If I remember correctly, Vonage is semi-proprietary and you basically can only use their sanctioned equipment/software. You do have the option of transferring your phone number over to another VOIP provider that does standard SIP, though. Gizmo Project supports SIP providers through a "secondary account login" type function in the software.

Thanks. I will contact Vonage and find out, then I'll let you know what they say.

Rocketman

I have been reading and re-reading many of the posts since I started asking for help. Today, I went back to your post #7 again (3 time), and I would like to take the time to thank you again, personally. There are people who know what they are talking about when it comes to the Nokia N800 and there are teachers on the subject. Not everyone can teach. You, my friend are both. I don't understand all I know about the N800 joining this forum but what I do understand is because of you. I should be getting my N800 this coming week and I plan to look into that device you mentioned for 50-70 dollars for WiFi at home, cable. Once I get used to the unit, I will look for a data plan via a cell phone plan. Could you give me an idea of prices, a range is fine, for unlimited data? Once again thank you. Dckw1...

If you enable bluetooth and make it visible on your phone before you power up your N800 for the first time the N800 will detect the phone and ask you if you want to pair it (make them authorized to each other) during the first-time configuration process.

Things are proably a bit more complicated in the US but in Europe the above is usually sufficient to let you go online through whatever mechanism the phone provides (GPRS, EDGE, 3G), without any data plan (you want a data plan to cut costs in case phone networking is used for a lot of data). In the US there are often more restrictions built in to the provider-sold phones, if I've understood it correctly. But in any case it doesn't harm to get that phone pairing done right away during first-time config, it's more work to search for and wade through config menues later.

Got my N800 yesterday. Am able to pickup hot spots around town with no trouble. Am having troubles getting the 800 to accept my Verizon LG headset, vie bluetooth. Keep getting message "Failed Pairing". It is recognized, just won't accept it. Also can I get a plan to give me wifi anywhere I am?

Bluetooth headsets are not currently/yet supported on the N800, unfortunately. The reason you get 'failed pairing' is probably because different types of bluetooth devices (phones, PDAs, headsets, stereo headsets, printers, etc.) identify themselves through 'bluetooth profiles', and the profiles (in your case, a BT headset) doesn't have a handler on the N800. Hopefully BT headsets will be supported at some stage. (Incidentally, my Palm T3 PDA doesn't support headsets either, however I can still keep my BT phone in the pocket, paired to the BT headset, and dial from the Palm's contact list and pick the call up through the BT headset. Three BT devices involved.)

For open wi-fi hotspots you won't need a plan. For some other types of semi-closed hotspots, e.g. T-Mobile, you can either get a plan or pay-as-you-go by bying access on a day-by-day basis, or some such.

To get net access from absolutely anywhere (well, cell phone covered areas) you would have to use the phone (as wi-fi hotspots have limited coverage), see Rocketman's posting above.