Linksys CIT200 Skype phone reviewed
posted October 12th 2005 8:29AM
Our
first look at the Linksys CIT200 Skype phone was solely
through FCC filings, so it was difficult to get a real read on its capabilities. Now that it's due to officially hit
the market, the VoIP Blog has put one through its paces, and has found that it's "tightly integrated with Skype
utilizing the Skype API for not just making and receiving calls but also accessing your Skype contacts and profiles."
The Windows-only phone connects to a PC via USB, and once connected runs a background application that interfaces with
Skype. According to the review, the $130 phone offers an indoor range of up to 160 feet, and provides solid voice
quality for both Skype-to-Skype calls and SkypeOut calls. One thing lacking, however, is the ability to work as both a
Skype and landline phone like the Olympia DualPhone, a feature would have helped potential
customers who haven't yet abandoned their landlines for full-time Skypedom justify the price of this unit.
So this is the long awaited WiFi Skype phone? Didnt see it, though if I had, say, a tmobile hotspot account, this would be useful I would imagine for such a thing?
I like the color screen anyway ;)
These phones need to be Mac compatable! Us Mac users are left out - with all the new Skype phones that are comming out.
I am a comment spammer: djc998@gmail.com
Tim, I couldn't possibly agree more. I am getting sick and tired of this no Mac nonsense when it comes to Skype phones. Sure, about 123497829 VoIP WIRED phones are mac compatible, but not a single cordless one can interface with a Mac. Because Mac users aren't aesthetically minded enough to be concerned about wires? Pssh.
I don't use Skype so perhaps my opinion isn't very valuable, however, it seems to me that the fact that you need to plug this phone's base station into a USB port on a PC which acts as the Skype call router makes this far less practical than a WiFi SIP phone.
Tim, Michael - over at http://deviceforge.com/news/NS4571213183.html they say a Mac version of the phone is in the works. Didn't say when it would be available though.
Linksys CIT200 phone's system menu has a very dangerous option!
System menu has the following:
register
base select
delete HS
change PIN
reset
selecting delete HS brings up another menu
handset 1
handset 2
handset 3
handset 4
If you delete handset 1, you will ruin your phone!
it will not communicate with the base station anymore
there is no way to reset the phone to the original settings..IT IS TOAST
The reason I did this was to try to work around a a different problem I had with the phone.
I will be living in India for an extended period of time
Linksys is not a global company that will support their products world wide. In other words they will not do a warranty exchange outside of the country you bought the product from. The money I spent on the phone and the money I spent getting it into India has been wasted since even though their are two Linksys affliates in Bangalore, they are unwilling to help me out.
Phone was able to recover even after deleting handset
important to register base while the blue light is flashing on the base station
bring up register, put in pin number..but do not hit ok
press button on base station till blue light flashes
then press ok to accept pin number on the handset
all handsets are restored
However, the original problem is still there.
The reason for deleting handset and re-installing it was so that I could change the base station from one lap top to another
the problem is that the phone is unable to communicate to the base station
I believe the handset might have to be re-registered if the handset changes from one laptop to another