Cisco-Linksys CIT310 Dual-Mode Cordless Phone for Yahoo! Messenger
Product Details
Break away from your computer when using Yahoo! Messenger with Voice to talk to your friends! The Linksys Dual-Mode Cordless Phone for Yahoo! Messenger with Voice comes with the handset, charger, and a USB Base Station that plugs into your computer. Dual-Mode capability lets you choose whether to make calls over a standard telephone line or with the Yahoo! Messenger with Voice application running on your PC. Just select who you want to talk to from your Messenger List on your handset and when your contact answers, talk away! The phone supports Yahoo! Phone Out so you can talk with friend on their regular phones and will ring, displaying the Caller ID on the handset's screen when you have an incoming call with the Yahoo! Phone In service. The Linksys Dual-Mode Cordless Phone for Yahoo! Messenger with Voice allows you to choose to make free calls to other friends using Yahoo! Messenger with Voice or over your existing standard telephone line. You'll get the convenience of a cordless phone and all its features, plus the high-quality voice reception, without being tied to your computer. Features - 2-in-1 Cordelss DECT telephone for Yahoo! Messenger with Voice and a standard analog line (PSTN) Route calls between Yahoo! Messenger with Voice or a standard analog line Plug and Dial -- Easy to install and easy to use Hands-free Speakerphone with one key touch Graphical color LCD display with status indicators Base station with USB connection to connect to your PC and RJ-11 conection to connect to your analog phone line Status display of Yahoo! contact list, Yahoo! Voice Phone Out and Phone In services Superior sound quality Voice encryption for maximum security 120 hours standby time, 10 hours talk time
- Standard Cordless Phone with Yahoo! Messenger with Voice support
- Your Yahoo! Messenger List is right there on the handset display
- Talk for FREE to other Yahoo! Messenger with Voice users
- Talk with anyone on their regular phone with the Phone Out or Phone In service
Amazon.com Review The Linksys CIT 310 Dual-Mode phone for Yahoo Messenger frees your internet phone from all cords and computers. With its convenient and ergonomic handset, you can make free voice-over-internet-phone (VOIP) calls to all your friends who have Yahoo Messenger accounts, or very inexpensive calls to cell and land-line phones anywhere in the world--from any room in your house.
 The CIT 310 dual-mode phone allows you to make free VOIP calls to all your friends on Yahoo Messenger and very inexpensive calls to everyone else. |
Using the Linksys CIT 310 is much like using any cordless land-line phone. "Dual Mode" means that you can either use the device to make regular calls through your phone service, as you would with any cordless phone, or, you can allow the phone to connect through your computer's high-speed internet service and--using your Yahoo Messenger with Voice account--make internet calls
Users who are already Yahoo Messenger customers...will find the Linksys CIT 310 a snap to set up. |
To make calls to cell and land-line phones you'll need to purchase "Phone Out" time. Prices vary depending on the country you want to call, but most international calls run 1 to 2 cents a minute. Of course the Linksys handset also makes it easier for friends to call you through free internet services. You won't pay for computer-to-computer calls, but rather than rushing to your computer and pushing various keys to answer an internet call, the handset will ring at an incoming internet call, allowing you to answer just like a traditional phone. The final option is to allow friends to call your internet phone from their cell or land-line phones. For a modest fee (currently around a year) you can purchase a "Phone In" number others can use to call you.
Design
The handset has a nice modern design that feels comfortable and natural in either hand. At 5.5 inches high by 1.08 inches wide, it more resembles a contemporary cordless phone in size and shape than it does a cell phone. While the small color screen has only moderate resolution, it does offer manual adjustment of brightness and contrast. Of course, this phone is meant for calling only--not for viewing email or videos--so it's more than adequate for the job.
 Scroll through your list of Yahoo contacts and push a button to call your friend's computer. |
 You can even use the CIT 310 to check local weather or look up an address. View all screens. |
Users who are already Yahoo Messenger customers, or who are already practiced in the arts of internet telephony, will find the Linksys CIT 310 a snap to set up. If you're new to VOIP, though, setup may be a little tougher, although the accompanying software relieves most of the stress. Pop in the disk and you will be guided through the process of connecting the phone and setting up a Yahoo Messenger account. From there you can follow links to purchase Phone Out time or to obtain a Phone In number. Managing your list of contacts is done on your PC, which then sends the information to the phone when it is in the base station. Once setup is complete the device functions very much like a modern cordless phone--choose from your list of contacts or dial a number and push the call button. We found that within a few minutes of familiarzation with the handset we were able to make both national and international calls with ease.
Connection Quality and Convenience
Let's be honest: VOIP is simply not yet as reliable as a land-line (or good cell connection), nor is the sound quality as high. That said, we tested the phone by making a series of calls locally, nationally, and internationally and found we were able to achieve pretty good, but not great, reception. Calling a friend in London we experienced a lag for a few seconds, but once the connection was established we noticed only a slight reduction in sound quality compared to a land-line conversation. Those familiar with internet phoning are aware that only one voice in the conversation can be heard at a time, making it impossible for you and your conversation partner to talk over the top of each other. To some this can be a bit disconcerting at first, but we found that only a brief warm-up period is required to adjust.
The Linksys CIT 310 advertizes a connection range of about 50 meters between handset and base station during indoor use. Our experience was that the connection is about what you would expect from any modern cordless phone. We had no trouble moving from room to room or to a different floor in the house from the base station, but could not stray too far outdoors. While the phone frees internet phoning from a direct connection to your PC, it can only be used within range of the base station connected to your PC. This is in contrast to a Wi-Fi based internet phone, such as the Netgear Skype Phone, which allows you to connect to the Skype VOIP network whenever you're in range of any accessible Wi-Fi hotspot.
Speaking of Skype, we compared the connection quality of the CIT 310 and Yahoo Messenger with Skype calls. We found voice quality to be very similar, and the Yahoo Messenger service offers much the same functionality as the venerable Skype service. Overall, if you don't require a Wi-Fi based phone, and you can live with having the base station connected to your computer, the CIT 310 provides a dandy alternative to Skype.
Pros
- Convenient internet telephoning for fans of Yahoo Messenger with Voice
- Dual-Mode allows it to function as regular cordless phone
- Great solution to international calling, supporting connections to all cell and land lines
- Works only with Yahoo Messenger, a less common VOIP standard
- Voice quality dependent on the quality of your Internet connection
- Base station must be connected your computer for VOIP operation
What's in the Box
Dual-Mode cordless phone, AC power supply, telephone cable, USB cable, and CD with setup wizard.
Customer Reviews ::
Only works with Yahoo Messenger 8 - William -
Yahoo Messenger VOIP phone billing services has been sold to a service in India. They are unable to support this phone by Link sys.
The portion of Link sys. that deals with this phone has been sold as well and the "new" owners have NOT chosen to support this product any longer. This particular product Linksys CIT310 only works with XP or older operating systems and only with Yahoo Messenger 8 (and as far as I know vers.8 is no longer available).
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