VoIP Technology » Long Distance Phone

VoIP Providers – How To Choose One

admin — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:22:51 +0000

When you’ve made the decision to move to VoIP phone, you’ll need to select a VoIP provider. The most well-known is Vonage, largely because of their aggressive advertising campaign. There are, however, several other VoIP providers that you should consider. A large marketing campaign does not guarantee good service.

Vonage is your basic VoIP phone service, with the emphasis on the phone. For a monthly charge, they send you a device to hook up to your phone that does two things. First, it digitizes your analog voice, a must for VoIP usage. Second, it initiates an internet link that runs through your DSL or cable broadband hookup. VoIP-specific phones are perfect to use on Vonage service, and you can use them wirelessly.

You get your local and long-distance phone service for the monthly flat rate, and also a number of services like three-way calling and call forwarding, which few people use. In some plans, you do pay for outgoing calls after a point, but the number of minutes you get before reaching that break point is pretty generous.

Skype is a very different sort of VoIP provider. It started as primarily a computer-based, not phone-based VoIP, and most people originally used headphones with their ordinary computer to access a Skype account. You can get Skype phones today that run through your computer, but most of Skype’s services are more web-friendly.

In addition to phone service, Skype has robust online and computer-based communications technology like chat and user lookups. But the outstanding feature of Skype is the price. If you’re using it to call directly to another Skype user, anywhere in the world, it’s free. It’s also the easiest VoIP service to take with you; if you have a Skype account, you can access it from your computer or any Skype-enabled computer, anywhere in the world.

Lingo is a new entry to the VoIP world, and is ascendant primarily because while it offers Vonage-style services, it also offers dirt-cheap rates. Vonage focuses primarily on the United States, Canada, and Mexico; Lingo’s area of expertise appears to be Asia and Western Europe, where it offers either unlimited calling or a robust calling plan. Unfortunately, they don’t seem to have worked out all their bugs, and Lingo does not have a stable calling platform yet.

AT&T CallVantage is another new entry, though it’s from an old company. They, too, are based on similar technology to that Vonage uses, with devices that hook up to your phone et al. Unlike Lingo, AT&T offers excellent quality service, as one might expect. At one point, AT&T had overly-complicated technology for hooking up your VoIP service, but they have improved and now aren’t much worse than Vonage.

No matter how good your VoIP provider is, your telephone stability and reliability when using this service is limited by your high-speed internet connection. If the power goes out, no phone. If your internet service is interrupted for any reason, no phone. If you are confident in your cellular service and aren’t worried about this, that shouldn’t be a problem, but it is something you must consider when you choose your VoIP service.

The bottom line is not to choose VOIP service based on price alone. Look at the features and determine how important that is to you and how often you will use it. Our web site features our Editor’s Choice Best Pick for the best VOIP service available based on a wide range of criteria.

By: Jon Arnold

VoIP – Unlimited Call Plan

admin — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 18:42:14 +0000

VoIP is a voice over Internet Protocol, a voice data transmission over Internet access technology. It is also known as the Internet protocol or broadband telephony. By using this technology, people from all over the world able to make call to everyone in every where. Using VoIP will washed away your worries and tiredness of being highly cost of monthly phone bills. Using VoIP, you are not just taking the advantage of Internet technology, but you are also able to save more money. It is a fact that VoIP is the cheapest phone call technology.

By using VoIP, people are able to make phone calls locally, long distance phone calls, and also the international calls. More than that, using VoIP, you can get the unlimited calls of local, long distance, and even international calls. As said before, VoIP will wash away your worries of phone bills. In VoIP, you can take the VoIP unlimited call plan. It is a phone plan you will use in the whole time, or even entire year, of your phone call usage.

There are many telecommunication providers that offers this VoIP unlimited call plan. You may choose monthly or yearly call plan based on your phone call usage. With low and convenient of payments monthly, you can get the unlimited calls to U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. For entire year phone call plan, all you need is pay $199.00 and take the benefits of making unlimited calls. Generally, VoIP providers that are offer the unlimited call plan are offering the low rates of international call. Customer also will get the customization accounts to access the phone call. By using VoIP, and several providers offers, you are able to make a phone calls from anywhere to everywhere by keeping your number and choose any area code.

