Skype Phone Gateway Ratings

These devices allow you to make Skype calls using your regular home telephone or even better your cordless phone. This is the number one add-on for Skype that we recommend you add to Skype to make it more like a regular telephone.

A "Gateways" allow you to connect both your computer with Skype and your PSTN telephone line so you can use the same cordless telephone for both Skype calls and regular telephone calls, or VoIP if you use Vonage for example. This allows you to make Skype or regular telephone calls anywhere in your home or office.

An "Adapter" only connects your computer to a telephone. Gateways can also act as an adapter if you do not connect your telephone line to the device. We recommend Gateways as they have more functions and are roughly the same cost, unless you know for sure you only need an adapter.

Gateways:
Adapters:

Gateways:

May 2006

DLink DPH-50U Skype USB Phone Adapter

This device is similar to my favorite Skype Add-on the VoSky Internet Phone Wizard. This gateway has allows you to connect your Computer AND your home Cordless phone to the same box to receive either a normal landline phone call or a Skype call. This device allows you to use your existing home phone, whether it be a standalone phone or a cordless phone and connect BOTH your computer AND your telephone cable so that you can use one phone for both. It allows includes Call Waiting and Three Way calling with your Skype and PSTN calls and even has an answering machine. Though my tests showed this device does NOT work with Vonage, I suspect there is a similar issue to the VoSky Call Center and probably works fine with PSTN as your main provider.

Price = $59 US (Available at any CompUSA)
http://www.dlink.com/products/?sec=1&pid=466

SkypeTips rates this a - 12345 (PC)

* Special note: This device did not work at all for me. I may be experiencing similar issues as I did with the VoSkye Call Center as it does not work with Vonage. The VoSky IPW works just fine with Vonage and regular PSTN. Do NOT buy this product if you are using VoIP unless I find out there is an update and it fixed the bugs. I have sent DLink a Tech Support request. I recommend the VoSky IPW as the best option in this space.

Recommendation: Buy a VoSky IPW and avoid this product until they correct the issue with the Vonage/VoIP issue.

May 2006

US Robotics USB Telephone Adapter (gateway)

USR has come out with a Skype to telephone gateway that has some good features. Add your cordless phone base and your landline to this device and use the same phone for both Skype and regular PSTN phone calls.

Retail: $70 U.S.

http://www.usr.com/products/voip/voip-product.asp?sku=USR9620

Internet Call Forwarding - Reduce missed calls by forwarding Skype calls to your mobile phone
Advanced Call Waiting - Notification of incoming calls, Skype or PSTN, and the ability to switch between them
Toll Bypass - Make Skype calls from your mobile phone, bypassing long-distance charges, domestic or international
Conference Calling - Conduct 3-way conferences between Skype calls and regular telephone calls
Caller ID - Displays Skype user name or PSTN Caller ID*is

Mar 2006

Zonet Sky-USB Box

The Zonet USB Gateway is another gateway to allow you to use your regular telephone with Skype and your PSTN telephone. Zonet is also coming out with a newer Internet Phone Box that will have more features.

Retail: $30 U.S.

http://www.zonetusa.com/DispProduct.asp?ProductID=175

Feb 2005

VoSky Internet Phone Wizard (formerly ActionTec)

ActionTec split off their Skype products and they are now called 'VoSky'. The Internet Phone Wizard is a MUST HAVE add-on for Skype.

Retail: $50 U.S.

http://www.vosky.com/product.php?pid=7

SkypeTips rates this a - 12345 (Windows only)

Recommendation: Buy an IPW if you want Skype to look, feel and act like your regular telephone. This is my #1 Skype Add-on!

Feb 2006

VoSKY Call Center

The VoSKY (formerly Actiontec) Call Center does everything the Internet Phone Wizard can and more. It has an answering machine (PC must be on) Call forwarding, Call back for offline Skype contacts and allows you to call your home from a cell phone for example and through the Call Center contact a Skype user anywhere in the world or use SkypeOut. SkypeOut users have access to Call Forwarding and Skype and others offer Voice Mail features, so the big benefit to this device is the ability to allow you to call a Skype user through your computer from a local landline when you are not home. For example; if I was at a store and wanted to call Bill Campbell from www.SkypeJournal.com and talk to him about some new Skype dodad I found, I could use my cell phone, call home, the Call Center would pick up , I enter my code and then press the speed dial entry for Bill and the Call Center would connect me to Bill via Skype on my PC through my Cell phone. The fact that I cannot use my home answering machine or inline FAX machine is a big disadvantage for my configuration, not to mention it will not work with my Vonage PAP2 that I have, makes this a poor choice for my configuration.

