http://www.gateway2000.com/articles/internet/webphone/webphone.htm (Amiga Plus Extra No. 5/97, 05/1997)

Web Phones

by Mark Davis

One of the more intriguing aspects of the Internet craze that’s sweeping the world of computing is the new software category known as Web phones. Web phones allow you to connect to other individuals on the Internet and talk to them without having to make a long distance phone call. The cost savings are obvious when you consider the fact that you pay no long-distance charges for the call, as the connection is made through your local Internet provider. Sounds too good to be true? Well, in a lot of cases it is; there are a number of limitations to this technology that need to be considered before jumping on the Web phone bandwagon.
The most important limitation of Web phones is that there’s no agreed upon technical standard for Web phone communication. Each type of Web phone uses a different type of digital encoding to convert your voice to a digital signal, which is then sent across the Internet and converted back to analog sound at the receiver’s location. What this means is that in order to talk to someone else using a Web phone, you must both be using the same software, or the connection won’t work. As with most other new and emerging technologies, a standard has been proposed for Web phones (which is called H.323, and supported by such industry heavyweights as Intel and Microsoft), but it’ll be a long time before all the programs out there support it.
Another thing to consider is that the sound quality of Web phones leaves a lot to be desired in comparison to good old Ma Bell. Most Web phones sound rather tinny (no bass to speak of), and the quality of the connection ranges from adequate to terrible. Much of this variation in sound quality is due to such factors as the quality of your Internet connection, the amount of traffic on the Net at the time you’re trying to connect, and the brand of software you’re using. Another problem is that most sound cards out there only support a half duplex connection; in other words, only one person can talk at a time, and there can often be a pause of several seconds until you hear the other person respond to your comments (some manufacturers such as Creative Labs are coming out with new drivers for their sound cards that support a full duplex connection).
Web phones work best with a fast Internet connection. A 28.8-kbps modem is adequate in most cases, although an ISDN connection works much better (14.4-kbps modems are marginal at best). Also, make sure that your ISP assigns you a fixed Internet IP address; some Web phones won’t work with an address that is assigned to you dynamically each time you log on. Of course, you’ll need a decent microphone to connect to your sound card as well (you may need to adjust the sensitivity of the mike in your Web phone software to get the best sound quality). Most Web phones require you to speak slowly, loudly, and clearly; otherwise, you’ll garble your transmission and cause dropouts in the sound. Many people also find that a good set of headphones helps you to better understand what the other person is saying, as they help eliminate extraneous noise and get the sound source closer to your ear.
Having said all of the above, I don’t want to discourage anyone from trying out Web phones. As with all new technologies, they’ll only get better in the future (in fact, there’s more than a few long distance phone companies out there that are already getting worried about the future of their businesses!). If you’re interested in taking the plunge right now, some of the better software packages out there include Quarterdeck’s WebTalk, Microsoft’s NetMeeting, VocalTec’s Internet Phone, and InSoft/Netscape’s CoolTalk. Of course, this list may change in the near future, as new and improved Web phones are being released all the time. If you’ve got the urge to start talking on the Internet, there’s no time like the present to give it a try!

Gateway offers this column to its readership as a service, but please note that it is not responsible for the accuracy or opinions of the author and offers no warranty either expressed or implied that the information will produce the desired result.
The information provided in this article is based upon the writers particular experience with certain equipment. Familiarize yourself with the requirements of your local and state electrical code and insure yourself that the work you plan to do does not require a licensed professional. If you decide to attempt to do the work yourself, always exercise extreme caution when working on electrical systems because accidents may cause serious injury including death and damage your computer. If you experience difficulty or do not understand the instructions, please consult a professional in your area.