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STEP
6 - Making SIP Calls
If
you have several of these phones or if you know someone with
a SIP account you can bypass the traditional phone network
and call them directly. These calls are free. In order to
call someone who has a SIP account with the same provider
as you just dial their number (SIP user name). SIP user names
sometimes contain letters which can not be dialed from Utstarcom
F1000/F1000G.
Dialing
a SIP number serviced by another provider is not easy to do
on F1000/F1000G because of the standard syntax: UserName@SipServer.com
Even if the user name contains numbers only "@"
and "." can not be typed into the phone. However,
all these calls can be easily initiated through X-Lite.
As
limited as F1000's dialing abilities are it is still useful
to setup two or more phones under one SIP provider so you
can make direct VOIP calls between them. If you have family
members or co-workers in multiple countries this is a great
way to stay in touch.
Troubleshooting
Your
X-Lite installation is a great diagnostic tool should something
go wrong. If you can make and receive calls from the softphone
but not from Utstarcom F1000G it means that your hardphone
settings are wrong.
Check
if the phone is connected to the router first. If so, look
at error messages on the home screen of the phone. Absence
of any message usually means that the phone is connected to
the AP and registered with the SIP server.
Blocked
ports in your router are a common problem. Check with your
SIP provider which port number(s) are used. Usually it is
port 5060. Verify your router settings to see if the port
is blocked which is sometimes done for security purposes.
If you're unsure how to do this but would still like to test
the phone just take a walk with the phone and see if you can
register through any unprotected WiFi networks on the street.
The word is that this is illegal in some U.S. states. I don't
know whether this is true but if you just connect and register
the impact on the bandwidth is minimal.
A
Word on Skype
At
the beginning I said that Skype may not be the best VOIP solution
out there. Here's why.
While Skype offers good rates and decent call quality it has
several shortcomings. It is not SIP compliant which means
that you can not easily connect to a much greater pool of
telephone users who are SIP compliant.
Unlike
using a SIP device where you can switch a provider with a
few clicks of a mouse if you dislike the rates there is no
alternative to Skype rates. Skype phone uses Skype proprietory
technology and third party companies are excluded from competing
and bringing less expensive rates.
Skype
is based on peer-to-peer networking which means that when
your phone is online calls could be routed through your computer
even if you're not talking on the phone. This takes up your
bandwidth.
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