Broadband Home Labs - More on IP Telephony

Last month, we wrote about our tests of SIP-based IP telephony using the Vonage DigitalVoice Service. We continue to use the Vonage service and are running two other tests. We invite our readers to participate in our tests.

Vonage and Earthlink

Earthlink, a leading US ISP, announced last week that it has started offering EarthLink Unlimited Voice to many of its broadband customers, including its DSL and Time Warner Cable customers; the service is not available through Earthlink to Comcast or Charter cable customers. (Comcast has its own plans to offer primary-line VoIP service with backup powering, E911 and 411 -- features not offered by Vonage.)

The Earthlink service is a rebranding of Vonage DigitalVoice with unlimited local and long distance calling to the US and Canada for $39.99 a month. See our article on DigitalVoice in last month's issue - http://www.broadbandhomecentral.com/report/backissues/Report0302_6.html

snom 100 VoIP Telephones

We are testing a pair of snom 100 VoIP Telephones from snom technology AG, based in Berlin.

• One of the phones is on Dave's desk in New Jersey. It is connected to our cable modem through our Ethernet network and a SIP-aware Intertex IX66 Internet Gate firewall.
• The second phone is at our daughter's house in California. It is connected to her DSL modem through a pair of Phonex Neverwire 14 HomePlug powerline Ethernet bridges and a cable/DSL router.

Unlike the Vonage service, the snom phones work entirely over the Internet, without any use of the PSTN. The service is free.

Windows Messenger

We're using Windows Messenger 4.7, which provides SIP telephony under Windows XP. We're also using a Eutectics IPP 200 USB handset and the Free World Dialup service from pulver.com. The Eutectics handset provides a familiar interface and moves voice processing from the PC to the handset.

The FWD service provides a short phone number used to call between members of the service. This also operates completely over the Internet, and the service is free.

Talk With Us

If you'd like to talk with us using SIP-based VoIP, you can call us from analog or SIP phones or from a PC. Please visit our web site at http://www.broadbandhomecentral.com/bbhl/communications.html for our phone numbers.

( www.unlimitedvoice.com ) ( www.vonage.com ) ( www.snomag.de ) ( www.intertex.se ) ( www.phonex.com ) ( messenger.microsoft.com/default.asp?client=0 ) ( www.eutecticsinc.com ) ( www.freeworldialup.com )