Install Voice Over IP -- kiss your phone company good-bye

[longship]

I have been messing around with Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) for some time now and have wanted to move to a system where I can communicate with my friends, family, and co-workers, who are all over the world.

Now that this NSA mess has hit I've moved this into high gear. This post is an account of my experiences with VOIP and what I've done. Note: I have been running only Linux for over ten years. So my comments apply only to Linux clients. (Windows VOIP clients are apparently much better.)

My first choice was Ekiga (aka GnomeMeeting). The problem with this client is that it doesn't work very well behind firewalls. Ekiga's solution is called STUN which attempts to route incoming calls through well-behaved NATs (Network Address Translation). My problem is that I *am* behind a firewall, one that I've installed myself. As I have control of this device, it should be easy to configure it so Ekiga works. That's not happening. It's too bad because Ekiga is open source and has some nice features. Abandon Ekiga.

My second choice was Skype. This is not open source, but they have apparently solved the NAT problem. Unfortunately the client is a bit dodgy (more on that below). The advantages of Skype is that it is secure and encrypted with 256 bit AES, which should be fairly secure from snooping (1.1 x 10^77 possible keys).

Some more advantages for Skype is that they are offering free domestic (USA and Canada) service to real telephones through the rest of this year. That means that you can call any phone in North America for nothing. Also, they have 120 minutes of free international calls if you sign up for their Int'l service, which is fairly cheap. Just put $10.00 in a Skype account via PayPal and you're ready to go. They add 120 minutes to your account. Pretty cool.

So, how does it work? Other than a couple of issues, it works great! I talked to my twin sister in Michigan today and it was just like a real telephone. I am using a USB headset which is the absolutely best way to do VOIP from a computer. It doesn't tie up your sound card and it doesn't have the echo problems that using a speaker/mike combo would have. My headset is a Logitech with a street price of about $40.00. It just plain works.

As soon as it's morning in Europe I'm going to call Germany and try it that way. (Ms. Longship is visiting friends there.)

Some caveats here...

First, the Linux client has some issues. The first is that it ties up the sound device when it hangs up so that subsequent calls do not go through. You'd have to Quit the program and reload it to fix this until some clever person figured out that deleting the sound file that's played in the headset upon hang-up fixes the problem. For Linux users, it should be: /usr/share/skype/sound/hangup.wav. Just delete the file and the problem goes away.

The other issue is more problematic and that is in order to hear an incoming call coming in, you have to have the headset on. Other VOIP clients handle this by sending ring sounds to a second sound device. The Skype Linux client does not have this feature enabled. Pain in the ass.

The biggest Skype problem is that although these bugs are pretty simple Skype has not updated the Linux client in some time. At the same time that the Windows client has been updated a few times, they are apparently having problems getting the new Linux client out. Too bad. If they only had open sourced their Linux code, the issues would be fixed in no time.

Regardless, I'm going to be using Skype for just about all my phone calls. The free calls to N.A. makes it very attractive. The security and the NSA crap makes it manditory.

I'll update in this thread as I use Skype more. So far, as far as I can tell, the quality of the Skype network is top knotch.

If people want assistance setting this up, especially if you're a Linux user, you can PM me. I'll gladly help.

[Eurobabe]

1. I've had Vonage for 3 years now

Never had a problem, service is awesome -- and hopefully no pesky NSA! PM if you want details.

[rucky]

20. no...PM ME for details

you just want the free month!

:P

[Gregorian]

2. Ha! I just did it three hours ago.

I got the Netzero plan for $14 per month. Unlimited calls in the US. The only problem I see is there is about a two second delay. I think it is only that long for satellite connections. But it's pretty annoying. At any rate, I will probably disconnect Verizon after I admonish them for violating that 1986 law whereby they are not supposed to divulge personal info to the gov. Or something like that.


I'm using my computer speakers, and an old mike I found out in the garage. I'm good to go. See ya $85 per month bill.

[durrrty libby]

3. I’ve been checking out Voip

and trying to figure out the best deal.

