Making phone calls from your PC can be convenient, especially if you want to save money and avoid paying costly local- or long-distance rates imposed by local phone services. Make calls from your PC to any land line or mobile phone with programs and services that use Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP). These VoIP services--including Skype and Yahoo! Voice--charge you anywhere from $0.02 to $0.04 per minute, on average, to call land line and mobile phones as of 2010.
Instructions
1. Register an account with a vendor or service that allows you to make calls via your computer using your Internet connection. Examples of services you can register with include Skype, Yahoo! Voice, VoxOx by Telcentris, FriendCaller, ooVoo and Vbuzzer by Softroute Corporation.
2. Download and install the vendor's software to your computer. Install Yahoo! Messenger if you're using Yahoo! Voice. Download and install the Skype application if you've registered with Skype. Vbuzzer, FriendCaller, VoxOx and ooVoo all require you to install calling or messenger-type applications.
3. Log into your account with the vendor or open the calling application you installed. Click the "Buy Credit" option in your account. Select an amount of money you want to add to your account and make the purchase to have your account credited with prepaid minutes.
4. Connect a headset to the microphone and/or headphone jacks on your computer.
5. Open the vendor's calling or messenger-type application on your computer. Click the "Call" or "Place Call" option or icon from the application window. Select the country of the mobile phone number you want to call, if necessary. Type or click the mobile phone number you want to call on the keypad shown in the application. Click the "Call" or "Dial" option to place the call.
Tags: your account, your computer, mobile phone, account with, account with vendor