WiFi Phone Announced

igrp writes "Zyxel just announced its Prestige 2000W VoIP Wi-Fi Cordless Phone. It's designed to work with 802.11b networks, implements QoS and IP-to-IP call functionality and uses 128-bit WEP encryption. It also scans for 'available APs in [the] hand set's environment'. War driving just became a whole lot more interesting."

You are stupid

[Anonymous Coward]

Cisco has had the 7920 WiFi VoIP phone out for a good while.. nothing new.

Looks like a new WiSIP

[OctaneZ]

Wow, it looks almost exactly like the WiSIP [pulverinnovations.com] that Jeff Pulver [jeffpulver.com], founder of Free World Dialup [freeworlddialup.com], has been selling on Pulver Innovations [pulverinnovations.com] for about a year now.

Google Cache

[UncleBiggims]

Here's the Google Cache [216.239.57.104] of the product page.

Are you Corn Fed? [ebay.com]

Text from site

[erobertstad]

First few times I tried it was allready having SQL errors so here's the text:

Prestige 2000W
VoIP Wi-Fi Phone

The Prestige 2000W VoIP Wi-Fi phone, compatible with IEEE 802.11b wireless standard, is a perfect solution for Voice over IP applications. It allows users to make or receive phone calls as long as they are in the coverage of IEEE 802.11b or 11g wireless Access Points. By using the Prestige 2000W, users no longer have to pay expensive communication fees and can enjoy the convenience of wireless mobility.

The brand new application is developed to support open standard SIP (Session Initiation Protocol), which interoperates with major SIP-based call servers, IP-PBXs and various VoIP client devices. It is not only an ideal alternative for ITSPs (IP Telephony Service Providers) to deploy their VoIP services; it can also be the wireless handset, which is applied in corporate IP-PBX centric VoIP environment.

The Prestige 2000W is very easy to use and configure. It allows users to configure with LCD screen menu or web browser. Meanwhile, with the smart auto-provisioning mechanism, ITSPs can easily deploy and manage the VoIP services. Easy-to-use and convenient, the Prestige 2000W delivers high quality voice functionality in a cost-effective way.

Benefits

Open Standard SIP v2 Support
The call control protocol of the Prestige 2000W is based on SIP v2 (Session Initiation Protocol version 2, RFC 3261) open standard, which is interoperable with major SIP-based call servers, IP-PBXs, and other standard SIP-based client devices.

Mobility with IEEE 802.11b Wireless Standard Compliance
The Prestige 2000W is compliant with the IEEE 802.11b standard and interoperates with any existing 802.11b or 802.11g wireless AP and gateway. It may be used as a cordless handset for residential users or for business users in an office environment. The small form factor of the handset is easy to transport and allows users to place VoIP phone calls in public 802.11-based hot spots.

High Voice Quality with Low Communication Costs
The Prestige 2000W is capable of tagging features that support a service provider?s QoS (Quality of Service) planning, such ToS (Type of Service), and DiffServ. It allows gateways or central side equipment to identify and prioritize voice and data traffic. By supporting G.711 and G.729 voice compression technology, the Prestige 2000W effectively reduces bandwidth consumption caused by voice traffic.

Enhanced Power Saving Design for Extended Standby and Talk Time
With an improved power-saving design, the Prestige 2000W can be used for a relatively long period of standby and talk time. With an extended life for each recharge cycle, the Prestige 2000W is available where and when you need it.

Direct IP-to-IP Call and Ad-hoc Intercom Mode Support(Optional)
By configuring a remote IP address in the built-in phone book, the Prestige 2000W provides a direct IP-to-IP call feature when there is no intermediate SIP proxy server available in the network. The Prestige 2000W can also establish an 802.11 ad-hoc network (computer-to-computer network without Access Point), which allows users to use the handsets as wireless intercoms.
Features

Wireless
- IEEE 802.11b support
- Frequency band: 2.400 ~ 2.497 GHz
- Channel: FCC Ch1~11, ETSI Ch1~13, Japan Ch1~14
- Data Rate: 11 / 5.5 / 2 / 1 Mbps
- Output Power: 14 + 1dBm
- Sensitivity: -82 dBm@11Mbps
- Operating range: Out-door up to 300m, In-door up to 75m
- 64/128 bit WEP encryption
- Site Survey: Scan available APs in hand set?s environment
- Support infrastructure (public) mode and Ad-hoc mode (option)

Voice
- SIP (RFC 3261) version 2
- SDP (RFC2327)
- RTP (RFC1889)
- RTCP (RFC1890)
- CODEC: G711, G.729a
- DTMF detection and relay
- G.168 echo cancellation
- Silence Suppression
- Voice Activity Detection (VAD)
- Comfort Noise Generation (CNG)
- QoS support TOS / DiffServ
- Support outbond proxy for NAT Traversal

Cisco....

[phillk6751]

Cisco has already developed an 802.11 wireless phone for their VoIP networks for businesses. They've developed fully VoIP phones that only need a certain server and a cat5 connection to the internet to function. They can also use TTS(Text to speech) and ASR(automatic speech recognition) commands for the blind people, and the phones read XML for menus. I think cisco's are cooler.

