Get a FREE fully-working copy of Steganos Security Suite 7 (worth £49.99) when you sign up to the Practical PC Newsletter. Review: Netgear Cordless Phone with Skype SPH200D
Want your cake and eat it? – Netgear’s SD200D can be used both with Skype and a landline. Ian Waugh talks the talk…
| Product | Cordless Phone with Skype SPH200D |
|---|---|
| Company | Netgear |
| Web | www.netgear.co.uk |
| Price | Around £90/$179.99 US |
| We like | Easy to set up, easy to use |
| We don't like | A little pricey, dodgy ringtones |
| Rating | 8/10 |
| Requirements |
Skype is great - you can use it to make no-cost or very low-cost calls over the internet.
The drawback is that you need to be beside your computer, it must be switched on and you probably use headphones and a mic. Wouldn't it be nice to use a normal phone, and not have to be beside your computer?
There are now several phones that plug directly into your internet connection so you can use them away from your computer and it does not need to be switched on. Phones such as Netgear's SPH200D which simply has the catchy title of Cordless Phone With Skype.
In fact, it doesn't just do Skype, it's a dual phone that can also be used with a landline. It comprises a DECT phone with a dual-mode base station which connects to a normal phone socket and also plugs into your Ethernet network connection. Note, however, that the system doesn't support WiFi. The handset can be placed anywhere as long as it can get a signal from the base station.
The base station supports three handsets but you only get the one. An additional handset, the SPH150D, costs around £50.
Setup is easy. You basically just plug everything in. You can set up your Skype details from the handset and you can be making calls within minutes. You do have to charge the phone first, but it charges from the base station. It has a 12hr/120hr talks/standby time which should be more than adequate for home use and even small businesses.
When making calls you get the choice of using Skype or the landline. The phone can store up to 500 contact details and you can set dialling preferences for each of them Skype or landline. The phone shows an icon if a contact is online.
The call quality is very good although it may depend what you're used to and the speed of your internet connection. Some calls were better than others but generally it was fine, much like using a normal phone.
Although you can access settings from the phone, the base station also has a web interface that you can access via a browser for additional tweaking.
The phone includes 16 ringtones which, it must be said, could be better but you can specify different tones for incoming landline and Skype calls which is useful.
So we all want one! The price is probably the main restricting factor but shop around and you might find it under £90.
Conclusion
This is the way phone calls should be made - through a regular phone, a choice of internet or landline and without being tied to your computer. This type of phone is in its infancy so you probably pay a slight premium for that but if you've put off exploring Skype because of the "computer connection" now's the time to think again.
