Re: To Janina Sajka Soft phones?

[Donna Goodin]

Thanks, David.  I will definitely be looking into Magic Jack.  It also seems 
like the easiest solution, especially if there's an app.
Cheers,
Donna
> On Jan 2, 2018, at 6:40 PM, David Chittenden  wrote:
> 
> Yes, MagicJack is the most affordable option I have found for having a number 
> in the US.
> 
> My mobile phone provider / plan now gives me free and unlimited calling to 
> several countries, so I no longer use MagicJack or Skype.
> 
> Kind regards,
> 
> David Chittenden, MSc, MRCAA
> Email: dchitten...@gmail.com
> Mobile: +61 488 988 936
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
>> On 3 Jan 2018, at 03:27, 'Janina Sajka' via MacVisionaries 
>>  wrote:
>> 
>> Hi, Donna:
>> 
>> You're most welcome, and never worry about time elapsing between emails.
>> I've the same tendencies myself!  Probably, we all do.
>> 
>> I think your choices are exactly right. As long as you're cool with a
>> new phone number, these are the easiest path. And, the very easiest is
>> probably Magic Jack.
>> 
>> PS: I just learned there's a software version of Magic Jack. One of our
>> European based list members uses it to have a U.S. phone number. Pretty
>> cool!
>> 
>> Happy New Year!
>> 
>> Janina
>> 
>> Donna Goodin writes:
>>> Hi Janina,
>>> 
>>> First, sorry it's taken me so long to respond.  I was traveling for the 
>>> holidays when I saw this, and knew I wouldn't have time to give it proper 
>>> attention till I got back home.
>>> 
>>> Thanks so much for providing such a lengthy and detailed response.  This is 
>>> my first foray into this, so I really appreciate having such a breadth of 
>>> info.
>>> 
>>> My immediate thought is that I'll either go with CallWithUs, or maybe just 
>>> check out Magic Jack, for simplicity's sake.  I think I'll explore both.  
>>> At any rate, it's great to know what my options are.  I don't have any more 
>>> questions for now, but I'm sure some will arise as I get further into all 
>>> this. :)
>>> Cheers,
>>> Donna
 On Dec 26, 2017, at 9:42 AM, 'Janina Sajka' via MacVisionaries 
  wrote:
 
 Hi, Donna:
 
 Yes, as you need PSTN support, I can be a little more specific. You need
 two pieces, a software application that will work accessibly on your
 Mac, and a gateway service that your Mac can register with that will
 carry calls back and forth to the PSTN.
 
 1.)On the app side I would suggest checking out an app called Bria:
 
 
 http://www.counterpath.com/bria/
 
 
 I have not used this app myself, but a colleague who I trust has it on
 his Iphone and is very satisifed with the performance as well as the
 accessibility.
 
 Perhaps there might be others on the list who have some experience with
 Bria?
 
 Among other things, Bria does support IPv6 connectivity, though this is
 rather a mixed blessing because there's only one service provider I'm
 aware of who supports IPv6. More on that below.
 
 I get away with insisting on IPv6 because I also run my own PBX on a
 remote server in the cloud. To some extent that's a fancy way of saying
 I'm being my own phone company for myself. I'm doing that with an
 application called Asterisk.
 
 The reason you might seriously care about this is that configuring your
 router to properly support your phone calls can become annoyingly
 complicated under traditional IPv4, where you have to insure you've
 gotten your NAT rules correctly configured. This is probably only going
 to be an issue, though, if you have more than one device using SIP,
 though there's some work even for one device. SIP wants lots of ports,
 5060-5080 inclusive for SIP itself, then 1-2 for the RTP part,
 which is where the actual two way audio goes.
 
 Now having said all this, another possible solution is Magic Jack. I've
 not used it either, but I understand it's quite trivial to use. I know a
 number of people who are by no means technical who are happily using
 Magic Jack for their phone calls. However, none of these folks requires
 accessibility, so I don't know about that--though I suspect all the
 Magic Jack smarts are in the USB device itself, so it's likely simple to
 manage.
 
 Magic Jack is also very cost effective.
 
 2.)Service Providers
 
 If you go the Magic Jack route, you have service builtin. If you go the
 Bria route, you need a contract with someone. Each of the services below
 are good choices. They're all pay in advance services. You pay in some
 money then spend down your balance making calls. I believe all of these
 services have flat rate monthly plans, though I'm paying by the call.
 
 The technical term for getting a phone number is "buying a DID." That's
 what you want, a DID.
 
 My current service is Vitelity, where I 

Re: To Janina Sajka Soft phones?

[David Chittenden]

Yes, MagicJack is the most affordable option I have found for having a number 
in the US.

My mobile phone provider / plan now gives me free and unlimited calling to 
several countries, so I no longer use MagicJack or Skype.

