Ever come across a site that claims broadband phone is also
known as VoIP or vise verse? Or a web page that explains
PC-to-phone is VoIP? How about Internet phone service? VoIP
right? Wrong! VoIP is neither broadband phone, PC-to-phone
or Internet phone service. It’s time to set the record
straight once and for all.
VoIP is an abbreviation for Voice over Internet Protocol.
VoIP is a technology that makes such things as broadband
phone service, PC-to-phone, and Internet phone service
possible by using the Internet to send and receive phone
calls. The technology is VoIP while the means are broadband
phone or PC-to-phone and the like.
So now we know what broadband phone isn’t, I suppose this
would be a good place to explain what it is, exactly.
Broadband phone service as discussed before, uses VoIP
technology to send and receive phone calls using your
regular everyday household touch tone corded or wireless
telephone.
Technically broadband phone service doesn’t even need your
computer to work, you just need a broadband Internet
connection, and both DSL or cable broadband will work.
You’ll also need a broadband telephone adaptor to plug your
phone line into instead of the usual wall jack. Pretty
simple huh?
What broadband phone service allows you to do is bypass your
telephone company, and connect your call directly to the
same grid your phone company uses. Can you guess what that
is? Right, the Internet. All this time your phone company
has charged you just to connect your call to the Internet!
What a rip off, right?
Now just wait, it gets better. So far Uncle Sam and the
telcos have not been able to tax or collect on sir charges
as had been the case for many years with your landline phone
company. Right now additional charges are very minimal. Did
you know that taxes and hidden fee’s can make up as much as
20% of your landline phone bill?
Now on to PC-to-phone service. PC-to-phone works in much the
same way broadband phone works, but without an adapter.
Instead you just need a headset or speakers and microphone
and PC-to-phone software installed on your computer. You can
use PC-to-phone to call someones phone from your computer,
and sometimes people can even call your computer.
Now before you get excited, PC-to-phone is not free. The
cent per minute rates are low for long distance, but you
normally get charged the same amount for a local call. Whats
worse, PC-to-phone services actually do no service for you
at all. It uses the software that you downloaded and host on
your computer to track your calls, and doesn’t cost them a
penny when you make a call. You’re just paying for the
software over, and over, and over again.
Internet phone service is just a vague term for broadband
and PC-to-phone type services. So now that you know what
VoIP is not, and what broadband phone service and
PC-to-phone is, why are you still using that landline phone?
Broadband phone service is without any doubt the cheapest
phone service on the planet and is the best way to take
advantage of VoIP technology. Not to mention, it finally
gives you a way to “stick it” to your phone company.
By: Daymon Hoag
Posts Tagged ‘Landline Phone’
Broadband Phone Service is Not VoIP
October 7th, 2009Innovative Technology Can Implement Faxing Over VoIP
October 4th, 2009
The VoIP plays an important role in lowering down the monthly telephone bills. As a matter of fact, voice over IP uses high speed broadband connection instead of coaxial wires that helps to lower down the communication costs. Considering the inherent benefits of enhanced productivity and cost efficiency, the business houses as well as individuals have started to depend on VoIP services for their everyday communication. This packet switching technique helps the users to access video, voice as well as data over same IP networks. Not only this, this innovative technology can be even used for sending fax messages. Faxing over VoIP is now possible and that too at significantly lower rates when compared to traditional landline phone systems.
Faxing over VoIP is slightly different than the more common procedure that one is accustomed to wherein the Public Switched Telephone Networks or PSTN services are used. In this method however, there are certain initial hiccups and generally requires several attempts to accomplish. As a matter of fact, when the fax tone is digitalized into compressed IP packets, there is a packet loss that results in bad fax, error message or even dropped calls. In comparison, the faxing over the Fax Codec generally minimizes the loss of packets as it reaches the destination efficiently. Before, sending a VoIP fax, the users must check out some important aspects such as:
1. The users must set baud rate to 9600 and turn off the Error Connection Mode. As a matter of fact, the baud rate is kept low so that Fax reaches the destination slowly and without carrying the errors.
2. The users must opt for the provider that supports T.38 – T.38 in audio codec designed. The VoIP phone fax with T.38 – T.38 gives more detail and crisp images accompanied with stability as it create redundancy in the RTP stream.
3. The users must set the packetization to 10 millisecond or even less. As a matter of fact, if there are more headers in the RTP stream, the jitter and instabilities are less likely to come in.
The stability in internet connection plays a curial role in determining the success ratio of the fax. To maintain stability in the connection, the users must track the speed tests as well as analyze the detailed links.
In some instances, the users would not be able to deliver a fax over VoIP even after following all the above guidelines. In such instances, it is best to call the solution provider as there could be some issues related to routing that are causing the problem. As a matter of fact, problem in the routing can be fixed up at the solution provider’s end.
While sending a fax, the users must ensure that they are not using satellite or wireless connections as these kinds of connections are very unpredictable. Moreover, such types of connection adds huge amount of latency that would be a deterrent to the proper functioning of the VoIP fax machines being used.
By: Kristen Kiya
Office Phone Systems Utilizing VoIP Technology Revitalizes Operation of Small Businesses
October 2nd, 2009
For small businesses, one of the biggest challenges can be competing with the larger firms fighting for the same market. With limited resources and space, a small business must find economical and efficient ways to make up for their lack of size.
Traditionally, one of the biggest selling points for using a small enterprise is the relative ease with which the consumer can connect with the business, getting around the bureaucratic mess associated with larger offices. The easiest way to streamline a small enterprise and still stay connected to the consumer is through a creatively designed small business telephone system.
One of the newest and most exciting developments in office phone systems over the last ten years has been the creation and growth of the VoIP industry. VoIP or “Voice over Internet Protocol”, is a revolutionary plug and play phone system that allows users to make phones calls over the Internet, either to other Voice over Internet Protocol users or users to traditional landlines. With the changes in technology, Voice over Internet Protocol offers an economical phone service at a sound quality level equal to or surpassing traditional landline services. There are many, many benefits of VoIP that make it the perfect fit for growing enterprises on the move.
While VoIP may sound daunting to those only familiar with the traditional landline system, the set-up of small business telephone system using VoIP is safe and easy. VoIP relies upon existing Internet connections that require no additional installation. Using the same system that you use to reach the Internet or access email, an enterprise can now make both long distance and local calls with relative ease. Even the enterprise already using a traditional landline phone system can make the switch to VoIP with little upgrades that will use their existing phone lines to connect to the on-line calling system.
Another benefit of using Voice over Internet Protocol in your office phone system is the ease of upgrades. While more complex traditional systems might require an extensive remodel of the office layout and the actual phone lines themselves, a Voice over Internet Protocol upgrade can be as simple and easy as a software update. Likewise, with the ease of upgrades, VoIP is better suited to deal with the changing needs of businesses.
As technology changes, the small enterprises will be on the cusp of these developments as they happen. Any day now, a piece of technology could come along revolutionize how offices function in the same way that the fax machine or computer changed businesses of the past. Unlike larger corporations, the small business using a VoIP phone system will be able to change their entire phone system with relatively little downtime, adapting to whatever new technology is developed.
Likewise, since VoIP uses the Internet already, it is far easier to integrate other technologies into phone calls without having to create a complex and convoluted hodgepodge of technologies. Your Voice over Internet Protocol provider can help integrate a service like video conference calling directly into your new small business telephone system.
By consulting an experienced office phone system expert, you can weigh the costs of different packages and decide which system will best suit your needs for today and the years to come.
By: Andrew Stratton
