If like many entrepreneurs, you use Skype, then this little gizmo is for you. It's a small appliance that will provide VoIP via Skype and your telephone(s).

Meaning it connects your regular telephone(s) to the Internet so they can use Skype without having to use a computer. It supplies dial-tone just like a regular telephone line. Just like with Skype on a computer, so long as you have a solid high-speed Internet connection, no one can tell how you are making calls.

One of the wonders Skype is that it is a true ecosystem. It works on so many different hardware platforms that it gives it ubiquity. Setup is fairly simple. The are three (3) ports on it:

Ethernet / RJ-45: Internet Connection
RJ-11: For your telephone
RJ-11: For traditional telephone line (optional)

The second RJ-11 telephone jack allows to you to combine your existing telephone line with Skype. You can configure it to route local calls over your existing telephone line and International calls over Skype. If you're just starting out, you can probably skip the traditional telephone line and just use Skype for everything.

To configure the device, simply connect all the cables, plug it into the wall, wait about a minute for the LED light to turn green. From there, follow the instructions to configure it via a web browser much like you would configure a router.

In a nutshell, you need to provide your Skype credentials (username and password) and tell it how to route domestic and International calls. That's about it. It takes all of about 10 minutes from the time you open the box.

http://freetalkconnect.com/me

Tools of the Trade: Freetalk Connect•Me