Is VOIP conversation full-duplex or half-duplex?

Posts: 10 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Feb 27, 2006 Posts: 10

Hi,

Can someone tell me his/her Voip usage experience? What I meant was when I used SKype or VOIPStunt (free version), my experience is that both Skype and VOIPStunt is half-duplex, just like walkie-talkie, only one person can talk.

This is the main reason I am still not subscribed to Voip yet (I am still using telco and paying unreasonable cost per month).

Thanks for any info!

Jeff

Posts: 2257 · Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2006 10:32 am Post subject:

I believe that Vonage is full duplex. I can't say 100% for sure, but I'm pretty sure I've had simultaneous 2-way audio on conference calls and the like.

Posts: 1715 · Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2006 10:43 am Post subject:

Vonage is absolutely full duplex... I can't imagine being stuck with half duplex communications. Works great with my full-duplex teleconferencer as well.

Posts: 249 · Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2006 10:59 am Post subject: Duplex

VonageTPA wrote:

Vonage is absolutely full duplex... I can't imagine being stuck with half duplex communications. Works great with my full-duplex teleconferencer as well.

I'm sure your right. It seems to me though that if both persons start to talk at the same time you hear nothing? Kind of like my cell phone which is also advertised as full duplex. It's not quite the same as the old land line but not anything like the marine operator. But then 1/2 of the calls I get or make anymore seem to be to a cell phone! ..... Over.....

Posts: 1125 · Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2006 11:06 am Post subject:

It's definately full-duplex. The silence you here when no one is talking is because there are no packets being sent, and I forget what it's called right now, but the call kind of "parks" until voice (packets) are detcted again. .....Roger, over..........

Posts: 476 · Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2006 11:17 am Post subject:

Yep, the silence you hear is because Voip uses packet switching instead of circuit switching like POTS. For those who care, there is a very good description of Voip on HowStuffWorks.com: http://computer.howstuffworks.com/ip-telephony.htm.

Posts: 1715 · Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2006 12:27 pm Post subject: Re: Duplex

OldSnipe wrote:

VonageTPA wrote:

Vonage is absolutely full duplex... I can't imagine being stuck with half duplex communications. Works great with my full-duplex teleconferencer as well.

I'm sure your right. It seems to me though that if both persons start to talk at the same time you hear nothing? Kind of like my cell phone which is also advertised as full duplex. It's not quite the same as the old land line but not anything like the marine operator. But then 1/2 of the calls I get or make anymore seem to be to a cell phone! ..... Over.....

What type of telephone are you using? I've never had anything like this happen on my Vonage line, just tried it now to verify and no problem with it, tested with both my teleconferencer & Aastra 9112 phone. Maybe it was whoever was speaking with you on the other end? As far as the silence when no one's speaking, there is a noise gate on many Voip devices/gateways to preserve bandwidth. The ones on the Vonage devices can be enabled/disabled if it's really bothersome. Personally, I like silence.

Posts: 10 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Feb 27, 2006 Posts: 10

I have not sign up with any Voip carrier yet. However, I am very interested in Vonage plan right now.

I did tried out first with Skype, then with the "free" VoipStunk and found both to be half-duplix, i.e. the last speaker speaking word seems to cutt off the other-end's conversastion. This happen whtn both start to speak roughtly at the same time.

It is because of this observed half-duplex behavior kept me out of Voip technology so far.

When I use the word "free" for VoipStunk was because after something like 20 -30 minutes of free call to any phones in US and Canada, you need to deposit money to the account, which was claimed to not be used as long as you make indicated free calls. However, FAQ in the company's website indicates that any deposite to an account will be wipped out after 120 days of inactivity. So it is not "free" after all.

jml

Posts: 182 · Posted: Mon Mar 06, 2006 10:09 am Post subject:

Skype (and Vonage too) is full duplex. You need to use a USB phone or a headset with microphone to get full duplex, though. If you are going to use your computer like a speakerphone, it will only be half duplex, but that's true on any type of telephony service, even good old land lines.

Posts: 533 · Posted: Mon Mar 06, 2006 10:34 am Post subject:

Yup, it's full-duplex...out.