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
Posts Tagged ‘Analog Signal’
Ways to Use VoIP Technology
December 27th, 2009The Right Time to Invest In VoIP
December 22nd, 2009
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
November 11th, 2009
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
