Ekiga FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions for Ekiga telephony software

How do I get a free SIP address?

At step 3 of 10 in the druid, you'll be asked for your Username and Password. You get them by registering in ekiga.net. This will gives you a free SIP address. Choose your username with care since you will be giving it out to your contacts. A SIP address is a way to be reachable and to reach people. You can compare it to an e-mail address.

Please avoid specials characters for your password. Letters and numbers will do just fine.

Just follow the link given in the dialog to get an account if you do not have one, then fill in your username and password.

Your address will be sip:Username@ekiga.net

Please press ’Forward’ after having entered all required information to continue.

How do I place a call ?

When you're done with the druid and have an account on ekiga.net, you can call the echo test: sip:500@ekiga.net You'll be able to check whether you can reach the service (the SIP network), whether your sound setup is ok (you can hear yourself with a delay) and whether your webcam works (you can see yourself).

If you know the SIP address of the party you wish to call, you may enter that adress into the sip: input box at the top of the screen and press the Connect button; eg: sip:foo@ekiga.net and pressing the Connect button would call the user at that address.

Can I use several SIP addresses ?

Yes. First you have to register to the provider (e.g. ekiga.net). Then to add your new sip:address, go to menu Edit -> Accounts -> Add

How do I test the Ekiga service?

Once you're registered to http://ekiga.net, you can test your setup and line quality by dialing the echo service: sip:500@ekiga.net

This service only works with PCMU or iLBC audio codecs, and the H.261 video codec.

The test service begins with a voice explaining what will happen, then the echo test begins. The echo test is both an audio and a video echo function, so when this is running, you can choose to see local video from your camera or remote video from the remote machine's echo signal.

How do I join an audio conference?

If you are using ekiga.net as your VoIP provider, you can access a conference server via the aliases

• sip:501@ekiga.net to join the public conference room

• sip:501XXXX@ekiga.net where XXXX is the number of your choice representing the number of the room.

[For example, a group of friends could meet in conference room 1122 by dialing sip:5011122@ekiga.net]

Using 501xxxx, you'll be asked for a "PIN number": dialing a number you can protect the access to your conference room or just dialing # will make this conference public.

How do I call other SIP providers (peering)?

Peering is the term given to agreement between VoIP Service Providers which enables the users of one service to call users of another.

This is usually implemented by dialing a special prefix number and then the number of the receipitant (on the 'other' service).

With Ekiga.net, you can use SipBroker prefixes.

Here are some examples of prefixes:

You can also use the special prefix *013 to place a call using Enum. As prefixes do not have a standard, Enum tries to solve this situation.

Some numbers you can dial using Ekiga.net:

• More fun numbers in the Ekiga online documentation

How do I search for a contact in Ekiga White pages?

People registered to Ekiga.net may be reached using the White Pages.

• Open the Address Book (Tools → Address Book), or click the address book button.

• Select "Ekiga White pages".

You can search the White pages by name, SIP address, or location. Up to 100 results are returned for any search.

How do I create an Ekiga online status button for my web page?

You can easily put a button on your web page showing your status: online or offline. If you're online, the visitor can place a call using the button.

Here is what will appear on your web page:

In order to use it, simply add this to your web page:

<script src=”http://www.ekiga.net/status/presence.php?user=YOUR_ID_ON_EKIGA.NET”></script>

where YOUR_ID_ON_EKIGA.NET is simply your username.

Ekiga Links

Navigate to Ekiga pages at Ubuntu Help

• Ekiga - Telephony Software

  • Ekiga/VoIP_Providers - Commercial VoIP Providers

  • Ekiga/Configuration - Configuring Ekiga

  • Ekiga/FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions about Ekiga

See Also

• InternetApplications

• WengoPhone

• Skype

• SoftPhone