Browsing Chinese (Simplified) translation

299.

Making Phone Calls Using Softphones

300.

A softphone is a software programme that is used to make telephone calls over the Internet using a computer instead of using a regular phone. Your service provider may offer computer-to-computer calls for free, but PC-to-phone and phone-to-PC calls usually are charged. You need to have the same communication protocol and use a common audio codec to communicate with another person. The audio codec defines how voice is translated into digital signals. Examples of SIP softphones are Ekiga, SIP Express Router and many more.

301.

You use a softphone with a headset connected to the computer or with a USB phone. The features of softphone include all standard telephony features, such as mute, flash, hold and transfer. It also includes new features, such as presence, video, wideband audio and many more. The softphone requirements to make voice calls over the Internet are a computer with a microphone and speaker, a headset or USB phone, Internet connectivity and an account with an Internet telephony service provider.

302.

Skype, Google Talk and Vonage are Internet telephony service providers whose software you would need to install on your computer. But these three providers are not interoperable, and you cannot place a direct call between them.

303.

The configuration of Ekiga is described below.

304.

Using Ekiga

305.

Ekiga is an open source softphone application for Ubuntu. It is a free Voice over IP (VoIP) and video conferencing application. VoIP routes voice conversations over the Internet or through any other IP-based network. You can use Ekiga to call, send instant messages and be contacted by other Ekiga users.

306.

The First Time Configuration Assistant helps you configure Ekiga. It appears automatically when you open Ekiga for the first time.

307.

To configure Ekiga on Ubuntu:

308.

On the <emphasis role="strong">Applications</emphasis> menu, point to <emphasis role="strong">Internet</emphasis> and click <emphasis role="strong">Ekiga</emphasis>. The <emphasis role="strong">Configuration Assistant</emphasis> page will be displayed. Click <emphasis role="strong">Forward</emphasis>.