I don’t make many calls right now, so looking for the cheapest plan
I found this comparison thingy.


http://www.broadbandphoneprovider.net/broadband_phone_provider_ratings.php

[longship]

10. Skype is ***FREE***

It also has the benefit of being ***encrypted*** with high level cypher. Make NSA do some work to listen.

You can use Skype in addition to your phone. That's what I'm doing.

Also, Skype-to-Skype calls are encrypted all the way. DU people could talk about Project X without letting NSA know about it.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

14. The encryption (as ALL of Skype) is proprietary.

You don't know if your voice traffic isn't encrypted to two keys simultaneously, one of which may be conveniently in possession of Agent Mike. See post #13 below.

[wtmusic]

4. thanks for the info

no SKYPE for Mac yet -- do you know if they are working on it? :shrug:

[LifeDuringWartime]

17. there's been mac skype for quite awhile!

n/t

[KingFlorez]

5. I've looked into that option

It's a good idea for those concerned about privacy. It is also less than regular service.

[AwakeAtLast]

6. We did it over a year ago

We have Packet8 and looooove it!

We even have our own 1-800 # so that calls from Iraq don't cost both an arm AND a leg ;)

If you have the means, this is the way to go for phone service!

:hi:

[OwnedByFerrets]

7. Ditto what WakeMeUp said....

I've had Packet8 for 5 months now and couldnt be happier with it.

[Pavulon]

8. I am sure

that the telcos don't mirror ip traffic to network monitoring systems that the NSA uses to aggregate data.

There is no electronic signal that can not be traced and located to a person and geographic location.

period.

[Freedom_Aflaim]

12. google "lawful intercept voip"

Its even easier to intercept voip traffic than regular telco traffic.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

13. Unless it's encrypted. Unfortunately, there's no good VoIP encryption...

...generally available as of yet. Operative words being "as of yet."

(Abtruse nerdspeak follows)

I happen to be currently working extensively with the most popular open-source VoIP server out there, Asterisk. Very recently, it started supporting strong encryption in server-to-server communication through its own open protocol, IAX. There are, also, softphones that are IAX compliant. But none of THOSE support encryption yet. When they do, total end-to-end, open-source encryption will be available. If you ask me, we're THIS close.

And THAT, ladies and gentlemen, is the true time to get VoIP. Let them record your calls -- and then, if they want, use all their supercomputers for centuries to be able to understand even ONE of them.

[rustydog]

9. You don't think NSA has or will have the ability

to monitor that also?

[Delphinus]

11. Ditto this question.

I've been thinking Vonage or Sunrocket (new here in NE IN). I looked at the list of who turned the records over and didn't see either of them, but am, for some reason, having a very hard time making the move from Verizon.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

15. They already have it....and we'll probably hear about that soon, too.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

16. Kick -nt

[MadHound]

18. Do you actually think that by using VOIP

You're going to foil the NSA, or any other alphabet agency that wants to know what you're up to? Sorry, but the internet and everything that goes over it is even less secure than the phone system.

[longship]

19. Strong crypto is a hassle for even NSA.

It's all a matter of having the time to crack the encryption. Strong encryption, like that used by Skype, is not easy to crack. It takes huge amount of computer resources to do so. The extent to which the public uses strong encryption is the extent to which the NSA, or any gov't agency, is going to have a big problem reading people's correspondences. (That includes e-mail or voice.)

If a lot of people use strong encryption, the NSA is not going to have the horsepower to crack it all. It's simply the mathematics of the problem becomes much more of a problem.

And don't tell me that the NSA has some inside track on cracking this stuff. That's just not necessarily true. The only thing they really have is a lot of computer horsepower. Regardless, there are thousands of mathematicians worldwide who make their careers by finding cracks for this stuff. When somebody cracks a crypto algorithm, it makes big news.

The NSA hires mathematicians, too. But their mathematicians are not necessarily any better than any others. Also, I would suspect that anybody working for NSA now is going to now think twice about their role in a patently illegal tapping of US citizen's private correspondences.

