Use your Cordless or regular telephone to talk over the Internet (Voice over IP) --- Free yourself from your computer with Skype-Cord --- and talk without limitations   How It Works? What is Skype-Cord Skype-Cord is a low cost and compact device that connects the duplex audio stream between the sound card of the computer and the telephone-set. The invention enables you to use your "Plain Old Telephone" to talk via the Internet away from the computer, after connection is established from the desktop using your specific softphone (such as MSN or Skype). The call goes automatically from your computer via the Internet to the other side. It works in every country to any country. You don't pay any extra or hidden fees. You don't have to be tied up in front of your PC wearing cumbersome headset or mess with speakers and a microphone. Talk on the Cordless phone while moving freely about your house, office or in your yard. Perform other tasks on your PC while talking on the phone with Skype-Cord. It is ideal also for Laptops and for travelers. PC-to-PC calls are absolutely free using Skype, MSN, Yahoo and any other Softphone or Messenger. Minimum requirements Computer: Sound Card, USB , CPU higher than Pentium 233MHz or equivalent, and 64 MB of memory minimum. Operating System: Windows XP, 2000, ME, 98SE or any other VoIP supporting OS with a softphone. Telephone: Cordless phones. Most of regular line phones. Installation of Skype-Cord Skype-Cord unit is specially designed to be compact and self contained. All the necessary cords and connections are integrated with the base electronic unit. This eliminates the risk of using wrong cables or losing cables. Installation of Skype-Cord is very simple and should be done on first time as follows: 1. Insert the red plug of Skype-Cord to the PC Microphone jack and the green plug to the PC Speakers jack. 2. Insert the USB plug of Skype-Cord into available USB socket of the PC. 3. Unplug your phone cable from the wall and connect it with the phone-set to Skype-Cord phone plug through the extension adaptor provided with Skype-Cord. 4. If you have external Speakers, connect its plug to the green socket of Skype-Cord and turn on the speakers. It will enable you to use the speakers as usual, to hear rings of incoming calls and to let others hear the conversation if you desire so. 5. Pickup the phone and run the Audio test of your softphone to make sure that you've properly connected all the plugs and in order to set your volume levels. If your softphone software does not provide an Audio-Test-Wizard, use this link Audio test to run this test from our website (click open and follow the instructions of the tuning wizard). Notes: The USB plug just provides the power to "wake-up" certain phone types. In many phone cases Skype-Cord operates fine without the USB connection. Useful Tips and Instructions: 1. To fully enjoy the freedom of movement that Skype-Cord provides you, Use a cordless telephone. 2. Disconnect your phone from the wall socket while it is connected to Skype-Cord. Run on first time the Audio wizard to check your proper setting (use this link if necessary) and keep the following 4 rules:      a. Remember to pick-up the phone (In Cordless phone it means "power on").       b. Always uncheck the box "I am using headphones" when it is available.      c. Set your Speakers volume to a comfortable level. If you don't hear the speakers make sure the green and red audio plugs are connected to the proper PC jacks.       d. Always set the Microphone volume to the lowest level feasible. Normally this level (in green color on the slider) is 20% of the slider's full scale, or even less. You can check and fine-tune this level on your first actual call. If no green color appears on the "Microphone Volume" slider - check the audio plugs connections. 3. Some telephones may not pass the Microphone volume test and should not be used with Skype-Cord. More info: Basics of VoIP The concept of "free telephony" was first introduced in 1995/1996. The idea is that your voice rather than traveling over your phone line can travel over your Internet connection. This is called Internet telephony or: "Voice over Internet Protocol/Packet" or VoIP. Data networks and VoIP use a method called packet switching. Packet switching opens the connection just long enough to send a small chunk of data, a packet, from one system to another. The sending computer chops data into these small packets, with an address on each one telling the network where to send them. When the receiving computer gets the packets, it reassembles them into the original data. This minimizes the time that a connection is maintained between two systems and reduces the load on the network. It also frees up the two computers communicating with each other so that they can accept information from other computers as well. VoIP technology uses this packet-switching method for voice communication, possible protocols like: H.323 and SIP. Protocols define ways for devices to connect to each other using VoIP. Also, they include specifications for audio codecs. A codec, which stands for coder-decoder, converts an audio signal into a compressed digital form for transmission and back