# Where can I find a free program for voice chat over the internet? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 2, 2004, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-a-free-program-for-voice-chat-over-the-internet/267144 "2004-10-02T03:41:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![EsotericEnigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e274bd/32.png) [@EsotericEnigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EsotericEnigma)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2004, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-a-free-program-for-voice-chat-over-the-internet/267144/1 "2004-10-02T03:41:33Z")
I want to play cooperative pc games with a friend of mine while being able to talk to each other using our computer mics. Are there any free and easy to use programs out there I can download to be able to do this? It has to be able to run in the background without using too much system resources so that the game will still run smooth. Thanks in advance. ---
**Author:** ![EsotericEnigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e274bd/32.png) [@EsotericEnigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EsotericEnigma)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2004, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-a-free-program-for-voice-chat-over-the-internet/267144/2 "2004-10-02T03:43:00Z")
Please move this to general questions. Sorry! ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2004, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-a-free-program-for-voice-chat-over-the-internet/267144/3 "2004-10-02T03:44:08Z")
RogerWilco Here is the review and the free download: [http://www.download.com/Roger-Wilco/3000-2121-10213930.html?tag=lst-0-1](http://www.download.com/Roger-Wilco/3000-2121-10213930.html?tag=lst-0-1) ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2004, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-a-free-program-for-voice-chat-over-the-internet/267144/4 "2004-10-02T03:46:22Z")
I have heard good and bad things about it from some guildies who use it. It has a wierd crackly sound to emulate ww2 fighter pilots talking to each other on the radio, some of them have reported some glitches and additional little bits of programs wandering off and messing around with other files, and there are other limitations - but they say that the radio crackles seem to get really annoying when more than 3 people are logged in and trying to converse. ---
**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:** [October 2, 2004, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-a-free-program-for-voice-chat-over-the-internet/267144/5 "2004-10-02T12:54:46Z")
My gaming buddies and I use[Teamspeak](http://www.goteamspeak.com/news.php). We switched to that from Roger Wilco. At the time Teamspeak had more options that were suitable for us, and there is better sound quality. I’m not familar with setting it up, but on the site there they have a forum and intstructions that should teach you how to set it up. I highly recommend it. ---
**Author:** ![Brutus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2004, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-a-free-program-for-voice-chat-over-the-internet/267144/6 "2004-10-02T13:19:14Z")
Teamspeak is outstanding. I play a lot of _IL2:Sturmovik_ online, and TS what most people use. Actually I don’t know of any that use RW, but I am sure some are out there. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2004, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-a-free-program-for-voice-chat-over-the-internet/267144/7 "2004-10-02T15:13:19Z")
TeamSpeak is the best one I know of for using while playing games. [Link](http://www.goteamspeak.com/news.php) -XT ---
**Author:** ![Daizy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/46a35a/32.png) [@Daizy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daizy)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2004, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-a-free-program-for-voice-chat-over-the-internet/267144/8 "2004-10-02T15:27:58Z")
I use and love [Skype](http://www.skype.com/products/skype/windows/?autoload=true) ---
**Author:** ![Gaudere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e495f1/32.png) [@Gaudere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gaudere)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2004, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-a-free-program-for-voice-chat-over-the-internet/267144/9 "2004-10-02T15:40:46Z")
[Moderator Hat ON] To GQ. [Moderator Hat OFF] ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2004, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-a-free-program-for-voice-chat-over-the-internet/267144/10 "2004-10-02T15:58:30Z")
You can also do this with MSN Messenger. I’ve talked with my brother, 6000 miles away, using it. There was a short bit of a delay, (think of all the servers it had to pass through!) but it sounded fine otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![TJdude825](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2004, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-a-free-program-for-voice-chat-over-the-internet/267144/11 "2004-10-03T06:29:34Z")
Ditto AIM (AOL IM) but I don’t know how well it works. Or if you have a cell phone, you could just switch to a “free nights and weekends” plan or a “mobile to mobile” plan and work it out so you can just use the phone without spending tons of money.