VoIP Technology » Analog Signal

How Does VoIP Work With Your Current Phone?

admin — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 01:53:18 +0000

Technology is growing and changing everyday. Consider phone service; at one time when people made telephone calls they did so with their phone attached to a jack in the wall and literally “dialed” the number they were calling. Then came the push-button phones; it was great to quickly “dial” the number by pressing the key pad. Soon the cordless phone jumped on the technological scene. This was wonderful; now people could walk around their house and talk without being limited to the phone cord attached to the wall, or worse tripping over the one hundred foot phone cord that they used to walk all around the house and talk on the phone.

Just as people were getting used to the cordless phone, soon came the invention of the mobile phone. It was cumbersome at first but what a thought – being able to use a phone in your vehicle. Now the cell phone is sleek, compact, and can do much more than simply make a call. Enter Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) – Internet phone service, how does VoIP work with your current phone?

With this technology, instead of the signals going out over a public network the voice signals travel over your high-speed broadband connection. You do not need to buy a new phone for this service, and you can enjoy substantial savings as you combine both the Internet and phone service into one low monthly rate. The amazing concept of VoIP is that it combines one technology to operate two different types of service; your phone and Internet. Making a call with VoIP technology can occur one of three ways:

* Analog Telephone Adapter (ATA) – With the use of this device, you simply plug in your current phone into the adapter and then connect the adapter to your broadband service (possibly a modem). That is it you can now make calls. The way this system works is by taking the analog signal and changing it into a digital signal sent out over the Internet.

* IP Phones – these types of phones look exactly like analog phones the difference being they have an Ethernet connector instead of the standard phone connector and come equipped with the software and hardware needed for VoIP service built into them. You connect directly to your modem and begin enjoying exceptional quality with your next phone call.

* Computer-to-Computer – All you need for this service is high-speed Internet connections, sound card, microphone, and speakers. Typically, you pay a monthly rate from your Internet service provider.

By: Mike Singh

How To Choose A VoIP Broadband Phone Service

admin — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 12:44:17 +0000

Internet technology is constantly introducing new and better ways to communicate with others around the world, and making telephone calls using VoIP technology is one of those advancements. VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol, and it allows a computer user who is connected to the internet through a high-speed terminal to make telephone calls to another computer or telephone without using a standard telephone company.

Essentially, there are two kinds of VoIP applications to consider, either hardware or software based. If you choose the software solution, you’ll have to have your computer turned on in order to both make and receive telephone calls, but the only equipment you’ll need is a microphone and speakers connected to your computer.

If you choose the hardware solution instead, you’ll be using a converter box called an ATA that will be attached to your high-speed internet connection. Your telephone can then be plugged into the ATA. The converter box takes the analog signal from your phone and converts it to a digital signal to be sent over the internet in data packets, which are then reassembled on the other end of the telephone connection. By using a hardware VoIP solution, you computer does not have to be on in order for you to make and receive telephone calls, although your Internet connection will have to be active. Many VoIP service providers are including the ATA at very low cost or even for free in some cases.

In order to make use of VoIP technology for placing internet telephone calls, you will need to subscribe to a service plan provided by one of the major VoIP companies in business today. The service plans are usually very inexpensive, often providing for unlimited long-distance telephone calling for as little as $25 per month. You can even save more by choosing a calling plan that places a limit on the amount of minutes used each month, bringing your total cost down to as low as $15 a month.

In addition to domestic long-distance phone calling, many VoIP providers also allow you to make international telephone calls to persons outside of their subscriber base for a per minute fee, sometimes as low as $.10 to $.15 per minute. Some providers even allow free long-distance telephone calling as long as it is carried out between individuals in their own subscriber base.

If you choose to use a hardware VoIP solution, you can expect to spend some time on the phone with customer support in order to get your system up and running correctly, but most likely you’ll be able to experience uninterrupted service from that point on. Also you can expect voice quality to be excellent in most cases, often rivaling that of land line telephones.

When you consider all the advantages of using VoIP technology to place telephone calls over the internet, it’s no wonder that so many consumers are turning to VoIP for their long-distance telephone calling needs.

By: Steadman Issenburg

How Does VoIP Service Work?

admin — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 16:28:03 +0000

VOIP technology is a one way of sending a voice signal also known as an analog signal in a medium which is digital, i.e, the internet. In practice, the process works like this when you have a standard analog telephone attached to your high speed internet connection with VOIP service. There will be an analog telephone adapter or ATA between the phone and the computer.

