VOIPNet Phone Revolution
By admin | November 16, 2008
Have you seen them? The commercials about Net phones and how they can save you a ton of money on long-distance? Okay, so now you want to know how it works, what’s in it for you, are there any hidden charges that will have me paying the same if not more per month than my current, reliable land-line phone, Am I going to sound like E.T. attempting to phone home on this thing and what are they not telling me that could nix the whole deal? Well, here you are.
How it works:
VOIP or Voice Over Internet Protocol, is just that. Your voice is sent in what are known as packets, accross the internet and re-assembled at the receiving end. Kind of like that machine in the “The Fly”, only a lot more stable (no incects messing up your DNA or anything). You plug your internet connection (which must be broadband, DSL or Cable) into your modem (as usual), you then plug the modem into your adapter, and then connect your adapter to your other devices (Phone, Fax, Computer).
Not that difficult, but since configurations vary from provider to provider,I urge you to check it out yourself.
What’s in if for you:
Lower prices. Truthfully, VOIP delivers on it’s promise of lower prices. There are taxes and fees, but they will only bump your final monthly bill about 2 to 3 dollars. Quality, still lags behind land line, but that is to be expected. What is not to be expected how far VOIP quality has come in a short amount of time. Many people never notice a difference between
speaking to someone using VOIP and speaking to someone using land line technology (See “Net Phones Grow Up” by Jeff Betolucci and Tom Kortie, PC World, September 2005).
What Are They Not Telling Me That Could Nix the Whole Deal?
There are a couple of concerns with VOIP. One is that, with VOIP relying on an internet connection, if your internet connection is down for some reason, you have no phone. The other concern is 911. 911 systems and VOIP vendors have not been playing nice in the sandbox. Fortunately, E911 is being enforced by the FCC and all VOIP vendors must provide 911
service that rivals that of landline users by November 28, 2005. So, basically, the second issue is no longer an issue.
What’s the difference between Net Phones and a Service like Skype?
Skype requires a PC for both users. It is PC to PC communication. There is no true “Phone”, while Net Phone uses your phone and a portable adapter. The adapter can be taken on the road and used anywhere you find a high-speed connection. Skype is not a replacement for your current phone service, net phone is. You can bypass the phone company completely. You don’t end up paying for services that the phone company charges you for, like voicemail, 3-Way calling, Call-Forwarding, etc.,; these fees are all covered in your $25-$40 a month for unlimited calls.
Economically, VOIP makes sense. You get comparable quality for a much lower price and more standard features. Hopefully this will help you make a more informed decision or at the very least help you decide if VOIP is right for you or your small/home business.
Yolanda McDonald is Business Systems Analyst in Baltimore, MD. She has 15 years of experience in programming, design and analysis on several platforms including Midrange, Client/Server and the Internet. You can find more of her articles at http://www.ymcdonald.com.
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Understanding VoIP
By admin | November 12, 2008
What is VoIP? It stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. It is a technology that lets you make telephone calls over the Internet, rather than a regular phone line. Which is almost always cheaper.
In order to use VoIP, both sender and receiver need to have a “broadband” connection. This is a high-speed Internet connection usually provided by cable or a DSL modem. Broadband modems are usually used to connect computers to the Internet, but in the case of VoIP, computers are not necessary, because now there are telephones that connect directly.
High-Speed Connection
The simplest form of VoIP is a computer-to-computer voice connection. The only requirements: a computer with a broadband connection, a headset consisting of earphones and microphone, and VoIP software.
Most VoIP software packages are free (you can download one from the Internet at versiontracker.com), and they allow you to connect to any computer that also has VoIP software. The only time that both parties need the same VoIP software package is when they are making computer-to-computer calls. There is no charge for this type of connection, and calls can be made to anywhere in the world.
VoIP software can also be used to connect to landline phones, that is, phones that are not connected directly to the Internet. This type of call is usually not free, but still costs quite a bit less than your telephone company charges. Some VoIP services also allow you to make calls to cellular phones. Parties receiving landline or cellular calls do not need any extra equipment or software.
Your Voice Becomes Data
VoIP is based on digital data transmission. So, the first step in any VoIP call is to convert the analog human voice into digital data and divide itl into groups of numbers. The next step is to compress the data to reduces the data size as much as possible without sacrificing audio quality.
The compressed digital data is then divided into packets which adds information about their destination and their place in the data stream.
Multi-Layer Transmission
Now you probably don’t need to know about this section of techno-speak, so feel free to skip to the final section. I won’t be offended.
