Anyone use Skype?

enfield

Please be patient with this doddery old codger who is trying to live within my limited means in these recessionary times.
My telephone line is going back to Eircom next week and I wonder if anyone can give me information on Skype.
What equipment do I need to start up using my computer?
What are the monthly fees to be able to call landlines and mobiles?
Any things I have to watch out for? avoid? beware of?
Can I pay by paypal? (I hate giving my credit card details to unknown companies).
Is it restricted to off peak times or can I use it at any time, day or night?
Thanking you in advance for your patience, I know its a lot of questions but it may be my way of keeping in touch in these hard times.
Tom.

byte

http://www.skype.com/intl/en/prices/payg-rates

Equipment wise, you'll need a microphone and speakers to hear the other end. There are headsets available to plug into your PC.

There doesn't need to be a monthly fee - there's the "pay as you go" option, where you top up with a tenner or so, and just use your credit. You can, however, use the Pay Monthly service if you wish. I guess it'll come down to how much you intend to use the service.

If the person you want to contact has Skype also, then the call is free Skype-to-Skype.

Yes, they accept Paypal.

watty

Also check out Blueface.

You do need real broadband, via fibre, UPC Cable, phone line or Fixed Wireless. The Mobile solutions are erratic for VOIP or Skype.

Magnet, UPC, Digiweb/Smart have phone services with real numbers and real phone handsets that don't need an eircom line, and usually work at better quality than Skype or Blueface.

enfield

You guys are the best, thanks for everything.
Kind regards.
Tom.

weisses

What will you use instead of eircom to connect to the internet ?? ... as mentioned above ..you need proper broadband to use skype.

enfield

I have vodaphone broadband, would that do?
Many thanks.
Tom

watty

What sort of Vodafone?

They have Mobile which is NEVER and can't be Broadband, though marketed as "Mobile Broadband" It's poor for Skype and on some packages they explicity block Skype!

They also resell Eircom DSL, took over BT's retail (inc IOL and ESAT) and own Perlico resold Eircom DSL.

So either you are using eircom phone line or Vodafone's non-Broadband Mobile Phone Network.

vibe666

and unfortunately, if you are a residential customer i don't think any DSL broadband provider offers a broadband package without a phoneline.