D-Link DPH-50U Skype USB Phone Adapter
By: D-Link Average Rating: 3.0 Total Reviews: 36
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 On: 2008-06-27
This adapter (D-Link DPH-50U) allows me use Skype while walking around the house with a cordless phone. [...]In case if you wonder (like I did); you dont need any paid service from Skype to use it. Just the plain old-fashioned free talk with other free Skype users and this thing works perfect. With any cordless phone hooked up to the adapter, you dont have to sit by the computer while talking with your friends from distant parts of the planet Earth.
Because so many complained about the driver, I used a driver downloaded directly from D-Links support website instead of the provided mini CD and it works perfect with Windows XP SP3. I havent tried it with Vista; I dont even like Vista (*°°°° - my rating for Vista).
EDIT: My mention of what I paid for the adapter was censored out by Amazon from this review. This never happened before and must be some sort of new policy. The adapter was a dozen b.u.c.k.s. Had I given more, or much more than that, then my expectations from the gadget and my star rating could have been different.
 On: 2008-05-06
I have had this for about a week. I needed a new option after the country I am stationed in started blocking vonage. (Nice way to repay us by trying to make more money of the US soldiers)It has worked great. The only problem I had was with the set up. I downloaded the updated drivers(vista)and had to install them 3 times. But after that it has worked great. Phone volume has been great. I use it with skype and no one can tell the difference between this and when I was using vonage.
On: 2008-05-06
I have had this adapter for a little over a year, and have been very satisfied. I have had no problems with the driver, and sound quality through my cordless phone is equivalent to using a headset on the computer. With Skypes new unlimited SkypeOut North America Plan for $23.60 and 1 year of SkypeIn for $24, you can get a year of unlimited long distance phone service for under $50! This setup has replaced my landline for a fraction of the cost, and I couldnt be happier.
 On: 2008-05-02
Do not buy this adapter for use with XP Pro SP2. The drivers go puff for no apparent reason and you must reinstall, a 10 minute process. Once installed the drivers periodically take 95%+ of the CPU, the only way to stop the CPU hemorrahge is to reboot-then guess what? Time to reinstall the drivers!!! When the drivers are present and not taking all the CPU time it makes good calls. This product is cheap but not worth the hassle. And yes I used the latest drivers from DLINK. I am now stuck with this software on my PC, no way to remove it; the uninstall utility does not work and Windows Add/Remove can not get rid of it. I purchased this item for a friend to use (as the local Help Desk Guy I try it out first) and installed on their XP Home PC and it works perfectly!
On: 2008-05-02
Do not buy this adapter! The drivers go puff for no apparent reason and you must reinstall, a 10 minute process. Once installed the drivers periodically take 95%+ of the CPU, the only way to stop the CPU hemorrahge is to reboot-then guess what? Time to reinstall the drivers!!! When the drivers are present and not taking all the CPU time it makes good calls. This product is cheap but not worth the hassle. And yes I used the latest drivers from DLINK.
On: 2008-04-17
I was little skeptical since I wanted to configure this device on my windows vista desktop. After reading few positive feedbacks about using on vista, I decided to give it a try.
Installing DPH-50U was a breeze and absolutely no hassles of any types. I just did one simple google search for latest drivers for Vista. Downloaded them from dlink support site. Installed as per instruction and device was up and running. Then I connected my Motorola cordless phone to it and subscribed for skype in ($18 for 3 months) and I was ready with my new landline phone.
Skype call quality is very good. And DPH-50U installation was amazingly simple and straightforward.
Overall, I am very satisfied.
On: 2008-04-02
The product did not work. I could not make calls with it and when answering calls the phone only functioned as a microphone but not as a speaker.
ANT Online refused to take the item back since the original package is damaged -- how was I supposed to see if it works without opening it?
To summarize - get something else from another vendor.
On: 2008-03-03
Although I was able to get it to work for a couple days on my Windows XP SP2 system, I came in this morning and the adapter had no power. I unplugged it from my D-Link DUB-H7 7-port powered USB 2.0 Hub and plugged it back in the same port. Still no power.
I realized that the power LED associated with that port on the hub was not lit where as all the other ports were lit showing they had power.
So I tried plugging in the DPH-50U into another port on the hub. the power light on the DPH-50U went on for a split second and then went out. The power LED on my hub then went out too.