All data sent over the Internet has discrete layers to aid in its accurate delivery. For example, a network layer specifies destination and origin addresses, a transport layer creates a connection between 2 computers, and an application layer might allow a page to be displayed correctly at the receiving end.
The transport layer used by most VoIP transmissions is called User Datagram Protocol, which is a very high-speed protocol. A commonly used application layer is Real-time Transmission Protocol, which provides information about the sequence of the data packets, so they can be reconstructed in the correct order at their destination.
Data Becomes Voice
If packets do not arrive within a certain time limit, they are dropped. This is necessary to avoid unacceptable delays in the audio stream. Even though some packets are sometimes dropped, there is usually enough information left to make the conversation understandable. The number of packets that are dropped depends on the speed of your Internet connection and the distance between the 2parties.
Once the voice data has arrived at its destination, it is reassembled in the correct order and converted from digital back to analog — the sound of your voice.
Ron King is a full-time researcher, writer, and web developer. Visit voip-solutions-now.com to learn more about this fascinating trading vehicle.
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VoIP Good For The Home
By admin | November 3, 2008
VoIP has become extremely popular with the general public. TV and online adverts, news and paper headlines have aired this new technology heavily recently, furthering its overall success. If somehow you’ve managed to miss all this hype surrounding this recent computer related communications revolution the abreviation VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol or Voice over IP. This technology enables the user to talk with a phone/microphone over the world wide web connection.
Normal phone bills can be minimised by using VoIP since it boasts extremely low rates, considerably lower than conventional telephone, whether the calls being made are local or to the other side of the world. Large corporations are taking advantage of this fact massively by installing the necessary software and equipment, loosing the old requirement for traditional conference calls, many faxes etc, whilst incorporating such media tools as streaming video applications. The recent explosion in VoIP use has hidden the fact that this technology has been around for many years waiting to become economically viable.
In terms of families now wanting to give this exciting new improvement on phone communication a go, mostly this concept is a full gone conclusion people are going stir crazy about it. Do they believe all the hype about how it will hugely improve their everyday lives? Is this technology really as impressive, reliable and affordable as is often touted by the sales pitchers? Any unanswered questions alongside possibilities you may not have realised yet are provided here in this article aimed at furthering your understanding of this new VoIP technology. Once you’ve read everything here you may be more inclined to get out there and purchase then test run this communications system.
Initially an internet connection to your residence must be present! This connection must be a high speed one, any of the following varieties i.e. satellite, cable or DSL, not 56K dial up. VoIP can only function properly and transform into your new calling station by following this important advice. Quality loss is just far too significant when attempting to use slower connections such as 56K dial ups. These now fairly antiquated connections simply don’t have the speed or capacity required to transfer calls digitally. If DSL happens to be your choice of broadband service, and you’re hoping to replace your existing phone service with VoIP, a company known as SpeakEasy has just recently created a VoIP product that does’nt require any already installed phone line.
The second most important requirement is a ‘gateway’, needing to be connected between your ethernet modem and computer. Your phone line needs to be plugged into this VoIP gateway to then enable calling to be high quality, unhindered by any potential computer problems that may occur. Many computers have a variety of momentary unpredictable problems, e.g. slow memory or crashes which could significantly reduce quality calling time.
Adapters are available so that VoIP can fit any phone, old/ existing or new. Typically the promoters of VoIP provide sell adapters to reduce the time you may spend shopping around for one. Albeit a great money saving plan, not buying a new phone will probably mean you miss out on the next big VoIP move, video usage in combination with VoIP on phones, a trend that looks set to blow up everywhere. A company known as Packet8 VoIP sells a great video phone in addition to their usual services.
Phone services that have VoIP included typically contain the whole range of great offers and gadgets the current phone services provide. Details cover such aspects as three way calling, voice messaging, your own VoIP telephone number and call waiting.
Key aspects associated with this brazen new feature-full phone technology that you should be aware of are that local 911 emergency coverage exists. This feature may come as an additional extra charge on top of the basic package, hitting your wallet on a monthly basis. Don’t commit to a calling contract until you have ironed out all the costs associated with what ever deal you choose.
Lastly, remember that electricity is the fuel your VoIP system uses and the occasional power cut will unfortunately put a stop to its functioning, momentarily. This is the one small aspect that traditional phone calls don’t have to contend with, due in part to them containing their own small power supplies.
When thinking about obtaining VoIP first consult http://www.voipinternetphonecenter.com/Technology-Your-Business-A-Beneficial-Relationship.php for a huge variety of information e.g. voip for small business.
Tags: internet phone, internet telephony, voice over ip, VoIP, VoIP Phone, VoIP providerTopics: VoIP | No Comments »