[asterisk-users] Re: SoftPhones: Bad, or just bad QoS?

[Martin Joseph]

On 2005-07-14 12:49:37 -0700, Ed Pastore <epastore at ascp.com> said:

> Hi again, folks. I've been getting feedback from this list and  
> elsewhere that softphones are generally not considered good enough  for 
> hardcore business use. Can someone point me to where I can find  more 
> detail on this debate?
There are some softphones that don't work very well.  There are others that do.

There are definitely people on the list that use softphones in very 
large call centers. So they must work to a great extent.

I find that JackenIAX on Mac OSX is the best of the bunch.  I also like 
Diax on the PC, although it's kind of cryptic to setup...
> 
> Is the problem that the technology isn't mature, that the load on the  
> computer is too high, or simply that it doesn't work well in a poorly  
> designed network?
Nothing will work well in a poorly designed network.  I think most 
negative softphone feeling are just based on the poor quality of the 
softphone software that people have used.
> 
> Any time I mention VOIP and network, people tell me to make sure that  
> I have QoS capabilities. If I do, and can tweak it appropriately,  will 
> that eliminate (or at least greatly minimize) problems with soft  
> phones?
THERE IS NOTHING UNIQUE ABOUT SOFTPHONES.  If you have problems with 
QoS, it will screw up hardphones also.
> 
> I am really loathe to rewire my building, and I really have to move  to 
> gigabit for unrelated reasons, so I would like to be able to use  the 
> single gigabit port in every office to serve both the computer  and the 
> phone. That seems to mean either soft phones or putting a  small gig 
> hub in every office, no?
Maybe, there are lots of options though. Try doing some homework ;~)
Good Luck,
Marty