Kind regards,

David Chittenden, MSc, MRCAA
Email: dchitten...@gmail.com
Mobile: +61 488 988 936
Sent from my iPhone

> On 3 Jan 2018, at 03:27, 'Janina Sajka' via MacVisionaries 
>  wrote:
> 
> Hi, Donna:
> 
> You're most welcome, and never worry about time elapsing between emails.
> I've the same tendencies myself!  Probably, we all do.
> 
> I think your choices are exactly right. As long as you're cool with a
> new phone number, these are the easiest path. And, the very easiest is
> probably Magic Jack.
> 
> PS: I just learned there's a software version of Magic Jack. One of our
> European based list members uses it to have a U.S. phone number. Pretty
> cool!
> 
> Happy New Year!
> 
> Janina
> 
> Donna Goodin writes:
>> Hi Janina,
>> 
>> First, sorry it's taken me so long to respond.  I was traveling for the 
>> holidays when I saw this, and knew I wouldn't have time to give it proper 
>> attention till I got back home.
>> 
>> Thanks so much for providing such a lengthy and detailed response.  This is 
>> my first foray into this, so I really appreciate having such a breadth of 
>> info.
>> 
>> My immediate thought is that I'll either go with CallWithUs, or maybe just 
>> check out Magic Jack, for simplicity's sake.  I think I'll explore both.  At 
>> any rate, it's great to know what my options are.  I don't have any more 
>> questions for now, but I'm sure some will arise as I get further into all 
>> this. :)
>> Cheers,
>> Donna
>>> On Dec 26, 2017, at 9:42 AM, 'Janina Sajka' via MacVisionaries 
>>>  wrote:
>>> 
>>> Hi, Donna:
>>> 
>>> Yes, as you need PSTN support, I can be a little more specific. You need
>>> two pieces, a software application that will work accessibly on your
>>> Mac, and a gateway service that your Mac can register with that will
>>> carry calls back and forth to the PSTN.
>>> 
>>> 1.)On the app side I would suggest checking out an app called Bria:
>>> 
>>> 
>>> http://www.counterpath.com/bria/
>>> 
>>> 
>>> I have not used this app myself, but a colleague who I trust has it on
>>> his Iphone and is very satisifed with the performance as well as the
>>> accessibility.
>>> 
>>> Perhaps there might be others on the list who have some experience with
>>> Bria?
>>> 
>>> Among other things, Bria does support IPv6 connectivity, though this is
>>> rather a mixed blessing because there's only one service provider I'm
>>> aware of who supports IPv6. More on that below.
>>> 
>>> I get away with insisting on IPv6 because I also run my own PBX on a
>>> remote server in the cloud. To some extent that's a fancy way of saying
>>> I'm being my own phone company for myself. I'm doing that with an
>>> application called Asterisk.
>>> 
>>> The reason you might seriously care about this is that configuring your
>>> router to properly support your phone calls can become annoyingly
>>> complicated under traditional IPv4, where you have to insure you've
>>> gotten your NAT rules correctly configured. This is probably only going
>>> to be an issue, though, if you have more than one device using SIP,
>>> though there's some work even for one device. SIP wants lots of ports,
>>> 5060-5080 inclusive for SIP itself, then 1-2 for the RTP part,
>>> which is where the actual two way audio goes.
>>> 
>>> Now having said all this, another possible solution is Magic Jack. I've
>>> not used it either, but I understand it's quite trivial to use. I know a
>>> number of people who are by no means technical who are happily using
>>> Magic Jack for their phone calls. However, none of these folks requires
>>> accessibility, so I don't know about that--though I suspect all the
>>> Magic Jack smarts are in the USB device itself, so it's likely simple to
>>> manage.
>>> 
>>> Magic Jack is also very cost effective.
>>> 
>>> 2.)Service Providers
>>> 
>>> If you go the Magic Jack route, you have service builtin. If you go the
>>> Bria route, you need a contract with someone. Each of the services below
>>> are good choices. They're all pay in advance services. You pay in some
>>> money then spend down your balance making calls. I believe all of these
>>> services have flat rate monthly plans, though I'm paying by the call.
>>> 
>>> The technical term for getting a phone number is "buying a DID." That's
>>> what you want, a DID.
>>> 
>>> My current service is Vitelity, where I pay $1.49 per month for each
>>> phone number, except for my 800 number, which is a bit more, though not
>>> much more--I'm sorry I don't remember exactly. Then I pay per call at
>>> the rate of approximately 1.3 cents per minute. International calls
>>> outside of North America are more, though usually not more. Example:
>>> Europe is generally 2.1 cents 

Re: To Janina Sajka Soft phones?

['Janina Sajka' via MacVisionaries]

Hi, Donna:

You're most welcome, and never worry about time elapsing between emails.
I've the same tendencies myself!  Probably, we all do.

I think your choices are exactly right. As long as you're cool with a
new phone number, these are the easiest path. And, the very easiest is
probably Magic Jack.

PS: I just learned there's a software version of Magic Jack. One of our
European based list members uses it to have a U.S. phone number. Pretty
cool!

Happy New Year!

