How Does VoIP Work?

VoIP is said to be the technology of the future because it allows us to do things that were impossible just five years ago. Now, instead of having a public telephone network the VoIP technology allows you to use your broadband connection to make telephone calls. Whatรขโ�ฌโ�ขs great about this is that you can use the phones you have always used; you just get to combine two services into one.

The VoIP technology works if you have a broadband connect and a device called a router. The router enables your phone to call just like it always has, but now itรขโ�ฌโ�ขs over the broadband digital connection instead of through a conventional phone line. In addition to a router there is a VoIP gateway that connects you to a voice over network so that your voice can be converted into a digital sound instead of through the analog technology of the past. Information is basically sent in packets across broadband lines to give a great sound and seamless connection to those who have VoIP service and even those who do not. VoIP really is a revolution in combining internet access and telephone service because it utilizes the same technology for two very different things.

The VoIP is great because now you can have just one bill that allows you to have phone access as well as broadband service. Luckily, most companies can even allow you to be online at the same time as youรขโ�ฌโ�ขre on the phone. There really arenรขโ�ฌโ�ขt any limitations to the VoIP service and in the future it will only get easier. In the coming years digital phones will be made so that each consumer wonรขโ�ฌโ�ขt have to have a router, and VoIP service will probably be more common than those who have a public telephone network. If you already have a broadband connection you should definitely consider a VoIP phone connection because itรขโ�ฌโ�ขs most cost efficient, itรขโ�ฌโ�ขs practical, and it really is the way telephone and internet service is going!

Laura Rupert is a freelance writer who contributes to The Tech FAQ.

How to Save Money on Your Local Phone Bills

If you live in or near an urban area, especially one with multiple area codes, it's likely that you are over-paying for your phone service.

One way the traditional phone companies make huge profits is by charging exorbitant rates for local-long distance phone calls. Often, any calls beyond 15 miles from your home, while local, are charged as long distance. Often if costs less to call across the country than the town next to you.

The old slogan "let you fingers do the walking" to call local businesses or friends can quickly become expensive.

Now, thanks to new technology, you can eliminate all those charges, gain better phone service and features for far less cost.

Digital phone service is the solution.

Sometimes known as VoIP (voice over Internet protocol), this technology uses the Internet to carry the phone call from you home to the other person. You basically eliminate the traditional phone company.

You don't have to sit in front of a computer with a headset on taking to someone doing the same. You can use the phones you now have.

This does require broadband or high-speed Internet service. The good news is that you could add broadband to use the digital phone service, and with all the savings, you likely would pay less per month than you do now. You would gain better, lower-priced phone service and high-speed Internet- all for less cost!

Right now, 89% of all U.S. households are capable of getting broadband Internet and therefore digital phone service.

All your local-long distance charges would be eliminated. Almost all digital phone services include many features such as free long distance calling.

The basic plans cost much less than traditional phone service, plus the taxes are less.

Until recently, there was a problem with 911 working with digital phone service. Some of the irresponsible carriers would sell a person VoIP service without considering this.

That problem is eliminated. Now there is E911 (Enhanced 911) where your number is added to a database so any 911 call will show your address. This is expanding to cover the entire U.S. The responsible carriers will only sell digital phone service in areas where people can be on the E911 system.

If you visit our web site, we can direct you to one of those carriers. We also provide a checklist for selecting a digital phone service provider.

In addition to more features and lower costs, a few digital phone companies are compatible with video phones. These are standard desk phones with a TV screen. Now you can actually see in real-time the person you are talking to!

The family and business applications of this new and inexpensive technology are endless.

For more information about slashing your phone bill and picking up lots of features with digital and/or video phone service, please visit our site.

Copyright 2006. All Rights Reserved

Paul Myers is President of Ph.Developments USA, Inc. and webmaster of

http://www.video-phone-home.com/

A site dedicated to helping people discover video phones and save money on telecommunication services.

Is VoIP Internet Phone Service Right for You?

Thousands of people each month are subscribing to VoIP service and having their regular telephone line disconnected. Internet phone service is a HUGE deal for us consumers, as it provides us with a super cheap alternative to traditional telephone service, and gives us something very important: CHOICES! Perhaps for the first time in our lives, we are no longer required to use our local phone company for telephone service รขโ�ฌโ�� isnรขโ�ฌโ�ขt that great?

VoIP is not for everyone, though. There are some requirements and drawbacks to internet phone service that may or may not influence your decision to switch. Most people consider the potential issues associated with VoIP to be minor, and find that the low cost and free features of broadband phone service far outweigh any negatives.

