Netgear SPH101 Skype Wi-Fi Phone

by Netgear

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 4.3 x 1.8 x 0.8 inches ; 4 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B000F76W78
• Item model number: SPH101
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (91 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
  • #25 in Electronics > Office Electronics > Telephones & Accessories > VoIP > Handsets
• Date first available at Amazon.com: July 7, 2004

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

Amazon.com Review At first glance, the Netgear Skype Wi-Fi phone looks like a stylish candy-bar cellular phone. Inside, though, it's a whole other animal, with a Wi-Fi radio, embedded Skype software, and a user interface that make it surprisingly easy to take advantage of Skype VoIP service. The real story here, though, is that the device completely removes your PC from the picture. As long as you're in range of a Wi-Fi hotspot, the Netgear Skype Wi-Fi phone provides a complete solution for making and receiving Internet-based calls. There's much to like about this device and, except for a couple of small complaints, it just might become one of your best-loved tools for staying in touch.

The Netgear Skype Wi-Fi phone feels great in the hand. And it looks good, too. View larger.

...it just might become one of your best-loved tools for staying in touch.

How Skype Works
If you're new to VoIP, which stands for Voice over Internet Protocol, there are just a few things to understand about Skype. First of all, instead of using traditional phone lines, Skype uses your broadband Internet connection to send compressed voice data to other Skype users around the globe. Calls limited to the Skype network are completely free, but they require that contacts be Skype users with a Skype-enabled Wi-Fi phone or with Skype software installed on their desktop computers or portable devices. For these so-called "SkypeIn" calls you can also purchase your own phone number, allowing people on land-lines and cell phones to call you on a traditional phone number. SkypeIn comes with a free voicemail service, as well. If you don't opt to purchase a phone number, you can purchase voicemail separately.

Fortunately, Skype can also call out to domestic and international land-lines and cell phones, a service called "SkypeOut". While this service is not free, the rates are incredibly low for international calls. Domestic SkypeOut calls are free until the end of 2006. If you're in a business that requires extensive overseas communication, or you're trekking the globe, Skype is a service you'll want to consider.

Netgear Skype Wi-Fi Phone Design
At about the same dimensions and weight of an average open-faced cell phone, the Netgear easily passes the transportability test. In fact, the design is eerily reminiscent of the venerable Sony Ericsson T630. The phone features a durable silver and white shell, and a bright screen that offers a soft blue and white background with crisp black text. While adequate in low-light or office conditions, the screen doesn't fare well in bright sunshine, but it's still readable. Because the phone is only intended to be used for calls, it does not include any advanced media options. This interface is designed simply to get you connected to your Skype account. An easy-to-use center control toggle makes it a snap to navigate through the phone menu, and the number pad is similar in size to a cell phone. A USB charging port is provided on the bottom of the phone, and there's a headphone jack on the left side, just above a volume control rocker. The other side of the phone sports a button for activating the handsfree speakerphone--a welcome addition. Overall, it's a straightforward design, without any bells or whistles, that gets the job done.

How it Works
Although you initially need a computer to sign up for a Skype account, the Netgear only needs an open 802.11 b/g-compatible wireless access point to get you connected.

Without exception, the quality of our overseas and domestic Skype-to-Skype calls was as clear as any land line we'd ever used. There were no lags in the conversation, and nothing resembling static.

Once you power up, you can easily configure the phone to auto-connect to your Skype account and Wi-Fi network so you'll be ready to talk in seconds. The phone also easily connects to networks with WEP or WPA encryption.

In addition to call hold and switching features, the phone supports Skype-to-Skype text-based chats.

If you're on the road, you'll want the option of connecting manually to the strongest available network. Using the center toggle, it's easy enough to navigate to the network settings where you'll see the full list of available networks and their relative signal strengths. You simply choose the one you want to connect to. If the Wi-Fi network offers open access, the Belkin will connect to it automatically; if it requires a password, you'll be prompted to submit it via the phone's keypad.

Once you're connected, the phone will sign you into your Skype account, and you'll be ready to talk. Your "contacts" folder will give you direct access to all of your Skype contacts. Simply navigate to the person you want to call, and if they're signed in, you can be talking to them within seconds. If you want to call a land line, you use the key pad to dial the number the old fashioned way. And while you lose some of the Skype features with the Netgear that you otherwise have with your computer, such as the ability to initiate conference calls, you gain the freedom of being able to roam within the range of any accessible wireless network as you talk. The phone does support text-based chats with Skype contacts, though--a handy feature that SMS-lovers will enjoy. You can also hold and switch between active calls.

Connection Quality and Convenience
We tested the phone by calling land lines and cell phones in the continental United States, and by calling overseas to other Skype subscribers. While the quality of the connections within the U.S. to non-Skype users varied, the voice clarity was generally adequate on our end with some slight static at times. Also, in some cases there was slight, but perceivable, lag in the conversation that was intrusive at times. However, we would normally not use Skype to make SkypeOut calls within the U.S. With more than 80 percent of its subscribers outside of the U.S., Skype is ideal for international calls, and it's truly optimized for Skype-to-Skype calling.

