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RSS feedsThere's a new buzzword on the block and the phenomenon behind it is going to be big, or so we are led to believe. Internet telephony - or Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) - is a method of making telephone calls over the internet.
The underlying IP technology - a means of getting any two online computers to find one another and exchange data - underpins the entire internet. Now, though, it can also link callers in a live, two-way spoken conversation. What's more, given that you are already paying for your internet connection, these calls can be completely free.
Packet in
When you make a call with an internet telephony service, the sound of your voice is turned into a highly compressed digital stream broken into a series of discrete data 'packets' and fired off through your internet connection. At the other end, these packets are turned back into sound. When it works well, it's transparent and seamless.
However, internet telephony is not a perfect technology. Compression reduces the amount of data transferred during a call but it also affects audio quality. Indeed, there is always a balance to be struck between compression, quality and available bandwidth, and the bottom line is that web calls are best made over a broadband internet connection.
Moreover, slow-to-arrive data packets can lead to a stutter-like effect characteristic of web calls whereby words occasionally get cut in half or syllables disappear. The problem is compounded when callers talk over one another.
Calls sent over the internet are also vulnerable to the effects of interference. Only when it's possible to control both ends of the connection and most of what lies in between is it possible to guarantee quality of service.
Choices for voices
There are three different types of internet telephony. At the simplest level, you can 'call' another computer from your own. Both parties must be online at the same time and using the same software for this to work, but calls are free, so you can talk to someone on the other side of the world without a time limit.
The next type is a PC-to-telephone service whereby you can make outgoing calls from your computer to normal telephone numbers, usually saving a good deal of money in call charges.
Finally, we look at the first of an all-new breed of internet telephony services where you can make and, crucially, receive calls on a standard telephone handset. Calls are made over a broadband internet connection rather than the telephone network, and you even get a new phone number as part of the deal.
MSN Messenger
Once you've gone through the Audio and Video Tuning wizard, you can send any of your contacts an invitation to partake in an audio call. If they accept - audio chat is always opt-in - and if they also have the appropriate hardware in place, you can chat together as if on the phone.
Messenger also has options for collaborating remotely with colleagues. You can exchange files and play games, making this the most versatile communication software on test here.
However, it falls short in a couple of areas. For one, you have to sign up for a Microsoft .Net Passport account before you can use Messenger, which is tedious. Also, sound quality can generously be described as tinny, hollow and inconsistent. Worth a try if you value the extra features, particularly video conferencing.
Type: PC to PC
Price: Free
Contact: www.messenger.msn.co.uk
Skype
Skype was designed first and foremost for internet telephony. The interface is simple, especially in comparison with MSN Messenger's clutter, and it's a breeze to set up and use.
Choose a user name, create a password and supply a valid email address and set up a personal profile if you wish. Persuade a friend or two to register, add them to your contacts list, and chat away.
As with Messenger, nobody can contact you without your express say-so. You can block callers or keep your current online/offline status a secret.
A log file keeps tracks of all calls you take or miss, and you can take part in a conference call with up to four others. Text messaging is a given.
In our tests, call quality was superb, with real audio fidelity, minimal delay and no perceptible echo. Unfortunately, Skype is currently a PC-to-PC product only, so you'll have to look elsewhere if you want to make web calls to landlines and mobiles.
Type: PC to PC
Price: Free
Contact: www.skype.com
Callserve
This service frees you from the inherent limitations of PC-to-PC telephony and lets you call just about any telephone number in the world.
To get started, download an application called Internet Telephone and register your details online. This is a prepay service so you have to buy credit in advance with a credit/debit card, bank transfer or cheque. The minimum purchase is £10.
The practicalities are much the same as a PC-to-PC service in the sense that you still need a computer, a headset and a microphone. Here, though, you dial real telephone numbers rather than click on buddies.
One downside is that Internet Telephone does not immediately disconnect a call if the other party hangs up, meaning that you can end up wasting credit on what is effectively a dead line. Another drawback is the call quality. In our tests, overlapping voices quickly dissolved into a stutter-fest of inaudibility and one or the other party's voice would periodically drop off altogether.
Still, the call rates are competitive and for the occasional overseas call it's just about bearable, so long as you take turns to talk.
Type: PC to phone
Price: Free software; pay per call
Contact: www.callserve.co.uk
Net2phone
Net2Phone works in a similar way to Callserve but throws a few bells and whistles into the mix. Most notably, there is a users' directory wherein you can seek out contacts and call them directly on a PC-to-PC basis. There's not a great deal of point in this, though, as Net2Phone simply doesn't have the subscriber base to make it useful.
Worryingly, Net2Phone automatically lists all new subscriber user names in the directory (without explicitly asking permission, incidentally) and even includes your postcode. This, we feel, is absurd and simply wrong. Moreover, calls between Net2Phone users are charged at 3p per minute, whereas the likes of Skype or Messenger do the same thing for free.
Net2Phone's Desktop software, CommCenter, is fussier than Callserve's, and has no address book for storing telephone numbers. We found call quality much the same as with Callserve, which is to say disappointing.
It's also worth saying that over a period of a week, we had difficulty setting up a new account. One tip we learned is that you must enter your Net2Phone user name entirely in lower-case when you log in to buy credit, regardless of whether or not you created it with a mix of upper- and lower-case characters.
Type: PC to phone
Price: Free software; pay per call
Contact: www.web.net2phone.com
@Phone
This PC-to-phone service is differentiated from the others by a USB handset that feels and behaves just like a real phone. It's not a complete break from the computer - your PC has to be turned on and be online, with the handset connected - but you may consider £40 a price worth paying for freedom from a headset and microphone.