In order to understand the drawbacks of VoIP, it helps to understand a bit about what it is and how it works.

A Brief Introduction to Internet Phone Service

VoIP is the most popular acronym used to describe internet phone service. It stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol, which is a technical term describing a standard set of rules that define how voice signals are transmitted over the internet. Some other common terms used to describe VoIP are "broadband phone service" and "IP phone service". As the term VoIP implies, INTERNET SERVICE IS REQUIRED in order to use VoIP.

A small device called a "VoIP adapter" is used to perform all of the complex functions required to make it possible for voice signals to be transmitted over the internet. The adapter is connected by network cable to your broadband modem or router, and another cable is directly connected to your telephone. There are other hardware configurations, but this is the most basic one. No phone jacks are required.

During a telephone call, your conversation goes through the VoIP adapter and is routed over the internet to its final destination. This is why VoIP is so inexpensive - it doesn't rely on the telephone companies expensive network and switches. With VoIP internet phone service, you can call any phone anywhere in the world. The person you are calling does not have to also be using an internet phone.

Potential Issues With VoIP

Although internet phone service looks and acts just like regular phone service, there are some technological differences that can cause issues with your service from time to time.

• E911 Dialing is a "must have" for anyone using VoIP as their main phone line. This allows emergency calls to route to the closest 911 dispatch office and identifies your location to the emergency operator. Although in 2005 the FCC mandated that all VoIP companies provide E911 service to all subscribers, not all VoIP companies are offering this yet. Itรขโ�ฌโ�ขs important to choose a VoIP provider that has E911 service available in your area รขโ�ฌโ�� your life could depend on it. You are responsible for keeping your E911 address current in order for this service to work properly. If you move and forget to change your address with your VoIP provider, emergency services will not be able to locate you.
• A "live" internet connection is required in order to use VoIP, because calls are transmitted over the internet. This can present a problem when your internet service is down. Broadband is also required by most VoIP providers, because internet phone service needs to have enough bandwidth in order to work properly. Be sure you have reliable broadband internet service through a reputable provider if youรขโ�ฌโ�ขre planning on using VoIP as your primary phone.
• Power is required in order to use internet phone service. Without power, your cable/DSL modem wonรขโ�ฌโ�ขt work, and your VoIP adapter wonรขโ�ฌโ�ขt work รขโ�ฌโ�� you will have no phone service. If you live in an area that is prone to power outages, this might be a big issue for you.
• Existing phone wiring will not work with your new VoIP service unless you make some modifications. Traditional telephone wiring is designed to transmit to/from the phone company switch, not the internet. If you want to use your existing phones and phone jacks with VoIP you need to disconnect and reroute the telephone wire coming into your house. This is a fairly easy task but beyond the scope of this article. If you use an expandable cordless phone system with VoIP however, this totally eliminates the need to fool with any wiring.

Is Broadband Phone Service Right for You?

These are some of the more common issues that you need to be aware of before making the switch to VoIP internet phone service. As with most things, there is usually an easy workaround that can minimize or prevent any problems. With 10 million VoIP subscribers in the United States alone, itรขโ�ฌโ�ขs obvious that the downside of VoIP is not keeping people away. When you consider the tremendous cost savings, free long distance calling and all the free calling features you get with internet phone service, most find that itรขโ�ฌโ�ขs no problem dealing with a few occasional inconveniences.

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Internet Phone Service - The Future is Here!

Internet Phone Service Results in Big Cost Savings and Many Added Benefits

While discussing money saving tips with some colleagues today, all were amazed at the incredible savings and benefits that are achieved by making a simple switch to broadband phone service. For people like me who have cable internet service (I use Roadrunner), it makes good economical sense to leverage this high speed internet connection and also use it as a replacement for land-line telephone service.

Cost Savings with VoIP

Before switching to Packet8 VoIP service, I paid around $40 a month for local telephone service and an average of $50 a month for long distance calls. Meanwhile I pay $40 a month for cable internet. My total monthly cost for internet plus telephone averaged $130, or $1560 per year. Now I use Packet 8 for unlimited local and long distance calling over my cable connection for only $24 per month (which includes all taxes, fees, and enhanced 911 service). Combined with my $40 per month cable internet cost, my total annual expenditure for phone plus high speed internet is $888. Switching to internet phone service resulted in an instant savings of $672 per year for me.

