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Introduction to VoIP
What is VoIP? First things first, VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. At a base level that means phone calls over your broadband connection. You really do need a high-speed connection to take advantage of VoIP to get phone calls comparable to a normal landline phone. Traditional "dial-up" connections are not really sufficient. VoIP works in a different way to your home phone. Your home phone is based on an analogue network, whereas VoIP is based on a digital one. Essentially when you speak into a VoIP enabled phone or headset your voice is converted into digital packets; it is then compressed to help your Internet connection run more efficiently and then it is transferred down the connection much like an email. Once it reaches its destination the process is reversed. Why might I want to switch to VoIP? It's a good question. We all have a working phone in our homes or business, why should we change? Lets look at the advantages and disadvantages of VoIP Advantages Well to put it simply - cost. VoIP makes calls significantly cheaper. And (Depending on your package) for a low cost monthly subscription local and national calls can be made for free, and international calls made at a significantly lower rate. When you subscribe to a VoIP service it is possible to get a phone number for life. You will be able to take your number with you whenever you move (or even travel) with obvious benefits. The contract packages that companies who are offering the service contain for the most part all the features and more that your current phone service supplier offers. You are likely to find most VoIP companies offering free voicemail, call forwarding, caller ID, call waiting, call waiting ID, 3 way calling, speed dialling and much more. VoIP is very much in it's infancy; the technology is progressing all the time. Future benefits that we may not be able to envisage yet are certain to appear, you current analogue phone system will not be able to compete. Disadvantages Your VoIP phones system will be exclusively based on your broadband connection, if you ISP has a period of service downtime then you will not be able to make calls. Additionally if your electricity supply has a power out then you will not be able to make any calls, this includes calls to the emergency services. Some providers have already got a work around with the emergency calls, so make sure when you decide on a supplier they provide this. A further disadvantage currently is the set up of the VoIP is not the simplest procedure to undertake, though many suppliers will assist with installation. The quality of the call via VoIP can be slightly less than your current analogue phone, but the technology is steadily improving, and before long you will not be able to tell the difference in call quality between the two mediums. © Mike Bromley 2005 The author runs a site about VoIP Service Providersat http://www.speakonline.co.uk
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What Do You Know About VoIP? What is VoIP VoIP in the Home VoIP is set to revolutionise home communications. With VoIP you can make telephone calls over your broadband connection for free! Well in some cases you can, in other cases you might need to pay a monthly subscription to a VoIP service provider. There are a few different ways you can take advantage of VoIP at home. VoIP: Finally Worth a Look Dear Internet Friends, Is VoIP Good For The Home? There is no doubt that you have heard about VoIP by now. It's made headlines and is plastered everywhere both in online and TV advertisements. Just in case you haven't caught on to the hype yet, VoIP is the abbreviated term for Voice over Internet Protocol. Voice over Internet Protocol is basically the ability to communicate on a phone over your Internet connection. Benefits of VoIP You may not have considered it but there are many benefits that businesses can achieve by utilising data networks to carry their voice traffic (VoIP). By marrying this voice traffic with data traffic (IP Telephony) it becomes even more powerful. Security, Stability, and Interoperability Issues on VoIP Implementation Now we have accepted that VoIP is no longer just a phone service, it has become feature rich as it merges with computer configurations. The VoIP's existence has changed considerably over the last few years, coupled with the availability of broadband connection to the Internet, plus leaps in multimedia technology in which virtual operations with remote sites becomes more enhanced, makes VoIP service a viable alternative to traditional communication offerings. Google Joins the Internet Phone Revolution Its not so long ago that the idea of free phone calls over the Internet would have been thought an impossibility, but as any knowledgeable user will tell you they are now commonplace. 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The past 10 years have seen the development and growing popularity of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technologies to achieve cost savings over the traditional circuit-switched telephone networks. The two dominate technologies used for VoIP are: (1) the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) and (2) Peer-2-Peer (P2P). For business and educational institutions SIP VoIP solutions have produced substantial savings. For home voice users, however, SIP VoIP is still value challenged. Why Over 90% of VoIP Services Are Vulnerable to Attack John Ashcroft, Attorney General, in remarks at the High Technology Crime Investigation Association 2004 International Training Conference held on September 13, 2004 stated, "We have seen worms and viruses attack?disrupting basic services?And with the increased use of the Internet and especially peer-to-peer networking, we have seen malicious code spread more quickly and infect more personal computers than ever before. The cost of these worms, viruses, and denial-of-service attacks?reaches into the billions of dollars." Take Your Home or Business Phone With You When You Travel Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephone service uses a broadband Internet connection (DSL or cable) instead of the Bell System circuits to carry your voice to any telephone in the world via the Internet. If you're not familiar with VoIP phone service, you'll be interested in this new technology that's giving traditional phone companies a run for their money. VoIP is Less Taxing than Traditional Telephone Service When it comes to VoIP Broadband Telephone service, there are many benefits. Unlimited local and long distance calling, included features such as CallerID, Call Waiting, Find Me/Follow Me, etc., and reduced costs. 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It's a new, yet proven, technology that lets you talk with friends, family and loved ones over the Internet. |
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