On 16 May 2011 22:24, geoffrey mendelson <[email protected]>wrote:
> > On May 16, 2011, at 1:44 PM, Amos Shapira wrote: > >> >> Even before that - I've tried some of these SIP-based voice programs on >> and off for a few years now and they *never* "just work" (let alone "work") >> where as Skype is just a "plug a play" and voice clear as a whistle from the >> first time I used it in ~2003.. >> > > > I've used (not on Linux, but they do exist there) X-lite, Zoiper and Voix > (IAX only) and they work easily. > > You can not connect a SIP client to another SIP client, there has to be > something in the middle. If you have firewalls in the way, you also need a > SIP Proxy, (aka Stunnel server). SIP uses different ports for setting up and > controlling a session and the actual voice data, and most people never quite > get that right. (It's not easy with 2 firewalls, NAT, etc). I know that that voice stream travels separately from the "signal" (the "Session Initiation Protocol" is about finding each other etc). But as you say - 2 firewalls and NAT is what you have to deal with 99.999% of the time and it's just not going to work if the other side is my 80 years old mum on a windows computer. On the other hand she manages with Skype just fine. Until that gap is closed - I won't consider the alternatives as competitors and I think so would most of the people in this forum. > > Even more so - guys in my workplace who claim to have experience setting >> up SIP and none-Skype voip exchanges still have trouble setting up simple >> connections between our Sydney and San Francisco offices. You can claim that >> it's their fault but my point is that SIP (which is what all these solutions >> relay on) is just still too hard to use. >> > > > > That's barking up the wrong tree as it were. Asterisk systems with IAX > trunking will do the job and can be set up easily. SIP is much more > difficult. > > You are right though, if you already have a Skype ID and a copy installed > on your system, you could call someone in another office in a few seconds. > You can also do voice conference, video calls and now (if you pay for a > "premium" account) video conferences. All with a minimum of effort and > almost no skill. > Right. And another point is that you can do that with iPhones/Android/Symbian phones as well (with video on iPhones to top it off - e.g. we were on the beach on NSW central coast doing video calls over 3g with Brazil from our iPhone 4 - how far are ekiga and friends from that?). For now I just hope they won't cut Linux out. Thinking about it - Skype is today's killer app, the one which can make or break a platform for many people (including me). --Amos
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