Hello Skype experts!

We are at present in Ireland, with our Iphone. In a couple of weeks time we will be in London, and while there want to be able to connect with family at home for a one-off phone call.

I've looked at advice on this board re using Skype, and am now wondering if it will be possible for us to connect with Australia through our Iphone here. We are on an Australian plan for the Iphone, and would be able to connect to either an Australian land line, or make a call to an Australian Skype number. The family at home had planned to call us, but have now discovered that Skype Australia can't connect to a mobile number.

We don't particularly want to sign up for a long Skype membership - if possible we would like to make just a pre-pay option.

I'm posting this message on the Aussie board, in the hope that someone with local knowledge can offer more advice?

Hope someone out there can help us, Di

Skype Australia CAN connect to mobile numbers - I do it at least 3 times per week. However if you got a phone away card you could phone them for about 1 pound per half hour of talking.

That sounds like an easier option! Am I right in assuming you get a phone away card from UK? Would I get it from my supplier (vodaphone), or at a local outlet of some sort?

Many thanks, Di

One other question - my Dad in Sydney is having difficulties working out how he can use his Skype to connect with us; can you offer any hints for doing this?

We aren't normally Skype users, so are of no use to him. He's 85, and I know he will be VERY determined that he won't be beaten on this question . . . any ideas?
Many thanks, Di

If he is connected to Skype and has put in some money then he can just phone you using Skype - costs a little bit but its still way cheaper than anything else. OR he could get a Phone away card from any newsagent ( making sure it is the one that you can use for International calls) and away he goes. Easy as and I use it every time I am out of the country, or in it and not at my computer, for making calls to most places in the World. I am not sure that it would work for mobiles though. Check on that.

I haven't got around to using skype myself seeing as the phone cards are so cheap.
http://www.cardcall.com.au/en/Pages/default.aspx showing a range and there's details there to contact them re use for mobiles for I also am unaware of it, there being nothing said on the site re mobiles though I've not checked all the different cards that show - our preferred use one for Europe is Go Talk though I've not done a recent review ogf options either.

I did explore VOIP [which skype is] a few years before skype even came along and you do need a good connection speed for best performance and it'll depend on what your Dad has as to what his difficulties are I suppose and a bit hard to really help without knowing.
The skype site does have its help/contact us provision and has he been in touch with them?
http://www.skype.com/intl/en/downloa...253D3582069914

And then for general info, looks like there are some legal problems to be sorted out by eBay, the owners of skype -
http://money.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=844226

And then cardcall ain't been exactly innocent either - http://www.accc.gov.au/content/index.../itemId/873420

Thanks to both of you for your assistance. Have passed the suggestions on to my Dad, and we will also work from this end to try and sort things! Di

The website for Skype is www.skype.com you don't all the other bits and pieces and Skype is not like the old VOIP, the reason people use it is because it costs NOTHING to talk to people who also have it wherever they are. However the cards are the go if you don't have Skype on both sides although the cost of skype to phones is very good as well and you can also get a " call to anyphone in a particular country) for nothing for only a small fee.

It seems ivey that you may misunderstand VOIP
VOIP = Voice Over Internet Protocol , the principle if you like for using voice communication via the internet, the same principle that Skype uses.

You can even set up calls PC to PC without skype if you want to, no fee whatsoever.

But like that free lunch Paul Keating said wasn't on, no such thing as a free lunch with Skype or anything that uses VOIP for Voice is a high Mb user and so depending on what kind of plan you're on [unlimited is good], if you exceed your monthly quota, then of course there can be the additional ISP costs.

Those other bits ivey bring up a page with more info/links on , even for you 'How VOIP works'

Everyone knows, including me, what VOIP stands for. However what you don't know and refuse to accept BR is that you, by your own admission, do not use Skype which is very different from the old VOIP you would have first looked at. You accuse people of writing about things they know nothing about and you have done that this time yourself. Millions of people cannot be wrong about Skype so perhaps you are missing something this time. Why do you not just write about things you do know - that is if you have a postage stamp around to write it on.

That's one strange lot of nonsense Ivey.

You just cannot help yourself can you BR

Hi Di,

Skype is very easy to use and to call mobiles overseas. We do it a lot. The cost is minimal to a mobile phone but all costs are clearly displayed on your computer anyway.

A lot of internet cafes overseas actually have headphones available now and if you went this option you could skype to skype for free! We did this when our son was travelling for a number of months overseas and some internet cafes not only have the headphones but even webcam! Internet cafes are usually only a euro or two for about 30 minutes of internet useage.

"You accuse people of writing about things they know nothing about and you have done that this time yourself."

So what's new? (ivenotbeeneverywhere, any bets on how long your post survives before a certain party blubs to the editors?)

"...you do need a good connection speed for best performance"

For video, perhaps, but not for voice. Public telephone networks, which operate to stringent grade-of-service standards, typically employ 32 Kbps, less than that delivered by an old dial-up modem. The phone network however assigns a dedicated channel to each call, which the public internet does not. Any voice or video session conducted via the internet is only as good as its weakest link, which may be anywhere down the line.

Having used voice communication via the internet on both dial up speed and faster speeds I know which I'd prefer Snoz but then there's always strange Snozza stuff about too.

"Having used voice communication via the internet on both dial up speed and faster speeds I know which I'd prefer Snoz"

This makes no sense for the reasons already outlined, and I have neither the time nor the inclination to elaborate. (I could spend hours clogging up the forum with long, tedious and irrelevant verbiage, I suppose, but I see no point in competing with the acknowledged master in this department.)

di2315

I'm not promoting TPG nor anyone in particular re VOIP/Skype but http://www.tpg.com.au/helpdesk/faqs....n=search&sup=7 has a lot of detail there which could help your Dad re standard of hardware/connection speeds and offers up information in general that is applicable to any VOIP sytems including Skype.

Certainly more information there than you can expect to get from one who chooses not to elaborate on his own childish behaviour, and that's you Snozza.