The following information is in reference to the thread “Magic Jack (VoIP)”
For people looking for an easy-to-use IP phone service provider that you can use without requiring a computer,
there is SIPGATE:
sipgate.com/ if you want a phone number in the US
sipgate.co.uk/user/index.php if you want a phone number in the UK
sipgate.de/user/index.php (with German interface) if you want a phone number in Germany
I use SIPGATE almost almost the same way other people use Magic Jack (as described in the referenced thread); the one difference being that i don’t use (don’t need to use) a computer - instead i use a router.
How exactly does this work? When i travel, i take along a small router that contains my settings, a short ethernet LAN cable, and one of those slim table-top/wall-mount phone sets that you can get anywhere for about $10. I plug the router into the LAN of the place where i stay (every halfway decent business hotel in Japan has LAN access in the rooms nowadays), and the phone gets plugged into the router. Ready to go.
And when i am at home i plug that router into my own LAN, of course.
On the other hand, it is possible to use SIPGATE via a computer, exactly like Magic Jack, by plugging in a USB handset like the one shown here:
echostore.com/skype-handset-black.html
I pay by the minute (less than 2c/min across the US and Canada if you register in the US or across Europe if you register in the UK or in Germany) since i don’t have to call abroad that often. My overseas phone bill (calls usually to Europe or Taiwan, occasionally to the US) amounts to less $10 a year, which means i am calling on average less than 35 minutes per month. Incoming calls (via a phone number registered in Germany) are free for me but incur the regular connection charge for those who call me. Voice mail is included free of charge.
SIPGATE also offers flat rates, and if you register in the US you probably end up with an annual fee that is not much different than that you get with Magic Jack (making calls in Europe is more expensive).
By the way, for calls in Japan i use a domestic IP-phone servicer provider, although SIPGATE is a bit cheaper. The reason is that there is a time delay being introduced when using SIPGATE, on account of the calls being routed via Europe, and i don’t want that delay when making calls within the country.
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