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From: Andrzej Adam Filip on 29 Mar 2008 15:09
Will Kemp <Will(a)xxxx.Swaggie.net> wrote:

> On Fri, 28 Mar 2008 09:05:04 -0700, myemail.an(a)googlemail.com wrote:
>
>> In other words, either I use skype or don't communicate with most of my
>> Skype friends and relatives. Most of them are quite IT illiterate and
>> there is no way they'll ever move away from Windows and Skype. My
>> parents can barely switch the PC on!
>
> I use skype for communicating with people who use skype - either voice or
> instant messaging. And i use SIP for calls to landlines.
>
> As far as software goes, i can recommend linphone. Ekiga's ok too.
>
> As for internet telephony service providers go, i can recommend http://
> sipgate.co.uk - i've had an account with them for over 3 years now and
> i've never had any problems. They may not be the cheapest (although
> they're not that expensive), but they're reliable.
>
> For calls to Australia, i use a couple of Aus ITSPs - pennytel and
> mynetfone.
>
> I've also got an account with http://voipgate.com - but i haven't used it
> for a very long time. They were very good too, though, when i did used to
> use them. They're based in Belgium.

What do *you* recommend for comp2comp VoIP calls?

--
[pl>en Andrew] Andrzej Adam Filip : anfi(a)priv.onet.pl : anfi(a)xl.wp.pl
I cannot believe that God plays dice with the cosmos.
-- Albert Einstein, on the randomness of quantum mechanics
From: Gordon Henderson on 29 Mar 2008 15:52
In article <wopcx8do78+Byers(a)betty.fsf.hobby-site.com>,
Andrzej Adam Filip <anfi(a)onet.eu> wrote:
>Will Kemp <Will(a)xxxx.Swaggie.net> wrote:

>> I've also got an account with http://voipgate.com - but i haven't used it
>> for a very long time. They were very good too, though, when i did used to
>> use them. They're based in Belgium.
>
>What do *you* recommend for comp2comp VoIP calls?

Who, Will, me, anyone?

Right now I reckon the global Internet is perhaps not quite 100% ready
for pure Internet calls on a global basis... But it all depends on your
expectations. I make calls daily "desk to desk" which are pure SIP and
they work prefectly. Yesterday I was on a SIP call from my deskphone in
my office in Devon, (at the end of an ADSL line) via an asterisk box in
Southampton (also at the end of an ADSL line) and talking to someone
in Austrailia who was using an IAX client on his windows laptop to the
same asterisk box.

It worked, and was usable, but wasn't perfect. (probably due more to the
ISP at the far-end than anything else, as he kept on complaining about
it!)

IMO, it's much better to place a VoIP call to a local (in your country)
ITSP then use their low-cost rates to place a PSTN call to the remote
country. Since I can call Austrailia for under a penny a minute using my
own systems, I find that more acceptable, and there are various operators
where I'm sure can let you call for free. (Eg. the Betamax operators)

As for a recomendation, well, I recomend myself :)

Gordon
From: Ian Rawlings on 29 Mar 2008 16:06
On 2008-03-29, Gordon Henderson <gordon+usenet(a)drogon.net> wrote:

> IMO, it's much better to place a VoIP call to a local (in your country)
> ITSP then use their low-cost rates to place a PSTN call to the remote
> country. Since I can call Austrailia for under a penny a minute using my
> own systems, I find that more acceptable, and there are various operators
> where I'm sure can let you call for free. (Eg. the Betamax operators)

I've been using voipcheap.com for a while now, australia and lots of
other places are free and you can sign up for a free account to try it
out and only have to pay if you want to continue. Then as long as
you've got some credit on the account you can call for free to
land-lines in most countries, bar the premium lines. So far they've
been pretty good, but I don't make many calls at all so might not be
the best judge.