So like an idiot, I plugged the DPH-50U into yet another port on my hub and the same thing happened. So now 3 ports on my HUB no longer have power because they were shorted out by the DPH-50U. I suspect its because the DPH-50U draws too much power? But it was working 24-7 for a couple days.
So I called D-Link and they said they cant issue an RMA for the DPH-50U unless I try plugging it directly into my computer. But I am afraid it will short out that port on my motherboard and ruin that too! But their tech support said that they cant issue an RMA until Ive tried everything over the phone. I explained to them that I dont want to risk killing my motherboard too and he said, "I understand you don;t want to risk it, but if you dont do it, we cant issue an RMA." What?!?! They want me to risk killing my motherboard just to see if its working?
So to top it off, I called D-Link customer service and they said that since my D-Link hub is out of warranty, they wont fix it even though THEIR DPH-50U caused the malfunction. I can see their point that they are not responsible for any damage caused by their products, but they wont even repair an in-warranty item unless I risk damaging additional hardware which they are not responsible for. That sucks!
I guess I am just SOL.
Buyer beware...
On: 2008-03-02
Read through the reviews here before buying one of these, and the experience was about what I expected.
I too, as a recent reviewer did, skipped the D-Link XP drivers in favor of the Vista drivers (they install fine on XP).
Everything was installed and seemed to work, and then I went away for a few hours and came back to a Windows critical error / blue screen. Doh. I am trying to use this as a complete landline replacement - blue screens wont work.
Next I tried the AU-600s drivers, again, as another recent review tried. You can Google for those and they are much more recent than D-Links offerings. A few hours later, and another blue screen.
I then read ANOTHER reviewers comment (these reviews are great for tips!) that the D-Link violates USB specs and draws too much power, and really will only work if plugged into older, on-board USB connectors. I had been plugging it into a PCI card I installed for USB 2.0. Instead, I used the older USB 1.1 jacks that are right on my motherboard.
Its been about a week, and no more blue screens, so I have to imagine that was it.
Everything seems to work great. Skype inbound calls ring my Motorola cordless phone, and the answering machine and speakerphone components work well. People I called using SkypeOut said I sounded indistinguishable from regular phone call quality. The dialing takes a bit of getting used to (##-00-1-ten-digit-number), but I ended up just reprogramming the few speed dials I have.
The one complaint I do have is probably less about this adapter and more about my telephone combined with Skype. My Motorola cordless phone generates short tones (DTMF tones) when you press the buttons; holding them doesnt make the tone any longer.
When used in this setup, the tones generated are either not long enough or loud enough to be perceived by some (but not all) automated calling services. For instance, I can call into my office voicemail system and navigate just fine, but my calling into a different office application doesnt work. I can use the Skype keypad on the computer, but it wasnt something I anticipated having to do -- I intended to use a computer without a monitor, keyboard, or mouse to run this product.
Im going to try to get a junky old corded phone that will generate the tones for as long as I hold down the number keys and see if that fixes it - if so, itll isolate my cordless phones short tones as the problem in this setup. But, I should note, the cordless phone works fine on a normal line.
Other than that, no big problems... Im not experiencing the issue where I have to unplug and plug in anything - USB cord or phone line - after reboots.
 On: 2008-02-27
The D-Link telephone adapter DPH-50U is what I would classify as just OK. The first try at install did not work because I had Skype software already installed. I tried 3 times and sent D-Link support an email..No reply whatsoever. Finally removed the Skype software and installed everything in the D-Link package and it sort of worked. Downloaded the new version of Skype and it worked a little better. Then downloaded the new driver from D-Link. Problem is that everytime the computer is rebooted for any reason the D-Link adapter will not connect to VOIP until the telephone line is disconnected and reconnected. Other solutions are alot more expensive and I can use my existing cordless telephones for Skype calls
On: 2008-02-17
There were a lot of mixed reviews on this item, so I was somewhat hesitant, but since this was one of the cheaper USB->PSTN devices, I thought Id try it out.
I didnt even bother with the DLINK drivers. From the get-go, I used the AU-600 drivers.
The drivers installed just fine and everything looked like it worked. I tested by calling ECHO123, and that worked just fine.