[MadHound]

21. Well, for starters, our government has fourteen acres worth

Of the latest high tech supercomputers out there, and I'm sure that has been bulked up drastically since 911. And even if they don't have the time to crack your encryption in real time, nothing is preventing them from recording the call and cracking it tommorrow or next week:shrug:

Just saying, there is nothing, absolutely nothing that you can put your full faith and confidence in as far as technology goes. If you want to remain anonymous, your options are limited in this day and age. They amount to pay phones, disposable cells, short, low power burst radio signals, or face to face meetings.

Hate to be a bummer, but that's the reality in this brave new world.

[longship]

24. My point was...

But in practice, the NSA is not going to try and crack every encrypted message. It would be a waste of time for them to do that and they know it. After all, what good would it be to put all that horsepower to use to listen to people talking about mundane, everyday things.

That's why the more people who use strong encryption, the safer are our communications.

That was my point.

And I agree with your assessment of current state of privacy affairs.

[MadHound]

25. I hear what you're saying friend, and I understand your point

But I think that the technological capabilities of the NSA and the other alphabet agencies have rendered your point moot. Not only can they descramble every encrypted message, I'm sure if they're not doing so already, they will be soon.

After all, 16 years ago the powers that be were already listening in on every phone conversation, running them through their computer array in order to pick out key words, bomb, jihad, allah etc. Thus Echelon was born. Sixteen years and seven tech generations later, I would be suprised if they're not unscrambling every encrypted message. Sure, it's a collosal waste of time and effort, but hey, so's datamining through all of our phone records, yet here it is, being done anyway:shrug:

These people are information junkies, and will suck up each and every little bit that they can get their hands on, from phone records to library records to what you had to eat last night. They don't care how meaningless or useless it is, they want that information if for no other reason than they want it.

I understand what you're trying to say, believe me, and I appreciate the sentiment behind it. I simply think however it is going to be a useless gesture, and one that will perhaps red flag you and those who follow you in encrypting your communications.

But hey, if you want to do so, more power to you, and I wish you all the best.:hi:

[longship]

26. Aha! This is where we disagree.

Crypto mathematics is fairly easy to understand. The trap door algorithms are simple. They are one-way functions which are simple to implement in one direction but computationally extremely complex in the other.

The crypto algorithms are purposefully constructed so that:

1. Even huge computer resources would have to devote a large amount of time to crack the cypher.

2. A systematic approach to build a general cracking algorithm is limited to the exhaustive solution of the trap door and no built-in exploit exists.

3. The cracking of one key does nothing to advance the ability to crack others.

These insure that any agency, like the NSA, would have to limit their cracking attempts to only those messages which are already suspect.

As more people use strong crypto, it makes things much more difficult for the NSA to handle all the encrypted traffic.

Don't forget, academic mathematicians and computer scientists are working hard to crack these cyphers. Publishing success makes for fame and fortune.

BTW, thanks much for a good discussion.

[KharmaTrain]

22. Net Neutrality Bill Means Kiss That Option Goodbye

All IP information will be fair game...and if you don't think the big ISP providers won't roll over...I've got a fence along the Arizona border I'd like to sell ya.

Welcome to the brave new world...and who knows how long the government has been snooping in on us...now it's out in the open and I'm glad it finally is. Maybe this will wake people up that their privacy was long ago compromised and now there's a regime in place that feels entitled to break laws to "protect you".

I use VOIP technology for streaming radio broadcasts (we used to pay several hundred dollars to install an ISDN line and now can just tap into a broadband or wireless connection and get the same quality) and this is also great for audio and video conferencing. Several people I know also have switched to VOIP systems and I get mixed reports...similar to a cellphone...where calls will drop out or there are times of day where its difficult to connect with people due to high net traffic.

To think the NSA can't or won't be snooping in this way is living in a fool's paradise. The only salvation are the few companies that claim they still are guarding their information and haven't sold them to the government. I'm still trying to find if my cell provider, U.S. Cellular sold out...if so, Qwest will get another customer.

Cheers...

[spuddonna]

23. My big question is how well does VoIP handle local 911?

I haven't looked at it for awhile and am just starting to research this again.

My parents are interested in this but 911 local call switching is critical. Anyone have any links or info they've found so far?