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How Do I Compare VoIP providers?
It's actually quite easy to compare VoIP providers because the technology is so new that the features that each provider offers differ quite a bit. Just like any service, you want to be sure that you get the best deal, and a program that will...
How Does VoIP Really Work?
VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. By using a VoIP phone and VoIP technology you can effectively use the internet to make phone calls. VoIP does this by placing the voice calls on network which encrypts the voice in data packets at one...
Using A VoIP Phone Service Can Cost You Your Life
VoIP Phones are all the rage. These Internet phones are becoming increasingly popular with the general public as well as among the technologically gifted avant-garde i.e. geeksRus. Chances are high you know someone who uses one or you may even...
VoIP: A Constantly Improving Technology
VoIP internet telephony has been a usable communication technology for many years now, but it is only recently that it has become a mainstream communication tool for both residential and business users. This is largely because of the huge...
VoIP Phone Home?
VoIP Phone Home? The movie Extra Terrestrial (ET) coined the phrase “phone home” and each year American’s look for more cost effective ways to do just that. The past 10 years have seen the development and growing popularity of Voice over Internet...
 
VOIP: A Basic, Basic Intro

What is it?

Most people are familiar w/ NetMeeting and other software that let you talk to others over the internet. VOIP is similar. However, it also uses your phone - the interface we're all familiar with.

Instead of connecting your phone to the wall, you connect it to a box either the VOIP company provides or you buy on your own. This is the modem. You need highspeed/broadband internet for this. Your modem plugs into your cable/dsl modem and now it can 'talk' btwn your phone and the internet.

Your phone lines already do pretty much what VOIP does, just w/ different/older technology (well, some of it's new w/ optics and such, but...).

How hard is it to setup?

It's actually very easy. Assuming you have the company send you a modem or you buy a kit at the store, you simply plug the modem btwn your current cable/dsl modem and your computer (e.g., the out from your cable modem now goes to the new box and the out from that to your computer). It also has a phone jack for your regular phone.

Once it is on, it will boot up and configure itself.

What are the benefits?

There are many benefits depending on the company you go w/, but here are a few I have (all of these are free w/ the monthly fee- $14.99 for my setup):

1. Features like caller id, call waiting, call waiting caller id, call forwarding, etc.

2. Voicemail

3. Email alerts for new voicemail.

4. Web access to voicemail - you can play your messages on your computer.

5. Auto-forward - if the phone is ever down or isn't answered, it's auto-routed to another number

6. Online management of all features, settings, account, etc.

7. Computer dialing - highlight any number on your computer, hit F6 and it sets up the call from your phone to theirs - very convinient!

8. Keep your regular phone (you don't need a voip phone)

There are some other cool features available for extra $ like


the softphone which lets you use your computer as a phone w/o the modem - this means you can take your laptop w/ you wherever and you have your phone w/ the same phone number everywhere too (you can do this w/o the softphone, but you have to take your VOIP modem around w/ you - not bad if you're going somewhere for a longer trip).

Another really cool thing is the virtual phone numbers. You can get extra numbers that ring the same phone, but they are local numbers to any area code you want. So if I live in Dallas and have family in New York, I can get a local phone number here and there. That way my family in New York can call a local number (free) and talk to me! Vonage charges $4.99/month for that. I'm not sure about the others.

And the biggest benefit - IT'S CHEAP! I pay $14.99 plus some tax and such, but not the ump-teen taxes, charges, fees, etc. like the phone company charges.

Also, if you do a little research/reading, you can set it up to where every phone jack in your house is wired for VOIP. It's little more than plugging the output of your VOIP modem into the wall jack you already have. Very little more.

Bottom Line

You get lots of good, free features and options for doing/managing a lot more including a lot over the web and it's SO much cheaper (at least it is for me!). Being the 'average guy' I am, I don't really use all the features. Fortunately, it's pretty much a 'set it up and forget about it' type thing except that I save $40+/month w/ it!

I use Vonage b/c that's what I was told about first and it was one of the first. There are others and I'm sure they have their strengths, but Vonage has the cheapest base option at the time I did my research.

About the Author

Bear Cahill runs: The Armchair Geek (www.thearmchairgeek.com), Webpage Hosting Info (www.webpagehostinginfo.com), Go To College Online (www.gotocollegeonline.com) and The Video Exchange Community (www.videoexchange.org)

 

Voice over IP - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Encyclopedia article with background information, technical details, and the advantages and disadvantages of VoIP.
en.wikipedia.org
 
Voice-Over-Internet Protocol
An overview of VoIP from the Federal Communications Commission. With news, FAQs, factsheets, and findings.
www.fcc.gov
 
voip-info.org - voip-info.org
A wiki that covers VoIP software, hardware, service providers, reviews, configurations, and standards.
www.voip-info.org
 
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
 
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
 
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
 
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
 
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
 
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
 
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
 
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
 
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
 
VoIP - Internet Telephony
voip, Internet Telephony Magazine. ... Internet Telephony is the leading VoIP magazine in the world covering all topics VoIP. ...
www.tmcnet.com
 
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
 
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
 
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
 
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
 
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
 
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 ...
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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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