The first few times I came to live in China, I always ended up feeling very isolated - phone cards from China to the United States are a bit expensive and hard to find here in Beijing - and in most parts of China. Consider the fact that the phone card menus are in Chinese and require you to memorize several long strings of numbers, in addition to international calling codes, and it becomes a pretty big pain calling out of China.

With my Vonage box, though, those problems are completely solved, and with the added benefit of my having a phone number that's local to the United States that rings here in Beijing. So I can give my friends my phone numbers (and a stern lecture about the meaning of a 12-hour time difference) and they can call me here in China whenever the want - for the price of a local call, which is typically free from cell phones in the United States.

The quality of the phone calls, too, is fantastic compared to the poor quality of Chinese phone cards. My parents sounded like they were right up the road when they called me last week. Typically the sound quality when calling between the U.S. and China is pretty bad, especially if you're using some of the low-cost US/China phone cards commonly available on the internet.

So what do I get versus what I pay? I got my combination wi-fi router / Vonage box for US $100. I pay a monthly fee of $20 for unlimited calling within the US, Canada and some European countries. For that price, I get the ability to remain connected with friends, family and colleagues in the United States without inconveniencing people with phone cards and dial-out numbers. I get Wi-Fi internet (for my laptop, Nintendo Wii and PDA) routed through the box, and I have the capacity to add all kinds of extra lines, fax services, and data capabilities with Vonage's flexible plans.

So in short, taking a Vonage box with you when you come to live in China, work in China or even just study in China is a great idea - it'll save you money, keep you connected with the folks back home and provide a valuable piece of technological infrastructure - you just can't underestimate the value of wireless internet!