Yap Phone

The YAP USB phone is one of several new devices in the YAP family of hardware that uses Net2Phone software and service. The YAP phone plugs into the USB port of your PC and allows calls over the Internet to any phone in the world, unlike previous Net phone services that were only able to call PC to PC. Other devices from Net2Phone allow calls from phone to phone, skipping the computer entirely - but that's another review.

Installation of the YAP phone is completely straightforward. You insert the CD to install the Net2Phone software and plug the phone into your USB port. The softare recognizes the device and opens a small phone-shaped window on the desktop that allows quick access to a call log and phone book for speed dialing. I did have some problems getting the Net2Phone software to default to the YAP - when I would go to make a call, a window would pop up and tell me that the software was not configured to default to the YAP. This was easily solved by changing the configuration in the user preferences screen. Not a big deal, but I would think that the software should automatically find the phone.

Before you make your first call, a calling card ($10 "YAP Time" card included with the phone) number has to be entered into the software (more on this later). Once that's set up, just connect to the Net through any ISP (including AOL or any of the free ISPs), pick up the handset and dial the number as you would on a regular phone. Net2Phone routes the call over the Intern