In order to place what would normally be a long distance call to a person who doesn’t have VOIP service you key in the number you want. The analog telephone adapter converts the touch tones into a digital format. The digital phone number is sent by the analog telephone adapter to the VOIP routing system at the service provider’s location. The VOIP service provider is located on the internet as well.

The VOIP service provider’s routing system identifies the recipient’s location and sends the call to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PTSN) at that location. The phone rings at the other end and the conversation can begin. Each time you speak, the analog to digital converter in the analog telephone adapter changes the voice tones into packets of digital information that can be transmitted across the internet. When the VOIP service meshes with the Public Switched Telephone Network at the recipient’s end, the digital packets which are the voice tones from you get turned back into an analog signal so that you recipient of your call can understand what you are saying.

The reverse process, i.e. the transmission of what the other person says to you is a mirror image of the first process. Their voice is transformed from analog to digital when it gets to the PSTN/internet connection. The digital packets are sent to the analog telephone adapter at your location where they are converted back into an audible or analog signal to be able to perceive the voice as that of your caller.

The technology to do the conversion from analog to digital and back again has been around as long as digital electronics. For example, your PC sound card converts digital CD information to analog signal needed by the speakers on your computer. The difficult part of the VOIP technology is the necessity to smoothly transmit the digital data over the internet and reassemble it in a continuous stream. This is know as the protocol.

When listening to voice transmission, there can be no gaps in the stream of digital packets or the voices will not be understandable. This part of the technology has only recently been available, but is actually equal or better in quality than you get with standard telephone networks.

The equipment available today that uses VOIP technology can be an analog telephone adapter for your head set through the computer. There are a few VOIP phones that act like a regular analog telephone but have the ATA incorporated into the phone. It’s actually a small dedicated personal computer in your telephone. These VOIP phones can be plugged into the computer with high speed internet connection or into the router.

By: Simon Ahtung

Lavish Computer VoIP Phone Calls

admin — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 05:47:25 +0000

Though the technology has been around for a lots of years, as the traditional phone companies now it is advances in popularity to prolonged to increase their prices. In the process of VoIP an usual analog audio signals, such as the voices that talked or listened on the phone, has been converted into digital data that can be sent to the computer by using an Internet connection.

Besides all, VoIP is a skilled “reinvention of the phone”. In the three various ways you can put a call by using this technology. Analog Telephone Adaptor is the most abundant and easiest method to practice VoIP technology. This can be immediately assigned through the computer internet to usual telephone. An ATA will received an analog signal and convert it into a digital signal then transfers it to an Internet in small mail boat. Once this small packages reached an other end, the packages were uncovered and transfered back into worth reading data or in an oral expression.

The computer and peculiar software get relief by simply plugged an ATA to your phone. VoIP phone is an other method to unite with VoIP technology, it has a look as an usual phone. The only dissimilarity is the RJ-11 connector is substituted by a RJ-45 Ethernet connector. In VoIP phone the hardware and software previously programmed, so the phone calls get controlled to your router.

Computer to computer is the easiest and ultimate method to unite the VoIP technology. This is where the free long distance phone calls come into play. On Internet various companies provide their software for free download. In this procedure, there should be no other fees overwhelmed except an Internet connection fees.

A power source is a few unfavorable conditions of VoIP. The phone is fully depend upon a power, not similar with an usual phone. At present there is no such method has been introduced to joined other systems such as home alarm system, for these kind of product you would have to keep up an usual phone connection. The other unfavorable conditions of VoIP technology is we cannot dial 9-1-1.

VoIP technology not identify the machine address for communication, so that it is difficult to identified the computer physical address on IP addresses because IP addresses of any computer machine cannot give the physical location of that particular machine which is difficult to identify in an emergency cases.

By: Chris L. Jensen

How Does VoIP Really Work?

admin — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 21:49:30 +0000

VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. By using a VoIP phone and VoIP technology you can effectively use the internet to make phone calls. VoIP does this by placing the voice calls on network which encrypts the voice in data packets at one end and encrypts it in voice calls at the other end. In VoIP, encryption and decryption is from a analog signal (i.e. your voice call) into digital signal (data packets) and again into the analog signal.

