Getting Started with Zfone. What is Zfone?
Zfone is a new secure VoIP phone software product which lets you make secure encrypted phone calls over the Internet. Zfone is not itself a VoIP client, but lets you make secure calls with your existing VoIP client, by filtering, encrypting and decrypting all your VoIP media packets as they pass in and out of your computer. You can use a variety of different software VoIP clients to make a VoIP call. It's as if Zfone were a "bump on the wire", sitting between the VoIP client and the Internet. Think of it as a software bump-on-the-wire, or a bump in the protocol stack. Downloading and Testing the Zfone Beta There's no online HELP with this release of the Zfone beta software, so study this page carefully for instructions on installing and running it.
Step 1: Getting your VoIP client software ready.
Many things can go wrong with VoIP client software. There could be problems with your firewall, with getting VoIP calls to traverse your local network's NAT router, with your audio configuration choices (especially your microphone), with your VoIP service provider. For this reason, it is important that you get your VoIP client tested and working before you install Zfone. And get the other party to do the same. First, you will need to get yourself a VoIP client, install it, sign up for a VoIP service provider, get a VoIP phone number (a SIP URI), and test your VoIP client to make sure it all works. Many VoIP service providers provide an echo server to make a test call, and it will echo your voice back to you. To call the echo server at Free World Dialup, enter this SIP URI in the "Call" text box: sip:613@fwd.pulver.com, then press the call button. Zfone has been tested with these VoIP clients: X-Lite, Gizmo, XMeeting, Google Talk VoIP client, and SJphone. Zfone will encrypt audio and video for Apple iChat calls on Mac OS X (Tiger and Leopard). Zfone has been tested with these VoIP service providers: Free World Dialup, iptel.org, and SIPphone. It does not work with Skype... more>>>