Janina

Donna Goodin writes:
> Hi Janina,
> 
> First, sorry it's taken me so long to respond.  I was traveling for the 
> holidays when I saw this, and knew I wouldn't have time to give it proper 
> attention till I got back home.
> 
> Thanks so much for providing such a lengthy and detailed response.  This is 
> my first foray into this, so I really appreciate having such a breadth of 
> info.
> 
> My immediate thought is that I'll either go with CallWithUs, or maybe just 
> check out Magic Jack, for simplicity's sake.  I think I'll explore both.  At 
> any rate, it's great to know what my options are.  I don't have any more 
> questions for now, but I'm sure some will arise as I get further into all 
> this. :)
> Cheers,
> Donna
> > On Dec 26, 2017, at 9:42 AM, 'Janina Sajka' via MacVisionaries 
> >  wrote:
> > 
> > Hi, Donna:
> > 
> > Yes, as you need PSTN support, I can be a little more specific. You need
> > two pieces, a software application that will work accessibly on your
> > Mac, and a gateway service that your Mac can register with that will
> > carry calls back and forth to the PSTN.
> > 
> > 1.) On the app side I would suggest checking out an app called Bria:
> > 
> > 
> > http://www.counterpath.com/bria/
> > 
> > 
> > I have not used this app myself, but a colleague who I trust has it on
> > his Iphone and is very satisifed with the performance as well as the
> > accessibility.
> > 
> > Perhaps there might be others on the list who have some experience with
> > Bria?
> > 
> > Among other things, Bria does support IPv6 connectivity, though this is
> > rather a mixed blessing because there's only one service provider I'm
> > aware of who supports IPv6. More on that below.
> > 
> > I get away with insisting on IPv6 because I also run my own PBX on a
> > remote server in the cloud. To some extent that's a fancy way of saying
> > I'm being my own phone company for myself. I'm doing that with an
> > application called Asterisk.
> > 
> > The reason you might seriously care about this is that configuring your
> > router to properly support your phone calls can become annoyingly
> > complicated under traditional IPv4, where you have to insure you've
> > gotten your NAT rules correctly configured. This is probably only going
> > to be an issue, though, if you have more than one device using SIP,
> > though there's some work even for one device. SIP wants lots of ports,
> > 5060-5080 inclusive for SIP itself, then 1-2 for the RTP part,
> > which is where the actual two way audio goes.
> > 
> > Now having said all this, another possible solution is Magic Jack. I've
> > not used it either, but I understand it's quite trivial to use. I know a
> > number of people who are by no means technical who are happily using
> > Magic Jack for their phone calls. However, none of these folks requires
> > accessibility, so I don't know about that--though I suspect all the
> > Magic Jack smarts are in the USB device itself, so it's likely simple to
> > manage.
> > 
> > Magic Jack is also very cost effective.
> > 
> > 2.)Service Providers
> > 
> > If you go the Magic Jack route, you have service builtin. If you go the
> > Bria route, you need a contract with someone. Each of the services below
> > are good choices. They're all pay in advance services. You pay in some
> > money then spend down your balance making calls. I believe all of these
> > services have flat rate monthly plans, though I'm paying by the call.
> > 
> > The technical term for getting a phone number is "buying a DID." That's
> > what you want, a DID.
> > 
> > My current service is Vitelity, where I pay $1.49 per month for each
> > phone number, except for my 800 number, which is a bit more, though not
> > much more--I'm sorry I don't remember exactly. Then I pay per call at
> > the rate of approximately 1.3 cents per minute. International calls
> > outside of North America are more, though usually not more. Example:
> > Europe is generally 2.1 cents per minute.
> > 
> > I get these prices because I'm not relying on them for voice mail, or to
> > be my PBX. All they're giving me is a phone number and routing.
> > 
> > Vitelity's web page is usable, but it's really an accessible horror.
> > 
> > Here are some service options:
> > 
> > 1.) Call With Us:
> > http://callwithus.com/
> > 
> > This is the only gateway service provider I know of that
> > supports IPv6. Also, they're very friendly to individuals like
> > you and me, as 

Re: To Janina Sajka Soft phones?

[Donna Goodin]

Hi Janina,

First, sorry it's taken me so long to respond.  I was traveling for the 
holidays when I saw this, and knew I wouldn't have time to give it proper 
attention till I got back home.

Thanks so much for providing such a lengthy and detailed response.  This is my 
first foray into this, so I really appreciate having such a breadth of info.