You can make VOIP calls by a regular phone with VOIP adapter or even from your computer using a simple microphone. VoIP applications can generally be used with a simple microphone and computer speakers, but IP telephones or VoIP boxes can also be used, providing an experience identical to normal telephoning. Many VOIP manufacturers are designing phones which are specially meant to work with this technology, called SIP phone, and now extensively used by growing VoIP users.

In the past year, the quality and reliability of VoIP technology has improved to the point that vast numbers of users have abandoned their standard telephone contracts entirely, in favor of VoIP. Local as well as long distance calling is available for VoIP. Rates and plans can vary from one VoIP service provider to another VoIP service provider.

Advantages of using VOIP

Using VOIP you can effectively cut down your phone bills, since you just pay to your regular internet connection and small fees to your VOIP service provider. Setting up conference calls with VOIP is very easy.

You can even set up your own VoIP network and don’t need any special equipment like PBX etc. You can call to any local telephone, mobile, long distance number or any international number through VoIP phones. More importantly, the person you are calling by using VoIP technology does not need any special equipment; just a regular telephone.

Many additional features like call forwarding, call tracing, reminders, caller ID are readily available in VoIP Phones. You can even assign a local telephone number to your VOIP phone set, and just need a fast internet connection to use your VOIP service anywhere in the world.

VoIP Dilemma

VoIP applications and services require data transfer in real time. During a call an interactive data voice exchange takes place. Unfortunately, TCP/IP is not well suited for this purpose. Sometimes you have to wait for a few seconds, to hear the other side answering. But with recent developments streaming the flow of voice signals has improved. PC-to-PC and PC-to-phone calling quality is still not as sharp as regular PSTN calls. However, with SIP phones and a reliable high speed internet connection there is little or no difference….and sometimes the quality is even better.

SIP Phones

SIP Phones are the phones which are specifically designed to work as VOIP phones. SIP phone can be considered as a network endpoint routing voice via its IP address. This allows a DID (direct inward dialing) number to move with a user. With SIP phones you can use advanced features like voice mail to email etc. Using a SIP phone also closely resembles a regular analog phone in look, feel, function, and ease of use.

FCC and VoIP

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulates VOIP Services in the USA. They are in charge to create and promote telecommnuication regulations….such as VOIP services….to benefit consumers. In November, 2004 FCC ruled that individual States do not have the jurisdiction to impose taxes on VoIP services, which made the cost of VOIP services even more attractive in relation to standard PSTN phone services.

By: Michael Lemm

Learning the Basics of VoIP

admin — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 02:21:24 +0000

If you have been paying large long distance phone bills, it’s time to introduce you to the VOIP basics. Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP or VoIP) is the latest telecommunications internet technology. It will allow you to make long distance calls over your internet connection, bypassing most, or all of you your long distance provider’s charges.

However, several large telecommunications companies have caught on to the growing trend for consumers to bypass their charges, and have reacted by offering packaged services that include your regular, local phone line service and the VOIP service that will let you place calls over the internet.

When discussing VOIP basics, it’s important to realize that there are actually 3 types of VOIP technologies that are currently in use. The first is called ATA or Analog Telephone Adapter technology. The ATA technologydoes exactly what it sounds like; it takes the analog signal on your regular telephone line and translates it into a digital signal. T

hat digital signal is then sent via the internet. This is the type of service that the large telecommunications providers are offering. They will mail you the ATA and you can set it up easily on your own.

Another of the technologies that is necessary for understanding VOIP basics still has to do with the phone itself. Instead of using an adaptor to change a regular phone into a VOIP compatible one, you purchase a phone that is designed for making VOIP calls. But that phone won’t plug into a regular phone jack (RJ-11). It will have to be plugged into an Ethernet connection (an RJ-45 jack or a spot on your router).

The necessary hardware and software to make a VOIP call is included in the phone itself.

The third technology involved in learning VOIP Basics is the most exciting for the average consumer, as it doesn’t require a monthly service charge from a provider in order to make free business long distance calls. It is computer-to-computer VOIP service. In this case, you download free or purchase low-cost software that turns your computer into the phone.

In addition to the software, you’ll need speakers so you can hear the other party, a microphone so you can speak to them, a sound card in your computer, and a preferably high-speed internet connection so the signal can travel fast enough to avoid delays in what you or the other party hears.

