Phone use on wifi connection

Ah, pardon my ignorance, but...

Can I use a 802.11b 11mbs connection with any program or software to make local phone and/or long distance phone calls?

I have heard about VOIP and Vonage. Can either of these be used and does it require special software and or equipment on both ends?

What wifi connection factors determine if a reliable connection can be made and how do I check for these.

I really need to find an alternative to my local phone company which keeps putting fraudulent charges on my bill. The gov. here does nothing when I complain. Cellular does not seem to make sense either since I hear a ton of complaints from cell users, not to mention their connections are usually so flakey. I don't want Cox cable either.

Reply to
erpardonmy
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Voip works over any IP network. Vonage is a proprietary version of Voip which has some interconnectivity.

As for using Voip with a wireless router, you have several choices

- a softphone (ie software) installed on a wireless laptop which you use with a headset

- a wireless Voip phone - a websearch for that exact term will give you some ideas. They're quite pricey.

- a "normal" cordless phone plugged into a Voip ATA which in turn plugs into your router. This isn't actually using the wireless at all, but if you already have a cordless phone it works well.

I do the latter with a Grandstream Handytone 386. I have my cordless phone plugged into the ATA, which is connected (via normal ethernet) to my router. The cordless base unit is close to my router, the satellite handsets can be scattered round the house as normal.

Voip requires a fairly high quality of service (QoS) to give good quality calls. Some routers can guarantee QoS to specific ports/IP addresses. Other than that I've no idea what you would need to check.

Reply to
Mark McIntyre

Mark McIntyre wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

How bout some names of softphone programs that might work?

How do you define QoS with respect to using a softphone with no router, only a software firewall? Adapter card software reports good to excellent connection (66-80%)but regular data transfers seem slow/irregular at times. I have read the speed of the connection is not so important as the consistency of the speed.

Reply to
erpardonmy

Softphones: X-ten Lite is good and free, X-Pro has few more features. SJPhone is the next most popular choice. I get good call quality with X-Lite and X-Pro over 54Mb/s WiFi and using a QoS enabled router (Draytek 2600VG). You may have bit more of a problem with 11Mb/s WiFi connection (WiFi works in simplex mode, i.e. it's either send or receive, not both at the same time). QoS allows you to set priority for certain types of packets, in this case VoIP. It can only be done on QoS enabled a router (not many). Regards, Martin

Reply to
Martin²

I have walked down the hallway while using my laptop and headset for a Cisco Softphone or Skype call, but it is kinda heavy ;-)

A co-worker uses Skype on a PocketPC device, which is WiFi, and a headset for that... it doesn't seem any bulkier than a Blackberry.

Youch. $200+. But I saw one at Walmart... Philips DECT Skype Cordless Phone - $79

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Ah, that must be what the Walmart phones are... Skype at home, but not a handset you could carry down to Starbucks and use on T-Mobile.

Skype wants you to turn off QoS scheduling.

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"Another possibility to improve conditions is to disable QoS (Quality of Service) packet scheduling. Go to Start -> Control Panel -> Network Connections

Right click on the connection you are using (e.g. "Local Area Connection") and select Properties

Untick the "QoS Packet Scheduler" option. "

I didn't reply to the original poster because that seemed more a rant about some telco billing issue that included not being satisfied with cellular carriers for presumed ill actions in the future.

I wouldn't consider Skype as a full replacement for my home phone. The Skype-out quality to landline phones is poor for me. Skype-Skype is fine, in the US, Europe and Australia. It does occasionally freeze or break up during video calls.

Reply to
dold

I use Skype on my Verizon XV6700 cell phone with built in Wi-Fi. It runs Windoze Mobile 2005 (WM5). The WM5 version of Skype is very beta and seems to be causing some minor glitches. The only gotcha is that I can't sue my BlueGoof Headset and the Wi-Fi at the same time.

That will gain some more outgoing bandwidth. As I recall, the Windoze "QoS Packet scheduler" reserves about 10% of the outgoing bandwidth to insure that there's something left for ACK/NAK traffic. I don't think that 20% is going to help much of the outgoing bandwidth is constipated by other traffic.