Then I ran into a bit of a snag. I was trying to call out to a landline using Skype out. I couldnt get it to work.
The key was that I needed to precede the call with "001". So a local call in the US would be "001"+(area code)+(local number)+"*". If you are using PSTN and VOIP, then you need to precede with "##" before anything else, then add "*" to the end. If you do not connect a PSTN line to the device, then it defaults to VOIP mode and you can leave out the "##" in the front.
So far, it works very well, very reliably. My only complaint is that the Skype window pops-up in front when I initiate or terminate a call. Not sure if there is a setting to stop this from happening, but that would make this solution perfect. I just want Skype to say minimized in the system tray.
Anyways, its very good, it all works well, IMHO.
On: 2008-01-28
The D-Link DPH-50U & use with skype exceeded my expectations. Works Great and allows me to VoIP to college buddies! Simple to setup, 5 minutes tops.
On: 2007-12-26
Ive worked with similar devices in the past but I must say that this one works much better over-all. Installation was a breeze and Ive had no problems at all interfacing it with Skype. Establishing a connection is almost always successfull (maybe 98% of the time) and Ive had fewer disconnects (for whatever reason) than with my previous devices. And the call quality is very good.
I know this may not be highest end model for this product out there but it serves my requirements fine. Of course, as with all things theres always room for improvement and thats why I gave it a 4 stars to allow for this. Who knows ? Maybe they can find a way to incorporate a mini pbx system in the future to allow multiple voice calls on a single phone line. But I guess thats asking too much.
On: 2007-12-12
This product is WONDERFUL!!! It never fails to switch back to PSTN when Im finished with my VOIP call. Its extremely easy to use, and the sound quality is AWESOME!!! Noone can tell that Im not calling on a landline, and my D-Link DPH-50U is more than paying for itself with the savings that it is allowing me to have over my phone companys long distance plan. I would recommend the D-Link DPH-50U Skype USB Phone Adapter to ANYONE!!!
On: 2007-11-21
I bought this product a few days ago and had to return it. On my XP machine, it messed up my incoming calls as it drew too much power and my phone rang continuously. On Vista, the link with my phone got dropped and the call went back to the PC. Ive tried all the driver versions without any success. D-link support couldnt help and suggested I return the product.
Update: I bought the eforcity adapter instead. The installation is straight forward (it doesnt require downloading the driver as in the case of the dph-50u). It works on both of my XP and Vista PC. So far so good and its not any noisier than D-link as some people have claimed.
 On: 2007-11-20
Following the advice of people here, I ignored the CD that came with this puppy and downloaded the Vista drivers package (which includes new XP drivers). The result seems to be stable and the sound quality (very important to us) is clean. The cheaper Eforcity Skype adapter (around $20) is very noisy, acceptable but noisy. The Dlink adapter introduces almost no background noise.
My only beef is that the Dlink software doesnt give you the option of turning on VOIP mode as default (it wants to stay in PSTN). So every single outgoing call you have to dial ## to put the adapter into VOIP mode and then you have to dial 001 country code, then area code and number, then another # to tell Skype to dial. Thats a lotta dialing. The one thing the Eforcity adapter had on the D-link was that it could stay in VOIP mode for outgoing calls and spare you the ## and the country code. The Dlink is less configurable.
I am tempted to experiment with the Eforcity software with the Dlink hardware, or download the U.S.ROBOTICS drivers which also apparently work with the Dlink. On the other hand I dont want to get the thing hosed up. But all the extra dialing means my kids probably wont go to the trouble of using the phone in Skype mode, which is the whole point of this thing.
On: 2007-09-24
Its junk out of the box with the drivers they ship it with because it drops calls. Every call. No kidding.
But keep reading, things improve.
The secret to getting this to work properly is to download new drivers. The secret to the new drivers is that the latest drivers for Windows XP are in the Windows Vista driver download package on their support site.
So if you have this box and you have Windows XP, download the Windows Vista driver pack instead. The installation process fails a bit as well. It is not fully automated. When Windows XP finds the new hardware you will have to point it to the new XP drivers yourself. Telling it to search for the drivers on its own will not work.
D-Link should fix their software and have it look for and prompt users to download the latest drivers/firmware.
The latest driver also eliminates the awful noise that was previously emitted when the number was being dialed. Its now replaced with the rather pleasant, standard skype dialing sound.
