FNBConnect VOIP

[Aragon]

From watching my own VoIP traffic usage I'd say 400 KB/minute is a good estimate. Even with the most efficient codecs a single voice stream consumes about 3.5 KB/sec on the wire. Add a second stream for two way audio and you're at 7 KB/sec. It can be reduced substantially by ensuring silence detection is enabled.

[CranialBlaze]

OK, I'll bite although you obviously have a vested interest in FNB because every one of your 19 posts have, todate, only being punting FNB connect and so I am sure I am wasting my time but for anyone else who reads this post I compared FNB to my ISP, Screamer's rates because I use them to phone a lot of the African countries I do business in and the comparison is this. I used the FNB connectchat packages to compare apples with apples as Screamer also does not charge an annual membership fee apart from not insisting you bank with them.

Angola
Screamer R2.09 FNB R2.17

Mocambique
Screamer R1.62 FNB R3.21

Nigeria
Screamer R1.89 FNB R2.01

Calls to cell nos are:
Peak
Screamer R1.40 FNB R1.79

Off Peak
Screamer R0.89 FNB R1.24

Calls to Telkom local
Peak
Screamer R0.46 FNB R0.55

Off Peak
Screamer R0.25 FNB R0.39

If you want to compare your FNB Connect extra bundled charges then you will need to compare them to Screamer bundled packaes and believe me you don't want to go there.

Another advantage with Screamer is that they carry their voice traffic accross their own network and don't let it touch the local internet cloud which accounts for the quality of their calls.

You missed 1 big factor in your calculation, Screamer has Hardware Requirements, FNB requires you to download a PC and their free software, with screamer you have hardware costs of R1699 & R2999 with a R450 install fee, you can also pay monthly and pay R179 and R179 respectively.

Plus "To operate wirelessly within your home or office, a wireless router needs to be purchased at an additional cost"

http://www.screamer.co.za/voice_equipment.php

FNB, you pay R49 to setup and get R49 worth of calls, i rather pay the few cents extra as it will take a really long time for those cents difference to add up to R1699. If i only made calls to Telkom lines i would need to speak for 18877.78 minutes to make up the cost difference, that's over 314 hours of calling.

[s0lar]

Calls to cell nos are:
Peak
Screamer R1.40 FNB R1.79

According to the site, calls to all local cellular networks are R0.99c through FNB Connect.

[CranialBlaze]

As i am a non-FNB client i went on the hunt last night for an alternate option.

Found Wantel

Prices are similar to FNB, 50c for local and 1.35 for mobile, no setup, connection or other fees, you only get an outgoing like, but for R168 you can get in incoming number with a prefix code from either CT, DBN, JHB.

Works great with X-Lite, i have tested it and the only problem is that my mic is quite old and does not work very well, for SA it operates on a GSM codec so the quality is pretty much that of a normal cell call and i am using a 512k link.

When signing up you get R3.75 credit for testing, not much but enough to test the call quality, all calls are billed per second from the 1st second.

International calls, i checked UK, was 35c per min and the server is locally hosted.

You purchase airtime as needed, via EFT or credit card, credit card uses moneybookers and allows purchases between 5 and 100 euros, in preset increments.

All in all i would rate it quite a good option for those wanting VOIP and as its an SIP based service it will be easy enough to configure for mobile usage and should work on even a GPRS connection, i looked at teh statistics fro a call to a telkom line was 14kbps out and 13kbps in.

[Mycroft]

LancelotSA: Try Switch Telecom - www.switchtel.co.za. You can use the native Nokia SIP client. It works a treat, but as mentioned by B.I.G. "with good 3G network coverage."

I am in the process of cancelling my account with SwitchTel... Works okay if you do 1 or 2 calls. Not at all impressed with their service though

[Retnox]

Mycroft, Who are you porting your number to then? I'm looking for a good home use post paid sip provider. Currently using Switchtel - not bad, but not great either.

[swazz99jhb]

Hi.

Has anyone successfully setup this up on Android phone using the native internet calling?

What settings was used?

It works with stuff like sipdroid but I can't get it to work with the native option.

Thanks