The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group
TalkPro U-100 VoIP Phone
Ash Nallawalla
ash@melbpc.org.au

Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) in our context means the ability to make a telephone call over your Internet connection, be it dial-up, ADSL or cable. My clients are mainly in the United States, so making a normal phone call can get expensive and using a calling card is tedious. The solution is to use VoIP.

Aico Systems

Aico Systems (http://www.talkpro.net) is a Californian company that sells several models of these VoIP phones. They feature Ethernet or USB connectors and come in basic or speakerphone models.
 
TalkPro U-100

I have the cheapest model, the U-100. It has a USB connection, so my PC has to be switched on and connected to the Internet and the TalkPro client program needs to be logged in before anyone can call me. In other words, if my PC reboots while I am away from my desk, it won't log in for me unattended. But that's the design.

In Use

Setting up in Windows XP requires careful adjustment of the Voice tab in Control Panel: Sounds & Audio Devices, particularly the volume level for the USB device (the U-100). The installation process points your sound card at the phone, so you have to undo that (that is in the instructions) and point the Audio tab back to your sound card.

I use the U-100 regularly to speak to another U-100 user in the US free of charge for as long as I want. This is because calls to other TalkPro subscribers are free, as is the case with other VoIP phone companies.



Figure 1. The U-100 phone with USB connection

If I need to call a land-line number anywhere in the world, I need to have sufficient credits in my TalkPro account and the call is made at very low rates as though I am in the US.

Therefore, if I were to phone a number in any part of Australia, it would cost me US$0.059/minute; calling New Zealand is cheaper, at US$0.049/minute; calls to the UK or Singapore are $0.039/minute; the US is the cheapest at US$0.029/minute.

A few people in the US call me through their nearest PSTN access number. Yes, TalkPro has several local numbers throughout the US, so my clients call me for the price of a local call (often that is a free call to them). I have a unique 6-digit number, which they dial after reaching the local gateway. The voice quality is as good as a normal telephone call, sometimes a lot better.

The Negatives

Very occasionally during a long call, the other end just fades away owing to the vagaries of the Internet connection, but this is the exception. More often, US callers find that the local number is busy.

The lightweight, plastic phone needs a brick tied to it to stop me from lifting the base when I pick up the handset to take a call. The handset cord could be a lot longer - it is integrated and not user-replaceable.

International wrong numbers are an unexpected problem, as they occur at strange hours and none of the callers so far seem to speak or understood English. One Mandarin Chinese caller keeps redialing in the hope that they will eventually be connected with their intended number. How does one say "Wrong number!" in Mandarin?

Conclusion

The negatives did not detract from the functionality of the phone and it does its job well. I did not try the R-100 at Comdex as the stand was swarming with people but from its description, it is perhaps the better choice. These phones cost between US$109.99 and $169.99 plus shipping, but sometimes you may find them on special for a pair, as they are popular with expatriates who leave one unit with their families in their home country.

Reprinted from the July 2004 issue of PC Update, the magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia

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