Subject: [P2PSIP] Basic questions on P2PSIP

From: YannUbuntu <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 27 May 2010 15:13:24 +0900

Dear all,

I am new on this mailing-list. My name is Yann, I am a simple Ubuntu
linux user (and volunteer), who tries to understand and help improving
free software for videoconference.

Let's say, on Ubuntu I use Skype for videoconference
(webcam+audio+chat) with Ubuntu and Windows users, it works pretty
well, but it is closed-source, so I am trying to find a free
alternative, or help making it.

I have very basic knowledge about P2P and internet communication, so
please correct me if I am wrong for all the following.

As far as I know, the two best protocole alternatives are SIP (via
Ekiga for example), and Gtalk (via Empathy for example), but with
these I still could not get results as good as with Skype.

I have been told that Ekiga is sometimes blocked by firewalls/internet
boxes, and that Skype, Windows Live Messenger and Gtalk don't have
such problem because they use "http tunnel" (Skype), Google servers
relay (Gtalk), or "non-standard P2PSIP" (WLM).

So I wonder if it could be possible to do the same with free SIP
softwares such as Ekiga ?
I understood that the purpose of P2PSIP is to create a "P2PSIP
standard", am I right ? what is the current status of P2PSIP project ?
what are next steps ? where do you most need help ?

I saw many propositions on the website
(http://www.p2psip.org/implementations.php), where can I find a
comparison (advantages/disadvantages) between them ? do you work on
all of them at the same time ?
Which one is the "best" ?
If a free SIP software (e.g. Ekiga?) choose this current version of
the "best P2PSIP protocole" in order to enable P2PSIP between all
Ekiga clients, would it be possible to do webcam+audio between 2 Ekiga
clients even with firewalls/internet boxes, the same way that Skype
now does ?
If not, when do you estimate this "best proposition" can become
reliable enough to be used by SIP softwares ?

Thank you in advance for your answers.
Best regards
~Yann