SIP softphone with QoS

[Trunk]

Hi,

I am looking for a free SIP softphone that supports QoS tagging.

Any ideas? I can't seem to find one.


Thanks,
Trunk

[PhoneBoy]

QoS is something that is usually provided by an upstream router, not a user-level application.

[Trunk]

Originally Posted by PhoneBoy

QoS is something that is usually provided by an upstream router, not a user-level application.

Correct. A Softphone app. that can QoS tag VoIP packets so that are then correctly prioritised by the upstream router.


Thanks

[kitonne]

Grandstream has this fearure.

[Trunk]

Originally Posted by kitonne

Grandstream has this fearure.

As per the thread title - I'm after a Softphone with QoS. Does Grandstream a Softphone I don't know about?


Thanks.

[kitonne]

QOS for your softphone phone is done by your PC's operating system. XP pro has a QOS Packet Scheduler feature, but did not play with it, and it will not help if you have another PC on the same network generating a lot of upstream traffic. If your router supports QOS (like Linksys WRT54), you can have your VoIP packets protected from the other traffic up to the link to your ISP based on MAC or port address, but upstream from your router all bets are off in terms of QOS support.

[Trunk]

Kittone, buddy...... I already understand all of the issues that you raise but none are relevant to my original question............ which was....

I need a free Softphone that can 'tag' it's packets with the QoS bits set.

There are a number of different ways to implement QoS and what I seek is a Softphone that knows how to tag it's packets appropriately.

For instance, Xten Networks will release it's commercial Eyebeam V2.0 SIP softphone offering with QoS tagging support..... but that is not now.

Anyone else?


Thanks,
Trunk.

[mberlant]

Since a softphone doesn't generate the UDP packets directly, it cannot set a QoS tag within that packet. As kitonne said, that is the province of the Operating System or, more specifically, the ethernet driver stack controlled by the OS.

As kitonne said, you will need to use the services of your OS to give the appropriate priority to the softphone application. Once you have done that, if your router has the capability of interpreting this information you will have the priority (within your LAN) that you want.

As for the EyeBeam future that you mention, I'll believe it when I see it being able to communicate with all of the various OS ethernet stacks and interact with the major QoS capable routers.

[Trunk]

Originally Posted by mberlant

Since a softphone doesn't generate the UDP packets directly, it cannot set a QoS tag within that packet. As kitonne said, that is the province of the Operating System or, more specifically, the ethernet driver stack controlled by the OS.

You are actually incorrect in this instance and I'm surprised no one here knows of it considering the implications it has for VoIP softfones.

Oh well, it's quick lesson time for the experts at Voxilla I suppose so here goes.

Microsoft make available an OS QoS API called GQoS (Generic QoS) on Win '95 and above and it is exposed through Winsock V2.0 calls and works in conjunction with IPSEC. (I am a commercial C++ programmer within a large company).

You see, a Windows app. that is coded QoS aware sets three bits in the TCP header notifying the Windows OS of packet priority. You could set both RTP and SIP above that (none) of other packets such as smtp, pop and port 80 traffic.

Messenger uses this feature and that's why you don't suffer choppy voice when using it. (ever wonder why?) So, install a QoS aware softphone on windows, crankup the XP Firewall and you Tada, have prioritised voice. It really is long overdue and I can't believe it does not already exist.


There endeth the lesson. :? I'll keep looking.



//Sy

[mberlant]

With that in mind, maybe the EyeBeam will be successful in its quest.