GazGuzla

If you ask somebody in Massachusetts about Skype, they will likely have no idea what your talking about. After reading about the millions of overseas users making cheap phone calls, I decided to try it. I spent $250 on a Netgear SPH200D, signed up for SkypeIn and SkypeOut. Shortly after installation, my cell phone rang. It was the first sign things were not going well initially. No ring, garbled voice, static, you name it I had it. Two tears later, I have become a big Skype fan. Two things that changed my feelings - the introduction of a $3 a month Skype Pro package, and learning how to optimize the voice quality.

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Choosing a Home Phone service provider is not as clear as it used to be. What was once picking a local and long distance carrier with the best price now has the added option of VoIP. To oversimplify the description - VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) uses the Public Internet to send and receive phone calls. VoIP Phones are usually connected to your Router or Access Point along with your PC and Xbox.

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Quality of Service is a term used to describe the way bandwidth is prioritized and allocated from (Outbound) and to (Inbound) your network. Most, if not all Internet bandwidth fluctuates from load sharing and Infrastructure between you and the point to which you are connecting. When you enable QoS, your configuring the router to give guaranteed bandwidth to the device, application or service (on your network, behind the router) by priority regardless of the conditions on the Internet.

Unlike other Router Firmware with QoS, Tomato has two major advantages. The first is the ability to set the bandwidth Rate and Limit of a Class. The Second is a Graphical Interface which allows you to analyze, tune, and optimize QoS for VoIP devices, torrents, and other p2p apps that impact overall network performance.

The following section is a tutorial to be used as a basic starting point to configure and optimize Tomato QoS.

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A Dual Mode Cordless Skype enabled phone allows you to make both VoIP and traditional landline calls through the same handset. The Base Station connects to your router’s Ethernet port, which transmits the European DECT signal, a lower frequency that the traditional 2.4Ghz and the newer 5.8 Ghz cordless phones to the cordless handset.

The advantages of the lower frequency:

• Longer range
• No interference with Wireless Routers (2.4Ghz)
• Better digital signal quality

Below is a ranking of the top 4 Dual Mode Skype enabled cordless phones, based on research and actual tests including voice quality, reliability, and reported problems at the Skype Forum:

1. Netgear SPH200D
2. Linksys CIT400
3. GE 28310EE1
4. Philips VOIP841