Wireless broadband & a VOIP phone together

brokestman · EVDO Fledgling Joined: 26 Mar 2005 Posts: 17

If my only access to the internet is using the wireless pc card, is there a way to subscribe to Vonage or another VOIP service? I know they use that adapter box. Is that neccessary?

Would utilizing a bluetooth EV-DO phone as the modem be the solution?

That would be cheaper, right?

Any advice would be appreciated, since I'd like to take advantage of wireless broadband and cheap VOIP, while discontinuing my cable modem and POTS services.

Michael · Posted: Sat Mar 26, 2005 9:48 pm Post subject:

Hello,

Vonage offers something called SoftPhone, which allows you to use your computer speaker and microphone to make calls to any landline or cellphone. I tried it and wasn't too impressed with the quality. Skype is another piece of software that does the same thing. These software solutions would not require a VOIP router box.

One piece of advice. Take a look at some of these threads to read up on Verizon's Terms of Service. Some parts of Verizon, say that streaming audio is not allowed, and some parts of their website, say they are not recommended.

http://www.evdoforums.com/about77.html

http://www.evdoforums.com/about89.html

http://www.evdoinfo.com/Tips/PC_5220/Verizon_BroadbandAccess_Terms_of_Service_20050321135/
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brokestman · EVDO Fledgling Joined: 26 Mar 2005 Posts: 17

Thanks Michael.

B-man

guanxi · EVDO Fledgling Joined: 20 Mar 2005 Posts: 17

I managed a network using a few dozen Vonage VOIP phones. Just thinking off the top of my head, here are a few issues:

Bandwidth:

We found they required approx. 80 Kbps each.

Upload speed on Verizon's EV-DO is uncertain, but they specify 60-80 Kbps in one place. I've seen people mention measuring slower and faster speeds.

Also, I don't know how well Vonage or other VOIP would degrade -- would audio/speech become choppy? More static? Lower fidelity? -- or how dependent the bandwidth requirement is on the eqiupment you are using. Maybe our routers demanded more or less bandwidth than normal.

Latency

Finally, and maybe most importantly, latency -- the delay between IP request and response -- on EV-DO is very high. That's not a serious problem for web pages or e-mail where a half second pause isn't a big deal, but it could make conversations impossible.

guanxi · EVDO Fledgling Joined: 20 Mar 2005 Posts: 17

Well, I just came across this:

http://www.evdoinfo.com/Tips/PC_5220/Using_VOIP_over_EVDO_-_Testing_Vonage_over_EV-DO_20050321138/

I wonder how the latency issues are overcome...

Michael · Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2005 12:56 pm Post subject:

I tested EVDO over VOIP in a 4 bar EVDO area with the following equipment:

PC 5220 Card

EVDO Booster Antenna

Before making the recording, I was on a 20 minute phone call, and neither of use could tell, it sounded just like a VOIP call, I would make in my office. Maybe, it would be a good idea to start testing ping times to see what the latency is like.

BTW, if you read the article, there is a setting to save bandwidth on the call.
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brokestman · EVDO Fledgling Joined: 26 Mar 2005 Posts: 17

Outstanding posts guys.

Thank you.

I think I'll try Vonage's Soft Phone w/ a Sierra Wirelss EV-DO card.

That recording of VOIP over the EV-DO PC card sounds great.

toddtroutman · EVDO User Joined: 01 Jun 2005 Posts: 28

http://www.testyourvoip.com/

Do this, good indicator of sound quality that you will see.

Do get a good antenna mounted outdoors for consistent ping times.

I would use voicepulse over vonage, in general better sound quality.
Do continue to dance a funny jig to Vonage commerical.

Avoid the softphone, you'll see better sound quality w/ the regular SIP box.

Michael · Posted: Sat Jun 25, 2005 10:55 pm Post subject:

I tried the SoftPhone months ago and the quality was poor (this wasn't even EVDO, but wired broadband).

Skype works pretty well, even over EVDO, and they have clients for Windows, Linux, Mac OS X and Pocket PC (yes it works on a XV6600).

http://www.Skype.com
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toddtroutman · EVDO User Joined: 01 Jun 2005 Posts: 28

brokestman · EVDO Fledgling Joined: 26 Mar 2005 Posts: 17

Thanks for the VOIP test link.

Vonage over 6 meg cable modem is almost 5 nines, but that's no surprise.

Thank you all for your input on the softphone.

I'll take your word that it's s..t.

I'll take a look at voiceplus.

I'm not familiar with the SIP box that would enable me to use VOIP over my wireless modem.

I'd love to throw away the cable modem, and just run with an EV-DO Rev. 0 card (Rev. A next year).

I'll pay the $80 for unlimited card use, but I need to be able to run phone calls over it.

I'd appreciate any info going forward, especially if there are Rev. A (backwards compatible) cards out there yet that will work in the US.

Is Korea running Rev. A yet? I don't think so.

Also any SIP box info would be helpful, because you guys went totally over my head on that one.

Thanks.

Pat

toddtroutman · EVDO User Joined: 01 Jun 2005 Posts: 28

The adapter provided by the VOIP provider that has ethernet in one side and a regular phone connection for your regular phone out the other. This box will have better performance than the softphone.

brokestman · EVDO Fledgling Joined: 26 Mar 2005 Posts: 17

oh, the router

what's cool is that the Vonage routers are being combined with the wireless router function, so you can have one box, not two

I might go to Best Buy and get that