With the latest driver installed the box performs like a champ. Id have given it 5 stars if D-link had shipped it with a properly working driver in the first place/or if I had been prompted to install new drivers by the installation package, or if their website was clear about how to get new XP drivers.
Ultimately, if you want a skype solution that allows you to use a regular phone system with skype, this is the product for you. (Just download the new driver for it before installing it the first time.)
On: 2007-09-21
I got the product from Amazon and installed it right away, which is a real easy task to do simply following the instructions coming along with the 50U. Now, the product itself performed as promised, but, I must add, I have had skype canceling calls unexpectedly since then. I have called the same numbers I used to call before installing the 50U, and I have gotten kicked out of the skype calls at 3 times the rate I got kicked out for not a particular reason before. My computer only has 512MB RAM, so I am putting the blame on this. I already purchased 1 MB more and today I am going to install it and run a new set of tests calling the same numbers.
On: 2007-08-05
I purchased DPH-50U from RadioShack for $19.99 (Managers Special). It came with a phone cable, usb cable, software CD and a Quick Install Guide. It took me less than 15 minutes to setup. The instructions in quick install guide are sufficient for the installation and setup. However, for detailed intructions on how to use the equipment, go to the manual in the CD.
It works very well with Skype version 3.2.0.175 (which is the latest version as of August 07). I used it to call both Skype and SkypeOut. The Skype call got "hung" after 20 minutes but didnt disconnect, so I hung up myself. I am not sure whether it was due it Skype or the D-Link adapter. In any case, 2-10 minutes call were all successful.
I will be posting detailed configuration on http://tecnologyreview.blogspot.com/ in next couple of days (hopefully with pictures).
On: 2007-06-28
quake2 timedemo with unit plugged in: 550 fps. with unit disconnected: 608 fps. this is with stock d-link driver, and also tried the USR driver. I have a cheap $15 Sunnyline (compgeeks)skype phone that works with no impact on framerates, so whats the problem??? Also, theres a longer sound delay when using the d-link compared to the cheapo. I tried the computergeeks voip gateway unit also, same problem so must use the same chipset. anyone find a better solution? meantime im back to using the cheapo.
On: 2007-06-27
quake2 timedemo with unit plugged in: 550 fps. with unit disconnected: 608 fps. this is with stock d-link driver, and also tried the USR driver. I have a cheap $15 Sunnyline (compgeeks)skype phone that works with no impact on framerates, so whats the problem??? Also, theres a longer sound delay when using the d-link compared to the cheapo. I tried the computergeeks voip gateway unit also, same problem so must use the same chipset. anyone find a better solution? meantime im back to using the cheapo.
On: 2007-06-14
Software that came with it was un usable. I had to send several messages to d-link before I was sent an update for THEIR product through a 3rd party. I literally was putting it in the box when I got the program to work and decided to keep it for a while. that was 2 weeks ago and its been pretty un eventful since then everything has been fine. Although I did get it to eventually work, for the price their are better alternatives out there. I would not recommend this product to anyone...that I liked anyway
On: 2007-04-21
All D-Link products are horrible, miserable hunks of junk. You should not buy this product or the rebranded version from US Robotics. It does not work with the latest versions of Skype. D-Link has not ever updated their buggy drivers. It causes Skype to crash very frequently. The sound quality is poor. To dial a number, you have to prepend your country code (00 in US) even though Skype doesnt require this. Theres something wrong with the ring tone, which sounds like its struggling to ring.
Basically, dont ever buy another D-Link product. The products are cheap because they are terrible.
On: 2007-04-20
All D-Link products are horrible, miserable hunks of junk. You should not buy this product or the rebranded version from US Robotics. It does not work with the latest versions of Skype. D-Link has not ever updated their buggy drivers. It causes Skype to crash very frequently. The sound quality is poor. To dial a number, you have to prepend your country code (00 in US) even though Skype doesnt require this. Theres something wrong with the ring tone, which sounds like its struggling to ring.
Basically, dont ever buy another D-Link product. The products are cheap because they are terrible.
On: 2007-02-06
If I could give it ZERO stars I would have. This is the worst thing you could buy if you want to use Skype. Constant hang ups will frustrate you and cost you money Skype in the way of skype credit. Dont buy this, it was one of the worst purchases I have made in years.
