Rayboy

After Yahoo cancelled my “Loyal Account” with them. i had to move on to Skype, i knew i was paying probably 2% more for my calls, but i never really had any problems with skype. Now, i had to inform my Yahoo Calling contacts to move out to skype, which includes my family too. But since my parents and siblings are not IT happy. they prefered me calling them on their normal phones..

i tried many phones, but all of them were either USB connected to a PC , or WIFI enabled. Now Wifi enabled phones are good. But if you expect to tell your mom , to stand in a corner, where you get a wifi signal, or to connect to specific SSIDs etc etc… she would say “Son, i prefer to Write you a letter!”

So Finally i searched and searched and found Belkin’s Desktop Phone for Skype.  i ordered it from amazon for 99 USD. i was amazed for it being light and stylish.  Now here are the pros and cons

 Pros:

• It got its own Ethernet and runs on DHCP( or even manual IP). Now both my places, both back in Goa and here in Kuwait. i have configured DHCP routers, so that any device can get IPs without involving my parents or family members to pay with IPs etc.  So when i brought it home. I plugged in the ethernet cable and power supply. and Viola!!! .. it connected to Skype and asked me for my credentials.. which was quick.
• I use Skypeout sometimes, it manages to convert 00 into + easily.
• It can be either Wall mounted or kept on a table, like the picture above.
• All settings, upgrades etc .. can all be done by the full color LCD screen
• All skype features were there, including add new contact etc.
• The speaker phone  was loud and clear without any jarring or noise.
• its a ONE TIME setup thingy, which would help my folks and older generation to call their loved ones with just few clicks.
• It doesnt require a computer or any Wifi Signal.

Cons

• The Phone handset, seems to be a bit delicate, i had to struggle a while to fix it to the base.it kept falling off. i like the stylish part, but they should have added more plastic to make it more firm.
• As an IT guy and to avoid Less clutter of wires, they could have made it POE which takes the electricity from the ethernet cable , instead of adding an additional power supply.
• Now days most of the gadgets i buy from amazon or US, come with Power Adapters for both 110 or 240 v. the phone came with 110 adapter, which makes us buy an additional power converter.

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