VoIP Technology » Voice Over Internet Protocol Voip

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

VOIP & Small Business – What Happened?

admin — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 23:38:07 +0000

The use of Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) has grown rapidly, but not rapidly as expected in the small business world. Anyone who knows anything about business or information technology had an idea that there would be issues with medium to large businesses that already had an established telecommunications and information technology infrastructure.

Where most of us have been disappointed is in the small business arena. This market is where most providers and retailers thought they would get the best penetration, I know I did.

So why have small business not embraced this cost effective solution? The answer to this is somewhat simple, but just as simple to solve.

1.) Lack of education and knowledge of how VOIP works and what it is.

Myths prevail about VOIP, some of these myths have merit, but others do not. The ones with merit can be overcome with education. This is the job of the Telecomm and IT Provider and Consultant. Sit down with the customer and ask them their fears. Look for answers to elevate those fears, but do not make up answers. There are times when these fears should and will apply to a client. In which case the proper risk assessment needs to take place and be presented to the client.

2.) Retailers and providers of VOIP services selling a “one size fits all” service.

Most residential customers can be satisfied with this type of catch all, but home based business and small businesses that have larger data requirements and high call volume and transmissions may not be happy with the quality.

Most VOIP retailers do not take the time to conduct and audit of current services or expenses of the customer. They throw the hype at the customer and hope they bite. High Trust Sales is a must in any business. A quality Telecomm and Information technology solutions provider and consultant will make sure he does a complete analysis of every customer whether residential or small business.

Every customer can be unique and has unique requirements. All residential and small business customers do not necessarily have the same requirements like standard phone service to worry about. Some residential customers are home-based business owners, like I am, that require special needs such as larger bandwidth of the data carrier to compensate for the added voice requirements.

It is up to the Solutions Provider and Consultant to review these needs. In fact sometimes the customer does not realize these extra requirements. That is the job of the Telecomm and IT Solutions Provider and Consultant.

By: Joseph Brochin

Challenges of VOIP in 2007

admin — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 11:45:09 +0000

Today average customer uses Voice over internet protocol (VoIP) which is latest trend in communication industry. The technology is rapidly advancing because all telecommunication product companies are now investing fund to have more improved VoIP products and services.

This year the VOIP market has picked up. Many corporate have started using VoIP and have realized a large savings of 52-percent or more off their phone bills. Use of wireless VoIP helped hospitals to reduce cost of mobile phones. Technologically VoIP is better than pagers and hence it is getting popular in nursing homes and hospitals.

What are the disadvantages of Voice over Internet Protocol?

VoIP is becoming very popular to business houses but it is still not very popular to residential segment. The qualities of VoIP services are inferior to the quality of call in regular telephone technology due to various reasons.

VOIP technology requires a large amount of data to be compressed and transmitted in a packet format, then uncompressed and delivered, all in a relatively small amount of time. This digitization of analog voice signals takes too long and the callers experience either echo or over-talk.

Regular phone calls function with a delay of no more than ten( 10) milliseconds whereas in the case VOIP the delay is up to 400 milliseconds, meaning that the callers won’t hear each other fast enough to make the conversation flow easily. Due to this delay, either callers will hear themselves talking or they will start talking again before they have heard the other person reply. It is true that this delay problem does not occur for each call.

The disadvantages of VOIP are usually acceptable if the callers are using a free service and the calls are for personal in nature. The degradation of voice quality is not acceptable to corporate houses. Apart from delay in voice conversation, IT security network like firewall sometimes failed to route a VOIP call once it is received.

Moreover, if several people use VoIP, bandwidth utilization also increases. Excess use of bandwidth also increases the infrastructural cost.

By: Arindam Chattopadhyaya

VoIP – 3 Ways to Make The Call

admin — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 17:39:42 +0000

We’re hearing a lot about Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) these days. I for one am a big fan of this technology. Did you know that you could actually use VoIP in 3 different ways? That’s right! There are really 3 different ways that you can ‘make the call’. Ok, you can actually receive the call 3 different ways as well.

First up is probably the most popular. I use this way myself and most of the residential providers out there today use this as well. What is it?

ATA – Analog Telephone Adapter

Your normal phone plugs into an ATA that you received from your VoIP provider. This is the most common way to get hooked into VoIP. This device takes care of all the magic that occurs when you make and receive your calls over your broadband connection. Your analog phone signal must be converted to digital to be routed through your broadband connection and this ATA does the job.

IP Phone – Internet Protocol Phones

As the name would imply, these are ‘special’ phones. You wouldn’t know it by looking at them. They look like normal phones. What is different about these phones is the electronics inside them and the fact they don’t take a ‘regular’ phone cable (RJ-11). Instead these phones take an Ethernet cable connection (RJ-45) and also come equipped with the necessary electronics to plug directly into your router.