My immediate thought is that I'll either go with CallWithUs, or maybe just 
check out Magic Jack, for simplicity's sake.  I think I'll explore both.  At 
any rate, it's great to know what my options are.  I don't have any more 
questions for now, but I'm sure some will arise as I get further into all this. 
:)
Cheers,
Donna
> On Dec 26, 2017, at 9:42 AM, 'Janina Sajka' via MacVisionaries 
>  wrote:
> 
> Hi, Donna:
> 
> Yes, as you need PSTN support, I can be a little more specific. You need
> two pieces, a software application that will work accessibly on your
> Mac, and a gateway service that your Mac can register with that will
> carry calls back and forth to the PSTN.
> 
> 1.)   On the app side I would suggest checking out an app called Bria:
> 
> 
> http://www.counterpath.com/bria/
> 
> 
> I have not used this app myself, but a colleague who I trust has it on
> his Iphone and is very satisifed with the performance as well as the
> accessibility.
> 
> Perhaps there might be others on the list who have some experience with
> Bria?
> 
> Among other things, Bria does support IPv6 connectivity, though this is
> rather a mixed blessing because there's only one service provider I'm
> aware of who supports IPv6. More on that below.
> 
> I get away with insisting on IPv6 because I also run my own PBX on a
> remote server in the cloud. To some extent that's a fancy way of saying
> I'm being my own phone company for myself. I'm doing that with an
> application called Asterisk.
> 
> The reason you might seriously care about this is that configuring your
> router to properly support your phone calls can become annoyingly
> complicated under traditional IPv4, where you have to insure you've
> gotten your NAT rules correctly configured. This is probably only going
> to be an issue, though, if you have more than one device using SIP,
> though there's some work even for one device. SIP wants lots of ports,
> 5060-5080 inclusive for SIP itself, then 1-2 for the RTP part,
> which is where the actual two way audio goes.
> 
> Now having said all this, another possible solution is Magic Jack. I've
> not used it either, but I understand it's quite trivial to use. I know a
> number of people who are by no means technical who are happily using
> Magic Jack for their phone calls. However, none of these folks requires
> accessibility, so I don't know about that--though I suspect all the
> Magic Jack smarts are in the USB device itself, so it's likely simple to
> manage.
> 
> Magic Jack is also very cost effective.
> 
> 2.)Service Providers
> 
> If you go the Magic Jack route, you have service builtin. If you go the
> Bria route, you need a contract with someone. Each of the services below
> are good choices. They're all pay in advance services. You pay in some
> money then spend down your balance making calls. I believe all of these
> services have flat rate monthly plans, though I'm paying by the call.
> 
> The technical term for getting a phone number is "buying a DID." That's
> what you want, a DID.
> 
> My current service is Vitelity, where I pay $1.49 per month for each
> phone number, except for my 800 number, which is a bit more, though not
> much more--I'm sorry I don't remember exactly. Then I pay per call at
> the rate of approximately 1.3 cents per minute. International calls
> outside of North America are more, though usually not more. Example:
> Europe is generally 2.1 cents per minute.
> 
> I get these prices because I'm not relying on them for voice mail, or to
> be my PBX. All they're giving me is a phone number and routing.
> 
> Vitelity's web page is usable, but it's really an accessible horror.
> 
> Here are some service options:
> 
> 1.)   Call With Us:
>   http://callwithus.com/
> 
>   This is the only gateway service provider I know of that
>   supports IPv6. Also, they're very friendly to individuals like
>   you and me, as opposed to business clients who might buy bigger
>   blocks of connectivity. Their web pages are also very
>   accessibility friendly.
> 
>   The only reason I'm not on their service is that they don't
>   support LNP, which stands for "Local Number Portability." This
>   is where you get to keep a phone number you already have with
>   someone else. If you're OK with getting a new phone number, go
>   with these folks.
> 
> 2.)   Flo Route:
>   https://www.flowroute.com
> 
>   It's business oriented and fairly technical, but it's a 
>   good service. Web interface is very workable last I used it.
> 
> 3.)   Vitelity.net
>   

RE: To Janina Sajka Soft phones?

[Simon Fogarty]

Hi Jonothan,

Thanks for that, I’ll be in touch.

From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com [mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com] 
On Behalf Of Jonathan Cohn
Sent: Thursday, 28 December 2017 6:21 AM
To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: To Janina Sajka Soft phones?

I sent a few e-mails to the Cisco accessibility desk and just essentially gave 
up.

My Cisco IP phone on my desk has a button that allows me to speak a name and it 
will dial it. I have memorized the voice mail button and luckily my office did 
not enable the roaming feature that requires one to login to the phone every 
morning in order to receive calls.

There is a cisco branded IP communicator for Windows that I can get to answer 
and make calls with but I have to remember that F2 is to pick up or hang up a 
call.  I think Cisco also mentioned jabber clients would work, but I did not 
pursue.

I should still have the conversation lurking in my Exchange mailbox somewhere 
if you want some start up points.

I believe the accessibility desk for Cisco might be maintained out of NZ or AU 
so at least you wouldn't have a time differential when communicating with them.
In fact when I worked on a daily basis with Cisco support, I usually found the 
Australian office better than the UK or US offices for resolving issues. though 
that was a dozen years ago.

Contact me off list if you want to find a solution together.

Best Wishes,

Jonathan


On Wed, Dec 27, 2017 at 3:34 AM Simon Fogarty 
<si...@blinky-net.com<mailto:si...@blinky-net.com>> wrote:
So on this softphone question,

 Havs anyone used a cisco softphone for enterprise environments?

It's one we're currently looking at for work

-Original Message-
From: 'Janina Sajka' via MacVisionaries 
[mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com<mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com>]
Sent: Tuesday, 26 December 2017 10:08 PM
To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com<mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: To Janina Sajka Soft phones?

Hi, Donna:

My apologies for the slow response. I've been distracted by noncomputer 
responsibilities these past few weeks.

To answer your question  I'd need to know a bit more what your needs are. Let 
me explain:

Probably the most widely known soft phone is Skype. Howegver, I myself don't 
use Skype. Depending on your platform, you might find Skype accessible--or not. 
For instance it's not accessible on Linux today.

On Apple products we have Face Time. I've used it slightly, and my experience 
suggest it's accessibility is excellent.

There are other soft phone clients that people use for voice communications 
such as Face Book's Whatsapp, or Cisco's GoToMeeting or their Webex product. 
Accessibility of these varies from very accessible, e.g. Webex on Android, to 
not very accessible for anyone even when you're not using assistive technology, 
e.g. Webex on Mac.

Now, my situation is somewhat different. I have the particular requirement for 
an old fashioned phone number. I need the ability to recieve calls from any 
phone anywhere, and to call any traditional telephone number anywhere. I do 
this in two ways using the SIP protocol and a gateway service that routes calls 
between my SIP devices and the standard telephony world, usually abrieviated 
PSTN, which stands for "Public Switched Telephone Network."

1.) I have hard ware devices that look all the world like old
fashioned telephones, but they're different. They're hardware SIP phones, and 
they connect over computer type network cables--what we call
Cat5 (or Cat6) ethernet cables.

