Linksys CIT300 Dual-Mode Internet Telephony Kit
By: Linksys Average Rating: 3.5 Total Reviews: 20
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 On: 2008-06-27
The phone is ok, the screen interface is of poor quality, voice quality is ok, for what I paid I cant complain too much, however be aware that you cannot call a skype out number unless it is in the skype out directory on your pc....that is a big problem for me.
 On: 2008-06-21
Ordered from Buzzmart through Amazon.com. Fast processing and delivery.
Got the phone charged up over night and set it all up in about 5 minutes this morning. So far Im impressed. I am only using Skype service as i do not have a phone line. With Skype the calls are clear. I opted for Skypes unlimited plan (cheaper to buy a year at a time) and even got my own phone number via Skype so anyone can call me. All set up in a few short minutes.
Forget the phone company, forget voip.
On: 2008-05-22
just FYI this product does not allow for 220V if you are trying to buy for overseas.
 On: 2008-05-03
I purchased this phone to augment communications to my remote computer lab. The desire was to have a means of being able to use my dedicated ethernet line to double for a phone line and this seemed to be the ticket.
What I didnt realize was that this unit is so much more. Despite reviews about poor interfaces and such, I found the unit to be eminently practical in function and design. I opted to purchase SkypeOut and SkypeIn to dedicate the system as a primary phone once I became comfortable with the overall function of the phone and how Skype works.
Installation couldnt be easier and was a surprise considering how poorly the install for my other Linksys products has been. Totally standard install with no surprises. Things just worked on my little XP system and I intend to keep it that way by never going to Vista, but that is another story.
The range on this phone is incredible. By placing the base station near a window, I was able to reach all the way inside our main ranch house to a distance of about 350 feet. There was some dropout now and then, but for the most part it worked fine. Within the 300 foot range, the performance was crystal clear.
I noted some problems in getting Skype to activate SkypeIn at first, but the problem seemed to clear up after about 24 hours and my phone truly began to perform like a regular phone at that point. Certainly not the fault of the CIT300, which has performed flawlessly from first start up.
Charge time took about 12 hours overnight and the battery was at full charge then. Even so, when I first opened the box and tried the thing out with no charge, the phone worked fine and I kept on expecting it to finally shut off which never happened during my evening of playing around with it. Truly miserly on power consumption from what I can see.
I discovered that the secret to dialing out for SkypeOut with numbers that are not in the contact list is to press the "0" key until the "+" sign appears in the main display of the phone and then to key in my number as usual for any phone. To start the call, press the "Skype" button on the bottom of the keypad and you are in like flynn.
I did end up upgrading to the latest version of Skype software and also had to disconnect my Logitech webcam since its microphone kept insisting on grabbing the control from the CIT300 microphone and would do so no matter how often I change the configuration back to the CIT300. Im sure there is a secret to stopping this problem with some adjustments, but for now, the Logitech is parked until I learn more.
Im more than pleased with the unit and think that anyone expecting a new medium like this to be perfect is not facing reality. The CIT300 is a well built unit with a few imperfections, but nothing that cannot be worked out and it is my opinion that Linksys has a great little product here.
The only request I have for Linksys is to sell extra handsets so more than one phone can make use of the base station. There seems to be provisions for this, but nowhere can I find information on this aspect of the phone.
For $30 and another $50 for Skype subscriptions, you cant go wrong with this phone. Worth every penny!
On: 2008-05-02
Since Linksys CIT400 made its debut, this version of CIT300 just marked down the price. I got it from amazon for only $24. With this price, I am totally satisfied with its quality. The sound effect is very good. I called overseas a lot, and my friends cannot tell I was using a skype phone, cuz the quality was just as good as land lines.
On: 2008-04-22
Ive been a Skype user for quite some time now and I think this phone was a great buy for the home. The installation disk was easy to follow. The base/charger can be plugged in anywhere with the range and sound quality being great. There is also the added bonus of the phone being used for a landline. The only reason I didnt give it 5 stars is because you cant dial a Skype number directly on the phone. You have to add the number into your contacts on Skype via the computer before being able to dial it on the phone.
By the way, I read another persons review who said that they couldnt control the volume on the handset. Ummm, I dont know what they were talking about because its real easy to do.
Anyway, Ive already recommended this product to friends and they like it just as much as I do.
On: 2008-04-04
I have been a Skype member for about six months and was ready for a phone. The Linksys CIT300 may not do all the tricks the new phones do, but for the $26 that I payed it can not be beaten. The phone took about three min. to set up and works perfectly. Sound is clear and reception is great in my two story home. Also, I did not know but it does have a colored screen! The only weird thing about it is you have to dial the number than hit the skype button to make skypeout calls. I think i can do that for $26!!! If you are looking for a skype phone that is cordless, plugs in via USB, and on a budget, stop looking this is the one!
 On: 2008-02-22
Dialing from the dialpad on the handset is not possible. Many people on the internet have posted this issue and I should have researched better. I work in Research and Development for information systems so am no newbie. Linksys Customer Service reading from the cue cards was pleasant but not helpful. Tier 2 support suggested that the user cannot dial numbers from the handset directly but can only use names from the Skype Contacts list. I called BS on that statement and they said Oh Well.
