If you:

• are familiar with instant messaging
• want to make a call from a 3G mobile phone, or
• have an older computer, older operating system, limited computer memory or limited bandwidth
• have problems running or downloading Java.

then internet relay through instant messenging is probably best for you.

To make a call

1. Open the messenger application and add nrsiprelay@iprelay.com.au as a contact for MSN, or nrsiprelay to your buddy list for AOL.

2. Send an instant message to your new contact/buddy by typing 'call' into the conversation window and pressing Send.

3. Click on the link shown on the next page and type the area code and number you want into the top box

4. Type the letters you see in the security image into the box below, then click ‘Connect' and close the window when prompted.

5. Once connected to the relay officer you can type any instructions in the message window.

How it works

Once you are connected, the relay officer will ring the person you want to call, and you can then start typing your side of the conversation in the message window.

When you have finished the first block of text, just click 'Send'.

The relay officer becomes ‘your voice' and reads aloud to the person you are calling what you type on your computer, then listens to what the other person says and types it back for you to read.

Equipment needed

You will need to either:

• download the MSN application or AOL application if you don't have it and open a free MSN or AOL account, or
• use a web-based messaging site such as www.meebo.com/ or www.webmessenger.msn.com/ to access MSN or AOL (these are handy if you can't or don't want to download the relevant instant messenger application onto your computer).

Overseas calls?

If you want to make overseas or premium rate (1900) calls, you will need an NRS account.

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Making calls from work

If your computer is part of a corporate network then it is possible that the network's security settings won't allow you to download or run MSN or AOL. You can get around this problem by:

• asking your network administrator or IT department to open one or more specific ports (for more recent versions of MSN use port 1852; for older MSN use port 1863; for AOL use port 5190) in the network firewall to both internal and external traffic, or
• accessing MSN or AOL through web-based messaging sites such as www.meebo.com.au/ or www.webmessenger.msn.com/.

Your network administrator is welcome to contact the Helpdesk to discuss the best way to deal with your organisation's security and management protocols.