Phoner

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Phoner

Phoner logo
Screenshot from Phoner
Phoner on Windows 7
Basic data

developer Heiko Sommerfeldt
Publishing year February 1998
Current  version 3.22
(October 25, 2019)
operating system Microsoft Windows
category ISDN , IP telephony
License Freeware , closed source
German speaking Yes
phoner.de
PhonerLite

PhonerLite logo
PhonerLite screenshot
PhonerLite on Windows 10
Basic data

Publishing year June 1, 2005
Current  version 2.82
(August 21, 2020)
operating system Microsoft Windows
category IP telephony
License Freeware
lite.phoner.de

Phoner [ ˈfəʊnə ] is a freeware program for Microsoft operating systems .

Phoner enables telephone calls to the fixed network to mobile telephones and VoIP - remote sites . The program can be used as softphone on analog subscriber lines to digital ISDN - subscriber lines and as a softphone on stationary and mobile used computers.

The proper name is a derivation of the English verb to phone [ ˈtuː ˈfəʊn ] and can be translated as telephoner based on the English meaning . In the linguistic context, the application is a software pendant to a telephone with integrated recording, logging, administration and control functions.

Due to the additional support of IP telephony functions, since June 1, 2005, the developer has made its own version of the program with the suffix “Lite” [ ˈlaɪt ] available free of charge as freeware.

Phoner has been available in German and English since it was first published. Bulgarian, French, Italian, Greek, Dutch, Spanish and Czech translations as well as the telephone prefixes provided by the developer for Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland and Switzerland indicate that the software is widely used. Transcriptions of the texts used into Arabic characters or translations for language areas using Arabic characters are not officially available, but the software in these language areas is mentioned on websites in connection with the name of the developer.

The program was presented, discussed and recommended in various specialist journals in German-speaking countries.

properties

Development was independent of proprietary performance specifications and the communication protocols used were implemented within the scope of their specifications. This should a high compatibility to available network technologies as well as used in connection with the software devices - hardware are achieved.

Phoner and PhonerLite [ ˈfəʊnɜːˌˈlaɪt ] are based on the same program code . With PhonerLite, the developer dispensed with the modes for ISDN operation ( CAPI ) and the use of analog subscriber lines ( TAPI ) on the administration, control, logging and recording functions of the more extensive Phoner variant.

PhonerLite can only be used as a softphone for IP telephony (VoIP). Since this variant has setting aids for the configuration of the connection data and saves system resources by restricting the possible uses, it is mainly intended to enable beginners to use IP telephony.

Phoner can be used instead of or, if installed in a different directory, at the same time as PhonerLite. The configuration of a "Lite" variant used can be adopted for the SIP operating mode.

description

Phoner can be used in three operating modes, which allow operation with terminal devices installed on the system on analog subscriber lines, with terminal devices on digital ISDN subscriber connections and as an IP telephone .

As a front end, the application uses the technical possibilities of installed modems , ISDN devices and network adapters for computer-aided telephony . Via a graphical user interface (GUI), the call via the command line and via a COM interface available during runtime , the program provides functions for setting up or receiving calls as well as other functions of a telephony terminal .

An installed, full-duplex sound card and microphone are required for active use of Phoner as telephony software for setting up and receiving calls . It is also possible to use a headset or a compatible USB - telephone receiver .

The communication hardware functions available through device drivers or manufacturer-specific program libraries are addressed via standardized interfaces , also program libraries.

Operating modes

The available operating modes can be used optionally and independently of one another. If the software needs to be used in several operating modes at the same time, each task can be installed in a separate program directory. Several instances of the software can be active at the same time in order to monitor an operating mode or an assigned task.

TAPI

The TAPI operating mode is used for operation on an analog subscriber line or analog terminal. Communication with modems or other end devices on analog subscriber lines takes place via a TAPI interface. TAPI is a program library that is used to operate communication hardware with a computer system.

It has been possible to use the program on analogue subscriber lines and ISDN subscriber lines since it was first published on February 1, 1998.

The TAPI operating mode will not be further developed because ISDN has been available across Germany since September 1995 . This mode can be used for telephony behind a TAPI-capable telephone system that is operated on an ISDN basic or primary rate connection .

CAPI

The CAPI operating mode is used for operation on an ISDN subscriber line. If an ISDN basic or primary rate connection is used and an ISDN card or other CAPI-supported hardware is available, communication takes place via a CAPI interface installed on the computer.