It's not quite that simple, however. Before you can make a call, you must launch a program called Dialpad. Annoyingly, this will not run in the background - it's either on in a window or it's off.
Much more irritating is the fact that the numbered keys on the handset stop working every time you restart the computer. The only way to get them going again is by reinstalling the keypad driver software from scratch. As fatal flaws go this one's a killer, but it could well have been fixed by the time you read this.
We found call quality to be marginally better than either Callserve or Net2Phone, although occasionally marred by echo.
Type: PC to phone
Price: £40 for USB handset plus pay per call
Contact: www.novellimports.com
Broadband Voice
Broadband Voice removes the computer from the equation altogether. The key kit here is an adaptor that lets you plug a standard telephone into your broadband internet connection - and that's any broadband connection, cable or ADSL, so long as it runs at 128Kbps or better.
You then use this telephone just like you would any other. There's a dial tone when you pick up the handset and you can make calls locally, nationally or overseas. You can even plug in a DECT base station and use a cordless handset.
Best of all is the fact that Broadband Voice gives you an additional telephone line. That is, people can call you as well as you calling out. Second best is that all local and national calls are free every evening and weekend.
So what's the catch? Well, it costs £7.50 per month to 'rent' the line, with call charges on top (when they're not free, that is). You'll need to buy the telephone adaptor, but at the time of writing BT has still to confirm the cost.
You must also have the means with which to connect the adaptor to your broadband internet service, ideally through a spare network port on a router. If you already have a home network, this may not prove a problem.
There are a couple of other factors to take on board too. At present, international calls are restricted to 17 countries, although we are assured that this coverage will expand. You can call mobile phones but not premium-rate numbers.
Worryingly, though, you cannot use Broadband Voice to call the emergency services. The reason given is that emergency calls convey information about your location so that even a last-gasp call stands a chance of summoning help, whereas Broadband Voice is essentially a portable service that can be used anywhere.
Type: Phone to phone
Price: £6.50 per month (You may also require a network router or a hub. A standard telephone handset is also required) plus pay per call.
Contact: www.btbroadband.voice.com
Ready for the mainstream?
We rather suspect that Skype - with nine million downloads and counting - might just achieve the critical mass required to make it the default voice-chat service on the internet.
If it also introduces an irresistably cheap and reliable PC-to-phone service, as it has promised to do, and perhaps throws in video conferencing too, it's possible that it will blow away the competition.
However, we also see a compelling future for true phone-to-phone IP products like Broadband Voice. This may be an incomplete first stab at it but other telecoms companies are working on similar products.
So, do the sums yourself and see whether you could save a packet with internet telephony, particularly with those completely free off-peak local and national calls. We would, however, stress the importance of having broadband if you're serious about using internet telephony as an alternative to the telephone.
The trouble with dial-up is twofold. Because you're unlikely to be permanently online, you may find yourself in the faintly ludicrous situation where a caller rings you on your landline to ask you to log on to the internet and sign into your chat service so that you can take a web call. Second, as we have already mentioned, a dial-up connection simply lacks the bandwidth to provide clear and natural audio quality.
What do you need?
Hardware requirements vary according to the type of internet telephony service you use. For PC-to-PC or PC-to-phone calls, you must, of course, have a PC.
To be heard, you should connect a microphone to the appropriate socket on your soundcard; to hear your callers, you can either use the computer's speakers or, preferably, headphones. All web call software will help you set these up correctly.
A headset with a built-in microphone is better and more convenient than a separate mic-on-a-stick affair. USB models generally offer superior quality and some even have their own audio circuitry built in (which means your computer needn't have a soundcard at all).
For our tests, we used a Plantronics DSP-400 USB headset. Still another alternative is a USB faux-phone handset like the @Phone. Net2Phone also sells several similar handsets, and they make the whole experience that much more convenient.
Top tips
Here are our pointers for getting the most out of internet phone calls:
- Use headphones, a headset-plus-mic or a USB handset rather than speakers. This prevents ear-splitting feedback at your end of the call and a disconcerting echo at the other.
- When in a call, avoid initiating file uploads or downloads, checking email and even web surfing. Anything that sucks up bandwidth can adversely affect call quality.
- Protect your privacy. Introductory instant messages are one thing but unsolicited phone calls are an invasion. Configure your program to only accept calls from known buddies.
- Never provide details in a profile that could personally identify you.
- When in a call, try to make sure that you take turns to speak. You'll fare far better this way.
- If you use a webcam, unplug it when not in use. A live webcam is a window on your world, whatever you're doing.
Video conference for free
Sending live video pictures via a webcam is a natural next step from making voice calls over the internet and is perfectly possible under certain conditions. Most important, inevitably, is having sufficient bandwidth on tap, and that means broadband.
High compression and a small picture size also help. MSN Messenger is the only program on test here that handles video, although something similar is planned for Skype. For showing granny the kids, it's fine. For business use, forget it.
One interesting alternative that bypasses the need to use a VoIP program is Tiscali's Vmail service, which lets up to six webcam users chat face-to-face with video and audio via a shared web page. The quality can be adjusted to suit a broadband or dial-up connection and no additional software is required. Free to members, and membership is free.
See also:
A hardware and software package that provides free phone calls over the internet, but it lacks some useful features. 04 Aug 2004
Voice over Internet Protocol can deliver significant cost savings and management efficiencies. Yet businesses have so far been reluctant to adopt the technology. 14 Jun 2004
Trigger levels scrapped as telco announces plan for 99.6 per cent coverage 27 Apr 2004
High-speed internet access for all is slowly becoming a reality, with 3.3 million broadband subscribers and coverage extending to 85 per cent of the UK. But there is still work to be done. 12 Feb 2004All Online
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