Shadowmite.com Blog

Anonymous says:

According to there website, Wifi is not required!

To use VoIP on your PDA you must be able to connect to the internet. Depending upon the PDA you have, there are three main ways of doing this:

* Bluetooth
* WiFi
* GPRS/EDGE/EVDO

Bluetooth

Applies to Treo 650/700p, LifeDrive, T|X, Tungsten T, T3 & T5, Zire 72 other PDAs with Bluetooth card

Generally, Bluetooth is used as a short range method of wirelessly linking hardware together; for example, linking a mobile phone to a headset. Many current PalmOS PDAs have bluetooth which allows such linking, but it can also be used as a way of connecting to the internet; enabling access to email, the web and VoIP.

To connect to the internet you need a Bluetooth Access Point – normally this would be your PC with a Bluetooth USB adaptor and a broadband connection to the internet. There are many web pages on configuring a bluetooth internet connection a selection of which are listed below:

* Wireless Networking at Home with Bluetooth
* Bluetooth Adapter Setup for Palm Devices
* Howto: Bluetooth Internet with Windows XP
* Connecting a Linux PC and PalmOS PDA via Bluetooth

Bluetooth does have sufficient bandwidth for a usable VoIP service, however, the range of a Bluetooth connection is fairly limited. As you move out of range from the Bluetooth access point you may experience delays and gaps in the speech as the bluetooth signal gets weaker; eventually you will lose the call altogether. Normally you will be able to use the device within the same room as the access point and probably from adjacent rooms. The main advantage of the short range is the reduced power consumption when compared with other technology (e.g. WiFi).

WiFi

Applies to LifeDrive, T|X, Tungsten C, other PDAs with WiFi card

WiFi is a method of wirelessly linking computers together; including PDAs and Smartphones. It has a higher bandwidth and larger range than bluetooth and as a result is better solution for VoIP services. Indeed, there are many public WiFi hotspots that would allow you access to VoIP services while on the move.

To connect to the internet you need a WiFi Access Point – this could be a public hotspot, a wireless router on your network or a PC with a WiFi USB adaptor. The user documentation supplied with your PDA should describe how to setup WiFi access to the internet.
Mobile Data Service (GPRS/EDGE/EVDO)

Applies to Treo 600/650/700p

The Treo smartphones have the ability to connect to a data service provided by your Mobile Phone Service provider. Normally this is an extra package that you can purchase on top of your voice call package. If you wish to use this service for VoIP you should go for an unlimited data package as VoIP can use a large amount of bandwidth and would be very expensive if billed at a per megabyte rate.

When compared with WiFi and Bluetooth, mobile data services provide a much better range (almost universal coverage) but they provide a slower and less reliable service.

In theory the bandwidth provided by these technologies is sufficient to offer a VoIP service, however they may have problems providing a reliable voice service and as a result voice may be subject to delays and noise. EVDO should provide the best performance of this technology.

To setup a data service connection you should refer to your Treo documentation and your mobile phone service provider.

Anonymous says:

What about Shadowmite’s WIFI driver for treo 650? if you use that one you can use the palmone WIFI…