To use ISDN functions and ISDN performance features , the program in CAPI mode requires a program library with the name "capi2032.dll".

If a network card is also available, the program can be used in a LAN as a front-end application behind a CAPI server across operating systems. As an independent application, the CAPI server provides the functionality of a CAPI program library installed on the server to client computers in the network.

This operating mode enables voice and data transmission in accordance with the logical specifications of the DSS1 ISDN standard, which has been uniform throughout Europe since 1991 . Provided by the unused terminal supports hardware and CAPI can with Phoner except voice and data calls using the DSS1 standard by the network provider provided call-processing features via the ISDN D channel via the or with analog connections tone dialing be used.

VoIP

The VoIP operating mode is used for IP telephony according to the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP). An operating mode for VoIP telephony based on the SIP standard has been implemented since program version 1.66 . If a network card is installed, the software can be used within a local computer network or for calls to other computer networks within an IP network environment in SIP mode.

The scope of the program includes a program library with the name "sipper.dll", which provides VoIP functionality based on the SIP standard similar to "capi2032.dll" in CAPI mode.

The implementation of switching performance features for IP telephony is carried out strictly in accordance with the specifications of RFC 3261 for the Session Initiation Protocol. This is intended to achieve technical compatibility with companies that offer IP telephony based on the Session Initiation Protocol for connections via gateways to the fixed network and the mobile network .

Functions

history

1998-2003

The Phoner program was created in February 1998 by the developer Heiko Sommerfeldt as part of his diploma thesis at the University of Ulm . In the following years, additional administrative, recording, logging and control functions were further developed.

2004-2005

With the growing number of DSL connections , computer-based ISDN telephony decreased due to the additional ISDN hardware required. A growing increase in IP telephony at the same time may be due to the fact that calls between VoIP subscribers were mostly offered free of charge and subject to contractual obligations that were not binding.

The Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) prevailed over the H.323 protocol for calls , which means that Phoner and PhonerLite only support SIP for VoIP calls.

Based on the LGPL- licensed oSIP library, Heiko Sommerfeldt developed the "sipper.dll" based on the standardized "capi2032.dll", which provides the VoIP functionality for call connections and IP telephony features in the SIP operating mode of the program.

On June 1, 2005, the PhonerLite program variant was published on the basis of the same source code, which only enables calls to be made in an IP network environment.

The development was based on the justification that PhonerLite should be available as an easy-to-use softphone for exclusive VoIP use, while the integration of the SIP mode in the original Phoner program means that the program is inevitably more complex to use and, due to the increased connectivity, more extensive Setting options arose.

2006-2007

The further development of VoIP functionality was extended to include transmission security. The encryption techniques SRTP and TLS were implemented .

2008-2009

The support of wideband codecs such as G.722 and Speex-Wideband enable better voice quality thanks to a higher sampling frequency of 16 kHz. PhonerLite also controls the sound card at this higher frequency.

IPv6 is supported

2010-2011

In addition to PhonerLite, Phoner now also supports Wideband - since version 2.51 not only for VoIP connections, but also via ISDN.

Phoner and PhonerLite now also support ZRTP for voice encryption. CELT is supported as a further wideband codec .

2012

PhonerLite can now import Google Contacts . Instead of the CELT codec, the OPUS codec is now supported.

2013-2015

A corresponding two-factor authentication was implemented for the import of the Google contacts .

Web links

Commons : Phoner  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Phoner download page
  2. ↑ Heiko Sommerfeldt: PhonerLite: Download. In: PhonerLite. August 21, 2020, accessed on August 24, 2020 .
  3. ↑ Description
  4. ↑ Software meeting
  5. ↑ Description PhonerLite
  6. ↑ Available translations and area code lists
  7. ↑ Press review
  8. ↑ c't 12/1999, p. 122.
  9. ↑ c't 12/2000, p. 130.
  10. ↑ c't 13/2002, p. 158.
  11. ↑ c't 24/2004, p. 229.
  12. ↑ PC Magazin 08/2000 ( Memento from September 27, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
  13. ↑ PC Magazin 01/2004
  14. ↑ History of development
  15. ↑ CAPI Association CAPI description ( Memento from May 3, 2007 in the Internet Archive )