The person you call doesn’t need to be talking to you over a computer; a regular phone will work just fine. You can use the service on your end to make calls to anyone, anywhere without a charge.

Now that we’ve looked at the VOIP or also know as voice over internet protocol, you might be interested in trying it for yourself. But what you don’t realize is that you most likely already are.

Telephone companies have been using the technology for several years in order to route the mass number of calls they receive more efficiently over their networks.

But to try VOIP at home, download software at sites such as skype site. If you already have the needed items mentioned above (speakers, microphone, sound card and high-speed internet connection), you can be making calls in as little as 5 minutes.

By: Van Theodorou

Ways to Use VoIP Technology

admin — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 11:09:00 +0000

Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, uses your broadband internet connection to place phone calls. By converting your voice (or analog) signal into a digital signal, this makes for a more efficient way to talk on the phone and can save you money.

There are three ways you can use VoIP. You can either connect using your regular phone and an adapter, a special internet phone, or download software and use your computer. Here are the methods, in greater detail:

Using your home phone. If you would like to switch from your regular phone line to VoIP, many people opt to continue using their home phone. To do this, you must use an analog telephone adapter, or ATA. This device converts the analog signal (your voice) to a digital signal. Once the signal is converted, it goes through the internet connection. When shopping for a service provider, ask them if they include this adapter with their packages. Most do.

Connect using an IP phone. When using a special IP phone, you don’t need a separate ATA. Everything you need to use your broadband internet connection as your telephone service is included with the hardware. Instead of using a regular phone jack and connector, it uses an Ethernet connection to plug into your router.

Connect using your computer. If your computer has speakers, microphone, a sound card, and a high speed internet connection you can use your computer for VoIP. Companies offer free or low cost software downloads which allows you to use your computer to make phone calls. Using this method is either free, costing only the price of your internet connection, or nearly free. Earthlink’s Vling software is both free to download and free to use. The only hitch is that you can only talk with other Vling users.

By: Michael Bell

The Right Time to Invest In VoIP

admin — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 17:38:20 +0000

Till a few years ago, VoIP was a name that brought forth many apprehensions in mind about its survival. However, VoIP has come back with a huge bang forcing the entire business industry to take it seriously. The technology itself is simple enough to understand. VoIP technology converts analogy signals which exist in the form of our voice into small digital IP packets, compress it and send it over the bandwidth through the Internet. It reaches the receiver in the form of analog signal which has been decompressed.

Business houses and residential homes both have started utilizing voice over IP technology for fulfilling their communication needs. This technology is extremely flexible, benefiting corporates and end users alike. Voice over Internet protocol is also available in the form of calling cards. Calling card companies have started relying in a big way on VoIP. This is because it offers cost effective communication, thereby raising their profit margin.

Other users of this technology could be wholesale carrier service providers, resellers, ISPs, ITSP’s and residentials.

ISP and ITSP’s already have an established network of broadband services which they offer to their clients. They can equip their services with VOIP and offer a complete telephony solution to their clients. This gives them an added advantage over their competitors and helps in building brand preference.

Wholesale carrier service providers are those providers who purchase VoIP connectivity or minutes in bulk from Tier 1 service providers. It is ideal for those who are willing to make a substantial investment in this business and also have technical knowledge about voice over IP service. They are those providers who eventually get the advantage of controlling the telecom industry by controlling the pricing.

A reseller on the other hand doesn’t have to make a substantial investment in the telecom business since the infrastructure and technical equipments are provided by the wholesaler or service provider. A reseller is like a retailer, who acts as a middleman between wholesalers and end users.

Keeping in mind the popularity and the potential of this technology it would be beneficial for companies to invest in this business at this hour in order to make a killing and establish themselves as a brand in future.

By: Kristen Kiya

VoIP Technology is Breaking the Chains of the Traditional Phone Companies

admin — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:41:22 +0000

Before companies like Magic Jack and Vonage we were slaves to the traditional land based phone systems. Big phone companies like AT&T and SBC (just to mention a couple) had us at a disadvantage and they knew it. With traditional land lines, every feature had a fee, even keeping certain features off you phone cost money. After adding up all those fees, along with your local and long distance, your phone service could cost $40.00, $50.00, $70.00 a month or much more depending of what features you tacked on and how many long distance calls you make a month.