By: Dita Nadia

Long Distance Calls With VoIP

admin — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 08:54:16 +0000

VoIP or voice over Internet protocol is a technology where the voice data is being transmitted over the Internet connection. It is a phone call technology using the connection or access of Internet. This technology is being growth rapidly these days. It is because of VoIP unlimited services that can reach the unlimited call. VoIP is also known as the IP telephony or VoIP broadband phone service. VoIP unlimited service offers the unlimited calls that can reach to the world wide access. By using your high speed Internet connection, you can save your time and money with making unlimited calls with VoIP. This technology also can reach you to the long distance calling.

VoIP or sometimes called as broadband telephony may reach the long distance call from anyone to everyone in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, and other countries. The quality of the phone call is as good as your previous or existing phone service. Keeping your phone number to wherever you will go, you are still able to make the USA long distance calls by choosing the area code. If you are tired of paying too much on your phone bills because of your long distance phone calls, VoIP is the proper answer for your problem of phone bills. The best deal is with minimum fare of $19.99, you can make phone calls wherever you want. You do not need to worry when you are in state or around the world. The cost of this voice over internet protocol is very cheap. Besides making the long distance phone calls, you are also able to make a local phone call with VoIP.

The unlimited local and long distance calls of VoIP is able to reach several countries around the world, such as Australia, United States of America, Taiwan, France, Germany, Canada, United Kingdom, Moscow, including Mobile South Korea, and other more countries.

By: Dita Nadia

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

VOIP Disadvantages

admin — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 16:36:41 +0000

Voice over internet protocol (VOIP) is changing the way that the average consumer makes long distance phone calls. The technology is rapidly advancing because companies all over the world are now competing to be your VOIP provider. 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.

The disadvantages of VOIP can be annoying, but are relatively limited for the 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.

Standard phone calls function with a delay of no more than 10 milliseconds. But one major disadvantage of VOIP is that there have been delays of up to 400 milliseconds, meaning that the callers won’t hear each other fast enough to make the conversation flow easily. They will either hear themselves talking or they will start talking again before they have heard the other person respond. Although these problems won’t necessarily happen every time a call is made, it can happen often enough to be annoying.

The disadvantages of VOIP are usually tolerable if the callers are using a free service and the calls are for individual, personal communication. But once a network of users, such as a business, wants to use VOIP, the problems become a little more complicated. Part of the reason is that most networks have a firewall; and most firewalls don’t know how to route a VOIP call once it is received – which phone does it go to?

Plus, multiple users create a problem when judging what amount of bandwidth can be and should be used at any time. If multiple users need to make VOIP calls, it can be difficult for the company to know exactly how much bandwidth to provide – especially if internet access, video conferencing or other data transmission services are using the same path.

Overall, the disadvantages of VOIP aren’t significant enough to dissuade the average consumer from using the technology; especially with the fact that they know that the calls they are making are free. But we can rest assured that the technology will only get more reliable as time goes by.

By: Van Theodorou

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

VoIP – Future Developments For Users

admin — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 05:05:04 +0000

VoIP is a telephony term for a set of facilities for managing the delivery of voice information using Internet Protocol (IP) and is the future of communication.

Here we will look at changes that are coming that will increase what is already substantial growth in the industry.

With Voice over IP — businesses have the ability to manage calls at the IP layer which enables operational and productivity benefits that have never been available before at such affordable price.

Worldwide revenues from Internet voice technologies are expected to grow from about $13 billion in 2002 to nearly $200 billion by 2007.

The Future Of VoIP Projected Growth

When it comes to VoIP technology already available long-distance phone calls, conferencing, e-mail, and other communications are now affordable and flexible.

VoIP technology however is developing and some of the developments that will ensure the future of VoIP are outlined below

The Future Of VoIP SIP

Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) retrieves server responses and handles client requests.

This technology is able to determine the end system that will be used for a communication session, automatically sets the relevant parameters of the communication at receiver and user ends and then manages call transfer and call termination.

In addition, SIP allows users to initiate and receive communication from any location and networks are also able to identify users, wherever they are.

This technology is an alternative to H.323, which is the protocol, used for IP videoconference transmissions for VoIP up to now.

