Awesome!!! (but poorly written instructions.)
Pros:
Phone works flawlessly. Calls are clear and undistorted.
Cons:
Poor documentation. Install programs hijacks windows sound settings.
The Bottom Line:
This phone is great, but you will have to check the Internet on how to set up the sound system correctly.
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
I've used Skype for a while to call home from overseas etc., so I was excited to see this product become available. It gives me the opportunity to have a home phone for cheap. (I ditched my landline years ago.)
The quick installation instructions were fairly straight forward and installation was easy. The quick installation guide is not the same as a quick start guide by any stretch of the imagination, however. I would have expected at least a minimum amount of instructions on how to use the phone, since dialing of phone numbers is different from a regular or cell phone. Believe it or not, the quick install guide doesn't even mention the user guide which is buried on the CD-ROM (and doesn't show up in the autostart menu).
Also included in the papers in the box was a FAQ, which alerted me to the fact that the installation had hijacked my sound device settings and set the phone as the default windows sound device. This may not be a problem for people that don't mind all the sound going through the phone, but I wanted to use this on a home theater PC. The FAQ referred to the user guide on the CD-ROM, which was not of any help and did not give any other installation or configuration options. I was in stunned disbelief that Linksys would think that this was acceptable, and I was ready to return the phone. Fortunately, I checked the Internet, and found a setup solution from a reviewer. Basically, I had to re-establish my soundcard as the default windows sound device, and select the phone as the Skype sound device inside the Skype program.
Once I got setup instructions from another source, the phone works flawlessly. Phone calls are clear and undistorted (AND FREE!!!). Dialing is different than a regular phone, so be advised.
In summary, I love the phone, but the instructions are the worst of any Linksys product I have ever seen. My recommendations are... Buy the phone, but check the Internet for setup instructions.
