Internet Telephony Article Discussion Area

thebps

With BT engaged in the final upgrade of exchanges (June 29th is the planned date here!) is it a good time to do an update on the cheapest provider?

seth

k_sta wrote:

Guys,

One thing never discussed about the competitiveness of internet telephony is the limitation that really effects it - BT

As BT has monopolistic ocntrol of the last mile (your ADSL line) and will not supply broadband without a telelphone connection your internet telephony includes a minimum 10.50 to BT whether you use it or not.

The real price of ADSL should consider all manditory charges to supply it including an active and charged line for telephone (that is unnecesary for ADSL)

The week after I had ADSL my phone line failed -ADSL worked fine but the line was dead.

It seems (after threats of a £50+ charge if it was my fault) that someone had knocked the fuse out of the telephone line equipment in the exchange. So the line works fine without it. So why can;t I disconnect it? Because BT wants 10.50 for my ADSL!

When will Oftel actually do something about BT beside lay down to be walked over??

K

I have a BT line and ADSL including kit in the BT exchnage from Bulldog. So yes BT do own the line, and fix problems when there is a fault. But they are forced to open up the last mile to my house and any line in the UK (where technically possible)

This is how Bulldog and others can offer cheap calls and ADSL on BT Lines. Now you don't even need to pay the line rental to BT: Some companies to a phone line and ADSL with no need for a BT contract!

seth

TechnoBoy wrote:

Be aware that Skype uses *your* Internet bandwidth for converying *other* people's calls.

This opens the privacy debate, would you be happy for your private phone call to be routed via a complete strangers PC? How do you know that this stranger doesn't have the key to decrypt your private message?

The Skype software's security is not open for peer review, so you have to trust that they've done a good enough job.

If you're on 'download capped' broadband you will find your monthly bandwidth being used up 'behind your back' without your knowledge.

Skype is prohibited from many corporate networks for these very reasons.

It's a nice bit of ground breaking software, and if you're aware of and agree to all these restrictions, then go ahead and use it.

I thought it was an end to end or p2p protocol with PSTN breakout you paid for? What is your source?

crunchy_with_ketchup

oranabana wrote:

Anyone heard of them, or is infact using them?

http://www.sipgate.co.uk/


>;-)

I have signed up an account, you get a free geographical number (they even had Isle of Wight codes) and run a few test calls, appears pretty code. What I have read on the forums suggests reliability is fairly good, and voicemail is now available (but not supported, still in trial mode). I have just ordered a new ADSL modem/router which has two phone ports, so I could sign up for two accounts and have a local number and, say a German number coming through to 2 normasl phones right next to each other! As it is I will be using it as a cheap second line (no line rental, and won't be making many calls on it)

bobmcalister

any of you guys heard of these folks?

I have it and use it on pc to pc and pc to land lines....may even replace the HOME phone....

here ya go


adcalls.com

***Please do place affilate links on here, thank you Board Guide***

SamC_4

With ITPlc taking VAT into account you actually end up paying one pound more than BT per year for the first year's line rental (£29.36 signup + £16.25 every two months, vs. £10.49 per month for BT = £126.86 for ITPlc vs £125.88 for BT). In subsequent years you save £28 per year assuming neither company's rates change. Wish I'd worked this out before I switched, but at least BT are getting less of my money.

Henry_Hyde

I'm a Mac-based professional graphic and web designer and I've been using computers for nearly 15 years. It's not often that I rave about a piece of software, but Skype has literally change my life.

I'm in the process of setting up a new business with my sister, who lives in Venice. You can imagine the kind of bills we were racking up (before I'd discovered all the good advice on this site, naturally!) Then I read an article in a Mac magazine (iCreate, I think) and I've never looked back.

The software is a free download. Initially, the Mac version was still in its beta form, but it really made no difference, and the current version is fully-featured. My internet connection is broadband via my ntl cable set-top box which plugs into an Airport wireless base station, enabling me to work either on my G5 in the studio or on my Powerbook laptop anywhere in the house. You could just as easily have an ethernet cable running from the cable TV box to your Mac or PC, or a standard ADSL modem plugging in to your machine using a USB port.

A crucial choice is the headset. I went to PC World and bought a top-of-the range USB set from Plantronics which came with, I believe, 120 FREE 'Skypeout' minutes. The sound quality is absolutely superb -- it's like the other person is standing right behind you! In fact, the cable and mike contain special noise reduction hardware that make them terrific for use when doing your own musical recordings in software like GarageBand or for iMovie voiceovers. I think the headset was about £59 -- you could probably save a few quid by shopping around, but for the range available see http://www.plantronics.co.uk/europe_union/en_GB/index_noflash.jhtml

All Skype-to-Skype calls to other Skype members, wherever they are, are FREE. So I can chat to my sister in Venice for as long as we need for absolutely nothing. Better still, whilst talking, you can also send instant messages to one another (very useful if you are talking about a website, for example -- just type in a URL, hit SEND and the recipient can click on the link and see what you're seeing, surfing the web simultaneously). And even better, you can send files to one another (we lob Word and Excel documents and PDF files back and forth on a regular basis while chatting) which we can check, update and return in seconds.

And for all you skeptics out there, here's the good news: my sister is PC-based, and we've had no compatibility problems whatsoever.

'Skypeout' is the name given to calling standard landlines or mobiles. In every case, the prices represent a massive saving on standard call costs, and my partner regularly calls her sister in San Francisco for next to nothing.

And for security freaks -- all calls are encrypted at source. As a Mac user, I'm fortunate anyway, because we're not plagued by the virus and hacking vandals that Wintel-machine users have to put up with.

scottmartin

seth wrote:

I thought it was an end to end or p2p protocol with PSTN breakout you paid for? What is your source?

Was intrigued myself and found this on the Skype help pages

http://support.skype.com/index.php?_a=knowledgebase&_j=questiondetails&_i=125

and it does indeed say that 'transfers' can be relayed through other peers networks should a direct connection not be possible. Whether the term 'transfers' also encompasses calls I don't know.

but it does also say this

http://support.skype.com/index.php?_a=knowledgebase&_j=questiondetails&_i=126

and

http://support.skype.com/index.php?_a=knowledgebase&_j=questiondetails&_i=143

Hope this helps!

ice_maiden_28

[B]Hi,
Does anyone know anything about Vonage? A friend of mine got it and raves about it but I'm an eternal sceptic. He paid £30 for a box which goes into the modem or something and its £10 a month with free landline calls. There has to be a catch. Any views would be appreciated. Thanks.[/B]

SamC_4

seth wrote:

I thought it was an end to end or p2p protocol with PSTN breakout you paid for? What is your source?

If both caller and callee are behind NAT routers Skype uses intermediate systems running Skype as "supernodes". The call data goes through the intermediate PC, using its incoming and outgoing bandwidth. The best way to avoid becoming a "supernode" is to be behind a NAT router. The Windows firewall won't save you because Skype opens up ports on it as required. See this Slashdot article for details.

Skype is a proprietary, closed-source program so it may be doing other things as well. VOIP providers like 1899.com use open protocols like SIP or IAX which work on a wider range of devices and are genuinely peer-to-peer without the need for intermediate hosts.