VOIP - Questions

I don't quite understand VOIP... i mean i understand what it is but i don't understand how i can get it to work. Like do i get free calls etc? What do i need as in software/hardware?

This may help a bit and answers your questions... www.tomsnetworking.com...

We use VOIP at work (Vonage service) and it saves on Long Distance - but there ain't no free lunch - there are quality issues and set up on multi-subnet networks is an exercise in hit or miss futility. And sooner or later there will be VOIP hacks at the virtual-driver and or hardware driver levels.

This sub-site at Tom's Hardware is dedicated to VOIP:
www.tomsnetworking.com...

Victor K.

[edit on 4-8-2006 by V Kaminski]

To add to V.K.'s reply...

The most popular VOIP software is Skype. Yes it's free, but the cost is quality and stability. Take a look at Skype's site as well, they'll answer all your questions. There's no need to know all the technical stuff (the inner nuts and bolts) to make VOIP work. VOIP is fast becoming a specialization field of it's own...

Basically VOIP is similar to email (if you want to use it for free)... You can't send email if you don't have emailing software. You can't receive email if you don't have emailing software. The same with VOIP... You need to be part of "the club" to be able to use VOIP for free. If you want to phone your friend for free using VOIP, you need the software and he needs to have (the same?) software to receive the call, and he has to be online at the time of the phone call. You can make phone calls to regular phone lines, but then you have to pay - although it is cheaper than regular phone-line calls.

All you need to use VOIP is the software (in most cases free) and a microphone (the regular desktop type would do) and speakers. There are VOIP telephones available on the market, but you don't need those for home use. I wouldn't suggest VOIP on dial-up connections.

Feel free to ask if you don’t understand some some of the technical babble.


[edit on 4-8-2006 by Gemwolf]

Yes Skype is a viable alternative but there are risks and hassles specific to Skype (as with anything I suppose) like being blocked by ISP's that have their own POTS (plain old telephone systems) or alliances with competing VOIP providers to Skype, this is a reality and VOIP's future free of regulation is in doubt too.

ComputerWeekly has an article on it from a couple of days ago called "Unwelcome Voices On The Network"

www.computerweekly.com...

and the good news about Skype is good indeed - McAfee has been approved by Skype as it has security provisions that are tailored to the Skype unique proprietary transmission protcol - a news item on CNET today:

news.com.com...

We have not ran into any situation where we felt that calls we were making at work were blocked per se by any network but lots of times we could not connect to the folks we were trying to call. They'll get VOIP right soon. It is very good but I wouldn't want it for calling in an emergency. Vonage works but not all the time.

Victor K.

[edit on 4-8-2006 by V Kaminski]

You mention that some other companies that furnish POTS may want to block it. But how can they tell, just by looking at a stream of bits, whether its voice or plane data. Stock quotes or something?

Certaintly, even with govt regs, people would do this without admitting to it to the government, and then have messages hidden inside what claimed to be another kind of file or something. right?

Ah, sorry eh, I should have explained a bit more, sorry. POTS providers like Bell in Canada are allied with VOIP providers other than Skype and Skype takes away from their (Bell's) land line Long Distance POTS market and competes with their "VOIP friendlies" like Vonage.

I would imagine the same situation and pressures exist in a great many places. You see because Skype has a unique protocol "tunnel" within the TCP-IP it is very easy to identify and block at the ISP level. If you read the article at the first link it'll explain a liitle better than I can what the issue is. And yes you can bury data in all manner of things including inside the "tunnel" I'd imagine. I'm no expert buddy just wanted to know a bit about VOIP so I thought I'd try and help.

Those who wish more detailed info on VOIP might want to try the second link in the first post above as a starting point.

Sorry again,

Victor K.

[edit on 4-8-2006 by V Kaminski]

Originally posted by tovenar

You mention that some other companies that furnish POTS may want to block it. But how can they tell, just by looking at a stream of bits, whether its voice or plane data. Stock quotes or something?

Certaintly, even with govt regs, people would do this without admitting to it to the government, and then have messages hidden inside what claimed to be another kind of file or something. right?

Firewalls (or Proxy servers) have the ability to block certain sites. Porn sites, mail service sites, etc. They also have the ability to block certain "services" such as Kazaa, MSN, etc. This service can be blocked because the software needs to connect (in most cases) with some sort of central server via a company's firewall. So all you need to do is block Skype's service centre address (or whatever VOIP service you're using) and the network user loses functionality.

EDIT: @ V Kaminski - fastest fingers first, eh!

[edit on 4-8-2006 by Gemwolf]

Yeah, heh heh, Gem I'm no speedster on the ivories as I had a stroke that makes typing a real challenge - I wish I could touch type again like normal folks.

Thanx,

Victor K.

Originally posted by V Kaminski
Yeah, heh heh, Gem I'm no speedster on the ivories as I had a stroke that makes typing a real challenge - I wish I could touch type again like normal folks.

Sorry to hear... But you are doing a lot better than some people I know with "normal" bodily functions...

Yeah, that's funny somethings are "better" than they were before... I still have to look at each key individually and select them one finger one at a time. It's a hassle, but hey I get to be alive right? Every day is a bonus day! Changes one's perspective.

Thanx eh,

Victor K.

Originally posted by V Kaminski
Yeah, that's funny somethings are "better" than they were before... I still have to look at each key individually and select them one finger one at a time. It's a hassle, but hey I get to be alive right? Every day is a bonus day! Changes one's perspective.

Uhuh. You never know what you've got until it's gone.

I must confess: I've been typing for well over 14 years - and when it comes to speed I can give the fastest typists a go for their money... But I still look at my keyboard while I type - even though I know where each and every key is - "carefully" selecting and pressing each key...

Talk about going off topic...

Oh well. Extra points for iCEdTenG...

About burying data in the protocol tunnel within the TCP-IP protocol. We don't have it yet but the whiz-kids down in tech have ordered a FOIP (Fax Over Internet Protocol) program from some vendor or another so we can fax documents using VOIP.

The FOIP is basically the same thing with an "extra" tunnel within the VOIP tunnel for it's com standard... I'm interested to see how well (and if) it actually works. It could save us big bucks faxing huge long contracts overseas. I'm not sure but I believe the software we ordered allows one to have a voice conversation while the data portion (fax) is being sent... might be good.

Victor K.



[edit on 4-8-2006 by V Kaminski]