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An Honest Review of Vonage: A feature-rich, World-ready VoIP
With more players jumping into the already populated space of
Voice over the Internet Protocol (VoIP), the perceptive user has
that much more choice. Vonage is a leading player in this
marketplace with over a million subscribers worldwide in a...
Getting Started with a VoIP Service
VoIP is a great new technology that is bound to replace
traditional phone services. Unlike traditional telephone
service, VoIP phone services route phone calls over the
Internet. Using a public network like the Internet...
How To Set Up A Business VoIP System
To set up a business VoIP system, you need several components. A
central device to manage the calls, the way a private branch
exchange (PBX) or key system unit (KSU) does in traditional
phone systems is one of them.
This can be a dedicated...
VoIP - Calling Options With Voice Over Internet Protocol
One of the reasons VoIP is so poplar is it affords users
multiple methods for placing a phone call. Here are some choices
you have when you use VoIP services:
Buy an IP phone
You can purchase a special phone that looks much like...
VoIP Small Business/Home Business Advantage
Small businesses, home-based businesses, and self-employed
individuals have been turning to internet telephone service
(also called broadband phone or VOIP) in droves. What is the
attraction? As a self-employed,...
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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 telephone calls instead of using a regular
land-line telephone.
The types of VoIP services vary with provider. With some you can
only call other people who have the same service you do. But
more and more service providers have service packages that allow
you to use VoIP to call anybody who has a telephone number
whether it is a local call, a long distance call, a cell phone,
or an international phone number.
Another thing that varies is what you use to make the calls when
using VoIP. Depending on what the service provider you choose
offers and what your preferences are, calls can be completed by
using a computer, a specially designed VoIP phone, or a regular
phone that you attach a special adapter to.
A common question people ask about VoIP is how it works. The
technology coverts the analog voice signal from the phone into a
digital signal. That digital signal then travels over the
Internet. When the signal reaches the person being called, the
signal is transferred back into a protocol the end user's
equipment can read. If the VoIP service provider you choose
assigns you a regular telephone number then anyone with a phone
can call you. They won't need any specialized equipment.
One advantage of having VoIP service is that you do not need to
have a separate phone line. You can use your broadband Internet
connection for both your online computer connection and your
phone service. And you can be using your computer and your VoIP
service at the same time.
Another advantage of VoIP service is that it can cost much less
than having regular phone service especially if you make a lot
of long distance or international calls. Depending on the
service provider you use, an attractively priced package with
unlimited long distance minutes may be included. And
international rates are great - most cost less than 10 cents a
minute and some international calls are less than 5 cents a
minute.
Another advantage of some VoIP service plans is that you can
choose a home calling area and area code outside of where you
live. This can be an attractive option if you make a large
portion of your calls to one specific area. This can be a
disadvantage too because then your neighbor down the street or
relative two blocks away may have to pay long distance rates to
call you.
Another disadvantage you need to be aware of if you are
considering purchasing VoIP service is that it may not work
if
your power goes out. This means you may not have phone access in
the case of an emergency.
Another disadvantage is that some VoIP services do not work with
the United State's E-911 systems. But regulations now require
VoIP service providers to make you aware that their system does
not work with E-911 before you sign up. Other providers do have
E-911 integrated into their systems. They do it by assigning a
phone number to your modem and then associating your address
with that modem. That information is given to local authorities.
Then, if you dial 9-1-1 the address associated with that modem
will show on the 9-1-1 system.
Be aware however that if you move the modem to another physical
address you need to make sure your VoIP service provider is
aware so that the address associated with the modem can be
changed to the new address. Otherwise if you dial 9-1-1 from the
new address your old address will show in the 9-1-1 system.
Another thing to be aware of if you are considering VoIP service
as a replacement for your traditional phone service is that some
VoIP providers do not offer services you may be used to having
such as directory assistance and white page listings.
VoIP services and plans are changing frequently as the
technology develops and new companies offer VoIP service. If you
are considering VoIP service the most important thing to do is
research to determine if VoIP is right for you and then to
determine the best service provider for you. The best way to do
this is to compare several VoIP services and also compare the
VoIP services you are considering with your existing phone
service.
If after doing your research you decide to purchase VoIP
service, check to see if the provider has a trial period in
which you can cancel. Most service providers have some sort of
trial period. One popular provider has a 30 day trial period. If
you try the service and decide it is not for you, you have 30
days to cancel.
The trial period is a good time for you to find out what the
quality of your voice calls is going to be with VoIP because it
varies. Some providers are able to provide the same voice
quality as traditional phone service providers but others may
not be able to provide voice quality that is as high as that of
traditional phone service.
By taking a little time to do research and check out several
VoIP providers you have the best chance of having a good buying
experience if you do decide to purchase VoIP service.
About the author:
D Ruplinger is a featured writer for http://www.voipsfone.com.
For more information about VoIP and VoIP service providers visit
http://www.voipsfone.com.
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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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