Keyspan VP-24A Cordless Voip Phone Skype Compatible for Mac Or Pc
By: Keyspan Average Rating: 3.0 Total Reviews: 19
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 On: 2008-07-15
Since I live overseas, I use this phone for all of my communication to the US and it has worked great so far.
 On: 2008-03-25
Helped reduce international phone bills, and the voice is better, however - somewhat problematic to the average multi-tasker: it doesnt have a ear-set inlet/outlet, and is not comfortable to hold on the shoulder (when both hands are occupied.... e.g. for cooking, why? what did you think?!). Also, if the phone is "hanging" between ear and shoulder, the voice reception quality is tampered.
 On: 2008-01-07
This phone works with your usb drive so your computer has to be on for the phone to work. Also for incoming calls it often didnt ring and when it did it was too quiet to hear even with the volume all the way up. Also you have to set you mic on your computer to the phone. SO if you use your computer for online video chats or what not you have to switch it back in order to do that. Kind of annoying. Over all an unreliable phone. I returned mine and bought a wifi skype phone which worked much better.
 On: 2007-12-29
This VOIP phone is not compatible with the Leopard OSX 10.5. The manufacturer should address this so that no one else will have to waste hours trying to get this product to work! I even purchased a new USB cable because the one with the phone does not light up green on my port. But then the new cable doesnt light up either, so it seems the phone just doesnt work with my system. I just wasted $26.00 on a cable that I cant return because of the store closing and its no return policy. I had trouble finding the cable at Radio Shack. I have spent too many wasted hours on this product! In Troubleshooting there is nothing mentioned about how to get the sensor to pair up or what to do if the phone wont charge. In other words, Troubleshooting is LACKING with help! Seems as though if I want to use Skype I will still be tied to my computer to make calls since no one seems to make a product that works with Mac Leopard! If you have a Mac with Leopard, BEWARE!
 On: 2007-10-22
I bought the phone because I was traveling out of the country and wanted to have a good way to call home.
the phone itself is a little cheap looking. The sound is OK.
One of my main gripes is that when I have the phone plugged in, and waiting for calls, my music plays across the phone. I use iTunes and when I play them on my computer, the sound gets diverted to the phone by default. It renders my headphone jack inoperable. I also use Vista, and I could not find any drivers from key span to work with that.
Overall I rate it OK. 3 stars.
On: 2007-07-26
This phone works well in my small office space, but my reason for purchase was to be able to take it outside (like I can my other cordless phones). The cordless link is poor and I cant stray far from the USB transmitter. Im looking for a better phone.
On: 2007-06-29
It works but just barely. Poorly designed: hard to read the screen, no charging stand, batteries run down quickly, weak support from Keyspan. The range is decent though and it does run on Macs so it at least ranks 2 stars. But theres a LOT of room for improvement!
On: 2007-06-24
Been using this for six months with no problems. Talk time is excellent and the software works well with Skype (I have used on multiple versions of Mac OS 10.4, including 10.4.9 with no issue).
On: 2007-05-13
I had the misfortune to buy one of these phones last week, believing it to be compatible with Mac OS X, as advertised. It is not in any meaningful way. The driver that comes with the phone does not work with the latest version of the Mac operating system (10.4.9), and has not worked with any version since at least the end of 2006. The help section of Keyspans website acknowledges this - though only after youve submitted a complaint. The advice given online is that a new driver will be released January 2007... Since this is now May, we can only assume Keyspan has been selling this product knowing it did not work as advertised, and that the company is in no particular rush to sort it out! After 4 days, I have, as yet, received no answer from two submissions to their email support service either - so, to be charitable, they seem to have their heads in the sand on this one. I am not given to writing bad reviews online, and am generally sympathetic to companies pioneering technologies in newer areas, such as VOIP. But Keyspan has already demonstrated to me that it is out of its depth here, and the customer service has been appalling. A simple acknowledgment of the issue up front would have been far more helpful; instead they have just wasted my time. Very poor... The actual problems experienced with the phone are:
1. Although it is possible to get the Mac to recognize the phone as a sound input source, I could not get it to work as such. I know the sound side of Macs well and am confident the issue is with the phone.
