We’ve been using a VoIP exclusively at home for three years now. Our home number is provided by Vonage who we’ve been very happy with, all things considered. I’ve also been a happy Skype user for quite some time. Until recently, my Skype experience was all computer based, making text, audio and video chats with friend and colleges.

Since Skype first introduced SkypeOUT and SkypeIN, I’ve been looking for a good way to brige the gap between our normal phone use, and Skype on our Mac. Thanks to a tip from a friend, I’ve found an elegant solution.

The USB Skype Phone Adapter from Von-phone is basically an RJ-11 (regular phone) adapter that plugs into the USB port of a PC or a MAC and allows you to control Skype from your home or office phone. It also allows you to connect to a regular POTS phone line, or another VoIP box for regular calling, eliminating the need for multiple telephones. I can simply pickup the normal home phone, dial *, and make calls to my Skype contacts or SkypeOUT numbers. If I want to make a normal call via Vonage, I simply pickup the phone (not dialing * first) and dial a number. Brilliant.

The device costs $33.95 and ships very quickly. With the recent level of international calls we’ve been making, this should pay for itself in about two weeks due to the money we will save by using SkypeOUT for international calls, and in some cases direct Skype to Skype calls.

Bottom line, this device is still a very good buy, but be warned: it may not provide the kind of reliable, seamless functionality you are hoping for, at least on the Mac.