I use my Google Voice number as my primary number and I forward my calls to Skype. I also set it so that when I am not signed into Skype my calls are forwarded to my cell phone number (prepaid AT&T). Since I'm in a wifi area most of the time it works out pretty well and my phone bill has been about $25-30/month.

I signed up for the $3/mo "Skype Out" (unlimited calling to US/Canada PSTN), and it allows you to use your cell phone's number as the caller ID...nice.

If you want "incoming calls", there was some 50% off for 12 months for $30 "for the year", rate/sale, but you get a new unique number. So it would actually be $66/year for unlimited in/out.

I'm in the DC/Baltimore corridor, and have both AT&T and T-Mo, and on AT&T Edge, there were some QoS issues, despite being in a "full bar" area. This from a Cisco VoIP engineer, calling another Cisco VoIP engineer, who has a Nokia e71, and multiple SIP clients. I made another call to him, via WiFi, and was told the issues subsided.

On T-Mo, Unlimited Talk is $49/mo vs. $29.00 for 500min. In order to get unlimited via Skype, and cheapest T-Mo plan, it would be ~$43/mo.

I'm doing the 500min/mo, plus "Skype In" for the extra $3, and just let incoming calls go to VM...its all about what works for you.

Ultimately, if you have both home and cell phone service, I think the most efficient, cost effective way to go is:

- SIP provider where you get unlimited calling and they provide you SIP settings for any device (unlike Vonage ) like callcentric. $25/mo

- T-Mo (if their coverage works for you) $29.99/mo 500 minutes...or go data only if possible. Data = $10 or $25.

- Configure callcentric on the 900 and make all the calls thru the SIP client.

Total "phone" costs for both home and cell are $65/mo or $80/mo....depending on which T-Mo plan you get.

I have recently purchased an n900 and have used Skype with a Skype In number for over a year on both my home and work computers. At this time, I have not put my n900 on a voice or data plan and am currently checking it out via WiFi using only Skype. Several issues which I have not been able to resolve are:

1) When first setting up my n900 all of my Skype contacts who actually have Skype accounts transferred over to my n900 contact list. However, all of my Skype contacts who I had listed for dialing with Skype Out (which is the majority of them) did not transfer and I cannot find a way to import these to my n900 contacts.

2) Skype voice mail resides on my home computer (and on my work computer) and works great as long as I do not have my n900 turned on. However when the n900 is on, incoming calls ring on the home/work computers and the n900 and if not answered or rejected on any, will stop ringing on the home/work computers after an allotted time (preset in the voice mail account option) but will continue to ring on the n900 and finally go to a fast busy signal for the caller and never go to voice mail. The call also goes to a fast busy signal when the home/work computers are turned off and the call is not answered on the n900.

3) Related to #2 above, I cannot find a way to receive voice messages on my n900, nor retrieve any which are placed on my home/work computers when the n900 is turned off. I do receive an email notification that the voice message has been left on the home/work computers and of course, receive this notification email on the n900, but cannot retrieve the actual voice message. Also, as stated in #2 above, none of my incoming calls go to voice message if my n900 is turned on.

4) Since I do not have my n900 set up on a voice plan, I have to change my phone call type from Cellular to Skype before dialing a number and have to be sure I choose “Call with Skype” if I go to my Contacts to place a call. I wish there was a way to have all calls default to Skype without having to make changes before placing each call.

Help with any of the above would be greatly appreciated.

So u saying Skype is working fine with EDGE connection?
can anyone confirm that?

I have done the same. Edge connection takes a little longer to fully connect so you dont hear each other right away. (approx 10sec before connection syncs fully) This might change depending quality of connection.

After line is on there aint any difference to wifi/3g connected skype call.

Yep, EDGE works, minus the small initial delay. This makes sense though considering skype works on a regular ISP with worse bandwidth than EDGE.

2d

Yes. I have been doing that for 6 month or so, started with N8x0. Yes, you can do that, not very convenient though. Especially one has to answer the phone in 25 rings, otherwise it goes to phones message automatically. 25 rings is a lot if you have your phone out already, otherwise, you always missed it. And if you are surfing or on email, there is no chance you can answer that in time

bun

Yes it works great.I get around 180 kbps speed on EDGE.So may be this is the main reason behind this good quality.

i called long distance and and overseas thru the built in skype over ATT's EDGE without problems. The rates are as advertised, and the catch is the connection fee, which is disclosed in skype's link, but the page is non existent. anyway, it is 10 cents per call. So, a 700 min local use in the US will be 700 x 2c,14 dollars/mo plus 70x10c for the connectin fees, 21$/mo. u'd have to buy a virtual number too. no FCC taxes

my wifi doesn't work in n900... can anyone please help me out? Thanks in advance ....