2. The ringer is inaudible, which is a big disadvantage on a cordless phone! The help site acknowledges this problem and offers a workaround which blames Skype (!) and offers a Keyspan driver-based solution that cannot be implemented on a Mac using the latest OS.
3. Skype Out numbers in the Skype address book are only displayed as numbers on the phones screen - not with the relevant contact names. This means you have to know everyones number by heart to dial using the cordless phone! Worse, the numbers are displayed in numerical order, not in the order Skype has them! Again, the help pages say this will be fixed in January 2007 as part of the mythical new driver...
On: 2007-03-15
Had zero problems installing this phone. Made the appropriate adjustments in my sound system and I was able to make a call, listen, talk on the phone while listening to music through my media player. no interference of any kind. Great distance with the phone. I wasnt expecting to use a thumb key for the wireless part, but no big deal, had to use a USB port no matter what the device. Sound quality through the phone is perfect. The phone rings loud enough to be heard anywhere in my home. (2000 sq ft)
Basically this is a great phone for the price.
On: 2007-03-09
I found it very easy to install and the product has performed with excellent quality.
On: 2007-02-22
I purchased this phone to use with my skype service. The best feature is the fact that you dont have to be tied behind your computer with a headset. The coverage area is pretty good. A few drawbacks:
1. When calling companies that prompt you to make selections using the keypad on your phone, I noticed that many companies dont recognize the touch tones. So I am left with using my cellphone to complete those calls.
2. The menu on the screen is not very user friendly.
3. Standby battery source depletes fairly quickly.
Overall, get this phone if you want something affordable without being tide-down to your desk.
On: 2007-01-19
I found it hard to see what the screen said.
The voices were clear.
But the feel of it was like it was a toy.
It was easy to set up.
I was dissapointed with it so I returned it.
On: 2007-01-17
I only had two issues with this device:
1. I had to put it on a USB extension cable to get it away from my Mac Minis wireless antenna which screwed up its signal.
2. I wish I could use the phone and fast-user switch to another account without the phone dropping out.
Otherwise, this phone has been great.
On: 2007-01-16
I only had two issues with this device:
1. I had to put it on a USB extension cable to get it away from my Mac Minis wireless antenna which screwed up its signal.
2. I wish I could use the phone and fast-user switch to another account without the phone dropping out.
Otherwise, this phone has been great.
On: 2007-01-04
I have been using this phone for the last four months. The one I received initially was defective, but the manufacturer sent me a replacement immediately and this has functioned perfectly. It works very well with my MacBookPro, though it does not ring when receiving incoming calls (this is a known glitch). Sound quality has been excellent. The phone screen is on the small side. Keyspan customer support has been superb!
On: 2006-12-25
I like this phone, despite a couple of issues, but only gave it three stars because of a serious problem - it doesnt ring for an incoming call on the Mac. Makes it almost useless except to make outgoing calls. Another reviewer stated that theyve spoken with Skype and this bug will be addressed in a future update, but Ive been promised that before by software manufacturers...
The phone itself works pretty well and the sound quality is actually very good with no echo, fading or dropouts experienced even two floors away from the transmitter on the computer. The phone itself is a bit on the smallish side. Especially given its purpose (a house phone), it really sacrifices ergonomics needlessly to make it more pocket-size. But overall, it appears well made (as well made as most modern consumer electronics that is) but the phone interface is not exactly intuitive.
Another gripe is that in installing it on the Mac, it requires your Administrator password. Theres absolutely no reason for it to require root access. Unfortunately, that is a shortcut that many companies porting applications over to the Mac are taking. So while Id rather not give it root access, Ill begrudgingly allow it as its better than having to install it on a PC.
So overall, its not bad at all for the price (assuming that Keyspan fixes the incoming call ring issue), but if you dont need one right now, Id wait and see what else comes along.
