Home > Consumer Reviews > HP/Compaq CQ200U HP Retractable Phone Cord

When I use this phone cord, the person on the other end is always saying that they can hardly hear me. Not good for business use.

I read the reviews for this item before I purchased it, but they were mixed. The supplier's service was excellent, but the product is a disappointment. I am not going to return it because it was relatively inexpensive and works "well enough." I do have problems with the retractable lines getting jammed, even though I am careful with it. This happened after I had only used the core twice. Also, even though it is a 20-foot cord, it seems much shorter because the cords come out of two separate openings (10 feet each).

I've had one of these for the past several years, using it on and off when wireless wasn't an option. It has served me well and I really like how compact and convenient it is to use. I find the build sufficient but nothing that couldn't be destroyed with a hard knock. When using it, one has to be sure that the cable isn't recoiling all twisted or else that would damage the auto-retract. I haven't had a problem with the retraction yet. I don't use the telephone adapter too often but in the rare cases that I needed it, I was very happy to have this product on hand. It saves me from carrying an extra cable and the telephone cable is sufficient for times when Ethernet isn't an option. The only thing I would want more from this product is a longer cable but I don't know how that would affect the size of the product. 6' is sufficient for most situations but I wouldn't mind an extra 4' or more. I would recommend this product to anyone who wants to carry around a phone/ethernet cable without the bulk/inconvenience of carrying the regular cables. It is functional and understand that it isn't built like a tank and it'll serve you well as it has for me.

Agree with the prior reviewers. I can not get it to retract any longer and that was only after 3 uses!

Note: This is a review of the Targus PA225U Retractable Phone & Ethernet Cord (Plastic Casing). It's the rectangular model, not the oval shaped one.

I'm on the road 50-75% of the time for work and have used this on almost every trip. I initially bought it because I forgot my regular network cord while traveling and needed to buy something quickly. I like to be able to move around in the hotel room and use this cord along with a cheap little plastic cable joiner to connect it to the hotel internet connection so I can sit on the couch or bed while connected to the internet. I've experimented with a travel wireless router but keep coming back to the wired connection when the wireless connection has problems. I've used it for over a year and have never had any problems with the retraction.