into an uncompressed audio signal for replay. Skype-Cord is indifferent to which protocol is being used. FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions (with answers): 1. Why use Skype-Cord? 2. What Softphones or Dialers shall I use with Skype-Cord? 3. Does Skype-Cord require any drivers or special setup software to be installed in my PC? 4. How do I connect Skype-Cord properly to my PC? 5. How do I test that Skype-Cord is properly connected to my PC? 6. What kind of telephones should I use with Skype-Cord? 7. Do I have to be sitting in front of the computer screen while using the Skype-Cord? 8. How do I hear the phone ring? Can I listen to music from the PC when Skype-Cord is plugged in? 9. Why Skype-Cord has a USB plug? 10. Why I am hearing some distortion or some echo on the line? 11. Can I work on my PC while using Skype-Cord? 12. Do I have to use separate telephones for VoIP and PSTN? 13. Does Skype-Cord work everywhere? Do I need it at both ends?   1. Why use Skype-Cord? Skype-Cord is intended for the users who want to get rid of the headphones or mics and like to have the familiar feeling of the regular telephone device (cordless preferably), without spending too much money. 2. What Softphones or Dialers shall I use with Skype-Cord? Skype-Cord works properly with ANY Softphone/Dialer (PC-to-PC and PC-to-Phone). Numerous PC-to-PC software (Dialers) are provided free of charge. Some popular examples are:  MSN Messenger  http://messenger.msn.com ; Skype http://www.skype.com/download.html ; X-Lite  http://www.xten.com/index.php?menu=products&smenu=xlite  3. Does Skype-Cord require any drivers or special setup software to be installed in my PC? No. Just plug in the Skype-Cord to your PC and to your telephone and start using it. 4. How do I connect Skype-Cord properly to my PC? Use the instructions provided in the Skype-Cord packaging. Briefly: Green plug to the PC Speakers jack, External Speakers plug to the Green jack, Red plug to the PC Microphone jack, USB plug into an available USB socket of the PC, phone plug through the extension adaptor to the phone-set cable. 5. How do I test that Skype-Cord is properly connected to my PC? Run on first time this Audio wizard or the one provided with your PC dialer. Set the microphone and speakers to the lowest comfortable level. If microphone level is too low even when slider position is brought to maximum, open the Volume control and move the Wave slider higher. 6. What kind of telephones should I use with Skype-Cord? Cordless or regular line telephone that pass the audio test. 7. Do I have to be sitting in front of the computer screen while using the Skype-Cord? No. Skype-Cord plugs into a regular telephone. If you use a cordless phone you can talk remotely via your PC, after initiating the call from the screen. 8. How do I hear the phone ring? Can I listen to music from the PC when Skype-Cord is plugged in? If you wish to hear the ring tone, connect external speakers to the parallel green socket of Skype-Cord. You will be able also to use the speakers as usual (e.g. music hearing from the PC), or to hear the conversation if you desire so.  The phone itself does not ring. 9. Why Skype-Cord has a USB plug? The Skype-Cord USB connection just provides power for certain cordless and all regular phones who need it for their microphone. It has no data function. If you do not have a USB port available in your PC, you can contact us to get a PS2 (parallel to the mouse) Skype-Cord. Many cordless phones don't need the USB connection and for such a case you may elect not to connect it. 10. Why I am hearing some distortion or some echo on the line? Distortions and Echo are mostly due to low quality of the Internet line and/or overload of the PC.   To help Skype-Cord overcome or improve the quality: Always uncheck the box "I am using headphones" when it is available (you can use this Audio test link). Always set the Microphone volume to the lowest level feasible. Start with 20% of the slider's full scale, or even less. You can check and fine-tune this level on your first actual phone conversation and then keep it fixed there. Some sound-cards have mic2 select option (or "boost"). Please uncheck its box (to get there click: Volume control>Options> >Properties>Recording>Advanced). You can download and install our MicControl software. Then launch the MicControl, set the Microphone Value slider at the lowest level acceptable to both of you and lock it. Use the MicControl during the call. 11. Can I work on my PC while using Skype-Cord? Yes. If you have enough Memory and CPU power you can browse, e-mail, write or do other normal tasks on your PC while you or someone else communicates via Skype-Cord . 12. Do I have to use separate telephones for VoIP and PSTN? You will be able to communicate with one telephone for VoIP and PSTN, using our "Switch for PSTN"   You can also use a two-line telephone and connect one line to VoIP and the other line to PSTN. 13. Does Skype-Cord work everywhere? Do I need it at both ends? Skype-Cord works in every country to any country. You don't need S.C. on the other side for talking. However, if you use it at both ends you'll benefit from better quality of the call process.