In our third set of tests, we called fellow Skype subscribers in Europe and the U.S.. Without exception, the quality of our overseas and domestic Skype-to-Skype calls was as clear as any land line we'd ever used. There were no lags in the conversation, and nothing resembling static.

The only real problems we encountered with the phone involved software glitches, the most glaring of which was the phone's standby mode. After 30 seconds of inactivity, the screen goes completely dark and the phone appears to be shut down. Changing the screen's "time out" settings had no effect on this. This would not be an issue if the phone had a feature such as a continuous time display or screen saver that indicated that the phone was still powered up. As it stands, however, it's too easy to assume the phone is shut down when the screen is black, and it's therefore easy to inadvertently drain the battery. The only other glitch we found was an obnoxious notification sound that played at full volume when the phone connected to the network or disconnected from calls. The sound cannot be disabled in any menu, nor can it be turned down. The device we tested was a beta model, and we can only hope that this will be rectified in production models.

Pros

• Durable, compact design
• Exceptional clarity with Skype-to-Skype calls
• Eliminates the need for a computer while making Skype calls

Cons

• Inconsistent quality of non-Skype calls
• Regulating the power-down mode is problematic

What's in the Box
Netgear Skype Wi-Fi phone, battery, battery charger, user manual, Netgear software CD, and warranty card.

Product Description

Unlimited free wireless calls to Skype users, no PC required NETGEAR’s Skype WiFi Phone is the world’s first wireless Internet phone that can make free calls to other Skype users anywhere in the world, anytime you have WiFi access, without a PC. All of your contacts are shown right on the phone’s color display so you will know exactly who is on-line. You will also be more available for your friends to call, because you no longer have to be on your PC to be connected. You can even make calls to ordinary phones using Skype-Out for just pennies a minute and NO MONTHLY FEES. With the Skype WiFi Phone, NETGEAR makes true mobile wireless Internet telephony a reality. Now for the first time, a phone that lets you use any WiFi network to which you have access, to talk with anyone else who’s also on Skype, anywhere in the world, for absolutely free.

See all Product Description

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

174 of 179 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good first attempt, but needs more..., September 29, 2006

By 

W. Yeh "slowdog" (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Netgear SPH101 Skype Wi-Fi Phone (Personal Computers)

Much like the Belkin/Accton/SMC/Edgecore rendition of the Skype Wi-fi phone, the Netgear SPH101 runs an embedded version of Linux with custom modules for the wireless and user interface portions. A glaring flaw in the first generation of Wi-fi phone is the lack of an onboard browser with which to access hotpoints that require authentication. Unlike the Belkin and clones, the Netgear SPH101 supports only WPA-PSK rather than the more advanced 802.1x method of authentication. Unfortunately, this prevents the device from being used in many college and corporate wireless environments where 802.1x is increasingly being implemented to authenticate browserless Wi-fi devices. The speaker used for the speakerphone is prone to crackling when used and the position of the microphone on the front of the phone requires careful handling of the phone in order to keep from picking up handling noise or phone movement. The Netgear is unique in that it is the only phone in the current generation to not be derived from the Accton Skype Wi-fi phone whereas the SMC, Edgecore and Belkin are merely cosmetically modified reditions of the Accton. Contrary to some reports floating around the internet, the Netgear SPH101 does not support Skype to Skype text chat. Apparently this feature was present in some prerelease versions of the phone and perhaps will hopefully reappear in the future. Currently, the Netgear SPH101 lacks some features that prevent it from being a true mobile Skype solution. Hopefully the missing features will be added in future revisions of the firmware. Either that, or being that the firmware is based off a build of Arm-Linux, perhaps those features can be added to alternative versions of the firmware by folks similar to those intrepid tinkerers of the Linksys WRT54G.

65 of 67 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Almost But Not Quite ..., October 3, 2006

By 

K. Biba (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Netgear SPH101 Skype Wi-Fi Phone (Personal Computers)

Just received mine after long backorder. One major item prevents it being really useful - with no builtin browser there is no way to authenticate and use free or fee-based public WiFi networks except in limited ways - e.g. my home.

No metro based WiFi networks, no coffee shops .. few hotels. So near yet so far.

Sound quality is actually superior to my PC for Skype. Size is good. Recharges off USB cable to my laptop so extra power brick not needed. Power management needs work.

33 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars GREAT IDEA BUT STILL WITH TOO MANY BUGS, November 18, 2006

By 

Antonio Pietrangeli (Rome, Italy) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Netgear SPH101 Skype Wi-Fi Phone (Personal Computers)

I bought four of these Netgear wi-fi skype phones for our office since we speak everyday with our engineers on site in Africa.

The idea of having a phone always on without having to be connected with your PC is certainly great and particularly time-saving.

However, even if the phone works quite well, it is full of small bugs.

I had to re-enter the details of my connection 8 times until it memorized them, it lost the phonebook twice, it is not very easy to install, etc. etc.

Therefore if you really need now a wi-fi skyoe phone please buy it. Otherwise wait for a more tested model to appear.