Computer-to-Computer

This is the oldest and possibly the easiest way to get plugged into VoIP. Here instead of using your normal phone or IP phone to make calls through your broadband connection, you use your computer itself! (You could do this over dial-up, but broadband is certainly better) There are a number of services available that offer no cost or low cost service. You’ll need the software and a microphone to speak into and speakers to hear from and of course your computer and a high-speed internet connection. Some providers offer this service for free when their software is being used on both ends of the call.

Watch out for Wi-Fi (using IP phones) and other advancements in VoIP technology. We truly are on the verge of a major breakthrough in telecommunications. So, what are you waiting for? Make the call!

By: Michael Weaver

VoIP Requirements List – Why VoIP?

admin — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:03:03 +0000

VoIP technology will transform your life. It will enable maximum connection with your friends and family members. And it is not difficult to use. There are a few disadvantages to this technology as with all technology. You cannot get something in this life that has only advantages and no disadvantages. I guess this doesn’t require mention, but don’t expect perfection from VoIP. However if you compare with other communicating services, I am sure you can easily say which is better. One misconception is that the quality of calls made by VoIP will not be as good as that made by traditional phones. This is not true at all, as it can be proved that VoIP has very good reliability. It is just as good as traditional phones. In fact, it is better.

It is very important that you first educate yourself about how the VoIP technology works before you start using it. This will give you a very good idea of how reliable it is going to be.

VoIP stands for Voice over internet Protocol. VoIP utilizes the internet to connect with other people. However, the end result is the same and you will not be able to tell the difference between VoIP and traditional phone.

There are certain requirements that have to be done before you can utilize the VoIP service. The first and a very important one is broadband internet access. This is important because it will give you a speedy access to the medium that you are going to use to connect with your friends and family members.

The second requirement is a standard phone with a special VoIP adapter that will convert your phone to VoIP phone. Alternatively, you may want to buy a specialized VoIP phone that does not require any additional adapter.

The third requirement is a router, if you don’t already have one with you broadband connection. You can manage without a router if you connect directly with the LAN.

One advantage of VoIP, and it is a very big advantage, is that VoIP is very cheap. Another advantage is that VoIP service providers usually offer free calls between subscribers regardless of their location.

If you want to save money, go for VoIP. If you want to get in touch with your friends and family members, go for VoIP. If you want to stay connected, go for VoIP.

To get powerful tips on setting up and using VoIP visit e-know.co.cc, a popular website about VoIP

By: Kamran Chy

Common Questions About VoIP

admin — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 03:41:25 +0000

Unless you live in a bubble, you have probably been hearing alot of buzz lately about something called Voice Over IP (VoIP). Perhaps you have heard that you can use VoIP to get cheap or free long distance calling, even Internationally. The good news is that this is true!

VoIP, which stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol is an exciting synergy between computers and telephony, but don’t let that scare you. VoIP is just as easy to use as any ordinary telephone. So, you have heard the buzz and perhaps you are curious about taking the plunge and getting set up with VoIP service. Being so new, VoIP is still somewhat shrouded in mystery. Help is here! In this article we will answer several common questions most people have about VoIP Service and help clear up the confusion about the technology and how it can work for you.

What Exactly is VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol)?
VoIP is a new technology that makes use of your broadband connection to route your telephone calls over the internet, rather than using the traditional analog telephone lines. This has proven to be a very efficient and cost effective way to place phone calls to anywhere in the world.

Who Can I call?
This depends upon your service provider. There are a few different flavors of Voice Over IP Service. Most of the larger VoIP service providers you see advertised to the consumer market (such as Vonage, BlueSky, etc..) work just like your existing phone and enable you to call any phone, anywhere.

What’s It Going To Cost?
The cost for this service varies depending on the provider and the service plan you select. Currently, most service providers have plans that cost in the $10 – $25 monthly, which is considerably cheaper than ordinary phone service. Keep in mind that this service includes long distance calls. Usually, you can choose from several plans that vary in cost depending on the level of usage you desire. Most companies also offer an unlimited plan that includes unlimited long distance calls.

You will also be plesantly surprised to find that many services such as caller id, call forwarding, call waiting, three way calling, and even voice mail features often come standard with most VoIP plans. Another great benefit is that as it currently stands (in January 2006), the Government does not apply a tax to your VoIP service, unlike the additional taxes and fees that are applied to your standard phone bill. This can amount to a substantial savings alone, but this may only be a temporary benefit. As VoIP gains in popularity, it is more than likely that the Government will find a way to tax that as well.

Do I Need “Special Stuff”?

This depends on the provider, once again. One thing that you must have is an always on broadband internet connection. This means DSL or Cable Internet, for home users. Depending on whom you get service with, you will likely have to connect just regular phone to an adapter, or maybe purchase a special phone to use with the service. Check for specials before you sign up, sometimes the equipment is given away for free to encourage you to sign up. Regardless, the investment in hardware for home users of VoIP is very minimal, if it costs you at all.

Can I call 911?

You need to check with the provider to ensure that they do indeed provide this functionality. That said, in May 2005, the US Government ordered all interconnected VoIP Providers to provide 911 functionality to their subscribers.

