03-01-2003, 02:00 AM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 15,171
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Free VoIP-Based Phone Calls
PPCT member mscdex found an interesting combination of software and services to enable free calls from your Pocket PC.
First, SoftJoys Labs publishes a VoIP client for Pocket PCs.
"SJphone is a PC voice client that allows a new way to communicate using the technology known as VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol). Using SJphone, you can speak with people over the Internet the same way as you talk to them on your telephone, making PDA-to-PDA, PDA-to-Phone and Phone-to-PDA calls. SJphone allows you to communicate with any other H.323 - compatible entity (as Microsoft NetMeeting(R)) and/or SIP-compatible software and stand-alone IP-phones. SJphone can place a call to any regular telephone using an H.323 or SIP Gateway; allow for multiparty communication; call a computer in a private network through a gatekeeper; use codecs for voice compression; choose GUI, command line mode, or Web-interface."
Note the reference to SIP. pulver.com offers a free SIP-to-SIP gateway called Free World Dialup that enables you to call someone else at a computer or an IP phone.
"We are proud to announce the recent relaunch of Free World Dialup, a service which will free you from watching the clock and allow you to spend time with your loved ones, friends and business associates for free. You read that correctly. Free. No more per-minute charges or monthly fees. If you have broadband access, you simply signup, get configured and begin enjoying telephone communications the way they should be. Free."
You can also use the software to call people running NetMeeting. Unfortunately, there doesn't appear to be a free SIP-to-POTS gateway, which would enable you to call people that are just using a telephone at the remote end. Some commercial solutions do exist, but they're not consumerized yet.
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03-01-2003, 02:19 AM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,041
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I wonder how fast your connection needs to be to get good quality?
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03-01-2003, 03:03 AM
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Neophyte
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 2
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You can only call other FWD members
According to the referenced site, both ends of a call must be Free World Dialup members in order for it to work. I've not tried it because I'm the only geek I know that's set it up.
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03-01-2003, 03:04 AM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 51
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I'd think that it would have to be pretty fast to stream voice. But i think its a pretty good idea if everything is compatible with all regular phones and stuff.
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03-01-2003, 03:24 AM
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Sage
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 651
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The sj client isn't free, it used to be but it's time limited now(price is $50 last time i checked) I found this out with the latest build. Freeworld dialup is a nice concept, I haven't tried it yet but i plan on doing it soon. If you get a cisco ATA(analouge telephone adapter) you can call that ATA from sj phone, netmeeting or any other sip program. I love see this Voip stuff. I have telesym installed on my 5450 and i've been making calls all week long with it. The 5450 is great with VoIP apps, with my 3970 I always had to use headphones. Either way this is very cool stuff.
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03-01-2003, 03:28 AM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 15,171
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Ah, too bad it's not free anymore. Still, if you have relatives at a long distance, this could be a very convenient solution. My dad calls friends via solutions like Net2Phone abroad, but he's tethered to his computer. I'd love to set his iPaq up with a solution like this over our Wi-Fi/cable network.
--janak
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03-01-2003, 03:35 AM
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Sage
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 651
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Yeah it's a great program and it does work very well. If you have a previous version then you can use it as long as you want but the new version does have some nice features including skins.
One of my friends has VoIP telephone service through Vonage and he's happy with it. I'm going to try to call his cisco ata in a few minutes to see if it works. I have cousin who in S. Korea and this would be great for use.
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03-01-2003, 03:36 AM
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Theorist
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 262
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I don't get it...
How can i make a PDA-to-Phone call??
Using VoIP?
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03-01-2003, 03:39 AM
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Sage
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 651
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Goto www.telesym.com and download the telesym demo. After you install it and configure it, you will be able to make phone calls using telesym's pbx which is also connected to the internet. The demo works for 30 days and i've made alot of phone calls with it using wifi and my 5450.
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03-01-2003, 03:43 AM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 15,171
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by pepemosca
I don't get it... How can i make a PDA-to-Phone call?? Using VoIP?
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Thanks for the link, That_Kid. To give you a more technical explanation: VoIP-to-POTS gateways are the magic key here. (POTS stands for Plain Old Telephone System.) Basically, you encode your voice into a IP stream, transmit it across at low costs to a remote site, and then finish the communication via a regular telephone line. Instead of doing a very expensive international call, the international leg is handled by the Internet.
Alternatively, you can have an IP-to-IP call, where both parties are on the Internet, in which case it's even cheaper. However, IP phones are fairly rare. This will change in the next 5 years, though.
--janak
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