My current device of choice is the Snom D715, primarily because
it's able to use IPv6, where Polycom phones do not. I have not
investigated use of the SIP handsets from Digium--though they're
on my list to look at the next time I'm in the market for a
hardware phone.

2.) I use linphone, and sometimes the fs_cli application
provided by FreeSwitch on my Linux computers for placing and
recieving SIP calls. This functionality is critical to my work
because it allows me to use a high quality headset that connects
to my computer using USB, and still allows me to route the audio
through a 12 channel audio hardware mixer on my desk. This way
I'm able to have my screen reader as well as my telephone
conversation in my ears, without the people I'm talking with
hearing my screen reader.

Of course SIP phones can be used to place direct calls to other SIP phones, 
just like Skype and FaceTime calls can be made to others who are also using 
Skype or FaceTime. I believe Skype also provides the ability to call to and 
from the PSTN, but I don't know anything specific about that, or about any 
similar functionality among the other soft phones mentioned.

The biggest problem with all these services is that they don't interoperate 
natively, e.g. Webex can't call FaceTime, 

Re: To Janina Sajka Soft phones?

[Jonathan Cohn]

I sent a few e-mails to the Cisco accessibility desk and just essentially
gave up.

My Cisco IP phone on my desk has a button that allows me to speak a name
and it will dial it. I have memorized the voice mail button and luckily my
office did not enable the roaming feature that requires one to login to the
phone every morning in order to receive calls.

There is a cisco branded IP communicator for Windows that I can get to
answer and make calls with but I have to remember that F2 is to pick up or
hang up a call.  I think Cisco also mentioned jabber clients would work,
but I did not pursue.

I should still have the conversation lurking in my Exchange mailbox
somewhere if you want some start up points.

I believe the accessibility desk for Cisco might be maintained out of NZ or
AU so at least you wouldn't have a time differential when communicating
with them.
In fact when I worked on a daily basis with Cisco support, I usually found
the Australian office better than the UK or US offices for resolving
issues. though that was a dozen years ago.

Contact me off list if you want to find a solution together.

Best Wishes,

Jonathan


On Wed, Dec 27, 2017 at 3:34 AM Simon Fogarty <si...@blinky-net.com> wrote:

> So on this softphone question,
>
>  Havs anyone used a cisco softphone for enterprise environments?
>
> It's one we're currently looking at for work
>
> -Original Message-
> From: 'Janina Sajka' via MacVisionaries [mailto:
> macvisionaries@googlegroups.com]
> Sent: Tuesday, 26 December 2017 10:08 PM
> To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com
> Subject: Re: To Janina Sajka Soft phones?
>
> Hi, Donna:
>
> My apologies for the slow response. I've been distracted by noncomputer
> responsibilities these past few weeks.
>
> To answer your question  I'd need to know a bit more what your needs are.
> Let me explain:
>
> Probably the most widely known soft phone is Skype. Howegver, I myself
> don't use Skype. Depending on your platform, you might find Skype
> accessible--or not. For instance it's not accessible on Linux today.
>
> On Apple products we have Face Time. I've used it slightly, and my
> experience suggest it's accessibility is excellent.
>
> There are other soft phone clients that people use for voice
> communications such as Face Book's Whatsapp, or Cisco's GoToMeeting or
> their Webex product. Accessibility of these varies from very accessible,
> e.g. Webex on Android, to not very accessible for anyone even when you're
> not using assistive technology, e.g. Webex on Mac.
>
> Now, my situation is somewhat different. I have the particular requirement
> for an old fashioned phone number. I need the ability to recieve calls from
> any phone anywhere, and to call any traditional telephone number anywhere.
> I do this in two ways using the SIP protocol and a gateway service that
> routes calls between my SIP devices and the standard telephony world,
> usually abrieviated PSTN, which stands for "Public Switched Telephone
> Network."
>
> 1.) I have hard ware devices that look all the world like old
> fashioned telephones, but they're different. They're hardware SIP phones,
> and they connect over computer type network cables--what we call
> Cat5 (or Cat6) ethernet cables.
>
> My current device of choice is the Snom D715, primarily because
> it's able to use IPv6, where Polycom phones do not. I have not
> investigated use of the SIP handsets from Digium--though they're
> on my list to look at the next time I'm in the market for a
> hardware phone.
>
> 2.) I use linphone, and sometimes the fs_cli application
> provided by FreeSwitch on my Linux computers for placing and
> recieving SIP calls. This functionality is critical to my work
> because it allows me to use a high quality headset that connects
> to my computer using USB, and still allows me to route the audio
> through a 12 channel audio hardware mixer on my desk. This way
> I'm able to have my screen reader as well as my telephone
> conversation in my ears, without the people I'm talking with
> hearing my screen reader.
>
> Of course SIP phones can be used to place direct calls to other SIP
> phones, just like Skype and FaceTime calls can be made to others who are
> also using Skype or FaceTime. I believe Skype also provides the ability to
> call to and from the PSTN, but I don't know anything specific about that,
> or about any similar functionality among the other soft phones mentioned.
>
> The biggest problem with all these services is that they don't
> interoperate natively, e.g. Webex can't call FaceTime, or vice versa.
> The standards world is hoping to solve this with specifications called
>

RE: To Janina Sajka Soft phones?