On: 2007-01-29
What an annoying piece of hardware! The unit will hang up on people in mid conversation. Theres no predicting when this will happen. Sometimes I can talk for only a few minutes, other times its up to an hour. No tech support, no drivers (Skype has updated itself to 3.0 and still no new drivers)and the DPH-50U currently isnt supported under Vista. Think hard before spending your money on this one.
On: 2007-01-10
D-Link DPH-50U is a great device, but unfortunately the driver that come with this hardware is unreliable and doesnt allow you to use the adapter with non-administrative account(s). Instead download and install the USRobotics driver instead from the USRobotics support website. Trust me, the USRobotics driver accually does work with the D-Link DPH-50U adapter. Ever since I started using it, Skype hasnt crashed once and Im able to use it on non-administrative account(s). Ive also heard that this driver solves many other known problems as well.
On: 2007-01-09
Very good phone adapter, i am happy
Esto funciona perfectamente bien, estoy contento con la compra
On: 2006-11-03
Not practical as a primary phone. Have to enter codes in before dialing numbers.
On: 2006-10-19
On the good side, it was easy to set up, and worked reasonably well if the phone (tried both cordless and corded) was plugged directly into unit. However, I could not get it to work on other phones in the house when I used the jack to plug it into the wall per the instructions (so it would work like a land line on any phone in the house). I do not have a land line, so it may just need a land line to work since you are supposed to be able to switch back and forth. I even tried disconnecting the line outside the house but that didnt work either.
I experience sporatic dropped calls that were not present before installing this device. I contacted tech support and was sent a driver upgrade v 1.20 (not available from their website). This seemed to improve the dropped call situation a bit, but I still have more dropped calls than before.
The dealbreaker for me was after I found out you had to be logged in as an administrator for it to work. With an "always on" internet connection, I was not willing to expose myself to that security risk.
On: 2006-10-14
I just bought one of these and when it works it works well. However, it keeps crashing the skype application after picking up the phone and hanging up while in VOIP mode. It seems that the USB driver is unstable and forcing the skype client to crash. I am currently using D-link driver version 1.16 and skype client version 2.5.0.146.
On: 2006-10-13
I just bought one of these and when it works it works well. However, it keeps crashing the skype application after picking up the phone and hanging up while in VOIP mode. It seems that the USB driver is unstable and forcing the skype client to crash. I am currently using D-link driver version 1.16 and skype client version 2.5.0.146.
On: 2006-10-12
Didnt read the reviews. I had an impulse buy. Hardware is okay. But as stated, the software is junk. Used several phones and you CANNOT dial out using skype and a regular phone. Incoming skype phones dont ring regular phones. Why do I need this?? Getting rid of my hard wired phone soon. Have a usb soft phone I got from wal-mart (28$$). And for my other reviews about being a techno phobe.....I downgraded to winxp and would take win98se back anytime. Its musical chairs finding drivers for both oss; However, there share a common bond--a bill gates piece of s@#t!!!!!
On: 2006-10-10
I bought this a few weeks ago so that I could connect a cordless phone to my office computer and use Skype for my calling. When it works, it works well, and the sound quality is fine. Unfortunately, much of the time, it doesnt work. It drops calls at random. Customer support is dismal, I emailed them several days ago and didnt even get a response acknowledging the email, let alone a solution to my problem. Just now I have tried reinstalling the drivers but that seems to be failing.
We have a VoSky Call Center at home that so far has been working much better. I bought the the DPH-50U because I was in a hurry and the store I was at only carried it, not the VoSky. I wish I had waited and bought a second VoSky.
On: 2006-10-09
I bought this a few weeks ago so that I could connect a cordless phone to my office computer and use Skype for my calling. When it works, it works well, and the sound quality is fine. Unfortunately, much of the time, it doesnt work. It drops calls at random. Customer support is dismal, I emailed them several days ago and didnt even get a response acknowledging the email, let alone a solution to my problem. Just now I have tried reinstalling the drivers but that seems to be failing.
We have a VoSky Call Center at home that so far has been working much better. I bought the the DPH-50U because I was in a hurry and the store I was at only carried it, not the VoSky. I wish I had waited and bought a second VoSky.
