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5 Steps to VoIP
So you're ready to enjoy unlimited long distance calling and
lower monthly phone bills. Well, before you make the switch,
here are five steps that will help you get the VoIP plan that is
best for you.
1. Make the Decision
Yes, it is new...
Is A VoIP Calling Plan Right For Your Home?
If you watch TV read magazines, or drive through and cities with billboards chances are you've come across advertisements for VOIP calling plans. Many of these advertisements try to sell their services on how much less expensive their services are...
Voip Service Review For Business Users
Making phone calls applying a broadband Internet connection,known as VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), is becoming so popular with corporations of each size. The prospect of paying a flat fee for unlimited long-distance phone calls is...
What In The World Is VoIP?
VoIP is the acronym for Voice Over Internet Protocol. You may
have also heard VoIP referred to as Internet Voice, Voice Over
The Internet or IP Telephony.
VoIP is a technology that lets a person use a broadband Internet
connection to make...
What's The Story With VoIP?
Unless you've been residing in a cave for the last couple of
years, you've probably at least heard the word "VoIP" even if
you didn't realize what all the excitement is about.
VoIP stands for "Voice over Internet Protocol" and it's...
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Free VoIP Services: Not Necessarily Free
Though not a new technology, VOIP, or Voice Over Internet
Protocol, has recently begun gaining ground on the traditional
long distance telephone industry. Simply put, VOIP is the
ability for a person to talk on the telephone over an Internet
connection. Using a variety of types of equipment to switch
analog sound bits into digital data packets, VOIP has made
placing long distance phone calls more efficient, more
convenient, and much less expensive. Because there is no phone
company or long distance provider involved, there are no monthly
fees, long distance toll charges, or other charges associated
with a traditional telephone bill. There are many VOIP service
providers out there, and more cropping up on a regular basis.
That means there is a demand for these providers to offer even
lower cost services than they already do. In an effort to
increase customers, some providers are now offering what they
call "free" VOIP services. It is important to be aware that this
type of service is not truly free.
A primary problem with so-called free VOIP services is the
limitations that are often placed on the service subscriber.
Many "free" providers limit the people you can call to only just
users of the service you are yourself subscribing to. Sometimes
you can call members of other "free" VOIP services. Because the
commercial VOIP service providers, such as Vonage, connect to a
traditional phone network, paying subscribers can call anyone
with a telephone, whether it is connected to the Internet or
not. As a subscriber to a "free" service, you can't place calls
into the public telephone network, and those on a public network
can't call you. This restriction negates the potential
convenience that VOIP offers.
There are some "free" VOIP service providers that now offer
customers the opportunity to call anyone, whether members of the
service or not. This, of course, comes at a price. Service
providers can offer this possibility to their customers at
arguably lower rates than conventional long-distance providers,
both domestically and Internationally, covering most of the
globe. Though this is still cheaper (and probably a lot more
convenient) than traditional long distance phone
service, it is
not free, and should not be advertised as such.
Subscribing to any of the free VOIP services are not truly free
of cost. Chances are if you are interested in VOIP, you already
have a home computer equipped with a soundcard and speakers. But
if you want to subscribe to a VOIP service, you are required to
have a broadband Internet connection, as dial-up just won't cut
it anymore. Though prices for broadband Internet have come down,
it is still a little more costly than dial-up, averaging $30-$40
per month. In addition, you will probably have to invest in a
microphone that is specially equipped with an analog-to-digital
converter and a USB connector. This will allow you to talk
through your home computer when you place calls. Or, you can
purchase an IP phone or headset that plugs directly into your
home computer. This allows you to talk into a handset or
headset, and have a dialing mechanism, much like a traditional
telephone. Many IP phones come with a number of added features.
Though these are one-time start-up purchases, it is important to
note that service providers claiming to offer totally free VOIP
services can't really fulfill their claims.
VOIP isn't too good to be true. It has the potential to forever
alter the course of telephone communications. It is flexible
(you can travel with your phone and phone number around the
world), it is more than reasonably priced for the services you
receive (services often include Call Waiting and Caller ID as
part of standard service - features you pay extra monthly
charges for with a traditional phone company), and it is
convenient (you can check your voice mail from your email
account, the voice reception is often clearer, and you don't get
dropped calls like you do with a mobile phone). But, as with
many other products and services, you get what you pay for. So,
beware of "free" VOIP services. They are not always free, and if
they are, they are most likely very limited in what they can
offer their customers.