[Simon Fogarty]

So on this softphone question,

 Havs anyone used a cisco softphone for enterprise environments?

It's one we're currently looking at for work 

-Original Message-
From: 'Janina Sajka' via MacVisionaries 
[mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com] 
Sent: Tuesday, 26 December 2017 10:08 PM
To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: To Janina Sajka Soft phones?

Hi, Donna:

My apologies for the slow response. I've been distracted by noncomputer 
responsibilities these past few weeks.

To answer your question  I'd need to know a bit more what your needs are. Let 
me explain:

Probably the most widely known soft phone is Skype. Howegver, I myself don't 
use Skype. Depending on your platform, you might find Skype accessible--or not. 
For instance it's not accessible on Linux today.

On Apple products we have Face Time. I've used it slightly, and my experience 
suggest it's accessibility is excellent.

There are other soft phone clients that people use for voice communications 
such as Face Book's Whatsapp, or Cisco's GoToMeeting or their Webex product. 
Accessibility of these varies from very accessible, e.g. Webex on Android, to 
not very accessible for anyone even when you're not using assistive technology, 
e.g. Webex on Mac.

Now, my situation is somewhat different. I have the particular requirement for 
an old fashioned phone number. I need the ability to recieve calls from any 
phone anywhere, and to call any traditional telephone number anywhere. I do 
this in two ways using the SIP protocol and a gateway service that routes calls 
between my SIP devices and the standard telephony world, usually abrieviated 
PSTN, which stands for "Public Switched Telephone Network."

1.) I have hard ware devices that look all the world like old
fashioned telephones, but they're different. They're hardware SIP phones, and 
they connect over computer type network cables--what we call
Cat5 (or Cat6) ethernet cables.

My current device of choice is the Snom D715, primarily because
it's able to use IPv6, where Polycom phones do not. I have not
investigated use of the SIP handsets from Digium--though they're
on my list to look at the next time I'm in the market for a
hardware phone.

2.) I use linphone, and sometimes the fs_cli application
provided by FreeSwitch on my Linux computers for placing and
recieving SIP calls. This functionality is critical to my work
because it allows me to use a high quality headset that connects
to my computer using USB, and still allows me to route the audio
through a 12 channel audio hardware mixer on my desk. This way
I'm able to have my screen reader as well as my telephone
conversation in my ears, without the people I'm talking with
hearing my screen reader.

Of course SIP phones can be used to place direct calls to other SIP phones, 
just like Skype and FaceTime calls can be made to others who are also using 
Skype or FaceTime. I believe Skype also provides the ability to call to and 
from the PSTN, but I don't know anything specific about that, or about any 
similar functionality among the other soft phones mentioned.

The biggest problem with all these services is that they don't interoperate 
natively, e.g. Webex can't call FaceTime, or vice versa.
The standards world is hoping to solve this with specifications called WebRTC. 
Time will tell how that goes.

Hope this helps!

Janina


Donna Goodin writes:
> Hi all,
> 
> I'm directing this question to Janina as she mentioned using a soft phone, 
> but would be interested in hearing from anyone else who uses one.
> 
> Can anyone recommend good accessible soft phone options?
> TIA,
> Donna
> 
> --
> The following information is important for all members of the Mac Visionaries 
> list.
> 
> If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if 
> you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or 
> moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself.
> 
> Your Mac Visionaries list moderator is Mark Taylor.  You can reach 
> mark at:  macvisionaries+modera...@googlegroups.com and your owner is 
> Cara Quinn - you can reach Cara at caraqu...@caraquinn.com
> 
> The archives for this list can be searched at:
> http://www.mail-archive.com/macvisionaries@googlegroups.com/
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> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

-- 

Janina Sajka,   Phone:  +1.443.3

Re: To Janina Sajka Soft phones?

['Janina Sajka' via MacVisionaries]

Hi, Donna:

Yes, as you need PSTN support, I can be a little more specific. You need
two pieces, a software application that will work accessibly on your
Mac, and a gateway service that your Mac can register with that will
carry calls back and forth to the PSTN.

1.) On the app side I would suggest checking out an app called Bria:


http://www.counterpath.com/bria/


I have not used this app myself, but a colleague who I trust has it on
his Iphone and is very satisifed with the performance as well as the
accessibility.

Perhaps there might be others on the list who have some experience with
Bria?

Among other things, Bria does support IPv6 connectivity, though this is
rather a mixed blessing because there's only one service provider I'm
aware of who supports IPv6. More on that below.

I get away with insisting on IPv6 because I also run my own PBX on a
remote server in the cloud. To some extent that's a fancy way of saying
I'm being my own phone company for myself. I'm doing that with an
application called Asterisk.

The reason you might seriously care about this is that configuring your
router to properly support your phone calls can become annoyingly
complicated under traditional IPv4, where you have to insure you've
gotten your NAT rules correctly configured. This is probably only going
to be an issue, though, if you have more than one device using SIP,
though there's some work even for one device. SIP wants lots of ports,
5060-5080 inclusive for SIP itself, then 1-2 for the RTP part,
which is where the actual two way audio goes.

Now having said all this, another possible solution is Magic Jack. I've
not used it either, but I understand it's quite trivial to use. I know a
number of people who are by no means technical who are happily using
Magic Jack for their phone calls. However, none of these folks requires
accessibility, so I don't know about that--though I suspect all the
Magic Jack smarts are in the USB device itself, so it's likely simple to
manage.

