Skype is one of the best phone service deals available anywhere! Skype is a phone service that runs through your computer and connects to other computers and landlines all over the world. Thankfully here in Misawa we have fast internet service, so why not take advantage of it....
NTT phone service off base and the base phone service can easily cost over $100 dollars a month. Add in the cost of a cell phone and rising gas prices... well I like to save whenever possible.
Skype is a free download and if you choose to purchase a line as we did, it is $60 dollars a year with $3.00 charge per month for unlimited calls to the good old US.
We thought about signing up for Vonage, but shipping to Misawa is nearly impossible and Skype has better rates... plus our neighbors love it.
Here's a step by step how we set it up:
1. We downloaded the software from Skype. It automatically detects your computer settings and goes quickly (ensure your internet is available).
2. We opened the software and made a test call. Make sure your speakers are on and microphone is hooked up. If you don't have a microphone they have headsets for sale as well as a variety of phones and bluetooth equipment for convenience :) :) :).
Buy Skype hardware now
3. Test call was successful. We purchased a phone number for our home state where the majority of family and friends will be calling us from (*** very important, they be charged the cost for a local call, most of the time it is FREE).
4. Use the dial pad on the computer or the equipment you purchased to call back home (excitedly) to wake everyone up you know and tell them the good news :) i don't know who would do that....
Just thought I would share some good news today!
Click here to get your unique SkypeIn number
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
What is Skype? - Phones in Misawa
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9 comments:
I love Skype! It is the best solution we have found for staying in touch. There are some frustrations, though. If you live in North Area on base, like I do, the internet can be really crummy. Sometimes this isn't a problem at all, but occasionally the Skype calls sound terrible, cut out, or are dropped (maybe there are other issues, too?) Skype is wonderful with a webcam, too, as you can have free video calls! This is a blessing to us, as we have a new baby (first grandbaby on both sides) and everyone was devastated that we got orders overseas. But now they can see him as often as they talk to us! :-)
Also, before we moved here, we bought a cordless Skype phone. It is just like a normal phone and can even be used on a normal phone line, but it connects to your internet modem so you can use Skype without a computer, even. I liked this idea so I'm not always tethered to the computer. I'm sure there is a way to use it, but I haven't found it yet. Right now with the on base internet's log in system, the Skype phone isn't working out (the phone is like another computer accessing the internet, but I don't know how we're supposed to log it in!) Maybe it's a long shot, but if there's anyone who has used something like this or has any ideas, I'd love to hear it! :-)
Anyhow, Skype is great, and this is a long comment! :-D
We've been here for about 4 months now and we invested in Vonage about 2 months ago. They have 2 types of phones you can get… USB that plugs into your computer that comes with headphones (that have a mic on them) and they have an actual cordless phone.
We have the USB because it can be used on any computer. It comes pre-installed with everything so all you have to do is plug it in and you can begin calling people. You don’t have to download or install anything.
I'm not sure how the regular phone works, but from what we have read, it plugs into your computer modem.
The only "downside" to Vonage is that they do not mail to an overseas address. There is an easy fix to this… Set it up and have Vonage mail it to a family member's house and have your family member (or friend) mail it to you here. It took about 3 weeks for Vonage to mail it to the states and for us to get it here in Misawa. We also signed up for automatic billing so our family doesn't have to deal with getting the bills in the mail.
Vonage provides several plans. I’m not sure of all the details so I’ll tell you all what we have… We signed up for the unlimited calling plan (local and long distance) and pay $25.00 per month. My husband's family lives in Indiana and my family lives in Illinois. We set the phone up in IN (grandparents there don't have cell phones or long distance service). If you don't want the unlimited service, they have a way that you can track how many minutes you've used each month and it will show you as soon as you go over and what charges you face. We figured we'd just pay the $25 per month so we can talk for however long we want. Most cell phones in the states also have free long distance so anyone calling you from a cell phone won’t have any extra charges for calling either. Plus, if they call after 9, it's not charging them minutes.
The USB cost us about $30 to get and then we pay $25 a month. The $38 was a one time charge for the USB, headphones, and shipping. It also comes with voicemail, just in case you miss a call. It has a contact list and you can have as many people as you want. You can also store 3 numbers per person. It also has a feature where you can add personal pictures for each person.
I LOVE our Vonage phone!!! My hubby is getting deployed in a couple of months and will be taking it with him to the desert and I'll be heading back to the states. Because he's taking it with him, he’ll be able to call his family (and me) the entire time he’s there and won’t get stuck with the 2-3, 15 minute phone calls each week. Like I said, we love it and I use it just about every other day to talk to different family members.
Anyway, now that I’ve rambled on quite a bit here… I’ll end. If there are any other questions about it, please let me know. My email is rbmisa4031@yahoo.com.
I am cheap so I went with Skype. But many people use Vonage as well. Unlimited calls to the states with Skype is $3 a month and if you want your own number it is only $2 more. Sure beats $25 a month but everyone has their preference. Thanks for the info!
what type of modem can be used there? I have Lynksys and sprint, and a Qwest modem that I purchased here in the states. Will they work there on the base there, or should I get rid of them? Thanks for the help.
Your modem from your provider, whether you choose to live on base or off-base will be provided. If you have a linksys wireless router it will still work.
Magicjack! I only pay $20/year! yea that's right! I did say $20. I was hesitant initially, but I decided to try it and have been using it for 6 months now with no problem. My mom just bought one too so no long-distance charges anymore. check out www.magicjack.com and you'll thank me to be paying for something cheaper than Vonage and Skype.
just make sure to get it sent to a stateside address.
-Q
I will be coming to Misawa in December and will bring my MagicJack with me. I used in in Iraq to call home whenever I wanted. I just paid $60 to use MagicJack for the the next 5 years. I tried Skype, MagicJack is a lot cheaper.
Hi. My family just arrived on Misawa. We are looking for a way to meet other families with boys ages 11-13. We have been here almost 2 weeks and have seen mostly girls and toddlers in our area of housing. We still have quite a few weeks of summer with nothing to do...where do kids really go to hang out in the summer? Also..where do we sign our boys up for sports/Boy Scouts/TaeKwonDo? We don't want to miss any deadlines. Thanks for creating this website!! All of the other sites we have visited don't have any new posts. Are there some updated sites on Misawa that we should be aware of for chatting/yard sale items and general information. I really wish the base would include that information when we PCS.
Thanks for your time.
Patty
Using a MacBook Air and internet, I make video calls to my husband in CA via Face Time. I can call his Mac, iPad, and iPhone as long as he is in a wi-fi environment. It's totally free. And he can contact me too.
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