With my first calls using the replacement, the phone rang and I heard Mom answer, but she couldn't hear me. After several tries, we finally made some contact. Mom claims that I don't always hear what she says. The sound was occasionally choppy, and sentences were often broken off. Later, however, I called a friend from a digital subscriber line connection in the PC World Test Center and got surprisingly good results.
Actiontec representatives acknowledge that the connection quality can be sketchy.
One reason, they said, is that most ITSPs have begun providing free service, and their networks have been overwhelmed by customer demand. Actiontec, which now supports five ITSPs, intends to add more providers to the roster. Internet calling is an attractive option, especially for broadband subscribers, but regular analog phone connections are still far more reliable and of higher quality. Pages will open in a new browser window External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive. All Rights Reserved.