A Guide for Online Information About:

Internet Phones

by Rick Prescott

In the past, Internet phones have not been much of anything to talk about. Several factors contributed to their downfall: sound quality was poor, and both parties had to be online and using the same software. On top of that, you couldn't call someone who used an ordinary phone.

Now there's a new generation of services for calling over the Internet. You can even call someone that does not own a PC. The sound quality has improved. Sure, sometimes you sound like you're calling on a chintzy cell phone from a closet in Lithuania, with cotton in your mouth. But when Internet phones work perfectly, which happens about a third of the time, calls on at least two 'Net phone services (namely, Deltathree and I-Link's TalkFree) sound almost as good as if you were on a landline. And, you'll definitely save money. Using Internet phones to call numbers within the United States, and to call many overseas countries, can't get any cheaper than free.

Nonetheless, traditional phone companies probably will not start losing customers for quite some time. The developing technology is still too unreliable. But with a little planning, the right equipment, and a few tricks, 'Net phones are reasonably serviceable for calling friends and family around the U.S. and in other parts of the world. (more)

How It Works
Aside from the obvious fact that you're talking into your PC instead of a handset, web phones differ from real phones in at least two important ways. First, rather than using the telecommunications network provided by your long-distance phone company, web phones use the network (or the combination of networks) that makes up your Internet connection. Part of that network is probably a phone company's network, but part might include your internal corporate network as well.

Second, you're sending the digital data representing your voice over a network that doesn't guarantee specific levels of service. That is, while regular phones let you and the person you call speak as if you were in the same room, the Internet can't guarantee that kind of responsive, high-quality service. (more)

Pull back the wires and the technology behind Internet phone calls is easy to understand. You speak into your computer's microphone or headset; a program then digitizes your voice, divides the words into data packets, and sends them hurtling through the Internet toward the person you're calling. When the transmission arrives at the other end, a matching program or a hardware device reassembles the packets, and your friend hears your disembodied voice. If all the packets make it through okay, you sound great; if not, your buddy will hear echoes, distortion, or worse audio glitches. (more)

Types of Phones
Internet phone services let you communicate in a number of ways. You can make an Internet call from one PC to another by dialing the Internet Protocol address of your friend's computer. The software lets you type in the digits of the IP address, and then you start talking. Several services let you place a call from your computer to your friend's regular phone. The PC-to-phone feature is astonishing. The other person needn't be near, or even own, a computer.

About half the products can be used directly from the companies' web sites or upon downloading a small program. Some of the software, such as PhoneFree, MediaRing Talk, and Deltathree, support better-quality connections than their respective browser-based programs.

When signing up, you will have to answer the questions typical of free services. After you've registered, a telephone dialing pad pops up on your screen. Punch in a number (or grab it from the service's address book), click the button to dial the number, wait a second or two, and you're connected. All services (with the exception of TalkFree) let you talk with no time limit. (more)

What You'll Need
To get started using an Internet phone service, all you need is a sound card with a microphone and speakers, a 56-kbps modem, an Internet connection (AOL is okay), and a browser. To increase your chances of making the service work right, though, you need to do a few things.

First, make sure your sound card is full-duplex, and upgrade if necessary. Most old sound cards are half-duplex—you'll know you have an older card if only one person can talk at a time, as with a two-way radio. If you're running at half-duplex, you might be able to fix the problem with a new driver. Check your sound card maker's web site for an update.

Next, you should consider buying a sturdy headset. This device will help block external noise, making it easier to hear the caller. And in most cases, a headset is superior in quality to the stick-like microphone that sometimes accompanies sound cards. Even poor connections sound better over a good headset.

If you have a dial-up connection, you must use a 56-kbps modem. Anything slower and you'll experience dreadful voice quality—static, dropped words, and echoes. If you want your Internet phone to work like a regular phone and you plan to use it on a regular basis, get a high-speed DSL or cable modem connection. Voice quality was substantially better (but still imperfect) in all my tests using cable or DSL. (more)

Net Phone Tips
You may not be able to make Internet calls from work if your company's IS department uses a firewall. Check to see if a specific port on your PC can be opened for outgoing calls. Note: Any personal firewall you might use, such as Zone Labs' free ZoneAlarm, can accommodate Internet calls.

If you're using a 56-kbps connection and the voice quality is poor, hang up and try again. Still awful? Switch to another of your ISP's dial-in numbers.

If you're having trouble with sound quality, experiment with the product's microphone and speaker settings while you're connected. For instance, Deltathree worked best with the mike set to low and the speaker to high. (more)

PC World Evaluated Services

Deltathree
Free PC-to-phone calls in U.S.
Free PC-to-PC calls
Voice mail/personal address book
PRO: Consistently good voice quality, clean interface, handy address book, free calls to directory assistance.
CON: Limited speed dial, flashing ad.

Dialpad
Free PC-to-phone calls in U.S.
Free PC-to-PC calls
Voice mail/personal address book
PRO: Simple, easy-to-use interface; voice quality often good.
CON: Company ad takes up lots of space; two separate windows--one for dialing, one for address book.

Firetalk
Free PC-to-PC calls
Voice mail/personal address book
PRO: Instant messaging; easy to use once you learn to navigate.
CON: Small Web-based window crammed with information; PC-to-PC calls only.

HotTelephone.com
Free PC-to-phone calls in U.S.
Personal address book
PRO: Free overseas calls.
CON: No PC-to-PC calls; separate windows for dialing and address book; irritating flashing ads.

MediaRing
Free PC-to-phone calls in U.S.
Free PC-to-PC calls
Voice mail/personal address book
PRO: Cool-looking interface; free calls to China; lets you send e-mail messages with streaming technology.
CON: Flashing ad; separate field for country code.

Net2Phone
Free PC-to-phone calls in U.S.
Free PC-to-PC calls
Voice mail/personal address book
PRO: Voice mail and faxing; free headset after you purchase call time.
CON: Ad hogs screen; field where you enter number is somewhat awkward, can't use number keypad.

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