SIP has taken VoIP technology forward in terms of operational efficiency and many VoIP vendors are now including SIP as standard, bringing SIP to a growing audience.

VoIP The Future – VoIP Gateways

Another influential element in the future of Internet-telephony is improvements VoIP gateways.

Gateways are developing from PC-based platforms to more robust embedded systems, which will be able to handle an increased amount of call traffic.

The economies of scale of placing all traffic- data, voice, and video-over an IP-based network is highly attractive to corporate users.

The reason for this is:

IP will act as a unifying agent, regardless of the actual underlying architecture (i.e., leased lines, frame relay, or ATM) of a companies network.

VoIP The Future – Corporate Intranets & Commercial Extranets

Currently, the most promising areas of development for VoIP are corporate intranets and commercial extranets.

Their IP-based infrastructures enable operators to control who can use a network.

Commercial extranets, based on conservatively engineered IP networks, will deliver VoIP and facsimile over Internet protocol (FAXoIP) services to the general public, by guaranteeing specific parameters, such as packet delay, packet jitter, and service interop.

Companies are already looking to remove fax traffic off the PSTN and relocate it on to the Internet and corporate Intranet, through FAXoIP gateways and via IP-capable fax machines.

Video conferencing

Another area of growth will be video conferencing.

Video conferencing (H.323) with data collaboration (T.120) will become a popular method for corporate communications in the future, as network performance and interoperability increase.

VoIP The Future Expanding Services & Lower Cost

More user-friendly devices and increased promotions are starting to be seen by wider audience and this education, combined with ease of use of VoIP technology is needed for any new technology to gain trust and grow.

For instance, new VoIP telephones are being offered at cheaper prices in a variety of colours, with touch screens that are getting easier to use.

Prices in all VoIP services will continue to drop, as the market grows and competitivness increases.

The future of VoIP as a major communication method over the coming years is therefore assured. VoIP Telecommunications are here to stay.

By: Sacha Tarkovsky

VoIP – The Ultimate Calling Solution

admin — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 00:45:08 +0000

VoIP which stands for Voice over Internet Protocol is changing the way people think about making long distance phone calls.

VoIP uses technology that can translate analog audio signal, the signal traditionally used for telephone calls, into digital data that can be transmitted over the Internet and translated back to analog at the other end, if necessary. This technology can also be used without traditional phones, bypassing the phone company (and the outrageous fees) altogether. This technology has the potential to completely revolutionize the telephone industry offering a whole range of new choices for the consumer.

It is highly possible that this technology will eventually completely replace the traditional phone system.

There are several ways to take advantage of this new technology including both pay and free services available through the Internet. Some require purchasing new equipment to make and receive phone calls with a traditional telephone and others make and receive calls through your computer using the speakers and a microphone.

There are advantages and disadvantages to both methods with the computer method being available for free, but requiring your computer to be on and connected to the Internet in order to make or receive calls and the traditional phone method usually requiring the purchase of additional equipment and a monthly usage fee. Even with the fee, however, in most cases VoIP would prove to be a considerable savings over the standard telephone company’s bill.

Actually, there is a good chance you are already using VoIP technology without even knowing it. Many of the big-name long distance telephone service providers are already streamlining their networks using VoIP. This technology takes advantage of sending information electronically in the form of packets instead of the traditional method of circuit switching.

By using packets the information is sent only when it is created as opposed the circuit method which leaves a circuit open for the entire duration of the phone call so that there is a constant flow of information in both directions even when only one person is talking or when nobody is talking at all. Since the packet-switching method only sends actual data as it is created there is much less information “traffic” making the whole system much more efficient.

VoIP phone plans usually include all the premium services such as call waiting, caller ID, call forwarding and three-way calling in their one low (or free) fee rather than charging extra for each of these like the regular phone companies do. This provides yet another advantage for the VoIP customer.

There are even more premium features that go beyond what a standard phone company is capable of, such as filtering calls and routing specific phone numbers to either another number or a predetermined recorded message. Imagine sending all telemarketers to a “this phone is no longer in service message.”

