Ostel

From Guardian Project Wiki

Revision as of 21:05, 24 April 2012

Scan this QR code with your Android phone to download the Ostel app.

The Ostel.me Android app is based upon the open-source CSipSimple app, which utilizes the pjsip and Zorg libraries to provide transport and media encryption and verification.

This service is a public testbed of the Open Secure Telephony Network (OSTN) project, with the goal of promoting the use of free, open protocols, standards and software, to power end-to-end secure voice communications on mobile devices, as well as with desktop computers. Other OSTN instances include Tanstagi and Intimi.ca.

Visit Ostel.me to learn more about the Open Secure Telephony project and to sign up to become a test user.

OStel App Setup

Read below or tune into our video tutorial.

Go to https://guardianproject.info/downloads/ in your browser. Scroll to the bottom of the page. Install the OStel app with OSTel-debug.apk. The .apk installs the app, the .asc verifies the integrity of the application.

Direct Link: https://guardianproject.info/downloads/OSTel-debug.apk

Now that OStel app is installed, go to the applications folder and open OStel.

Under Add Accounts choose Ostel in the Wizard.

Click User name. Add the user name we sent to you in the email (ex. 1001). Click OK to continue.

Click Password. Add the password we sent to you in the email. Click OK to continue.

Click Save to continue.

You should see it read "Registering" for a few seconds until the bar to the left of your account name turns Green and reads Registered.

Here is an example of account settings to set up the Ostel client. Replace the existing username and password with the ones sent to your email. The username will serve as your phone number.

Congratulations! You've successfully signed in.

Testing

Test Your SIP Connection

From the dial pad, dial 9-1-9-6 then click the green receiver icon at the bottom. Speak into the microphone. You should hear yourself. If so, you have successfully completed the echo test and your client should be fully functional. Way to go. You're on your way to being an elite user.

Listen to music

This feature is not currently functional. From the dial pad, dial 9-6-6-4 then click the green receiver icon at the bottom. You will hear Girl Talk's album "All Day" looping all day, every day. Play the whole album over your mobile internet connection and let us know if you've had any connectivity issues. Party on, you're well on your way to being an elite user. And if you like the album, you can get it on the Illegal Art site.

Place a Call

From the dial pad, dial 1-0-0-3 then click the green receiver icon at the bottom. You will be connected to a user. A 4 character alphanumeric ZRTP password will be displayed on your homescreen. The user will ask you to verify the password. Once both users confirm that the password is the same, you are now having an encrypted conversation. Tell this user what you're most looking forward to using encrpyted voice chat for, add a feature request, or tell a joke. After all, it's just between you and that user. Congrats on being elite!

Troubleshooting

Error while registering - Forbidden. What happened?

Please check that there are no extraneous spaces in any of the fields you were meant to alter. Check that all spelling is using lowercase. Make sure that all brackets (<>) are properly set.

I changed my settings but I'm getting the same error.

Try to exit the application and restart it. Click "Back" until you read the dial pad. Click "Settings" to reveal the options Menu. Click "Disconnect" to exit the app completely. Launch the app again from the applications folder and it will reboot and try to connect using the new settings you entered.

My connection is now inactive. What happened?

Has the connection been over your 3G/4G connection. Perhaps the provider is blocking our SIP ports. Please try wifi. If this happens repeatedly, please notify us and we will look into it.

I'm running Cyanogen. Why isn't Ostel working?

Good question. It should. But it doesn't right now. We're looking into this. Hopefully it will be fixed soon.

Can someone record my phone calls?

Not even us pros at Guardian can your calls if you've encrypted them with ZRTP. Noone else can either.

Are you logging any data?

While we're in the Alpha testing phase we have to log some data in order to best develop and test the tool. We do our best to log this data securely and with privacy considerations in mind. Our call records and user records are kept separate so that even with the logs it is not possible to track who has been speaking with whom.

I'm running Orbot. Why isn't Ostel working?

Unfortunately, VOIP communication doesn't work over a Tor connection. Please turn off Orbot when running OStel.

Ostel looks great next to other Guardian Project Apps. Consider downloading the rest of the suite.

My phone won't allow me to install the Ostel App.

Have you enabled your phone to install apps from 3rd parties? Go to Settings then click on Applications. Under Unknown sources, make sure that the box is checked, allowing the installation of non-Market applications.

After going through the installation process, I receive an error message.

Do you have CSipSimple installed? If so, you must first uninstall it to proceed. Go to Settings then click on Applications then click on Manage Applications. Scroll down to CSipSimple, click on it, then click Uninstall. Go back and install the Ostel .apk.

What are the technical details on Ostel?

So glad you asked! Check out the full details about our software and hardware on https://guardianproject.info/wiki/OSTN

My problems aren't listed here. Can I get in touch with someone?

We're always happy to help! Send us an email and we'll help troubleshoot your issue.

How can I get my friends involved?

Alpha testing is more fun when doing it with friends. We're always looking for smart and passionate people. They can sign up at https://ostel.me/ or follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/#!/guardianproject or on our Blog https://guardianproject.info/blog/ to find our when they can become a tester too!