On: 2007-12-01
Weve been Skype users for several years; this is the second phone system weve purchased (the first mysteriously failed). Were delighted with ease of use and reliability. Strongly recommended item.
On: 2007-09-04
I am extremely happy with this Linksys product. It comes with a base that attaches to the computer and a cordless phone piece which has its own charger. I leave the base connected to my laptop all the time and only have to deal with the cordless phone. It feels just like a landline!! It is awesome.
Pros:
- excellent volume...very loud..and very loud speakerphone too
- indicates if u have voicemail in skype
- i didnt think it was hard to make skypeout calls..only have to dial 3 extra digits! 00 and country code 1 (well, at least for US and Canada)
- able to use landline with it
- works flawlessly even if i leave it on ALL the time
- good battery life...i def got an avg talk time of more than 6 hours on each charge
Cons:
- to make skypeout calls, u have to remember to press skype instead of the normal green buttons that phones have...if u press the green one, it uses the landline...it took time to get used to that
- it would have been nice to have more sound alerts before the battery dies
Overall, i think its a great phone!
On: 2007-07-28
This product is excellent. I have used it for quite a while and I highly recommend it. Software is easy to install, voice quality is great, battery life is amazing and it covers an impressively long range compared to other cordless phones. The only negative point is that it does not activate conference call from the handset, I have to go to my computer to connect to more people.
On: 2007-06-21
This product works ok in XP. Ive been able to make and receive calls with little problems (sometimes the contact list doesnt come up; need to attempt 2-10 times before it shows).
There is a Vista driver that simply does not work at all. I called tech support today and they said that a *working* driver would be available in 20 days or ~ July 10th, 2007. Well see.
Overall, when its working, I love the product and it seems to be the wave of the future. But dont expect the quality to be that of a landline or cell phone.
On: 2007-06-20
Great interface between computer and the phone with a high range, it is fantastic display and software, still i dont found anything better i recommended to get it.
 On: 2007-05-19
it works fine but, no volume controls...burst out ur ear sometimes and doesnt work without computer
On: 2007-05-18
it works fine but, no volume controls...burst out ur ear sometimes and doesnt work without computer
On: 2007-05-15
The quality of this product surpassed my expectations. The range is excellent. Very satisfied.
On: 2007-04-07
A friend has recommended me this article.
I ckeck with a BEST BUY STORE to see if it was compatible with my MAC computer.
Positive response.
I bought it, AND when I received it, it WAS NOT COMPTABIBLE WITH MAC.
Nothing on the Linksys web indicated that it was not.
I RETURNED IT TO AMAZON ON MARCH 14,2007 IN SINCE THEN... NO ANSWER.
IM STILL WAITING FOR MY REFUND.....
SO IM NOT HAPPY AT ALL WITH THAT BAD BAD BAD SERVICE FROM LINKSYS AND AMAZON.
THATS WHY IM RATTING ZERO -0 STAR
On: 2007-04-06
A friend has recommended me this article.
I ckeck with a BEST BUY STORE to see if it was compatible with my MAC computer.
Positive response.
I bought it, AND when I received it, it WAS NOT COMPTABIBLE WITH MAC.
Nothing on the Linksys web indicated that it was not.
I RETURNED IT TO AMAZON ON MARCH 14,2007 IN SINCE THEN... NO ANSWER.
IM STILL WAITING FOR MY REFUND.....
SO IM NOT HAPPY AT ALL WITH THAT BAD BAD BAD SERVICE FROM LINKSYS AND AMAZON.
THATS WHY IM RATTING ZERO -0 STAR
On: 2007-03-09
Great phone system. Have been using for 1 month and love it. I signed up for Skype out and have used it for all long distance with success.
On: 2007-03-07
I bought this phone because I wanted a Skype phone that wouldnt tie me to the computer. This phone connects to the broadband router so you dont even need to own a computer and it is cordless so you can walk around the house with it. It also is a dual line phone - you can connect your regular phone line to it also, but I wasnt interested in that feature.
Unfortunately the phone didnt work. Whenever I would make a call, I would hear the other phone ringing but as soon as the call was answered, I couldnt hear anything. The person on the other end couldnt hear me either. I called tech support twice, once I got the Philippines and once India. They clearly had no understanding of the product, they were just reading a troubleshooting guide which I could do myself. They said they would contact higher ups and call me back but never did. The phone looked good and was a breeze to set up, but since it didnt work I cant give it anything more than a 1 star rating. I returned the phone and bought the Netgear SPH 200D which has worked fine.
On: 2006-12-20
Great sound, small and comfortable to hold.
But a big limitation is that it does not support call waiting / hold between Skype and landline calls, so if you are on the phone and the other type of call comes in, you must immediately hang up on your first call if you want to answer the incoming call on the same handset. It does support call waiting / hold between 2 Skype calls.
The strange menu and command layout seem to have been copied from a feature list with no usability consideration or testing. Heres whats bothered me most so far:
*It requires a tedious sequence of 3-4 key presses to get to the landline phone directory, Yet there are 3 different ways to get to the Skype directory by pressing a single key. Why not distribute those keys among other common functions, instead of having such redundancy / overlap?