Well I’m probably not telling you anything you didn’t already know. So how about something you may not know about – VoIP and companies like Magic Jack, Vonage and Skype are paving the way for this money saving communications technology. VoIP like Magic Jack and Vonage is finding their way into homes, not only here in the US, but around the world.

VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) – allows and analog signal from your phone to be converted into a digital signal that can be then be sent over the internet (much like a email) instead of over a wire network like the ordinary land line. This allows the user to make long distance phone calls for free or at a much cheaper price depending on the service used. Vonage is a pioneer and one of the most popular of this new telephony technology.

There is now a small host of companies offering VoIP services that will continue to grow as (VoIP) is the future of communications. Magic Jack is such a company and is growing in popularity as more and more people are becoming aware of this new technology. Magic Jack is the only service that has its own network system which is one of the most compelling reasons the service is so inexpensive.

While other VoIP companies are offering good products for reasonable prices, none can beat the price or can offer the simplicity and the flexibility of Magic Jack. The Magic Jack device plugs directly into an available USB port (2.0 or higher) the software in the device makes contact with the Magic Jack home base and after only a few minutes it takes to set up your account and phone number, you are ready to go. You can then take your phone that had been plugged into the land line wall mount and plug it directly into the Magicjack, lift the receiver, hear a dial tone and start making calls.

Companies like Vonage must pay for the network they use, so it comes with a low monthly bill. Magic Jack has one low price you pay annually which is less then one month’s bill of a traditional land line. Magic Jack will let you opt in for a multi year agreement that saves you even more money. Skype is another popular VoIP company that is much better then the traditional landline but has limitations such as phone calls are only free if you are calling other Skype users and must purchase credits in order to call someone using phone services other than Skype. This would kind of be like buying minutes for cell phones.

Magic Jack is not a phone or software installed on your computer; it is a device with the software installed in it that plugs into your computer or any other computer with a broadband internet connection. This means you can take the Magic Jack with you on long trips or even out of the country and make free long distance phone calls back to the US or Canada for free. How’s that for flexibility?

By: Tim Wedin

VOIP Considerations

admin — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:37:52 +0000

Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) is changing the way that we look at phone service. The relatively new technology is quickly becoming the norm in many homes across the world. But a variety of VOIP considerations should be explored before you take advantage of the technology.

It allows a caller to make long distance calls without having to pay much, or anything for them. Combine the VOIP technology with a broadband, or high speed, internet access line, and VOIP provides an easy, inexpensive way to make phone calls all over the world. However, there are still some disadvantages of VOIP – especially when it comes to using the technology for functions beyond the one caller to one caller scenario.

VOIP considerations for you to examine start with understanding how the technology works in comparison with traditional phone service. With traditional phone service, your long distance phone calls are routed from your local provider’s network to your chosen long distance provider’s network, where it is routed to the receiving party’s local phone provider’s network and finally, to their home phone line. Since multiple providers are involved, multiple providers charged a fee for the call, which the long distance provider passed on to you in the form of an often hefty per-minute charge.

But VOIP has changed all of that. It removes the long distance company from the equation, making a long distance phone call virtually the same as a local phone call. How? By using the internet as the routing method that passes the call from your local phone provider to your receiving party’s local phone provider. You initiate the call, and your analog voice signal is translated into a digital signal. That signal is then sent via your internet service to the internet, where it is routed to the receiving party’s local phone provider’s network, translated back into an analog signal and sent to the receiving party’s phone.

The disadvantages of VOIP should be part of what you understand regarding VOIP considerations, but they are relatively limited for the average consumer. The main complaints regarding VOIP have to do with providing the level of quality of service that customers are accustomed to with regular telephone technology.

The reason for this is multifold. VOIP requires a large amount of data to be compressed and transmitted, then uncompressed and delivered, all in a relatively small amount of time. Problems develop in VOIP conversations when this process takes too long and the callers experience one of two problems; echo or over-talk.

For businesses, VOIP considerations have more to do with how to manage the traffic over their network. Since they may be using their bandwidth for internet and even voice conferencing, they will need to analyze the amount of bandwidth that is necessary to handle all of their activities.

But for the average consumer, the greatest advantage of VOIP is the cost – or rather, the lack of cost. If you have a computer with a sound card, modem, speakers, a microphone and a (preferably) high speed connection, and you download software from companies such as skype.com, you can be making free long distance and international phone calls using VOIP in as little as 5 minutes.

By: Van Theodorou