does anyone have a link to an idiots guide to making free international calls over broadband?

[mkjuk]

can we get usb phones and just plug them in and use them over msn messenger? or webcams?

is it all free?

[rojash]

forget MSN Messenger and use Skype. It's all free if the person you are calling also has Skype. If not, you can call them using Skype-out which is incredibly cheap (the call is routed over the internet as far as possible, and then rings their normal phone).

See here: http://www.skype.com

[wideboy]

As rojash says, use Skype plus the fact that every Thursday during August, you can log onto their website and get extra free minutes for Skype Out. For USB phones, look at Aria.co.uk among others - don't pay too much for them.

[Briar_x]

or buy a Tesco phone/headset and send it to the people you wish to communicate with. Apparently they are free to other Tesco phones.

You can choose a number for your area, or pretend you live somewhere else in the UK, they also have an answer machine and come withat least �2.50 of credit already on there.

I am a bit of a fan, just don't download anything whilst you are using the phone or it begins to sound echoey and delayed.

[Oneeyedvic]

use www.voipcheap.co.uk far better and cheaper than skype - and very handy if your friends aren't already on skype. I have used it to call Australian landlines free without any issues.

[Ethel]

I use Skype for all my calls. I have a cheap headphone/mic combo that connects to the USB port.

I use it to listen to music too, so it's useful.

This isn't mine - but it is an example. You can pay from �5.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=3 6292&doy=14m8&C=SEO&U=strat15