* After you make a SkypeOut (i.e. Skype to phone) call from your Skype contact list, the "recently dialed" call list shows only the phone number, not the name of the entry. Not very useful unless you have all your Skypeout phone numbers semi-memorized!
* Likewise, when calling a landline or skypeout number from a directory, the display shows only the number, not the name of the entry.
* When dialing, and also in the recently called list, phone numbers are not formatted (e.g. with dashes) to make them more readable.
* The recently dialed list does not include the time of the call, nor the duration, even though the phone includes a clock and a call timer. (You can go to a different menu (5-6 key presses away), to see the duration of the last call only, or the running totals of all dialled and received calls)
* Landline phone book entry names are at most 10 characters long, forcing constant abbreviation. 16 characters is standard and much more useful. Not quite as bad, but only the first 14 characters of skype directory entries are displayed.
* This is not so unusual, but Im spoiled: Menu commands do not have numbers by each item, so there are no shortcuts to get to a command, just lots of scrolling through menus and clicking where a single number press should suffice.
* You cant use SkypeOut to dial a number from your landline phone book.
* The following issue is (I think) also present on other brands, but it is still very annoying and unfriendly: even though this phone is connected to a computer (via its base station), you have to populate the landline phone book manually, one entry at a time, using the phones keypad. You cant compose the phone directory on the PC and download it. (In contrast, the skype directory is maintained on the net and automatically copied from the PC into the phone).
I would hope that Linksys would release a firmware upgrade to correct some of these problems, but instead it looks like theyve already released the CIT400 which also has the same lack of call waiting between call types, though the interface looks (from the user guide) like it might be slightly improved.
On: 2006-12-19
Great sound, small and comfortable to hold.
But a big limitation is that it does not support call waiting / hold between Skype and landline calls, so if you are on the phone and the other type of call comes in, you must immediately hang up on your first call if you want to answer the incoming call on the same handset. It does support call waiting / hold between 2 Skype calls.
The strange menu and command layout seem to have been copied from a feature list with no usability consideration or testing. Heres whats bothered me most so far:
*It requires a tedious sequence of 3-4 key presses to get to the landline phone directory, Yet there are 3 different ways to get to the Skype directory by pressing a single key. Why not distribute those keys among other common functions, instead of having such redundancy / overlap?
* After you make a SkypeOut (i.e. Skype to phone) call from your Skype contact list, the "recently dialed" call list shows only the phone number, not the name of the entry. Not very useful unless you have all your Skypeout phone numbers semi-memorized!
* Likewise, when calling a landline or skypeout number from a directory, the display shows only the number, not the name of the entry.
* When dialing, and also in the recently called list, phone numbers are not formatted (e.g. with dashes) to make them more readable.
* The recently dialed list does not include the time of the call, nor the duration, even though the phone includes a clock and a call timer. (You can go to a different menu (5-6 key presses away), to see the duration of the last call only, or the running totals of all dialled and received calls)
* Landline phone book entry names are at most 10 characters long, forcing constant abbreviation. 16 characters is standard and much more useful. Not quite as bad, but only the first 14 characters of skype directory entries are displayed.
* This is not so unusual, but Im spoiled: Menu commands do not have numbers by each item, so there are no shortcuts to get to a command, just lots of scrolling through menus and clicking where a single number press should suffice.
* You cant use SkypeOut to dial a number from your landline phone book.
* The following issue is (I think) also present on other brands, but it is still very annoying and unfriendly: even though this phone is connected to a computer (via its base station), you have to populate the landline phone book manually, one entry at a time, using the phones keypad. You cant compose the phone directory on the PC and download it. (In contrast, the skype directory is maintained on the net and automatically copied from the PC into the phone).
I would hope that Linksys would release a firmware upgrade to correct some of these problems, but instead it looks like theyve already released the CIT400 which also has the same lack of call waiting between call types, though the interface looks (from the user guide) like it might be slightly improved.
On: 2006-11-27
I have not been a Skype user for very long, but tired of using an attached headset and not being able to hear calls when not in my office.
The phone works well. Setup was not difficult. Pretty much plug and play.
SkypeOut and SkypeIn function properly. Its nice having my main line and Skype into one phone. Less stuff on the desk. I can easily make calls from either service (skype or main line).
There are a couple issues that I wish were fixed.
1.) The battery will not last overnight if it can not see the base station. So if you turn the computer off or too far away, the battery will drain really fast searching for the base unit. So you NEED to keep the phone on the charger overnight.
2.) All calls must be initiated from the phone and not the computer. So you cant call from the computer and then transfer to the phone. To call someone, you can search the skype contacts on the phone or dial direct. This is a little annoying since my contacts are in Outlook and not skype. So everything needs to be dial directly on the phone.
Another small issue was Linksyss support. The beltclip came cracked. Linksyss support wanted me to return the entire package for exchange. Its a 15 cent plastic part that doesnt effect the use. I dont want to spend $12 in shipping to get a new 15 cent part. They were not very helpful.
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