Retail: $70 U.S.
http://www.vosky.com/product.php?pid=320

SkypeTips rates this a - 12345 (Windows only)

Pros:

Call Skype users from your cell phone or other landline
Call Back when a user comes online
Answering machine
Call Forwarding

Cons:

Does not work with Vonage or possibly other VoIP providers
Call Forwarding and answering machine features are standard in Skype and other add-ons
The Call Center must pick up the Call
Does not allow you to have a FAX connected inline
Does not allow you to use your home answering machine built into your Cordless phone base for example
Windows only

* Special note: This device will only work with a regular telephone line. It does not work on Vonage for example and may not work on other VoIP providers. The functions of the IPW work fine, but the advanced Call Center features do not. So avoid this product if you are using VoIP of any kind as your main telephone line that would be connected to this device. VoSky is aware of the issue and is looking into it.

Recommendation: Buy an IPW and avoid this product until they correct the issue with the Vonage/VoIP issue.

June 2005

YapperNut - YapperBox USB to telephone adapter

The YapperBox allows you to connect your Computer AND your home telephone or Cordless phone to the same box to receive either a normal landline phone call or a Skype call. This device allows you to use your existing home phone, whether it be a standalone phone or a cordless phone and connect BOTH your computer AND your telephone cable so that you can use one phone for both versus two phones as in the PhoneConnector we have rated below.

Price = $50 US

http://www.yappernut.com/def/en/yapperBox.htm

SkypeTips rates this a - 12345 (Windows only)

* Special note: This is a nice adapter. With the extra of Voicemail, you don't have to have a Cordless phone with an answering machine. The only flaw is the volume level of the calls is low. The features far exceed the Actiontec IPW.

Jan 2005

ActionTec Internet Phone Wizard

The Actiontec Internet Phone Wizard allows you to connect your Computer AND your home Cordless phone to the same box to receive either a normal landline phone call or a Skype call. This device allows you to use your existing home phone, whether it be a standalone phone or a cordless phone and connect BOTH your computer AND your telephone cable so that you can use one phone for both versus two phones as in the PhoneConnector we have rated below.

Retail: $50 U.S.
http://www.vosky.com/product.php?pid=7

SkypeTips rates this a - 12345 (Windows only)

Get the ActionTec IPW drivers here 3.2mb Zip file version 1.2.0.5

Skybee - USB to Telephone adapter

The Skybee GK-Magic SB-302 & IP Magic SB-301allows you to connect your Computer Home Cordless phone to the same box to receive either a normal landline phone call or a PC / Skype phone call.

Retail: ???

http://www.skybee.com.cn/product/gk_magic_sb302.htm

RapidBox - USB / Telephone / FAX adapter

The RapidBox allows you to connect your Computer Home Cordless phone and FAX to the same box to receive either a normal landline phone call or a PC / Skype phone call.

Retail: $50 U.S.

http://rapidvoip.com/products.html

Feb 2005

SkypeBox - USB to telephone adapter

The SkypeBox allows you to connect your Computer and Home Cordless phone to the same box to receive either a normal landline phone call or a PC / Skype phone call.

Retail: $45 U.S.

http://www.mplat.com/

Adapters:

PhoneConnector - USB to RJ11 gateway

Would it be nice if you could use a cordless telephone with Skype and SkypeOut? Well you can !!! Adding the PhoneConnector to your computer allows you to plug in a typical home cordless phone and use it to place calls to basic Skype and SkypeOut users ! The following features are supported with the PhoneConnector device:

Allows you to use any telephone, especially Cordless phones to place Skype and SkypeOut calls through your PC. Also works with SightSpeed.
Uses Speed Dial settings in Skype so all you need to enter is your Speed Dial Skype assignment (example: 11#)
Rings connected telephone and the computer
If you use a Cordless phone, it allows you to roam anywhere within the range that the cordless phone operates
If your telephone has an answering machine - you can receive messages of missed Skype Calls !
If you have multiple extensions, multiple people can join in on the call
Freedom of NOT having to sit at the computer or limited by a wired headset

Retail: $45 U.S.

http://www.phoneconnector.com/products.aspx

PCPhoneLine - USB to RJ11 gateway

The hardware for all three of these devices I list look similar, but I am told the software and internal hardware is different. This device installed fine on one of my computers, but not the other. So systems with a lot of USB devices may experience installation issues. But looking only at the features and comparing it to the PhoneConnector, this does not fair as well. This solution requires you to map the users in Skype to users you enter in the software which PhoneConnector does NOT require you to do.