Mobiles for VOIP
in [UK Mobile]
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From: Stephen on 22 Apr 2010 17:19 On 21 Apr 2010 18:46:32 +0100 (BST), Theo Markettos <theom+news(a)chiark.greenend.org.uk> wrote: > >I'm wondering about buying a mobile principally for use as a VOIP client >over wifi. It's to be bought and used in Sudan, where there's not much >selection of non-mobile VOIP phones (and offers like Three Skype don't >exist). > You need fairly uncongested Internet access in the country to get any of Voip to work well - do you have any info on what you can expect for Internet thruput to the countries your VoIP will need to get to? >Due to various double NAT headaches (see my thread on uk.telecom.voip) it >looks like Skype or IAX are the most robust protocols, but I'd like to keep >my options open to use SIP too. > >Skype only works on Nokias, with the Windows Mobile client being deprecated. >I need this to run with no maintenance once I've set it up, so I'm wary >about deprecated software. > >IAX is only supported by Zoiper Mobile Beta on Windows Mobile. However I >prefer Skype as I don't need to run my own IAX server (but I can run a >Skype-to-SIP gateway later if I want). > >Nokia have a SIP client on various of their S40/S60 phones, and third-party >clients can be loaded on other of their phones. > > >I need this to run with no maintenance once I've set it up, so I need this >as bomb-proof as possible. For this reason I'm wary about deprecated or >beta software. I'd also like as many SIP options I can tweak as possible >(for example, to try to work around my NAT trouble), because I can't take it >back once I've bought it. > >I suppose I'm limited to the Nokia phones that have wifi and can do both >Skype and SIP. > >So any comments on this strategy? In particular how reliable are these >mobile apps compared with a hardware VOIP phone? It seems that different >Nokias have different versions of their SIP client (2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 3.0, >3.1)? Is there much to be gained by going for a phone with a later version? >Does VOIP still cause significant battery drain? Any other things I should >watch for? > >Thanks >Theo Stephen -- Regards stephen_hope(a)xyzworld.com - replace xyz with ntl
From: Theo Markettos on 23 Apr 2010 05:19 In uk.telecom.mobile andy <andy.ggrps(a)googlemail.com> wrote: > As well as Fring, look at Nimbuzz. Thus on phones with their own SIP > client you can give yourself 3 choices. Thanks, I'll have a look. Currently the N70 is driving me up the wall refusing to connect to the network, not giving me traffic, or automatically connecting to the wrong APN. I'm not sure if this is the result of Fring (which starts automatically), but Fring has frozen the phone solid (to the extent of taking out the battery a few times). Which is disappointing as it worked nicely the first time I installed it. > Also, you can occasionally find secondhand wi-fi only phones for > pretty modest prices Unfortunately, not in Africa you don't. Think battered dusty ancient phones in the market for about the new price (even when you haggle) :( Theo
From: andy on 22 Apr 2010 06:44 On 21 Apr, 22:31, Theo Markettos <theom+n...(a)chiark.greenend.org.uk> wrote: > In uk.telecom.voip Gordon Henderson <gordon+use...(a)drogon.net> wrote: > > > The SIP client on my Nokia E90 was usable, but fiddly to setup. The one > > on my N900 is good - easy to setup with multiple accounts. Seems to work > > over Wi-Fi and 3G too - although I've yet to make a proper call over 3G > > as I live in a 2G only area (O2) > > > OK - So i've not tried this, but will soon ... Nokia N900 which can run > > Asterisk natively and has a built-in SIP client.... > > > So load up Asterisk, get it to peer with someone using IAX and have the > > SIP phone register to itself and off you go... > > I've come up with another idea... Fring. It even works on my geriatric N70 > (client dated 2007). I put in the Mobile Broadband SIM and Skype and SIP > work acceptably (a little voice breakup, but OK). > > Integration with the phone is good. This approach also allows use away from > the wifi (by buying a daily Zain internet pass for 1 SDG - about 30p). > > Of course this is only on single NAT. So the question is does Fring work on > double NAT? It appears to use its own protocol to the Fring servers which > then turn it into Skype/SIP/etc (a bit like Opera Mini). But I can't work > out how it behaves when behind double NAT (there's no PC client). Or indeed > their business model (how they'll break things in future). And they have > woeful security (you can't change your password. Ever). > > Theo I can't tell you anything about NAT, still mysterious to me. As well as Fring, look at Nimbuzz. Thus on phones with their own SIP client you can give yourself 3 choices. Also, you can occasionally find secondhand wi-fi only phones for pretty modest prices
From: Bodincus on 22 Apr 2010 07:47 Theo Markettos: > In uk.telecom.voip Gordon Henderson <gordon+usenet(a)drogon.net> wrote: >> The SIP client on my Nokia E90 was usable, but fiddly to setup. The one >> on my N900 is good - easy to setup with multiple accounts. Seems to work >> over Wi-Fi and 3G too - although I've yet to make a proper call over 3G >> as I live in a 2G only area (O2) >> >> OK - So i've not tried this, but will soon ... Nokia N900 which can run >> Asterisk natively and has a built-in SIP client.... >> >> So load up Asterisk, get it to peer with someone using IAX and have the >> SIP phone register to itself and off you go... > > I've come up with another idea... Fring. It even works on my geriatric N70 > (client dated 2007). I put in the Mobile Broadband SIM and Skype and SIP > work acceptably (a little voice breakup, but OK). > > Integration with the phone is good. This approach also allows use away from > the wifi (by buying a daily Zain internet pass for 1 SDG - about 30p). > > Of course this is only on single NAT. So the question is does Fring work on > double NAT? It appears to use its own protocol to the Fring servers which > then turn it into Skype/SIP/etc (a bit like Opera Mini). But I can't work > out how it behaves when behind double NAT (there's no PC client). Or indeed > their business model (how they'll break things in future). And they have > woeful security (you can't change your password. Ever). > > Theo AFAICT Fring works like Skype, with the advantage Fring has servers the client authenticates and keeps the connection to, trough any means available on the phone. Should be fine on double or multiple NAT, the SIP/RTP traffic is only between the Fring servers and your provider. It's a bit of a drain on batteries tho, and the voice is a bit laggy. But better than nothing tho. -- Bodincus - The Y2K Druid ************************ Law 42 on computing: Anything that could fail, will break at the worst possible mom%*= ?@@ # Access Violation - Core dumped # Kernel Panic
From: Theo Markettos on 23 Apr 2010 13:47
In uk.telecom.mobile Stephen <stephen_hope(a)xyzworld.com> wrote: > You need fairly uncongested Internet access in the country to get any > of Voip to work well > - do you have any info on what you can expect for Internet thruput to > the countries your VoIP will need to get to? A quick test on speedtest.net suggests somewhere between 0.3-1Mbit/s down and 0.3Mbit/s up (I think that's because there's no HSUPA). Fring (less than 2KB/s each up and down) works OK - with a little breakup. I think once a stream is running it's OK, but getting connections up is slow (DNS is poor, for example, and HTTP goes through a China-style firewall). Skype seems to be OK. Theo |