How to edit the reserved bandwidth (XP Pro Only).

Reply to
Jeff Liebermann

I don't use skype (ISTR they're not proper voip, they're a proprietary variation on the theme). I went with sipgate who work fine, tho I occasionally get problems dialling out. Quality is generally ok, no discernable difference from our ntl landline (which we no longer use).

Reply to
Mark McIntyre

Thanks for answering my questions. Simplex mode sucks. I get that when I try to call overseas on my landline, not sure why.

"Martin²" wrote in news:45947deb$0$8743$ snipped-for-privacy@ptn-nntp-reader02.plus.net:

Reply to
erpardonmy

I haven't gotten a cell phone yet, cuz they all suck. Many times I've talked to someone using one, I wind up calling them back cuz their phones don't work consistently (dropped connections, bad batteries; no they are not hanging up on me ;-)).

Also, they are more expensive than landline basic service generally, from what I have read. Also I don't want to have to hire a lawyer to figure out what the terms of the agreements are, nor spend the time with a magnifying glass trying to read them myself-they often don't honor their contracts anyways.

Until cell phone industry improves, it's really a scam, imo. Only real advantage is for rescue or heart attack, or use in third world countries.

However, even given this I may break down and get a prepaid if QWORST continues to place fraudulent charges on my bill. Or I might upgrade my wifi and try the free route. I am already getting my wifi free and happily using the steady stream of cox, QWORST and isp junk mail for firestarting kindling.

snipped-for-privacy@04.usenet.us.com wrote in news:en29tc$b7g$ snipped-for-privacy@blue.rahul.net:

Reply to
erpardonmy

Skype is not exactly proprietary. The primary supported codecs are iLBC and ISAC (from GIPS), which are used only for peer-to-peer phone calls. Well, actually ISAC isn't used too often. When using Skype in or Skype out, it uses G.729 which is standard but not as efficient as iLBC.

In my never humble opinion, the problem is not getting Skype to support standard codec's, but rather why haven't the VoIP instrument manufactories suppored iLBC, which is license free:

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of the standard codecs require licenses.

Reply to
Jeff Liebermann

Sipgate appears to be UK only.

For calls to Asterisk servers and standard G.711/G.729 phones, I use:

The system will also accept free incoming calls without assigning an incoming phone number. See:

However, real call in numbers are only $35/year which is cheap. Since you get a real SIP number with the free account, programming it into a SIP phone instrument is possible and fairly easy.

To get to other SIP networks, I sometimes use:

or direct dial as in:

However, GizmoProject does not have a Windoze Mobile 2005 softphone for my PDAphone, so I use Skype which has a rather glitchy beta release.

Reply to
Jeff Liebermann

I've reposted this entire rant because its lovely. Long Live the Tolpuddle Martyrs! Who said the spirit of Ludditism is dead?

Reply to
Mark McIntyre

My issue is that, at least in the UK, skype kit is incompatible with any other VOIP/SIP provider. So if you buy a skype headset for your laptop, it won't work with any other service.

Reply to
Mark McIntyre

Actually they're german (Indigo networks GmBH, Dusseldorf). I've had no problems phoning any other country (so far) or network (so far).

I'll take a look at them, thanks.

Reply to
Mark McIntyre

cell phone "Contracts" are outrageous

i personally use a pre-paid cell phone [Tracfone] and i'm happy with it i no longer have a land-line at home, only a cell

i will be trying/adding a Skype account in January

waterboy

Reply to
waterboy

This definitely used to be the case. Its much less so now.

And remember, you're also paying for the phone via an invisible lease.

Myself, I lost my mobe cycling across london about 12 months ago, and now I only use my company Blackberry... :-)

Thats unfeasible in many parts of the UK. Only five miles from the major city I now live in, the only mobes that work are Orange, and that only outdoors and intermittently.

Reply to
Mark McIntyre

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