So I managed to secure this Targa DIP Phone 450 from eBay the other day which is a rebranded Siemens Gigaset C450 IP phone – even the Siemens firmware will run on this phone.
It’s a normal DECT-based cordless phone which also has a VoIP module for (unfortunately only one) VoIP line. That’s Voice-over-IP, internet telephony, meaning that we now have a local telephone number and do not have to rely on mobile phones only (cheaper and more reliable).
The interesting part and reason why I’m blogging this is that the phone is connected to a very cheap Edimax access point, which amplifies the WiFi network from the basement up to our little flat under the roof and thus acts as a repeater (for techies: without activated WDS!):
incoming DSL line <=> Fritz!Box DSL modem/router <=> Wi-Fi <=> Edimax Repeater <=> LAN <=> base station phone <=> DECT <=> handset
I didn’t have to change any settings on both the Fritz!Box modem/router and the Edimax repeater, but instead only had to type in my VoIP details on the mobile base station via a local IP address and was ready to go within a few minutes. Now that’s extremely cool as it just works out-of-the-box – the way it’s supposed to work.
As mentioned earlier, the initial plan was to obtain a WiFi-based phone but this solution via LAN & DECT is much more elegant. I think that most WiFi connections are not as stable as a dedicated DECT line, even though they operate under similar conditions (yeah, ok, DECT is pulsed + in a better/lower frequency range + max 250mW).
In other words: a dedicated WiFi based VoIP solution (e.g UTStarcom F1000) would probably just be as good as my Nokia N95 – coming with a weak antenna position and WiFi module which imho is the initial reason for the relatively poor WiFi performance of the N95 (as compared to the Nokia E71).
VoIP is one sweet technology. Not perfect – but ideal for technomads like me.
JKE, that’s good stuff. You know, I didn’t realize that was why my N95 was so intermittent, makes sense though. I was sitting at a table with 4 other techies in Nairobi last week, all of them had E71’s, I was the only one with an N95…
Hi,
i have the same unit as you, and i am using Sipgate’s service too. But my Targa phone has this problem – everday when the DSL provider changes its IP address (24 hours once) the unit does not seemed to know it and will not automatically reconnect the VoIP connection to Sipgate. Do you experience the same problem?
thanks and happy new year!
wahlau.
Hi Wahlau, Sipgate works fine for me with this phone, no reconnecting issues. Also, I didn’t follow Sipgate’s installation manual, but instead the one provided by http://www.ip-phone-forum.de which is slightly different. Did you also try updating the phone’s firmware to the latest version?