About the author:
Learn the essential information for picking the Voip provider /
services at Free Voip Services
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| Voice over IP - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
| Encyclopedia article with background information, technical details, and the advantages and disadvantages of VoIP. |
| en.wikipedia.org |
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| Voice-Over-Internet Protocol |
| An overview of VoIP from the Federal Communications Commission. With news, FAQs, factsheets, and findings. |
| www.fcc.gov |
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| voip-info.org - voip-info.org |
| A wiki that covers VoIP software, hardware, service providers, reviews, configurations, and standards. |
| www.voip-info.org |
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| Howstuffworks "How VoIP Works" |
| Voice over Internet Protocol lets you make free long-distance phone calls using your computer. It’s essentially a phone network that uses the Internet ... |
| www.howstuffworks.com |
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| VOIP.ORG.UK - The UK resource for IP telephony |
| UK resource with the emphasis on small businesses and home users. Includes news, reviews, and forums. |
| www.voip.org.uk |
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| Packet8: VoIP Internet Phone Service Provider and Voice Over IP ... |
| Packet8 offers VoIP Internet Phone Service and Voice Over IP Telephony phone systems. |
| www.packet8.net |
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| Voip |
| 1-800-TRY-VOIP; Voip.com: do more, pay less. Use a broadband connection and your voip.com adapter to make and receive calls using a regular phone. |
| www.voip.com |
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| Vonage - Leading the Internet Phone Revolution |
| Use your high-speed Internet connection to make all of your phone calls with Vonage digital phone service. Plans start at $14.99 per month. |
| www.vonage.com |
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| VoipBuster - The Free* Calls Company |
| Free* phone calls with the VoipBuster. Call your online friends for free as well as a special selection of popular international destinations. |
| www.voipbuster.com |
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| The VoIP Weblog |
| OK, VoIP customers, the $24.99 a month party is just about over. ... The issue definitely kept me from switching to a VoIP service for over a year because I ... |
| voip.weblogsinc.com |
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| IVR Platforms / IVR Hosting / IVR Development |
| Get to market quickly with our A to Z VoIP platforms and services >> ... Our IVR and VOIP hosting, turnkey platforms, and developer services - powered by ... |
| www.voxeo.com |
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| VoIP |
| Connecting a business to a VoIP network doesn’t require a big, expensive integration overhaul. Quintum’s VoIP access solutions are designed with “integrated ... |
| www.tmcnet.com |
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| VoIP - Internet Telephony |
| voip, Internet Telephony Magazine. ... Internet Telephony is the leading VoIP magazine in the world covering all topics VoIP. ... |
| www.tmcnet.com |
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| Convergence & VoIP - Network World |
| The Convergence & VoIP research center is your source for the latest convergence and VoIP news, analysis and research links from Network World. |
| www.networkworld.com |
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| VoIP News - Enterprise, Carrier, Small Business VoIP Information |
| VoIP news, trends, experts, product reviews. Carrier and enterprise-class voice over ip. |
| www.voip-news.com |
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| O'Reilly Network -- What Is VoIP |
| Ted Wallingford looks at why the VoIP technology, the key ingredient in Vonage, Skype, Cisco CallManager, and a host of other technology products, ... |
| www.oreillynet.com |
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| What is VoIP? - A Word Definition From the Webopedia Computer ... |
| This page describes the term VoIP and lists other pages on the Web where you can find additional information. |
| www.webopedia.com |
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| Access >> VoIP | CNET News.com |
| EarthLink expands VoIP service. Eight more cities will get access to Net phone service that requires no ... Verizon sues Vonage for VoIP patent infringement ... |
| news.com.com |
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| Pages tagged with "voip" on del.icio.us |
| All items tagged voip ??? view popular ... SunRocket Internet Phone Service · save this. by dbrogdon to VOIP ... saved by 18 other people ... 3 hours ago ... |
| del.icio.us |
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| VoIP (Voice Over IP) Solutions - AudioCodes |
| VoIP, VoP Chip Processors and Voice over IP packets solutions developed by AudioCodes, leaders in the VoIP market for VoIP equipment and VoIP technology. |
| www.audiocodes.com |
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