On: 2006-12-24
I like this phone, despite a couple of issues, but only gave it three stars because of a serious problem - it doesnt ring for an incoming call on the Mac. Makes it almost useless except to make outgoing calls. Another reviewer stated that theyve spoken with Skype and this bug will be addressed in a future update, but Ive been promised that before by software manufacturers...
The phone itself works pretty well and the sound quality is actually very good with no echo, fading or dropouts experienced even two floors away from the transmitter on the computer. The phone itself is a bit on the smallish side. Especially given its purpose (a house phone), it really sacrifices ergonomics needlessly to make it more pocket-size. But overall, it appears well made (as well made as most modern consumer electronics that is) but the phone interface is not exactly intuitive.
Another gripe is that in installing it on the Mac, it requires your Administrator password. Theres absolutely no reason for it to require root access. Unfortunately, that is a shortcut that many companies porting applications over to the Mac are taking. So while Id rather not give it root access, Ill begrudgingly allow it as its better than having to install it on a PC.
So overall, its not bad at all for the price (assuming that Keyspan fixes the incoming call ring issue), but if you dont need one right now, Id wait and see what else comes along.
On: 2006-12-20
I bought this phone a couple of months ago when my wife was going to be home for a while recovering from surgery and while Skype was not charging for landline calls in the US. She is not into tech, so she did not use it much except when I call for her. I have used it a lot myself for when the landline in the house is in use and I do not want to walk outside to make a cell call (poor coverage at times with my Treo 650 inside my house). The call quality if fair. It is not as clear as you get on a good headset on your computer, but still very understandable. the display is a little small, but has a lot on information on it, including signal strength and battery status.
As stated in other reviews, this is not a stand alone VOIP phone. You install software on your PC or Mac and then plug the small transmitter/receiver into a USB port on your computer. The transceiver is about the size of a thumb drive. The phone comes with standard pair of rechargeable AAA batteries that you charge with the supplied USB cable. You only use the cable to charge the phone. I have found that the range is limited when compared to a modern 5.8GHz cordless phone. I am not able to go more than a room or two from the base. This might be an issue with the location of the transceiver since it is located near a couple of LCD monitors on my PowerMac that might be shielding it. It easily works within a 40 foot range which is more than enough for my application. Battery life has also been good. I have not used it for any long calls so I do not know the duration of the batteries, but they do seem to have good stand-by time since it has been weeks since they have been charged. (I do not have the unit on except for when I want to use it. I only SkypeOut).
I am overall pleased with the unit. The sound quality is more a like 3 stars, but the ease of use and Mac compatibility push it up to 4 stars for me.
On: 2006-12-04
All in all, Im pretty happy with this phone. The sofware was easy to install and the phone itself is easy to use. Its a great treat to be able to walk around the house and not being chained to the computer. The only annoyance is that the phone is not very reliable. While the connection always seems to be perfect for me, my friends and family often complain they cant hear a thing Im saying. As soon as I unhook the phone and use my headset again, the connection is crystal clear for both of us.
On: 2006-11-10
This phone worked for less than 2 weeks. It now only acknowledges being hooked up to charge (on the display). Otherwise the display and all buttons are non-functional.
On: 2006-09-16
With the explosion of voice over IP applications, new devices appear everyday to supposedly ease our digital life, but the abundance of "standards" and protocols makes it difficult for the end user to figure out exactly what each product can accomplish.
My biggest gripe with this specific product is that despite its name, its NOT a VoIP phone. A real VoIP phone contains everything thats needed to hook up to a TCP/IP network (wired and/or wireless) and implements a telephony protocol such as the open standard SIP or the proprietary Skype. For instance, the Zyxel W2000 can connect to a SIP server though an ordinary WiFi access point without the help of a computer, because it has an 802.11b wireless interface and implements the SIP protocol.
Instead, this Keyspan phone is just a wireless USB handset, which requires the use of a computer to function. Many similar products have been available for over a year, but they only work on Windows. This one supports both Windows and OSX.
