Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)

I did not find any mentions of VoIP here and thought to ask if anyone is doing and/or like VoIP.

I have that unused smart phone with Bluetooth and wireless to my router which could work a device with VoIP.
But recently I bought two cheap Bluetooth USB plugs that only seem to work in Windows. Also here I have a Vonage box I got at a Thrift store for like 50 cents that I've never explored.

So I'm interested if it's a step-by step. Maybe we can use an Android phone as an example because everyone can afford one, and even if someone can't afford one it could be a $1 headset that connects into a TV boxes (running Android or Linux) mic & headphone jacks.

=========
-= Cloud 9 =-

JoeyPogoPlugE02 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I have that unused smart phone with Bluetooth and
> wireless to my router which could work a device
> with VoIP.
> But recently I bought two cheap Bluetooth USB
> plugs that only seem to work in Windows. Also here
> I have a Vonage box I got at a Thrift store for
> like 50 cents that I've never explored.
>
Depending on which brand/model of a Vonage Analog Telephone Adapter (ATA) you have and whether it has been plugged to a live Internet feed or not. Once it is plugged into a live Internet feed, it will phone home to lock itself to make it hard to unlock.

> So I'm interested if it's a step-by step. Maybe we
> can use an Android phone as an example because
> everyone can afford one, and even if someone
> can't afford one it could be a $1 headset that
> connects into a TV boxes (running Android or
> Linux) mic & headphone jacks.
>
That is correct. The problem with a smartphone is it uses a WiFi connection that does not do any full duplex. A half-duplex (or simplex) connection is not good for VoIP, AFAICT.

habibie Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The problem with a smartphone is
> it uses a WiFi connection that does not do any
> full duplex. A half-duplex (or simplex) connection
> is not good for VoIP, AFAICT.

I'm familiar with duplexes, but had no idea what requirements each stage uses. So if what you're saying is that a phone needs full duplex, and the network adapter (or somewhere up in that area) is half duplex, we can limit bandwidth of the faster of the two so the phone sees two "lower" network speeds that are matched right? If I got that right.

Magic Jack looks really cool for the $100 for 5 years plan. You still need their hardware but a lot of people like that service.

=========
-= Cloud 9 =-

JoeyPogoPlugE02 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> habibie Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > The problem with a smartphone is
> > it uses a WiFi connection that does not do any
> > full duplex. A half-duplex (or simplex)
> connection
> > is not good for VoIP, AFAICT.
>
> I'm familiar with duplexes, but had no idea what
> requirements each stage uses. So if what you're
> saying is that a phone needs full duplex, and the
> network adapter (or somewhere up in that area) is
> half duplex, we can limit bandwidth of the faster
> of the two so the phone sees two "lower" network
> speeds that are matched right? If I got that
> right.
>
I am not sure I understood what you said. But, what I tried to say is a WiFi connection (at least as of this writing) is not full duplex.

> Magic Jack looks really cool for the $100 for 5
> years plan. You still need their hardware but a
> lot of people like that service.
>
If you don't already know, you can get some free google hangouts (google voice) to place/receive free calls to/from US/Canada.