Anyone using VoIP?

POTS.

It's going to stay that way here until outside forces remove the availability of POTS and replace it with VOIP.

Even then, they'd better bloody well make sure that 911 calls go to the correct center, provide a connection that supports all my original POTS phones and goodies, AND make sure the frelling thing can work as well during an extended power outage as POTS phones do right now. In other words, powered from the CO's battery bank, not dependent on local power.

Let's not forget security. VOIP has one big advantage there in that it should be easier to encrypt than a POTS signal. In fact, I would be most curious to see what the open-source arena comes up with in terms of strong encryption for VOIP.

Yes, I'm paranoid. Who wants to know?

Keep the peace(es).

Skype - all my business calls and probably 20% of personal are VoIP end to end. You have to be careful with PSTN links, though - Skype is far more expensive in the evening.

Pearce Consulting

I'm just trying Skype at the moment, I'm just wondering what other people are using

martin

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"martin griffith" schreef in bericht news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com...

Skype ;)

People in general are using hundreds of different VoIP services these days. There is a specialized Usenet group that you will definitely find useful for learning about Skype and other VoIP services: comp.dcom.voice-over-ip We keep its archive and Web interface here:

I personally use both Skype (for peer-to-peer) and Net2Phone for PBX trunking and PC-to-Phone line connections. I tend to like Skype, and would use them exclusively if only they had a way of terminating their call on a gateway device like other services do. Also, leaving a voicemail message is impossible in a peer-to-peer setup, and that is a limitation for many people.

There is an answering machine for Skype, and it really works very well.

Pearce Consulting

The Telecoms are big on VOIP inside the core network as IP equipment + oodles of Bandwith is a lot cheaper than ATM. It is likely that your POTS connection is not much longer than to the local exchange where it hits a Media Gateway and goes IP for the rest of the way.

Two-edged sword:

It is easier to silently redirect traffic to "Them" too.

BTW: There is a standard interface for Legal Interception alrady built into the exchanges too; it's a customer (i.e. Telco) requirement.

IP-Sec, which is the current standard from IETF or HIP, which is an experimental standard aimed at solving mobility problems and rid the world of the assumption that the IP adress *is* the Name of The Node (which is stupid in many ways). Crypto is an integral part of HIP - one of the bones of contention with HIP, in fact, because the cryptographic signature also uniquely identifies the sender .... !

Both uses "plugable" encryption. very neat.

Cell.

POTS got replaced because of the excessive cost.

Don't need no "goodies". In the eleven years I've lived where I am, we've lost power for more then a few hours once. ...and that was less than eight hours. I still have a car or two and a few tens of gallons of gas to recharge batteries, if need be.

oh dear! Happy New Year Win just did a quick"happy New Year" 15 min call from Spain to the yUK, good quality, cheap as well!

Maybe I'll call you if our waking hours overlap! Not as much lag as S.E.D

martin

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Iconnecthere.com.

Yes, skype. The software could be improved in details but works otherwise. Only within the skype network though. Dialing out might not be practical.

Rene

You said "if only they had a way of terminating their call on a gateway device like other services do. "

Sorry, dont have a clue what this means, the last time I dealt with telecoms was when Mr Strowger was around!

martin

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