Softphones - Which is best?

[muttskydog]

I am seeking the best softphone to use with VoicePulse Open Access account.

I used the Xten X-Lite softphone with both a SIPPhone account and the VoicePulse Open Access account and in both cases the audio quality is quite poor. FYI my audio quality using a standard analog phone and a Sipura SPA2000 on my primary VoicePulse account is EXCELLENT. I can tell no difference between POTS lines and the VoIP. But using the Xten the quality is horrible (echo on my end when receiving and making calls and lots of breaking up similar to what you'd get with poor cellular connection).

I also purchased the eyeP softphone for use with MS Outlook but there is NO SUPPORT channel indicated on the eyeP Media website (which, incidently, looks like a 4th grader created) and no indication of user guide in email providing link to download the program. When installed it is supposed to put an plug-in into MS Outlook with icons on the toolbars but after installation I see NOTHING new in Outlook. These Swiss guys at eyeP Media must spend a lot of time skiing or eating chocalates because they haven't responded to emails asking if there is any type of User Guide. Any insights into dealing with eyeP Media would be appreciated or if someone knows anything about this plug-in?

Bottom line I'm looking for a softphone with audio quality equal to using hardware configuration and if it could access a MS Outlook address book that would be icing on the cake.

I haven't tried the SJPhone but I will try downloading that today and see if the audio quality is any better.

Any input on softphones would be helpful.

The Mutt

[mberlant]

The softphone itself is only a digitizer and dialer. The audio quality is mostly dependent upon factors not under the control of the softphone software, namely your PC's audio circuitry and the physical speaker and microphone you use for calling.

Your best investment, in my opinion, would be in a USB headset or handset. You will derive several benefits from using a USB device instead of your sound card. First, separation of the transmitted and received signal will be much better, reducing echo and improving control over sidetone. Second, audio quality in USB devices is generally optimized for the spoken voice, so noises generated outside this range (like your sound card processing the full range of music) are generally reduced. Third, removing telephone conversation from the sound card's responsibility means that your conversation won't be compromised by other PC sounds that are simultaneously being handled by your PC's sound card.

Once you start talking on a USB device you should find, like I have, that both X-Lite and SJPhone provide sound quality at least on par with cellular telephone service.

Good luck.

Michael

[muttskydog]

With regard to audio i/o I am using Plantronics DSP 500 USB headsets with a digital sound processor that makes a basic mp3 or wmf sound like it's being played through a high-end amplfier so my problem is not likely with the headsets. Any other suggestions? Could the poor audio quality with the softphones be related to a firewall? The subject computer is behind a Linksys router/access point and I run PC-Cillan software firewall?

Also, I am having trouble registering with my VoicePulse open access acount with the SJPhone. I'm an extreme novice when it comes to these protocols and how to config hardware/software. I'd like to give SJPhone a try but something's amiss in the config or problems with NAT ???

( Cut and paste as needed to show proper input of data )
Using the following VoicePulse open access account info what would the proper configuration be for the SJPhone:

VP (hypothecal) Info:
Open Access Phone Number: (214) 888-8888
SIP Proxy, SIP Gateway, Outbound Proxy, NatServer:
access1.voicepulse.com:5060
SIP Port: 5060
Authorization User, Login ID: s00123123
Authorization Password, Secret: zAZ8zAz
Sipura Dialplan: (irrelevant, right?)[/color][/color]

SJPhone Config Dialogue Box for "Calling through SIP Proxy" profile (that would be the correct type of profile, right?):

General Tab:
[ ] Redirection of incoming calls in DND mode (checkbox y or n)
Redirection URL:
[ .................................................. ........... ]
[ ] Accept redirection replies (default is yes)
[ ] Use short headers (checkbox - yes or no)
[ ] Expose software version (default is yes)
[ ] Use obsolete transfer mechanism (BYE/Also) (checkbox - y or n)
[ ] Use "application/sip" for NOTIFY bodies (checkbox - y or n)
[ ] Restrict caller identity

Initialization Tab:
User data:
Account: (Inquired, Saved and Required all checked by default)
Password: (Inquired, Saved and Required all checked by default)
Caller ID: (Inquired and Required checked, Saved open by default)

SIP Proxy Tab:
Proxy domain: [ ........................... ] : [ ..... ]
User domain: [ ........................... ] : [ ..... ]
[ ] Register on proxy (Yes by default)
[ ] Proxy is strict outbound (Checkbox - Yes or No)
Advanced options:
[ ] Use separate registrar (checkbox yes or no)
Register domain: [ .......................... ] : [ ..... ] (only available for input when "Use separate registrar is "yes")
[ ] Unregister contact address only (checkbox yes or no)
Proxy for NAT: [ ............................. ] : [ ..... ]

STUN Tab:
[ ] Use discovered addresses in SIP
Server addresss: [ stun.softjoys.com ] : [ 3478 ] (url and port are default when program is installed)
Advanced Options:
Refresh timeout: (1200000 by default)
Conclusive response timeout: (0 by default)
Retransmissions number: (13 by default)

Any other insights about installing SJPhone would be appreciated. Once I get this program installed I'll play with the audio setting and adjust network settings to try to improve packet delivery send-time and scrambling on the network.

Help please!!!

Ken

[dboyce]

The following works well for me when travelling, good call control, signalling and sound quality:

SIPPS Client www.sipps.de

PDT USB Handsets www.voipvoice.com

SIPPS has the following:
Handles multiple accounts, not sure of the limit but I have 9 on there
Answer Machine
Work with the off hook switch on the PDT handsets
Works with the Ringer (ie separate from the earpiece) in the PDT handset
Presence in conjunction with MSN etc
Call recording
Support for UPnP, STUN, Nat Traversal

As someone mentioned, the quality isn

[sipdialer]

Here is free download softphone link:

http://www.adoresoftphone.com/