What voice and chat software do people prefer for instant messaging?

[ranger]

Which one do you guys use? I perfer Google Talk because I find it easier to use.

These are the only ones I know. Please recommend others.

 

[cefarix]

google talk, because its simple to use, and its the only one that works through my university's firewall/proxy

 

[Anttech]

Google talk, because I am Google whore ;-)

 

[dduardo]

Neither, I have my own linux based asterisk server. When a call comes in get routed by the server and sent to the appropriate voip phone on the network. It is a really neat system. I got music on hold, voice mail boxes, caller id, etc.

 

[ranger]

Neither, I have my own linux based asterisk server. When a call comes in get routed by the server and sent to the appropriate voip phone on the network. It is a really neat system. I got music on hold, voice mail boxes, caller id, etc.

Thats sounds awesome. Does you VOIP provider charge you extra for such a setup?

 

[dduardo]

For $20 a month I get unlimited calls within the US and Canada. The only thing the voip provider does is bridge the analog phone line to the internet. All the other features like mail boxes and such are programmed using the asterisks box. Internet to internet calls are free.

Another feature of asterisk is that you can queue phone calls. That means if I'm currently talking to someone and two other people call me, asterisk will put the two new callers on music to hold with a message telling them that I will get to them as soon as possible.

 

[loseyourname]

Neither, I have my own linux based asterisk server. When a call comes in get routed by the server and sent to the appropriate voip phone on the network. It is a really neat system. I got music on hold, voice mail boxes, caller id, etc.

Wow, and I don't even own a phone.

 

[motai]

One of my friends who lives far away from me is going to try out Google talk with me in the next few days when all the components are set up. I'll even be trying it out from a 56k landline internet connection and also broadband and see how that goes, because I'm fairly certain that broadband will provide more than enough bit rate for VOIP connections.

 

[Anttech]

The only thing the voip provider does is bridge the analog phone line to the internet
Another feature of asterisk is that you can queue phone calls. That means if I'm currently talking to someone and two other people call me, asterisk will put the two new callers on music to hold with a message telling them that I will get to them as soon as possible.

How many trunks do you have? If you are doing that on your local PBX do you not need at least 3 copper trunks?

I have never used asterix on Linux. Only AVAYA and Cisco PBX's for IP Telephoney. What type of VoIP phones are you using dduardo?

 

[dduardo]

Trunks? I don't do any analog to digital conversion on my end. My provider does the conversion and sends the voice packets over the internet to my pbx server. The multi-line feature I'm talking about is called line alternate which enables users to switch between calls or make a call when already on the phone.

I have polycom phones.

 

[Anttech]

I see.. I misunderstood your post, I thought you had a copper trunks out to a Telco then they were poping you on the internet, rather then straight IP to the telco

Nice setup...

 

[exequor]

Neither, I have my own linux based asterisk server. When a call comes in get routed by the server and sent to the appropriate voip phone on the network. It is a really neat system. I got music on hold, voice mail boxes, caller id, etc.

Asterisk is cool, I did not know anything about it but last week in our linux user group meeting, we got a demonstration on it. We were shown how to set it up as a pbx and for voice mail.

 

[Pseudo Statistic]

Skype; my box runs NetBSD and Skype's the only thing I can get to run. (via Linux emulation)
If Google Talk was available to me, however, I'd choose it over Skype any day.

 

[dduardo]

Google Talk = Jabber. Therefore you can login to google talk using GAIM which can run on *BSD.

 

[Pseudo Statistic]

Yeah, but as far as I know, there hasn't been a Jabber client as of yet that supports voice talk on *BSD..

 

[ranger]

Yeah, but as far as I know, there hasn't been a Jabber client as of yet that supports voice talk on *BSD..

You could probably use gaim-vv. Not sure if it would help.

http://gaim-vv.sourceforge.net/

 

[Pseudo Statistic]

Awesome, I'll check it out... thanks.

 

[rickshaw]

GTalkPhone for Google Talk

hi, i am convinced that google talk is a really good IM. in addition to that, found this site called gtalkphone.com. now, it allows me to make PC to ordinary phone calls anywhere in the world and vice-versa. check it out! its cool!

 

[ranger]

I guess that this would be a good time to mention that skype is offering free calls to landlines within the US and Canada.

 

[Office_Shredder]

only until the end of the year ranger. And you actually need to live in one of those countries