Net2Phone: The Industry Standard
Written: Aug 27 '01 (Updated Aug 28 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Available the world over; Call & billing history.
Cons: Advertisements; Lots of errors on website.
The Bottom Line: A great product, one of the best actually.
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| navinthebean's Full Review: Net2Phone |
I first began using Internet telephony - that is, the PC-to-Phone or PC-to-PC system - back in 1998, with Net2Phone. It was a still paid service then, and when similar FREE services like Dialpad were launched, I naturally flocked to them instead. When Dialpad ended its free program, I looked elsewhere for a PC-to-Phone solution, as I thought that the quality of Dialpad wasn't good enough to be paid for.
I returned to Net2Phone early in 2001.
I found that Net2Phone's quality had improved tremendously since then, and I feel it is far better than other IP telephony providers now. When I switched back to Net2Phone from Dialpad, the people I called were amazed. They actually thought that I was calling them on the telephone - the line was that good. There were no echoes, no sound distortions, no delays, nothing of the sort. As long as you set it up correctly and your internet connection is reasonably fast, everything is great. Sometimes the Net2Phone servers are down and you can't get connected at all, but this doesn't happen often.
To use Net2Phone, you have to download and install a 2MB file that is available for free on Net2Phone's website (www.net2phone.com). The actual program isn't jam-packed with features, and most of the buttons just lead to a place on Net2Phone's website. It's quite easy to operate, once you get familiar with it. Before you can use the program, however, you have to have registered and pre-paid for Net2Phone's services.
Calling rates vary, depending on where you live (inside or outside the U.S.) and where you're calling to. For example, PC-to-Phone calls to the U.S.A. from abroad cost $0.10 a minute whereas calls to-and-from the U.S. are free for the first five minutes and then cost $0.02 per minute thereafter. Payments can be made by credit card, check, or money wire. PC-to-PC calls are free.
Net2Phone is compatible with both half-duplex and full-duplex sound cards. What's the difference? Well, with half-duplex sound cards, only one person can talk at a time so you have to take turns. It takes some time to get used to, and if you speak out of turn the other person simply won't hear you. Full-duplex sound cards are better, in that they transmit and receive data in both directions, simultaneously. In this way, both people can talk at the same time, just like you would in an ordinary phone call. Newer computer models usually have full-duplex sound cards, whereas older ones have half-duplex sound cards, if they haven't already been upgraded.
What bugs me about Net2Phone are the banner and popup advertisements. Net2Phone is NOT free, and it is not exactly dirt cheap either. My question is, if we pay for a service, why should we have to view annoying advertisements as well?
But Net2Phone seems to be going in the right direction. It has been around since 1996 - that's a good sign - and Yahoo invested $150 million in Net2Phone in March 2000 while AT&T invested $1.4 billion (August 2000). MSN & Yahoo Messenger have also teamed up with Net2Phone to resell its services. And since Net2Phone's IP network covers more than fifty countries, you can make phone calls anywhere in the world.
System Requirements:
Windows 95 or higher. At least 16MB RAM, but 32MB is recommended. A sound card. MS Internet Explorer 4.0+ or Netscape Navigator 4.0+. Microphone and speakers (Or a headset). An internet connection of 28.8 Kbps or higher.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
navinthebean
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Member: Navin
Location: New York, NY
Reviews written: 61
Trusted by: 46 members
About Me:
If ignorance is bliss, why aren't there more happy people?
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