Sounds… Too Good, What’s the Catch?

Well, there is a minor catch which is that if your internet goes out, so does your phone. This isn’t usually too big of a problem, however as most modern broadband ISPs do a great job of maintaining reliable service.

Where Do I Find VoIP Providers?

Usually, it is not important that you find a local provider just as long as the provider you choose is based in the same country. Therefore, the internet is a very valuable resource for finding and comparing VoIP providers.

Which one Do I choose?

The VoIP provider that you choose is a personal choice, as they all tend to work slightly differently. What sounds the most feasible for your setup and usage requirements is the best choice for you. Do keep in mind that this is a rapidly maturing technology and that changes are occurring all the time. You will want to choose a company that you feel will be able to provide you reliable service in the future.

By: Amber Lowery

Myths and Facts About VOIP

admin — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 22:50:28 +0000

Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) is still a foreign term to many phone users, but as the technology continues to improve, and the prices keep falling, this new-way-to-phone stands to make big noise in the coming years as customers continue to give up their land line phones in search of better, more cost-effective options.

What follows are some common myths about the VOIP technology and the real information you need to know.

Myths and Facts about VOIP:

Myth: The sound quality is poor.

Fact: The first generation of VOIP technologically did have its share of issues, but all these services have since upgraded their technology significantly in the past two years. Now, VOIP customers can enjoy crystal-clear conversations that are on par with any traditional carrier.

Myth: You can only save money by calling other VOIP phone numbers

Fact: One of the biggest VOIP selling points continues to be free user-to-user calling over the network, however there are also considerable savings to be found in calling packages with VOIP service providers. In fact, many are competitively priced well below the large long-distance carriers.

Myth: The service is unreliable.

Fact: Individuals using VOIP for the calls reports no more dropped calls or service gaps than those using traditional cell phone or land line services.

While some companies experienced a rough start in this regard, additional testing and better hardware/software has helped make the service run smoothly.

Myth: Setting up a VOIP system is too complicated

Fact: For most VOIP systems, setting up is as easy as “plug and play.” In fact, if you have been able to get your cable TV or wireless in-home Internet working properly you should have no problem getting the VOIP system set up as well. Also, VOIP providers have spent time expanding their customer service departments. Customers who felt intimated by the technology can count on round-the-clock service and support centers to help answer their questions about VOIP installation, troubleshooting or general use.

Myth: Nobody is using VOIP for their calls.

Fact: On the contrary, more and more people are switching to VOIP for their personal and business use. According to industry sources, VOIP users are expected to grow in number by over 21% in 2008 with addition growth projected for 2009.

Myth: You can’t use a cell phone with VOIP

Fact: Initially, one of the biggest challenges facing the VOIP industry was giving people the ability to use their own phones when accessing the technology. Seeing that any real growth would be tied to this issue, VOIP providers are now offering dual handset capability which allows the user to seamlessly switch between their cell phone’s network and a wi-fi network carry the VOIP service.

By: Mark Etinger

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

admin — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 16:27:09 +0000

This article contains the excellent information about the Voice Over IP Protocol.

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology is the wave of the future in terms of telephone communication via the Internet. VoIP has several advantages over circuit-switched technology used by local phone companies. Circuit-switched technology uses a ‘permanent’ connection between the caller and callee, which requires a huge amount of bandwidth for each call.

This type of technology can only carry certain types of calls, such as telephone to telephone. Also, the hardware circuit-switched networks need to run effectively are extremely expensive, mostly because voice and data services must be supported on different wires. Therefore, each service needs separate hardware to accommodate the voice and data types of traffic. Needless to say, your local phone company then passes the costs of building and maintaining a circuit-switched network to the you, the consumer. Unforturnately, this equals higher rates for your telephone services.

VoIP – How Does it Work?

VoIP technology is when phone calls travel networks using Internet Protocol (IP). What this means is that the calls are passed through the Internet or privately managed data networks that are using IP to send the calls from one location to the other. So whether the call is passed through the Internet or data networks, the voice stream is broken down into packets, compressed, and sent toward their final destination by several different routes.

This is where circuit-switch technology and IP technology differ, in that circuit-switched technology uses a ‘permanent’ connection for the entire phone call. Once the call reaches the callee, the voice stream packets are reassembled, decompressed, and switched back into a voice stream by several hardware and software elements, depending on the call’s final destination. The type of software and hardware needed to start and end a phone call is determined by where the call originated, such as a PC, phone, or an Integrated Access Device (IAD) and whether the call is going to be completed on a PC, telephone, or IAD.

ADVANTAGES OF VoIP

The following is a list of the numerous advantages for using VoIP:

· Voice and data can be sent over the same lines.

· 8 time the number of phone calls can be placed on those lines than in the circuit-switched environment.

· Quality of sound is excellent.

· Lower operating costs due to reduced hardware requirements and a more efficient network infrastructure.

· Lower cost structures enable lower rates than the traditional telephone companies.

· Use of different devices to talk to one another.

By: Kashif Raza