# How can hubby and I talk to each other whilst playing WoW? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 18, 2005, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-hubby-and-i-talk-to-each-other-whilst-playing-wow/331633 "2005-11-18T14:04:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2005, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-hubby-and-i-talk-to-each-other-whilst-playing-wow/331633/1 "2005-11-18T14:04:10Z")
Winter rolls around, and once again Mr. Athena is making noises about playing World of Warcraft with me. One problem we’ve had in the past is that we’d like to be able to talk to each other, but our computers are half a house away from each other (on purpose - when we’re working, we _don’t_ want to be able to talk to each other.) I know there’s systems like TeamSpeak out there that allow you to attach a headset to the computer and yak away. However, they require their own server, and I’m hoping to find something a little simpler that will allow us to just talk between ourselves while playing. We’d thought of VOIP solutions, like Skype, but would that work while playing a game in the background? We also want to hear the game sounds - music, murlocks sneaking up behind us, etc. What are our options? ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2005, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-hubby-and-i-talk-to-each-other-whilst-playing-wow/331633/2 "2005-11-18T14:06:56Z")
Oh yeah - we’re both using XP Home, and we have a wireless network. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2005, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-hubby-and-i-talk-to-each-other-whilst-playing-wow/331633/3 "2005-11-18T14:24:54Z")
Roger Wilco! It’s what we use…a little program that we run in the background, and then can hear each other. VERY COOL! ---
**Author:** ![Surbey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@Surbey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surbey)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2005, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-hubby-and-i-talk-to-each-other-whilst-playing-wow/331633/4 "2005-11-18T14:28:27Z")
Roger Wilco is ok. There are programs out there like TEam Speak. Ventrillo. But the one my father and I use over our lan connection is [Team Talk](http://www.snapfiles.com/get/teamtalk.html) ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2005, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-hubby-and-i-talk-to-each-other-whilst-playing-wow/331633/5 "2005-11-18T14:33:53Z")
CellPhones? ---
**Author:** ![Sgt.Pepper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@Sgt.Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sgt.Pepper)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2005, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-hubby-and-i-talk-to-each-other-whilst-playing-wow/331633/6 "2005-11-18T15:12:27Z")
No, for Teamspeak (TS), you don’t need your own server. My nephew and I regularly play games with each other using TS with only the two PC’s that each of us is using. I downloaded the TS server program and run it on my computer, then I load up the client TS and connect to myself. Then he connects to me from the other PC. The system works well and allows us to chat while playing. It’s fairly simple to set up the server part, and if you have problems it comes with great documentation and there’s the forums at the TS site as well to help you. So yeah, I’ve managed to use the server on my PC then connect to it with the client with no problems. ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2005, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-hubby-and-i-talk-to-each-other-whilst-playing-wow/331633/7 "2005-11-18T15:37:29Z")
Teamspeak is my recommendation. Any VOIP solution you’ll find will almost certainly require a server/client setup. It’s really simple to use. One of you (the one with the more CPU cycles to spare on their comps) will run the server instance. The other will log on to that server (through your LAN), and the one hosting the server will log on with their own client locally. You’ll have to do the same with any VOIP solution I know of. ---
**Author:** ![Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tastes_of_chocolate/32/3232_2.png) [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tastes_of_Chocolate)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2005, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-hubby-and-i-talk-to-each-other-whilst-playing-wow/331633/8 "2005-11-18T18:27:05Z")
Lots of the large IM services now offer voice chat. You will probably get a little bit of a delay/pause though. The good news is it’s really easy to set up. Install the current version of the software, set up free accounts, plug in your headset/microphones and call each other. ---
**Author:** ![Malodorous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47774/32.png) [@Malodorous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malodorous)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2005, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-hubby-and-i-talk-to-each-other-whilst-playing-wow/331633/9 "2005-11-18T18:57:27Z")
Five dollar baby monitors. Quick, easy, cheap. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2005, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-hubby-and-i-talk-to-each-other-whilst-playing-wow/331633/10 "2005-11-18T21:28:53Z")
I believe MSN Messenger can do this, but I’ve never tried. ---
**Author:** ![leandroc76](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bb73d2/32.png) [@leandroc76](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leandroc76)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2005, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-hubby-and-i-talk-to-each-other-whilst-playing-wow/331633/11 "2005-11-18T21:51:16Z")
Skype works. No server on any end. just a client for both. Sounds a hundred times better than Ventrilo. Works on Macs to PC too, unlike Ventrilo. It’s free, unlike Ventrilo. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2005, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-hubby-and-i-talk-to-each-other-whilst-playing-wow/331633/12 "2005-11-18T21:51:39Z")
> [@Malodorous](#): > > Five dollar baby monitors. Quick, easy, cheap. I was thinking any number of the little home intercom systems that work through your home electrical cabling. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2005, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-hubby-and-i-talk-to-each-other-whilst-playing-wow/331633/13 "2005-11-18T21:59:29Z")
Two speakerphones. Or the baby monitor idea is good too. Three cheers for wives who like playing computer games. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_The\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ba8739/32.png) [@Bill\_The\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_The_Cat)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2005, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-hubby-and-i-talk-to-each-other-whilst-playing-wow/331633/14 "2005-11-18T22:19:27Z")
> [@Wesley Clark](#): > > Three cheers for wives who like playing computer games. Unless you only have one computer. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Critical1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Critical1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical1)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2005, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-hubby-and-i-talk-to-each-other-whilst-playing-wow/331633/15 "2005-11-18T22:35:12Z")
google talk works really really well compared to most of the voice chat programs out there, and believe me I have tried them all, starting with Battle Com back in like 96 or maybe 98…anyway Google talk is easy as hell and no server required, just need an account for each of you. if you need gmail I or any of a few dozen people here can send you an invite. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2005, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-hubby-and-i-talk-to-each-other-whilst-playing-wow/331633/16 "2005-11-19T00:23:27Z")
Skype would be my choice. It’s free, easy to use (no server/client setup required), and it has among the best voice quality of any VOIP software I’ve used. It’ll work fine in the background while you’re playing WOW. ---
**Author:** ![MessyPaint](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@MessyPaint](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MessyPaint)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2005, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-hubby-and-i-talk-to-each-other-whilst-playing-wow/331633/17 "2005-11-19T01:12:55Z")
i highly recommend using team speak, though it is a bit tricky setting up, but once it is it works like wonders… it is also free, at least the last time i was using it, ventrillo is another one as mentioned above, but ts is better if neither of you are very computer savvy, then id go with the recommendations of skype/msn/yahoo messengers… they all have this feature and is very user friendlyish 😃 ---
**Author:** ![shelbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@shelbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shelbo)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2005, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-hubby-and-i-talk-to-each-other-whilst-playing-wow/331633/18 "2005-11-19T01:16:53Z")
You can buy a cheap intercom at Radio Shack for $15 or less. They hook into phone jacks and work really well. ---
**Author:** ![MessyPaint](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@MessyPaint](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MessyPaint)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2005, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-hubby-and-i-talk-to-each-other-whilst-playing-wow/331633/19 "2005-11-19T01:17:22Z")
by the way, teamspeak runs in the background on windows, so yes, youll still be able to hear your sounds and such ---
**Author:** ![Firebringer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f04885/32.png) [@Firebringer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Firebringer)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2005, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-hubby-and-i-talk-to-each-other-whilst-playing-wow/331633/20 "2005-11-19T02:31:54Z")
What about a pair of megaphones. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-hubby-and-i-talk-to-each-other-whilst-playing-wow/331633.md?page=2)