VOIP Phone - SOYO G668

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.dcom.voice-over-ip (More info?)

I just ordered a pair of SOYO G668 phones (http://phone.soyo.com) on
Tigerdirect.ca

I was looking for a phone (not software but a physical phone) to
connect to the internet and offer a direct call to a similar phone
(same model) overseas. I live in Canada and my family is in Mexico and
these will be sitting beside the 'regular' phones but will only be
used as a hotline between both countries.

Has anybody tried them and comment on them? I will be getting mine
next week and some of the major things that I read are:

- Free calls between phones (either between two G668 or a G668 and a
AVRO 3001 router.
- The phone configures itself to the network with DHCP.
- Each phone is assigned a unique 7 digit number to be used within the
Z-Connect 'network'.
- The phone does not need to connect to a computer, so it is great
for all the technophobic members of my family (Just pick it up and
dial)

But, on reading on the online manual there are a couple of ports that
have to remain open. The phone can be configured through a web page on
the LAN so you can assign a constant port number so it doesn't open it
randomly.

You can still make outgoing calls to regular phone numbers but that is
charged through a pre-paid card, fees seem to be fair but I don't know
if I will be interested.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.dcom.voice-over-ip (More info?)

All right, step two: I got the phones and installed them.

So far I configured their DNS ip and managed to make an international
call and talked to mom. She reported the sound as being very good but I
could hear distortion like from a cell phone loosing its signal. I was
expecting the sound not be as perfect as a land line.

I also noticed that I had some other programs having access to the
internet, so I stopped all browsers, itunes, messengers, etc. And
placed a second call, this time the sound was better on my end and
almost no delay in our conversation.

Apparently both phones can't work on the same LAN behind a Linksys
Router. I suppose they both want to get a hold of the unique IP and one
will be in stand by while the other one will be waiting for something
from their main server. But late at night I discovered that they need a
couple of ports open and I forgot to configure that on the the router.
The manual even has a special section for Forwarding Ports so the
phones can receive calls.

The next thing I did was to open each phone's account at phone.soyo.com
and see their call history. You have to type the IP number AND PIN
number into the page fields, both are located on the bottom of the
phone. I thought the phone PIN was the phone's password that you can
(and should) change from either the phone's keypad or from a browser in
a computer connected on the same LAN. Once I typed both (long) numbers
I managed to see their call history and available credit.

Each phone comes with a $5 credit for free. I talked to Mexico City for
6 minutes and it only cost me $0.44 in total!! Pretty sweet considering
that I could be billed $0.60 a minute or more on regular long distance
providers.

So far so good. I'm hoping sound quality will improve once I manage to
make both phones talk on the LAN.

SV.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.dcom.voice-over-ip (More info?)

All right, step two: I got the phones and installed them.

So far I configured their DNS ip and managed to make an international
call and talked to mom. She reported the sound as being very good but I
could hear distortion like from a cell phone loosing its signal. I was
expecting the sound not be as perfect as a land line.

I also noticed that I had some other programs having access to the
internet, so I stopped all browsers, itunes, messengers, etc. And
placed a second call, this time the sound was better on my end and
almost no delay in our conversation.

Apparently both phones can't work on the same LAN behind a Linksys
Router. I suppose they both want to get a hold of the unique IP and one
will be in stand by while the other one will be waiting for something
from their main server. But late at night I discovered that they need a
couple of ports open and I forgot to configure that on the the router.
The manual even has a special section for Forwarding Ports so the
phones can receive calls.

The next thing I did was to open each phone's account at phone.soyo.com
and see their call history. You have to type the IP number AND PIN
number into the page fields, both are located on the bottom of the
phone. I thought the phone PIN was the phone's password that you can
(and should) change from either the phone's keypad or from a browser in
a computer connected on the same LAN. Once I typed both (long) numbers
I managed to see their call history and available credit.

Each phone comes with a $5 credit for free. I talked to Mexico City for
6 minutes and it only cost me $0.44 in total!! Pretty sweet considering
that I could be billed $0.60 a minute or more on regular long distance
providers.

So far so good. I'm hoping sound quality will improve once I manage to
make both phones talk on the LAN.

SV.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.dcom.voice-over-ip (More info?)

Well, some sour grapes.

I manage to disconfigure the phone and now is not booting!! I tried to
connect the phone directly to the cable modem and was trying some
combinations so the phone could get its unique IP address.

I changed the connection type from 'DHCP' to 'MODEM' (without values
for id and password - empty) and disabled NAT traversal. After saving
the modem would start booting and it will stop. It will show the
"Booting" message and with the progress bar complete, but it will just
hang.

So AVOID the previous combination of settings.

I called SOYO and after a little back a forth (1 call, 2 emails) they
gave me a reference number so I could exchange it under warranty.

The whole idea was to allow the phone to receive calls but I was told
that the phone will only receive public calls within the US but it
could still receive calls from another Soyo phone. So, just don't touch
Nat Traversal and make sure you leave open (forwarding) the required
port numbers, you should at least receive calls within the Z-Connect
network.

The connection layout should be kept as:
[cable modem] --> [linksys router] --> [phone]

In the next few days I will send the package phone back and await for a
replacement.

Be aware that the configuration web page and the options on the phone
display DO NOT validate your input. It will take whatever value you
save into it and you might end up like me.

Just focus on the typical settings that you would use on a computer's
network card: DHCP/Unique IP, Mask, DNS, etc.

I will post my progess.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.dcom.voice-over-ip (More info?)

Well, I got the factory restored phone back in time for my trip (good
service). Now my parents have one installed. The thing is that I
couldn't make direct calls between soyo phones (I suppose is not
profitable for soyo) and ended up paying a $20 calling card for each
phone.

This actually isn't so bad since calls between Canada-Mexico are 4 to 8
CENTS a minute (US Dollars). So a calling card should last at least a
full month.

So the way these phones are working is that we call each other to our
regular land lines from the soyo phones. But no matter in what country
you are the international access codes (011) are the same, like if you
were residing in North America. And to avoid giving instructions to my
parents, I can actually renew the calling cards for both phones on the
internet with my credit card.

Again the sound constantly has static, like if listening to a Walkie
Talkie. But the receiving party listens with respectable quality, no
static at all. It all is justified since I'm saving at least 60% on my
long distance calls. I estimate I would pay off both phones in 2 to 3
months, given the regular long distance rates .
Oh well, is not perfect but it works.

Cheers.