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Technology Stocks : Voice-on-the-net (VON), VoIP, Internet (IP) Telephony -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Darren DeNunzio who wrote (2656)	4/27/1999 8:12:00 PM
From: Kenneth E. De Paul	Respond to of 3178

You are right! In addition, it could not even support our regular phone service for reliability. The only area which could excel right now, due to the need for more speed, is if I could get faster internet service. I am so sick of my modem service it is unbelievable.

To: Darren DeNunzio who wrote (2656)	4/28/1999 9:34:00 AM
From: Scott C. Lemon	Read Replies (4) \| Respond to of 3178

Hello Darren, A couple of thoughts ... > Ken, are you really serious about VoIP over cable? How easy would > it be for someone to "tap" your phone line if it ran via cable. Well ... not as easy as your current phone line. Those familiar with the current phone system know that they could walk right up to the outside of your house, and clip a phone on to the "lightning protector" at the phone box ... and either "tap" or use your phone! The same can be done at any of the little green "posts" throughout your neighborhood ... On the cable system, you'll probably have to have a known good MAC address, on the Ethernet adapater in the computer, for that exact segment. Then get an IP address ... and possibly know some other authentication. > Anyone on the cable loop will be able to 'peek' at these voice > packets. There is no physical separation between lines, so security > is a nightmare. Just think of how many people get cable television > without paying for it. Well ... not exactly. A TV is a "passive" device ... not two-way. Although in many cable systems the computer communications are currently not "secure" ffrom your neighbors, I am able to utilize technologies like VPN (Virtual Private Networks) to encrypt my communications from end to end. Many of the gateways are also building this feature. So again, even if they got to the line the data can be encrypted. Here's an example of one of the early VoIP (with Encryption) programs ... fourmilab.ch look under Computing/Cryptography ... the app is called "SpeakFreely" ... freeware, but other vendors are going to follow this path ... Scott C. Lemon