On: 2006-08-06
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///////////// PROS /////////////
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first, let me say that i was working independently several years ago with VoIP technology before VoIP made public. when Skype came out with the beta version, i was the first 50 people to try out the beta and i felt i lost the race!! you know what they said...."2nd place winner is the first place loser!!" so, i gave up on VoIP project and work on AI stuff now.
now, the review for this product.
bought it from Best Buy for $59 + tax. CD-ROM contained driver version 1.0. theres 1.2 (beta) driver available but you have to contact DLink engineer directly.
this unit is great when it works.
the driver crashes Skype so much to a point where its useless.
im running Windows XP Pro w/ SP2 on AMD Athlon 1.0 GHz with 512 MB RAM.
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///////////// CONS /////////////
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kept crashing Skype and im using Skype version 2.5.0.130.
this is the lastest Skype version as of August 2006.
the crash is random. usually crash around 2 minutes during phone call.
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///////////// THOUGHTS /////////
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since the technology is so new, were kind of expecting this. so, if you decide to purchase the item, consider yourself as the BRAVE soul unless they updated a new driver or something. :-) DLink tech support is quite helpful but i just dont have time to debug their product.
voip wi-fi handset is now available. it is a better choice to spend money on that. that way, you dont need to leave your PC running all the time. yes, the wi-fi handset is a bit more expensive. but, considering the electricity cost for leaving the PC on and to get best performance out of the unit, you dont want to use the PC for something else while youre using Skype. thus, the PC should be dedicated for Skype only. so, considering the electricity cost and everything else, its a better choice to get the wi-fi handset.
On: 2006-07-13
I tried for a few hours to get the D-Link software to work properly with their hardware, but could not get anything going that was stable for more than 30 minutes. The driver has many issues with Skype, including crashing, leaving stray D-Link processes in memory, locking up, losing contact with Skype, etc.
The driver will randomly crash, sometimes if you just pick up the attached phone and set it back down a few times. It doesnt take much. Also, the attached phone does not ring. I tried with two phones and even the most basic phone will not ring when a Skype call comes in.
As for the forwarding feature, it is manual. There is no quick setting or time-based setting for auto-forwarding to say, a cell phone.
Also, there are problems with D-Links USB implementation in that it draws an illegal amount of power from the USB bus. Their little box really should have a power brick as my Adaptec USB card tells me it is drawing more than 500mA (and the Adaptec does not allow it). So I had to run it on a machine with really old USB ports that do not protect against power overdraw. Bad, bad, bad.
The entire package feels like it was rushed to market without any real testing. I would wait for a few revisions on this one. Maybe in 6-12 months it will work better. Thats how it goes for a lot of D-Link products. For example, it took until the 1.6 BIOS for my D-Link gaming router to be "solid". That was about 6 months. So unless you want to be an unpaid D-Link beta tester, I would pass on this thing for now. The idea is good, the implementation is not.
On: 2006-07-12
I am using it for both Skype and landline calls with 3-handset Uniden station. Sound quality is very good, no echo. When it works it works quite well as Skype as well as landline.
Below are the issues I ran in so far:
1. Utility crashes 100% if called number gives out busy signal (US).
2. Utility randomly crashes. I am yet to have a 24 hour period without restarting unit and skype.
3. Unit seems to be unable to tolerate even smallest power surges. I had power outage, that crashed unit and required unplugging/plugging back DESPITE the fact that computer is on UPS and never even blinked.
4. Does not want to work with dual-port 2.0 USB card when external HD connected to second port, although works just fine on ancient (circa 2001) motherboard USB ports.
5. Does not work too well with latest Skype software (skype bugs maybe??). Feels more "stable" when skype downgraded to version provided on CD. Downgrade did not rectify problems 1-4 listed above.
Interesting toy, definitely not robust enough to be used as primary phone without backup landline or give to your grandma.
On: 2006-07-12
I tried for a few hours to get the D-Link software to work properly with their hardware, but could not get anything going that was stable for more than 30 minutes. The driver has many issues with Skype, including crashing, leaving stray D-Link processes in memory, locking up, losing contact with Skype, etc.
The driver will randomly crash, sometimes if you just pick up the attached phone and set it back down a few times. It doesnt take much. Also, the attached phone does not ring. I tried with two phones and even the most basic phone will not ring when a Skype call comes in.