Magic Jack is also very cost effective.

2.)Service Providers

If you go the Magic Jack route, you have service builtin. If you go the
Bria route, you need a contract with someone. Each of the services below
are good choices. They're all pay in advance services. You pay in some
money then spend down your balance making calls. I believe all of these
services have flat rate monthly plans, though I'm paying by the call.

The technical term for getting a phone number is "buying a DID." That's
what you want, a DID.

My current service is Vitelity, where I pay $1.49 per month for each
phone number, except for my 800 number, which is a bit more, though not
much more--I'm sorry I don't remember exactly. Then I pay per call at
the rate of approximately 1.3 cents per minute. International calls
outside of North America are more, though usually not more. Example:
Europe is generally 2.1 cents per minute.

I get these prices because I'm not relying on them for voice mail, or to
be my PBX. All they're giving me is a phone number and routing.

Vitelity's web page is usable, but it's really an accessible horror.

Here are some service options:

1.) Call With Us:
http://callwithus.com/

This is the only gateway service provider I know of that
supports IPv6. Also, they're very friendly to individuals like
you and me, as opposed to business clients who might buy bigger
blocks of connectivity. Their web pages are also very
accessibility friendly.

The only reason I'm not on their service is that they don't
support LNP, which stands for "Local Number Portability." This
is where you get to keep a phone number you already have with
someone else. If you're OK with getting a new phone number, go
with these folks.

2.) Flo Route:
https://www.flowroute.com

It's business oriented and fairly technical, but it's a 
good service. Web interface is very workable last I used it.

3.) Vitelity.net
http://vitelity.net

They recently changed their web interface for the worse,
imo. I have not tried to use it with Safari, but I know
it works with Google Chrome on the Mac, because that's
how I made my last payment there. Firefox on Linux did
NOT work, as it had been working for years. Otherwise, I
have no complaints.

4.) Broadvoice
https://www.broadvoice.com/

Another service mostly aimed at small business.

5.) Master List of Providers
https://www.voip-info.org/wiki/view/VOIP+Service+Providers

This web site is the goto place to learn about voip in all
respects. Prepare to spend some time there.

So, this should get you started. Please don't hesitate to ask questions
about any of this. I expect it's a bit overwhelming, so I expect you'll
have questions.

Meanwhile, have a most Merry Christmas!

Janina

Donna 

Re: To Janina Sajka Soft phones?

[Donna Goodin]

Hi Janina,

Thanks so much for taking the time to write such a comprehensive response.  It 
was well worth the wait. :)

It sounds like my needs are very similar to yours.  I, too, need a specific 
phone number that clients can call, and would like to be able to receive calls 
from anywhere, either on my Mac or my iPhone..  I don't need a group platform, 
such as that of Zoom.  I currently use Skype, and yes, it does allow for making 
and receiving calls from the PSTN. But I have become unhappy with the changes 
Microsoft has implemented in the interface, so have begun to look at other 
options.  I like FaceTime, but it has the limitations that you mentioned, and 
Also does not allow one to obtain a separate phone number.

It sounds like the solution you use runs under Linux, not Mac.  Am I reading 
that correctly?

Again, thanks for taking the time to write such a lengthy answer to my question.
Cheers,
Donna


> On Dec 26, 2017, at 3:07 AM, 'Janina Sajka' via MacVisionaries 
>  wrote:
> 
> Hi, Donna:
> 
> My apologies for the slow response. I've been distracted by noncomputer
> responsibilities these past few weeks.
> 
> To answer your question  I'd need to know a bit more what your needs
> are. Let me explain:
> 
> Probably the most widely known soft phone is Skype. Howegver, I myself
> don't use Skype. Depending on your platform, you might find Skype
> accessible--or not. For instance it's not accessible on Linux today.
> 
> On Apple products we have Face Time. I've used it slightly, and my
> experience suggest it's accessibility is excellent.
> 
> There are other soft phone clients that people use for voice communications 
> such as Face Book's Whatsapp, or
> Cisco's GoToMeeting or their Webex product. Accessibility of these
> varies from very accessible, e.g. Webex on Android, to not very
> accessible for anyone even when you're not using assistive technology,
> e.g. Webex on Mac.
> 
> Now, my situation is somewhat different. I have the particular
> requirement for an old fashioned phone number. I need the ability to
> recieve calls from any phone anywhere, and to call any traditional
> telephone number anywhere. I do this in two ways using the SIP protocol
> and a gateway service that routes calls between my SIP devices and the
> standard telephony world, usually abrieviated PSTN, which stands for
> "Public Switched Telephone Network."
> 
> 1.)   I have hard ware devices that look all the world like old
> fashioned telephones, but they're different. They're hardware SIP
> phones, and they connect over computer type network cables--what we call
> Cat5 (or Cat6) ethernet cables.
> 
>   My current device of choice is the Snom D715, primarily because
>   it's able to use IPv6, where Polycom phones do not. I have not
>   investigated use of the SIP handsets from Digium--though they're
>   on my list to look at the next time I'm in the market for a
>   hardware phone.
> 
>   2.) I use linphone, and sometimes the fs_cli application
>   provided by FreeSwitch on my Linux computers for placing and
>   recieving SIP calls. This functionality is critical to my work
>   because it allows me to use a high quality headset that connects
>   to my computer using USB, and still allows me to route the audio
>   through a 12 channel audio hardware mixer on my desk. This way
>   I'm able to have my screen reader as well as my telephone
>   conversation in my ears, without the people I'm talking with
>   hearing my screen reader.
> 
> Of course SIP phones can be used to place direct calls to other SIP
> phones, just like Skype and FaceTime calls can be made to others who are
> also using Skype or FaceTime. I believe Skype also provides the ability
> to call to and from the PSTN, but I don't know anything specific about
> that, or about any similar functionality among the other soft phones
> mentioned.
> 
> The biggest problem with all these services is that they don't
> interoperate natively, e.g. Webex can't call FaceTime, or vice versa.
> The standards world is hoping to solve this with specifications called
> WebRTC. Time will tell how that goes.
> 
> Hope this helps!
> 
> Janina
> 
> 
> Donna Goodin writes:
>> Hi all,
>> 
>> I'm directing this question to Janina as she mentioned using a soft phone, 
>> but would be interested in hearing from anyone else who uses one.
>> 
>> Can anyone recommend good accessible soft phone options?
>> TIA,
>> Donna
>> 
>> -- 
>> The following information is important for all members of the Mac 
>> Visionaries list.
>> 
>> If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if 
>> you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or 
>> moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself.
>> 
>> Your Mac Visionaries list moderator is Mark Taylor.  You can reach mark at:  
>> macvisionaries+modera...@googlegroups.com and your owner is Cara 