--
Blast off and strike the evil Bydo empire!
http://youtube.com/user/tarcus69
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tarcus/sets/
From: Andrzej Adam Filip on 29 Mar 2008 16:19
Gordon Henderson <gordon+usenet(a)drogon.net> wrote:

> In article <wopcx8do78+Byers(a)betty.fsf.hobby-site.com>,
> Andrzej Adam Filip <anfi(a)onet.eu> wrote:
>>Will Kemp <Will(a)xxxx.Swaggie.net> wrote:
>
>>> I've also got an account with http://voipgate.com - but i haven't used it
>>> for a very long time. They were very good too, though, when i did used to
>>> use them. They're based in Belgium.
>>
>>What do *you* recommend for comp2comp VoIP calls?
>
> Who, Will, me, anyone?

Anyone [it includes you :-) ]

> Right now I reckon the global Internet is perhaps not quite 100% ready
> for pure Internet calls on a global basis... But it all depends on your
> expectations. I make calls daily "desk to desk" which are pure SIP and
> they work prefectly. Yesterday I was on a SIP call from my deskphone in
> my office in Devon, (at the end of an ADSL line) via an asterisk box in
> Southampton (also at the end of an ADSL line) and talking to someone
> in Austrailia who was using an IAX client on his windows laptop to the
> same asterisk box.
>
> It worked, and was usable, but wasn't perfect. (probably due more to the
> ISP at the far-end than anything else, as he kept on complaining about
> it!)
>
> IMO, it's much better to place a VoIP call to a local (in your country)
> ITSP then use their low-cost rates to place a PSTN call to the remote
> country. Since I can call Austrailia for under a penny a minute using my
> own systems, I find that more acceptable, and there are various operators
> where I'm sure can let you call for free. (Eg. the Betamax operators)
>
> As for a recomendation, well, I recomend myself :)

My personal perspective is "slightly skewed": 80%+ people I would like
to call (in other cities) are well Internet connected and well above
"typical computer *user* level" :-)

The biggest obstacles I can see are:
a) which standard to encourage for locating people using non static IP
addresses (DUL/ADSL) links *AND* how to encourage people to use it
b) how to protect the calls from "unwanted listeners"
[strong calls' encryption]

So far I have not been encouraged to register *routinely* myself on any
ILS server (VoIP comp2comp directory service).

URL(s):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Locator_Service

--
[pl>en Andrew] Andrzej Adam Filip : anfi(a)priv.onet.pl : anfi(a)xl.wp.pl
Depends on how you define "always". :-)
-- Larry Wall in <199710211647.JAA17957(a)wall.org>
From: Gordon Henderson on 29 Mar 2008 18:26
In article <zgmcpech78+Neal(a)robert.fsf.hobby-site.com>,
Andrzej Adam Filip <anfi(a)onet.eu> wrote:

>My personal perspective is "slightly skewed": 80%+ people I would like
>to call (in other cities) are well Internet connected and well above
>"typical computer *user* level" :-)
>
>The biggest obstacles I can see are:
>a) which standard to encourage for locating people using non static IP
> addresses (DUL/ADSL) links *AND* how to encourage people to use it

Well if you want a "standard", then use standards-based systems ... SIP
works perfectly well with non static IP addressing - but you need a
central registrar/proxy or PBX to handle it. Skype does the same thing,
but it uses resources on participating users PCs to manage the service.

>b) how to protect the calls from "unwanted listeners"
> [strong calls' encryption]

Is this really a problem? If I wanted to listen into your analogue phone
calls then some wire, a pair of crocodile clips and a handset are all I
need... To 'tap' an Internet connection requires slightly more
sophistication and effort. Do people really care about what you chat
about? Do you care? Is it worth it? What have you got to hide?

>So far I have not been encouraged to register *routinely* myself on any
>ILS server (VoIP comp2comp directory service).
>
>URL(s):
>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Locator_Service

There are many open SIP servers around if you care to look. Free World
Dialup is just one... Nothing to stop you running your own asterisk server
either if you have a bunch of educated users to look after. You can even
encrypt end to end IAX conversations through asterisk if you like.

Gordon
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