Korean Job Discussion Forums

taobenli · Joined: 26 Apr 2004

So sad...
My husband and I have been doing the summer apart thing- I am in Korea and he's in the U.S. Last night we were talking on Skype (the free computer calling) and suddenly I could hear him but he couldn't hear me at all. I thought the kids I lived with had been messing with my headset and broke it, so today I went out and bought a new headset. But there is no change...it seems that the microphone plug-in just shorted out. The computer I use at the house of the family I stay with is garbage- filled with crap the kids have downloaded and Spyware. Unfortuntely, there is no way to connect my own laptop to the internet in the room I'm in, and since Korea is way behind the U.S. when it comes to wireless I can't do that either...

So, has anyone tried SkypeOut? How much would it cost for my husband to call my Korean cell phone from his computer? He has been using a phone card but it is terrible and the connection is always so bad that it's almost not even worth it.

Any recommendations of good and cheap international phone cards (U.S. to Korea) that you've found would be appreciated, too.

(Korea may be "the most wired country in the world, but guess what? If you don't maintain all your great technology it breaks!- okay, rant over)

dogshed · Joined: 28 Apr 2006

taobenli · Joined: 26 Apr 2004

I have an ethernet cable. How much do wireless routers cost around here?

NicRenee · Joined: 10 Apr 2007 Location: Seoul

I use SkypeOut and it's fine. You can check the Skype website for prices, but make sure you are checking the mobile phone prices. It might be good to get a landline, as the calls or cheaper. I'm assuming you have SkypeIn? You can set it up to have the calls forwarded to your mobile. It's $.07/minute, but still not too bad. Good luck!

Sine qua non · Joined: 18 Feb 2007

Wireless routers seem to run in the $50-$100 range.

As for the SkypeOut, I think it's a great idea and it does the job it purports to do. In allowing a person to connect to your local number when they "call" you from their Skype account, you get the connection. However, the quality is not great.

The OP complained about the quality of some phone cards she has used. However, in my experience, the quality of Skype communication has been at the low end of the range of calling card quality.

bluelake · Joined: 01 Dec 2005

I use both Skype and Skype-out. With Skype, I talk with my folks every morning when I'm in Korea (presently, I'm visiting them, so not necessary). I use Skype-out occasionally. Both services work o.k., but have their moments. Still, it beats the heck out of what I'd pay with an int'l call.

taobenli · Joined: 26 Apr 2004

Sine qua non-

You say that SkypeOut is not really better than calling cards. My husband has a calling card now that is so bad that it is almost useless- the delay is several seconds and the connection is generally bad. Is there a calling card that you would recommend? I never have problems when I call using Korean cards, but the U.S. to Korea connection on his card has been awful. It wasn't nearly so bad when we used a card from the U.S. to Japan (but that was a long time ago and he doesn't remember the card company).

Sigh...stupid computer. It is probably not worth it to buy a router, since I will only be here till the end of August.

kat2 · Joined: 25 Oct 2005 Location: Busan, South Korea

Go to a PC Bang. Its 1000won an hour. ANd free talking to your husband. Or you can do the wireless router thing, but thats sort of pricy for just a summer, unless you and your husband are talking for hours every day.

edit: I just noticed someone is selling a wireless router in the Buy/Sell Forum

Sine qua non · Joined: 18 Feb 2007

OP:

SkypeOut quality is basically the same as if you are both talking PC-to-PC via Skype. It's not terrible, but I'm a bit impatient with anything of dimished quality.

My peeps in the US got on calling plans with their phone sevice providers with some monthly rates for internatinal calling. I'm not sure how much or the other details, but the call quality was great.

On my end, for the past several years I've used a "calling card" from www.kangsantravel.com (I don't have an actual card, just a contact phone number and an account number). The cost runs from 40-90 won/minute to the US and the quality is great. Plus, if I want to add more value to my calling card account, I just wire transfer money to the company, call them to confirm their reciept and their credit my calling card account.