Re: To Janina Sajka Soft phones?

['Janina Sajka' via MacVisionaries]

Hi, Donna:

My apologies for the slow response. I've been distracted by noncomputer
responsibilities these past few weeks.

To answer your question  I'd need to know a bit more what your needs
are. Let me explain:

Probably the most widely known soft phone is Skype. Howegver, I myself
don't use Skype. Depending on your platform, you might find Skype
accessible--or not. For instance it's not accessible on Linux today.

On Apple products we have Face Time. I've used it slightly, and my
experience suggest it's accessibility is excellent.

There are other soft phone clients that people use for voice communications 
such as Face Book's Whatsapp, or
Cisco's GoToMeeting or their Webex product. Accessibility of these
varies from very accessible, e.g. Webex on Android, to not very
accessible for anyone even when you're not using assistive technology,
e.g. Webex on Mac.

Now, my situation is somewhat different. I have the particular
requirement for an old fashioned phone number. I need the ability to
recieve calls from any phone anywhere, and to call any traditional
telephone number anywhere. I do this in two ways using the SIP protocol
and a gateway service that routes calls between my SIP devices and the
standard telephony world, usually abrieviated PSTN, which stands for
"Public Switched Telephone Network."

1.) I have hard ware devices that look all the world like old
fashioned telephones, but they're different. They're hardware SIP
phones, and they connect over computer type network cables--what we call
Cat5 (or Cat6) ethernet cables.

My current device of choice is the Snom D715, primarily because
it's able to use IPv6, where Polycom phones do not. I have not
investigated use of the SIP handsets from Digium--though they're
on my list to look at the next time I'm in the market for a
hardware phone.

2.) I use linphone, and sometimes the fs_cli application
provided by FreeSwitch on my Linux computers for placing and
recieving SIP calls. This functionality is critical to my work
because it allows me to use a high quality headset that connects
to my computer using USB, and still allows me to route the audio
through a 12 channel audio hardware mixer on my desk. This way
I'm able to have my screen reader as well as my telephone
conversation in my ears, without the people I'm talking with
hearing my screen reader.

Of course SIP phones can be used to place direct calls to other SIP
phones, just like Skype and FaceTime calls can be made to others who are
also using Skype or FaceTime. I believe Skype also provides the ability
to call to and from the PSTN, but I don't know anything specific about
that, or about any similar functionality among the other soft phones
mentioned.

The biggest problem with all these services is that they don't
interoperate natively, e.g. Webex can't call FaceTime, or vice versa.
The standards world is hoping to solve this with specifications called
WebRTC. Time will tell how that goes.

Hope this helps!

Janina


Donna Goodin writes:
> Hi all,
> 
> I'm directing this question to Janina as she mentioned using a soft phone, 
> but would be interested in hearing from anyone else who uses one.
> 
> Can anyone recommend good accessible soft phone options?
> TIA,
> Donna
> 
> -- 
> The following information is important for all members of the Mac Visionaries 
> list.
> 
> If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if 
> you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or 
> moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself.
> 
> Your Mac Visionaries list moderator is Mark Taylor.  You can reach mark at:  
> macvisionaries+modera...@googlegroups.com and your owner is Cara Quinn - you 
> can reach Cara at caraqu...@caraquinn.com
> 
> The archives for this list can be searched at:
> http://www.mail-archive.com/macvisionaries@googlegroups.com/
> --- 
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups 
> "MacVisionaries" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an 
> email to macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com.
> To post to this group, send email to macvisionaries@googlegroups.com.
> Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries.
> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

-- 

Janina Sajka,   Phone:  +1.443.300.2200
sip:jan...@asterisk.rednote.net
Email:  jan...@rednote.net

Linux Foundation Fellow
Executive Chair, Accessibility Workgroup:   http://a11y.org

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)
Chair, Accessible Platform Architectureshttp://www.w3.org/wai/apa

-- 
The following information is important for all members of the Mac Visionaries 
list.

If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if