As for the forwarding feature, it is manual. There is no quick setting or time-based setting for auto-forwarding to say, a cell phone.
Also, there are problems with D-Links USB implementation in that it draws an illegal amount of power from the USB bus. Their little box really should have a power brick as my Adaptec USB card tells me it is drawing more than 500mA (and the Adaptec does not allow it). So I had to run it on a machine with really old USB ports that do not protect against power overdraw. Bad, bad, bad.
The entire package feels like it was rushed to market without any real testing. I would wait for a few revisions on this one. Maybe in 6-12 months it will work better. Thats how it goes for a lot of D-Link products. For example, it took until the 1.6 BIOS for my D-Link gaming router to be "solid". That was about 6 months. So unless you want to be an unpaid D-Link beta tester, I would pass on this thing for now. The idea is good, the implementation is not.
On: 2006-06-17
The adapter hardware is good, but the driver needs work. I found the autorun installation program clunky. The developers put a visually classy but functionally clunky proprietary user interface on the autorun install program, and for some reason the "choice" buttons are DOA on my XP Professional machine. Cannot even close the autorun install program.
If you have that problem, just run the Setup.exe program directly instead of relying on the UI. Do not plug in the adapter before you run it. Skype should be running before you run setup. But not a fatal error--just rerun the Setup.exe if youre spacey like me. I really gotta read the instructions. My phone hooked up great!
Now my BIG COMPLAINT. This is a telephone adapter that should work 24-7, no matter who is logged in on my multi-user installation, right? Wrong! The driver doesnt install as a Windows service, but runs as a startup application (specified in the Windows registry) under the current user credentials, and requires an Administrator account.
There is an article in the Skype forum that describes how to install the driver as a Windows service. (And it works with similar product drivers from other manufacturers.) You need to do that to support a multiuser configuration in Windows. Otherwise, youll lose connected calls when you log out. Youll also be unable to use the phone unless a user is logged in as an administrator. If you need to support multiuser logins, or you just want to run the adapter as a service independent of the user login credentials, then I suggest searching for "Dlink DPH-50U Adapter" in the Skype forum, and follow the instructions there to install the adapter application as a Windows service. A note of caution: The article is very detailed, but its still an advanced user configuration, so if youre timid about opening the Windows registry, get a friend who likes messing around with Windows to help you.
POST SCRIPT to this review:
The hardware is fine. The driver is flaky. If you have installed this product and are dissatisfied with the problems described by various reviewers, uninstall the DLink driver and use the US Robotics driver (USRobotics USB Telephone Adapter (NAM)). Yes, the US Robotics driver works with this hardware device. On their product web page, click the Support link. 1) Download the appropriate (XP or Vista) US Robotics USB Telephone Adapter Utility from their Web site. 2) Unzip its files to a folder on your local drive. 3) follow their quick installation guide instructions (also available in PDF format on their Web site). When Windows gives you a choice to install automatically or to specify a location, choose to specify the location, and paste in the full path to the folder containing the unzipped US Robotics driver. Make sure that Skype is running before you install the driver and do not connect the adapter until after setup prompts you to (so Windows doesnt attempt a separate driver installation). After I switched to the US Robotics driver I stopped getting dropped calls, inability to dial, and so forth. The DLink driver can only run under an administrator user account. The US Robotics driver, Im told, can also run under a non-administrator account. The US Robotics driver also appears to support multiple languages, although I havent configured it for anything another than English, so I cannot confirm. US Robotics, DLink, Kinamax, AU and some similar Skype phone adapters apparently all use the same chip set, as their drivers are interchangeable. US Robotics has a pretty well written Web-based user manual that you can refer to for setup, usage, and configuration. Go to the Skype forums if you get into intractable problems.
Also, if you do install another manufacturers driver, make sure that you use Add/Remove Programs to remove the original driver before doing an install or you may have problems with the device (or worse--I wont go into my story as most of you arent as foolish as me, but it required opening Windows in safe mode and reverting to the last successful configuration to get back where I started). Remove the files manually if that doesnt work or if they are left in the installation folder. And if youre comfortable editing the Windows registry, you may want to search for and remove any "TLinkAgent" entries from the registry. For those of you complaining about TLinkAgent appearing on Windows task bar, thats where its originating--clean them all out and reinstall the drivers.
