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MOVING 12 time zones away from my friends and family posed a problem for me: How do I keep in touch on a regular basis with those I care about without breaking the bank? In the past, my parents would phone me once month and foot the bill (rates from the USA to places I’ve grasshoppered to being cheaper than calls in the other direction). But now, thanks to Net2Phone, that is no longer the case.

I first heard about Net2Phone from a friend, also living overseas, who raved to me about cheap
calls home over the Internet. At first I was skeptical, but once I made my first Net2Phone Call I was sold. According to their Web site, Net2Phone "allows users to place domestic and international calls from a personal computer to any telephone in the world." Here’s how it works: After you download the free software, you log on to your ISP, click your Net2Phone icon and dial the number of your choice. The phone rings at the party’s home or office, and when they pick up you are experiencing Net2Phone.

Of course there is a lot more to it than that, but since I don’t know enough about the technical side to discuss it, I’ll give you step-by-step instructions on how to set up Net2Phone and a list of its advantages and disadvantages.

System Requirements

• Windows 95, 98 or NT (Mac users have special instructions on their Website)
• 486 33 PC or higher (Pentium is ideal).
• 8 MB RAM.
• 28.8 modem (It works much better with a faster connectionI use a 56K).
• Internet Connection.
• Sound Card (full duplex).
• Microphone (built-in or external).
• Speakers (headphones are much better).

Go to www.net2phone.com and follow their 1-2-3 instructions. The most recent official version is 8.67, but I have just tested the new BETA version 9.0, which you can download for free from
Net2phone’s Web site. The download takes anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes depending on the speed of your modem. Once it is downloaded, it will provide you with very clear instructions on how to set up the program.

When you click on the icon, Net2Phone will come up on your screen. The 8.67 version looks like a traditional office phone, the BETA 9.0 version looks like a cell phone.

Next you can test the volume and microphone controls and call their free service number to test the set up for free. My experience has been that they pick up almost immediately, or after only a short wait. To pay for your calls you must click on $. This forwards you to the Net2phone Web site, where you pay in advance with a credit card: $25, $50, or $100. If you don’t have a credit card, you can choose an alternate payment method.

After you have anted up, you are ready to place a call. The 8.67 version provides you with the option of storing ten phone numbers; the BETA 9.0 version allows 100. Use your mouse to press the keys on your display just like a real phone. You will then get a screen that tells you how much money you have in your account and how many minutes it will buy you for that specific call. You have 20 seconds to approve the call.

Once the call is approved, you will hear the phone ring until the party picks up. From there it is easy. Talk until you want to disconnect, then press the Hang Up button.

More than 50% of the time the connections are great; around 25% they are just like a real phone conversation, but the other 25% of the time there are frequent disruptions and bad connections. Although BETA version 9.0 was just released, my experience has been that it has tackled many of those bugs effectively and that the future looks bright for Net2Phone and my relationship with my boyfriend!

Why use Net2Phone and not a real phone? Here are some of the advantages.

• Lower cost. A call to the U.S. (or within it) costs ten cents a minute between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. EST and 15 cents a minute the other 12 hours. A call to the UK and France is less, at seven cents a minute, Canada is 11 and Hong Kong 32. A full list of rates is available on Net2phone’s Web site.
• Excellent support services.

What are the disadvantages?

• Connection noise. The connection is not always clear. There is often a delay or it sounds broken up. This also happens with other overseas calls, but not as often.
• Risk of ISP disconnects. If your ISP disconnects you, it cuts off your Net2Phone connection as well.
• Sometimes Net2Phone experiences difficulties and the phone call gets interrupted.
  Hints:
• Use headphones. Without them the speakers feedback into the microphone, and the other party always hears an echo.
• Explain to the other party how you are calling, due to the delay it is often best to take turns talking.
• I would not recommend Net2Phone for important business calls.
• If the connection gets really bad, hang up and call back.
• Close all other applications including your Internet Browser.
• Check the Net2Phone Web site regularly for updated versions. Net2Phone allows users to place domestic and international calls from a personal computer to any telephone in the world, according to their Web site. But their innovations did not come out of thin air; there is a history to Internet communications.