The small box contains the phone, a USB dongle smaller than an iPod Shuffle, an installation CD, a USB to mini-USB cord and three AAA rechargeable Ni-MH batteries. To recharge the phone, you plug it into a powered USB port. Keyspan does not provide a separate charger, but this is a minor issue since this mini-USB connector is becoming increasingly common.
The Macintosh installation adds a small application named WirelessUSBPhone, and a USB driver. The application bridges the Keyspan phone with the Skype application through the use of the Skype API.
To start using the phone, you need to pair it by pressing a tiny button on the USB transmitter while the phone is in close proximity. Once this is done, you can scroll through the contact list on your phone and call them, or you can also dial numbers directly. When calls come into Skype, the screen lights up and displays the caller name.
The sound quality is excellent. The range is also particularly good, considering the tiny size of the components and the lack of external antennas. In my informal tests it is equivalent to that of a recent good quality cordless phone. Finally, the battery life is also very good: I would estimate it to be at least 4 days of stand-by and several hours of talk time, and since it uses standard AAA batteries its easy to keep a backup set around just in case.
If youre looking for the Skype equivalent of a SIP phone, i.e. a standalone phone that works without relying on a computer, dont buy this product. Otherwise, if you use Skype a lot and wish you could use it without being tethered to your computer, this phone is the perfect answer. Unlike competing products it comes with very high quality software and offers a Macintosh version (Keyspan is well known for the quality of its products and software). Installation could not be easier and the software functions flawlessly and transparently. After a few days with the phone Im very pleased with my purchase.
On: 2006-09-15
With the explosion of voice over IP applications, new devices appear everyday to supposedly ease our digital life, but the abundance of "standards" and protocols makes it difficult for the end user to figure out exactly what each product can accomplish.
My biggest gripe with this specific product is that despite its name, its NOT a VoIP phone. A real VoIP phone contains everything thats needed to hook up to a TCP/IP network (wired and/or wireless) and implements a telephony protocol such as the open standard SIP or the proprietary Skype. For instance, the Zyxel W2000 can connect to a SIP server though an ordinary WiFi access point without the help of a computer, because it has an 802.11b wireless interface and implements the SIP protocol.
Instead, this Keyspan phone is just a wireless USB handset, which requires the use of a computer to function. Many similar products have been available for over a year, but they only work on Windows. This one supports both Windows and OSX.
The small box contains the phone, a USB dongle smaller than an iPod Shuffle, an installation CD, a USB to mini-USB cord and three AAA rechargeable Ni-MH batteries. To recharge the phone, you plug it into a powered USB port. Keyspan does not provide a separate charger, but this is a minor issue since this mini-USB connector is becoming increasingly common.
The Macintosh installation adds a small application named WirelessUSBPhone, and a USB driver. The application bridges the Keyspan phone with the Skype application through the use of the Skype API.
To start using the phone, you need to pair it by pressing a tiny button on the USB transmitter while the phone is in close proximity. Once this is done, you can scroll through the contact list on your phone and call them, or you can also dial numbers directly. When calls come into Skype, the screen lights up and displays the caller name.
The sound quality is excellent. The range is also particularly good, considering the tiny size of the components and the lack of external antennas. In my informal tests it is equivalent to that of a recent good quality cordless phone. Finally, the battery life is also very good: I would estimate it to be at least 4 days of stand-by and several hours of talk time, and since it uses standard AAA batteries its easy to keep a backup set around just in case.
If youre looking for the Skype equivalent of a SIP phone, i.e. a standalone phone that works without relying on a computer, dont buy this product. Otherwise, if you use Skype a lot and wish you could use it without being tethered to your computer, this phone is the perfect answer. Unlike competing products it comes with very high quality software and offers a Macintosh version (Keyspan is well known for the quality of its products and software). Installation could not be easier and the software functions flawlessly and transparently. After a few days with the phone Im very pleased with my purchase.
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