Generic VOIP sip client finally on WP

[CellularMan]

Linphone
Linphone | Windows Phone Apps+Games Store (United Kingdom)
Linphone for Windows Phone 8 ! | Linphone, an open-source video sip phone

FINALLY! I have been waiting for this feature to return since WM 6.x days. Almost 3 years now.

 

[revfast]

Thanks, i wish it had iax2 support like zoiper does.

 

[halamadridkimi]

Can u explain what is sip? And how it differentes from normal voip calls like viber skype?

 

[CellularMan]

Basically you can make and receive calls that show up from a real traditional phone number. You need a SIP account with a provider which typically costs money

 

[cliveontoast]

Can u explain what is sip? And how it differentes from normal voip calls like viber skype?

My explaination is that SIP is an open standard for VoIP Session Initiation Protocol - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia compared to Skype and Viber these are proprietary and closed VoIP systems. Using Skype, you can only call other Skype users for free. Using SIP, you can call any other SIP users (typically for free). You just need to know their account name. For example mine is 086xxxxxxx@sip1.exetel.com.au. It is a VoIP service where people can call me via SIP, or via the traditional phone services in Australia. Usually companies that provide SIP accounts will allow you to call traditional land line and mobile phone and international numbers for a price that is typically cheaper than other means.

linphone do provide a free SIP service that you can use to call other SIP clients Free SIP service | Linphone, an open-source video sip phone I've not set one up myself though.

 

[mister2d]

Linphone
Linphone | Windows Phone Apps+Games Store (United Kingdom)
Linphone for Windows Phone 8 ! | Linphone, an open-source video sip phone

FINALLY! I have been waiting for this feature to return since WM 6.x days. Almost 3 years now.

YES! You weren't the only one waiting! Thanks!

 

[StephenWagner7]

I've been waiting for a SIP client.

How well does this work on WP8? Has anyone tried it?

 

[mister2d]

I've been waiting for a SIP client.

How well does this work on WP8? Has anyone tried it?

It doesn't stay registered when you background the app, so it's really only useful for outbound calls. Otherwise you would have to keep the app in the foreground to receive incoming calls.

 

[wpeightuser]

You can have the app in the foreground and lock the screen. It will allow you to receive calls, but only for a short period of time until it drops the registration again. It also needs the G729 codec along with some other missing features such as transferring/conferencing calls.

I think the main advantage of SIP lines are not the free calls but the ability to customize your phone system with practically endless possibilities. The potential is huge for businesses. As single consumer users, it's rather pointless to pay or use a SIP service when services like Google Voice and Skype are better suited.

 

[mister2d]

You can have the app in the foreground and lock the screen. It will allow you to receive calls, but only for a short period of time until it drops the registration again. It also needs the G729 codec along with some other missing features such as transferring/conferencing calls.

I think the main advantage of SIP lines are not the free calls but the ability to customize your phone system with practically endless possibilities. The potential is huge for businesses. As single consumer users, it's rather pointless to pay or use a SIP service when services like Google Voice and Skype are better suited.

Agreed on the single consumer use. In my case I use VoIP service as my home phone and my Nokia as a mobile SIP client (sub account). The whole setup costs me about 6.32 a month with 911 services.

 

[psyfreaki]

i can make a call but it drops after 6 second... any ideas ?

 

[mister2d]

I would post the details to their mailing list or email support.

 

[anon(328792)]

I tried this app for as my SIP client on my Lumia 520, it wants the app to be always up and running to receive calls.
If I switch to different app and this app didn't run in Background. So no calls are there?
Is there any setting or any other good app to use as SIP client?

 

[foxbat121]

The way WP8 setup for SIP clients, it is possible to receive calls in background but the app vendor needs to setup a notification server to send out notifications when a call comes in. This is basically how Skype works today. Not an easy task and costs a lot of $$ to maintain such a server.

SIP is not mobile friendly. Open a socket and waiting for incoming calls is a quick way to drain your battery.

 

[anon(328792)]

So is there any paid SIP app which works like Skype?
Is it WP8 wants a notification server? How are they handle in Android and iOS?

 

[mister2d]

The way WP8 setup for SIP clients, it is possible to receive calls in background but the app vendor needs to setup a notification server to send out notifications when a call comes in. This is basically how Skype works today. Not an easy task and costs a lot of $$ to maintain such a server.

SIP is not mobile friendly. Open a socket and waiting for incoming calls is a quick way to drain your battery.

And yet on my Nokia 808, the built in SIP client works flawlessly while my battery lasts about 2.5 days.

It can be done. It's just not implemented effectively on Windows Phone.

 

[foxbat121]

It is implemented efficiently. That's how a modern app should be. On Android, the built in sip client or 3rd party sip client all have the same issue. If you want to receive calls, you need open a socket and waste battery

The problem with notification server is you pretty much have to be a sip provider so that your server receives incoming calls then notify and hand over to phone.

 

[mister2d]

It is implemented efficiently. That's how a modern app should be. On Android, the built in sip client or 3rd party sip client all have the same issue. If you want to receive calls, you need open a socket and waste battery

The problem with notification server is you pretty much have to be a sip provider so that your server receives incoming calls then notify and hand over to phone.

Explain its modern efficiency if it wastes battery. I'm confused there.

What I'm saying is that on my old Symbian phone, battery is not an issue with it staying connected and listening 24x7.

 

[foxbat121]

Explain its modern efficiency if it wastes battery. I'm confused there.

What I'm saying is that on my old Symbian phone, battery is not an issue with it staying connected and listening 24x7.

My old dumb phone lasted 7 days compare to your 3 days. Not the same thing. And if your turn off SIP receiving feature, your 808 may lasts couple more days.

Modern phones are designed to receive notifications from notification servers in an efficient way (typically a long http session with periodic heart beat) that only the message pipeline stays alive. All other software components goes to sleep. When notification comes, it will wake up the receiver to process. With an active socket open by a SIP client, the SIP client app must be alive all the time in order to maintain the pipe open and it may not even be possible to be as efficient as the built-in OS notification channels. So, it naturally will consumes more power than otherwise.

 

[mister2d]

My old dumb phone lasted 7 days compare to your 3 days. Not the same thing. And if your turn off SIP receiving feature, your 808 may lasts couple more days.

Modern phones are designed to receive notifications from notification servers in an efficient way (typically a long http session with periodic heart beat) that only the message pipeline stays alive. All other software components goes to sleep. When notification comes, it will wake up the receiver to process. With an active socket open by a SIP client, the SIP client app must be alive all the time in order to maintain the pipe open and it may not even be possible to be as efficient as the built-in OS notification channels. So, it naturally will consumes more power than otherwise.

You still did not explain how it's more efficient. You just repeated three times over how it works on windows phone. I know this already since I've been through the published APIs.