Post Script to the Post Script:
The support page at Dlink now lists a Vista driver for this hardware device. However, the XP driver appears to still be the original flakey 1.0 driver.
FINAL THOUGHT:
This is an immature technology, so requires some patience and indulgence on the part of consumers. I worked with software developers on version 1 of the Windows IP telephony (at a little software company in Redmond WA), and were a world ahead now. In just a few more years all dialing will be local. Contrary to what the Telcos might want us to believe, for some years now there has been little cost differential between calling your neighbor across the street and calling the other side of the world. Monopolies have been soaking our pocket books; extracting excessive rents from other (more efficient) areas of the economy. And that goes for all the "special" services cell phone companies now provide--incremental charges for most of those services far exceed the incremental cost of providing them. Thats why I love a little gadget like this. Leaves my pocket book fatter than it might have been without the gadget.
On: 2006-05-16
WOW! WOW! WOW! WOW! WOW! WOW! WOW! WOW! freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee Calling to any USA phone number. Plus I bought the "SKYPE-IN" and now people can call me. WOW! WOW! WOW! WOW! WOW! WOW! WOW! WOW!
Installation was a breeze and took less than 2 minutes and no computer reboot was necessary. I fired up Skype and plugged in a old corded phone and was good to go!! I made and received calls via Skype using my old phone and the voice quality was great. Next, I tried a cordless phone and it worked great too. So now I have a wireless Skype phone and I am very pleased with it. Not to mention I am putting my old discarded phones to good use now.
On: 2006-05-15
WOW! WOW! WOW! WOW! WOW! WOW! WOW! WOW! freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee Calling to any USA phone number. Plus I bought the "SKYPE-IN" and now people can call me. WOW! WOW! WOW! WOW! WOW! WOW! WOW! WOW!
Installation was a breeze and took less than 2 minutes and no computer reboot was necessary. I fired up Skype and plugged in a old corded phone and was good to go!! I made and received calls via Skype using my old phone and the voice quality was great. Next, I tried a cordless phone and it worked great too. So now I have a wireless Skype phone and I am very pleased with it. Not to mention I am putting my old discarded phones to good use now.
On: 2006-05-15
I just got this from BEST BUY and the price was same as Amazon ($60), for now. I went out looking for a USB Skype Phone and bumped into this one and bought it right away. I am very pleased with this product and my purchase and would highly recommend it and here is why.
I have both SkypeIn (allows you to have a phone no. of your choice for 30 Euros, approx US$ 38, per YEAR.) and SkypeOut (allows you to call any phone in the world much like a prepaid phone card) and I wanted to be able to use Skype away from my PC/Laptop so that I was not "tied" to one place in my apartment. So I started looking into USB Skype phones. A good one with a cord costs around $ 40 and a good cordless one costs $ 80 (I am referring to the one from Linksys and that one doesnt have the best reviews in the world so I was bit skeptical). Now for $ 60, this adapter plugs right into your USB port and allows you to use any good old phone (corded or cordless) with Skype. It doesnt need any separate power supply and is a nice little self contained unit.
Installation was a breeze and took less than 2 minutes and no computer reboot was necessary. I fired up Skype and plugged in a old corded phone and was good to go!! I made and received calls via Skype using my old phone and the voice quality was great. Next, I tried a cordless phone and it worked great too. So now I have a wireless Skype phone and I am very pleased with it. Not to mention I am putting my old discarded phones to good use now.
You can use the same phone for both Skype and your regular phone line if you want to but since I got rid of my landline phone long time back I couldnt try that feature. So I cant speak for that part. The manual does say that its possible. Overall, I would highly recommend this if you are looking to go wireless with Skype using your good old cordless phones or just want to have the convenience of using a corded phone away from your PC. Believe me, even if you have WiFi in your place you would still want this. I have WiFi but I would rather use a cordless phone to talk on Skype out on my deck rather than lug a laptop and a headset out with me. I think most of you would agree with me on that one. Also, Skype website has similar adapters for a little less money ($ 10 less I think), so you can check those out as well if you like. I was familiar with the D-Link brand name from before compared to the brands on Skype so I went in for this one.
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