* * * * *
                                        
                           Speaking of phone systems
                                        
Later on in the day, Smirk dropped off the new VoIP unit I'll be using at
home. It's a Linksys PAP2 [1] and the installation couldn't be easier—it was
literally plugging the power cable in, the Ethernet cable in and the phone
cable into phone plug #1 (I initially plugged it into phone plug #2 and when
I went to make a call, I heard a computerized voice telling me I had plugged
the phone into the wrong port). I was then ready to go.

Of course, Smirk had already signed up the unit for Vonage [2] so I'm not
sure of all the details about that, but I was impressed with the hardward
after it was delivered to my hands.

The few calls I tried were fine quality wise. Smirk has been using the same
unit for a few days now and I hadn't even noticed. All in all, it seems like
a decent unit.

Update on Friday, April 21^st, 2006

About the only complaint I have so far about the unit is the unnaturally
bright LED (Light Emitting Diodes)s on the front of the unit. They were so
bright I had thought I left my curtains open and the street lamps where
shining through when I turned out the lights to go to bed. I turned the unit
off so I could sleep.

I'm going to have to find some way of cutting the light down a bit.


[1] http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?link_code=ur2&tag=conmanlaborat-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&path=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fgp%2Fproduct%2FB0002V8KX6%3Fv%3Dglance%26n%3D172282
[2] http://www.vonage.com/

Email author at sean@conman.org