low bandwidth voip client

punter · Guru Joined: 25 Nov 2002 Posts: 506

I'm looking for a voice over internet client that would work nicely with a low bandwidth (modem) internet connection.....
The problem is not on my side, it's on my friend's side..... he's got a modem and a windows box...

we've tried skype and the result has not been good. the voices get stretched and fragment to unrecognizable extent.
I don't know what else to try... I thought I ask you guys before trying another voip client.
problems are:
1. i have a gentoo box, whatever the client, I should be able to use my gentoo box to voip (i.e. no yahoo/msn messengers)
2. my friend has windows, so must be a client that's available for windows
3. my friend (as you can probably guess) is not good with computers, so setting up and testing softwares is a painful process.... better get it right the first time
4. he's got a modem connection too...... which restrains downloading of zillion voip clients and testing them all.

thanks,
Shane

crocodille · Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 1:47 pm Post subject:

Maybe you should try Skype.

Has support for Mac OSX, Windows Linux ... It is easy to setup and the voice being submitted is excellent. I did not test the performance on a low band connection though. I would give it a try.

cklimt · n00b Joined: 10 Aug 2004 Posts: 39

Perhaps you could try Gizmo. I found its sound quality and GUI better than skype, and besides it doesn't block your sound card while using it.
You can find the ebuild for Gizmo in the sunrise overlay.

Hope this helps
Julius
_________________
"The aim of computing is insight not numbers"

anello · Posted: Sat Jan 27, 2007 7:57 pm Post subject:

There is nothing you can do. Enough bandwidth is an indispensible requirement for voip. So you're pretty much screwed.

I made the experience that everything below ISDN connections are not suitable for voip and even ISDN is not a plearsure unless you bundle two channels.
_________________
Antonino Catinello | http://catinello.eu

BlackEdder · Posted: Sat Jan 27, 2007 8:06 pm Post subject:

Teamspeak was especially made to run along side games, so it is probably pretty optimised to use the minimal amount of bandwidth. You will need to run a server though.

I myself have used ekiga, but don't know if it uses less bandwidth than skype

aidy · l33t Joined: 07 Apr 2005 Posts: 915

punter · Guru Joined: 25 Nov 2002 Posts: 506

gsgleason · n00b Joined: 06 Feb 2007 Posts: 31

voip quality has more to do with the codec you use than the app, but an app with a robust jitter buffer will make loads of a difference.

ljubo · Posted: Tue Feb 06, 2007 8:15 pm Post subject:

1. You can try Ekiga for Windows. It is still experimental, but it might work. I did not try Windows client, so I can't tell you how it works. Linux to Linux communication is excellent. You can choose among many codecs, and in that way you can tune Ekiga to your bandwith.
Ekiga uses SIP protocol, so I think that on Windows you can use any other SIP client.

2. Kopete has jingle support, and voice communication works with Google Talk client for windows. I have tried that and it works.

Kind regards, Ljubo

cysn06 · n00b Joined: 07 Feb 2007 Posts: 10

Teamspeak can be set up to use very little bandwith. If he is not doing much else (eg surfing the web)
it should work. Set up a teamspeak server and give it a go.
Make sure you use a low bandwith codec, besides their name it should show how much they use.
Then just forward the port to your linux comp and have him connect. The client installation is pretty easy.
It wont sound great, but might just work.

Just remember. Its dial up. If he starts browsing the net, downloading updates /etc while you
are chatting it will skip and strech no matter what you use.

There is also ventrilo. I havent set up servers for that much so Im not sure of its bandwith requirement.
It is less cpu intensive, for the server, but much higher audio quality, so I think that would rule that out.