Bandwidth Considerations at Hot Spots

[iammrjvo]

This would probably work well on a LAN, but would this really work well between networks at all Wi-fi hot spots? I'd be concerned about spotty coverage where the Internet connection is slow, such as at a coffee shop or hotel where every computer on the network is sharing one DSL connection.

Also, since Wi-fi coverage is still spotty, even inside of cities, traditional mobile service is probably still the best solution for most folks. Once Wi-fi becomes more widely deployed, then this kind of device could displace traditional mobile techs.

Re:Useful?

[Anonymous Coward]

There are several SIP proxies which provide a gateway to the plain old telephone system. Free ones offer incoming calls and calls to toll-free numbers only, but there are also paid gateways through which you can use VoIP phones both ways.

This is old tech

[Anonymous Coward]

Hi there! What planet are you from?

Cisco has had wi-fi VoIP phones for a year. A friend uses them at work at they are rather nifty. I think there might be some handover issues since mobile IP isn't really fit for fight yet.

Here's the product page. [cisco.com]

If you google for wi-fi phone you'll find there are some others as well, but coming from the PDA end of the spectrum.

Plus Nokia's latest phone/pda has wi-fi as well, but I don't think you they are available in stores yet.

Re:You are stupid

[jaredmauch]

The Cisco 7920 only supports the skinny/sccp protocol used by the their call manager system (runs on WinNT and successors). This is interesting as it uses the ietf produced protocol SIPv2. Pulver also has one here [pulverinnovations.com]. Still "nothing new", but represents more geeky products in the SIP world.

Re:MMmmmmm radiation

[throwaway18]

How wise is it to stick a 802.11 transmitter right next to your brain for extended periods of time?

This device 14dBm = 0.025watts
My GSM phone 33dBm = 2 watts (with automatic power control so it dosn't allways use that much)

I'm not worried at all. Would you expect to see a rise in brain tumours by now considering the number of people with mobiles?

That said I think the SAR ratings for phones are completly bogus. A phone with a 4 inch pull out antenna may have a higher SAR rating but it transmitts more efficiently so it can contact the base with less power and the amount of power being absorbed by the users head is less than a tiny new phone with an internal antenna.

Practicality

[Anonymous Coward]

I work in the engineering section of one of the leading cordless phone companies. A couple days ago, I asked why we weren't developing a voip cordless phone. He said that aside from the cost and complexity of implementing this, the battery life is also a huge issue.

I hope they can pull it off. I think it's a great idea because it means that your cordless phone has coverage over your whole wireless network rather than just when it is in close proximity to your base station.

Re:MMmmmmm radiation

[throwaway18]

4" external verse 4" internal is the same thing.
No it isn't. Firstly the users hand is around the phone and secondly
the internal antennas are usually a small coil of wire. A 4" whip
antanna stickout out the top of the phone has a considerably different efficiency and radiation pattern to a 4" whip a few millimeters away from the metal shields around the innards of the phone.

Re:Nice...

[BHS_Turf]

We are using a couple of cordless Cisco VOIP phones in exactly the opposite environment. We use these in the middle of the forest in a fire camp. I guess I should mention that we have a trailer outfitted with a satellite uplink, GIS workstations, Crew Dispatch, and high resolution video into the hospital when needed.

Re:Useful?

[Anonymous Coward]

http://phone.ipkall.com/ipphone/
(Washington state phone number)

http://fwd.calluk.com/
(London phone number)

Re:NAT

[Gaewyn L Knight]

Look at the IAX protocol that Asterisk PBX [asterisk.org] uses. Several devices are coming out now that talk this protocol.

Main selling points are:
#1 It works VERY well
#2 Only 1 port is ever used so NAT fowarding fixes all NAT issues
#3 Is a full PBX level intercommunication protocol so you can have any device using it do very advanced things that SIP and H323 only wish they could do well. (example... line in use indication for secretaries phones)

Virbiage [virbiage.com] is preparing to sell there FT201 based on IAX protocol and Digium [digium.com] (makers of Asterisk) are beginning mass production on their "IAXy" which is an ATA brick for analog phones.

Check Asterisk

[jtn]

The Skinny/SCCP protocol has some support in Asterisk [asteriskpbx.org] 0.7.x now. I haven't had a chance to test it myself as there is no way I'm paying that much for a portable phone with very limited coverage at the moment :)

Re:Nokia 9500 communicator

[Gubbe]

Just because the 9500 includes WiFi support doesn't mean it can route calls through it.
You probably didn't mean it that way either, but I figured I'd mention it in case somebody thinks you did.

OEM

[Guanix]

It's actually just a BCM WLAN600 [bcm.com.tw] (from a Taiwanese manufacturer) that's rebranded. ZyXEL develops very few of their products themselves.

Re:Sounds good on first read...

[jestered1]

Adding this phone in your house wouldn't add a fifth, distinct 2.4GHz competetor to your air-space. This phone would ride over your existing 802.11b (or g) network, working with it, not competing with it. Additionally, it could replace your cordless phone, reducing the cross-talk. Next, do some channel management between your AP's and the X10 to keep them away from each other, and now all you have to worry about it the microwave.

Of course putting this in at home would require you to somehow put a VoIP interface on your land-line. I'm sure that someone here on /. knows of something pratical for home use. The VoIP to land-line set up may be a hassle, but don't let 2.4Ghz congestion be your reason for not doing this, as this could actually relieve it.