The only potential drawback for some customers is not having access to a high-speed Internet connection. This can pose a problem for close to 50% of Americans who are still forced to use traditional dial-up connections. For the other 50%, however, VoIP is a viable alternative to the high phone bills and lackluster service they have been getting for years. The technology is still in its infancy and its popularity is likely to skyrocket in the coming years.

By: Aaron Siegel

The Present and Future of WiFi VOIP Phone Technology

admin — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 22:45:15 +0000

VOIP, or voice over internet protocol, has already changed the way that many Americans communicate with friends and loved ones. With VOIP it became possible to make seemingly regular phone calls – even long distance phone calls that would have cost a fortune with regular phone services, for free.

In today’s world, with the current state of the economy, everyone is looking for ways to cut their costs of living and to save money in any way possible. Eliminating high phone bills all together would be a tremendous way to save money, but there was one problem with using VOIP that severely limited its value in its original state – the user had to be close to a computer to use it.

People today have grown accustomed to portability, almost everything that we communicate on these days is portable – cordless phones and cell phone let us communicate with friends and loved ones no matter where we are or what we are doing, so it was almost like taking a step backward in terms of convenience in order to save some money.

Saving the money on all phone calls is great, but are people really willing to give up the portability of their cordless phones and cell phones to save the money – sure the VOIP would be good for calls if you new you were going to be just sitting and chatting for a while, but not being able to move about while conversing is a pretty big inconvenience for saving some money.

Enter the WiFi VOIP phone

Looking to advance the technology even further and to make VOIP a serious threat as an alternative to traditional phone service, manufacturers began to look in a similar direction to wireless modems for VOIP to operate on. The WiFi VOIP phone will allow users the same convenience and portability that they enjoy with a wireless internet connection in their homes. What this does is to give the user the same portability with their VOIP service in their homes that they would have with a regular cordless phone. With a WiFi VOIP phone, the user honestly won’t even be able to notice a difference in a switch over from the phone that they had been using to make all of their home phone calls – in fact the only difference there will be will occur in the absence of a bill from the phone company.

The Future

As technology improves and further advancements are made, there is almost no limit to what users will be able to accomplish with a WiFi VOIP phone. As more and more cities begin to adopt city-wide wireless networks, which residents can pay a monthly fee to have access to, there is a strong potential that VOIP technology will allow users to all but replace their cell phones with VOIP phones. Users would pay the monthly fee to have access to the wireless network which would cover their regular internet access, but also give them city wide access to the network on their portable VOIP phones.

What this would mean for end users who use their cell phones for nothing more than connecting with friends, family and associates is that they could effectively eliminate those cell phones and the bills that come along with them. So what we could see in the future of VOIP could conceivably be a device that would very effectively allow end users to do away with their home phone service as well as their cell phone service and allow them to do all of the connecting that they need to (local and long distance, day and night) without spending a penny more than they would already be spending for a wireless internet connection.

By: Amy Nutt

VoIP: The New Age Telephone Service

admin — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:37:09 +0000

In simple words, VoIP or Voice over Internet Protocol is a technology that allows one to make phone calls over a broadband internet connection. With the help of high speed internet connection and by installing certain VoIP software as well as hardware, people can talk unlimited at limited costs.

To make a call using VoIP technology you need:

Voip hardware :- VoIP hardware is basically an analogue telephone adaptor (ATA) which connects your phone to your broadband modem. This doesn’t require your computer to be on while making or receiving calls. The most popular application of VoIP works only with an ATA. An ATA converts analog signals to digital signals. Most VoIP service providers include the ATA in their VoIP products, but some require you to buy or rent an ATA.

The other hardware based option is an IP phone, which is similar to a standard telephone but includes an in built ATA adapter. The IP phone is connected directly to the router with a standard RJ-45 Ethernet connector. You can purchase calling cards from your VoIP service provider to start talking through this medium.

VoIP software :- Software-based VoIP works a little differently. VoIP software like Skype, Asterik works through your computer with a microphone, and your computer has to be switched on to receive calls. The most basic VoIP software allows two people with the same installed software to call each other over the Internet. Callers can set up a phone book and can make calls to other users.

VoIP services are comparatively cheaper than traditional calls. So, the next time you want to make long distance phone calls or international calls use VoIP.

By: Alen Wilson