone can be plugged into the output socket - including a cordless one. "I should mention that you can switch between outbound landline and Skype calls by pressing "#", and then enter either a number to use for SkypeOut, or a speed-dial assigned to your Skype contacts," writes Keating. "I tested both a Skype-to-Skype call and a PSTN phone call on the ActionTec and the audio quality was superb."

Go here for Tom Keating's review