Logitech Cordless Internet Handset

The best thing about Skype's Internet phone service is its price: Calls are free. To make and receive calls, however, you usually must be tethered to your PC. In response, companies are now offering handsets that allow you to roam around your house while connected to your Skype account. I looked at one such device, Logitech's $100 Cordless Internet Handset, and found that it offers solid results.

Essentially the handset looks and operates like an ordinary cordless phone, but above its keypad is a six-line color LCD that displays your Skype contacts and call logs. Its base station links to your PC via USB; Logitech says the product will offer clear calling up to 164 feet away. In my informal tests, I traveled just over 200 feet from the base station and still had a great connection. (You'll have to keep your PC powered on to maintain Skype incoming and outgoing calls.)

Installing the phone was more difficult than it should have been, however, as both the Logitech software (version 1.0) and the included instructions caused problems. First, the setup software did not start automatically, forcing me to dig through several menu layers to start the process manually. Second, after the program and drivers were activated, I should have rebooted my system to get the phone up and running, but the instructions failed to mention this step. Once I figured this out, though, the phone operated smoothly.

Once it's installed, the phone (which is certified by Skype) performs all the functions of Skype's desktop applications directly from the receiver. A dedicated Skype button below the phone's keypad shows you a scrollable list of your contacts, allowing you to see who is online and available to talk. From there you can connect via free Skype-to-Skype calls. You can also use the handset to access the fee-based SkypeIn and SkypeOut services for making calls to and from landlines and cell phones and accessing voice mail. Once you're on a call, you can switch the receiver into a decent-sounding speakerphone.

One drawback of this otherwise impressive device: When the base station is connected to your computer's USB port, all other sound on the PC is muted. You can't, for example, listen to MP3s or CDs until you disconnect the phone.

If you are a regular Skype user and would like to place and receive calls away from your PC, the Logitech Cordless Internet Handset is a great, albeit imperfect, choice.

Michael S. Lasky