Additional Benefits of VoIP

In addition to the financial benefits of VoIP internet phone service, there are a lot of extra "perks" that you get when you use broadband phone. All of the top VoIP providers include a rich package of free telephone features with every internet phone service subscription. Although features vary from provider to provider, you can expect to get the following features for free with just about any good VoIP provider: Voice mail, call waiting, caller id, call blocking, call forwarding, voicemail to email, call return, three way conference calling, and online account management/feature management (you can turn on/off any features you want to totally customize your telephone service).

Unlimited Local and Long Distance

Although most VoIP carriers offer a limited as well as an unlimited calling plan, most people get the unlimited local and long distance calling plan, which normally includes calls to Canada. It is generally only a few dollars more a month to get totally unlimited calling, which allows you to talk as long as you want for absolutely no additional charge. This is a nice feature to have, especially when you have a lot of long distance friends and relatives.

Cheap International Calling

All VoIP carriers offer extremely cheap international rates, making internet phone service the most economical way to talk to loved ones in other countries. Some VoIP providers like Packet8 and Lingo offer unlimited international calling plans as well.

Portability of VoIP

Another great benefit of broadband phone service is its portability. You can take your VoIP phone with you wherever you move to, and can even keep the same number. All thatรขโ�ฌโ�ขs required on your part is a broadband connection. You can also have several "virtual phone numbers", allowing you to have a main number in your local area code and another number in a totally different area code. This is really handy if you live far away from family, but want to make it easy for them to stay in touch by providing them with a "local number to use. For businesses that want to have a local presence in different states, virtual numbers are the cheap way to do it. Most carriers charge around $5 a month for each additional phone number.

VoIP Quality

As for quality of service, I can personally vouch for Packet8 as this is the VoIP carrier I use. I have used Packet8 as my one and only internet phone service for more than a year now, and have never had any serious quality issues with the service. Occasional issues such as "echo" or "fast busy" can quickly be corrected by unplugging the voip router for a minute. This "resets" the connection and has always cured any issue I have had. If all else fails, Packet 8รขโ�ฌโ�ขs technical support staff is fast and efficient.

Judging from comments left on various VoIP user forums, it seems that the larger VoIP providers like Packet8, Sunrocket and Vonage are having fewer and fewer issues with quality of service as time goes by. Internet phone service is still a relatively new technology, and quickly becoming the telephony method of choice for everyone. Millions of people around the world use broadband phone and hundreds of new subscribers are added every day. VoIP providers (particularly the big ones) are continually making improvements and enhancements to service in order to be your "VoIP carrier of choice".

Debbie Jacobsen is an IT professional and author of SaveOnPhoneService.com รขโ�ฌโ�� an informative website about Broadband Phone Service. For more information on VoIP, visit her blog: Internet Phone Service - The Future is Here. To learn more about the Packet8 VoIP service she uses, visit savewith8.

Faxing with VoIP, Can I do it?

Faxing with VoIP can be slightly different than the traditional Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). Not all VoIP providers offer Fax capabilities and some charge extra for this feature. Some VoIP adapters or ATA's as they are called allow fax capabilities by simply connecting your fax to the device. If your ATA supports fax capabilities you should not need a second line to send faxes. Beware that unusual amounts of faxing can violate your Terms of Service agreement with some providers and force you to upgrade to their business service, I think the normal user should not have a problem with this. Some providers require you to purchase a second number for your faxing needs and charge a minimal amount for that service usually around $5 or $10 per month.

VoIP Provider Fax Information:

ร�ยท Vonage: With a Vonage Small Business account, you get a dedicated fax line with 500 local and long distance minutes of outgoing fax service to the US (including Puerto Rico) and Canada, plus unlimited incoming faxes each month. Residential account you get a Vonage fax line for $9.99 per month with a one-time $9.99 activation fee. You get 250 minutes of local and long distance outgoing fax service plus unlimited incoming faxes each month. Extra outgoing fax minutes are only 3.9 cents per minute.

ร�ยท AT&T Call Vantage: All of their packages offer some level of Fax support. The $19.99 package includes one line for both faxing and calls with unlimited local service. The $29.99 package includes one line for both faxing and calls with unlimited US & Canada service. The $29.99 package includes one line for both faxing and calls with unlimited US & Canada service. The $49.99 2-line package includes one line for calls & Faxes with unlimited US & Canada service and the second line has 500 minutes available for either fax or voice.

ร�ยท Packet 8: According to their website there is no formal Faxing capabilities. I would assume the modem could be connected to the ATA just like a standard phone. There Terms of Service does not limit the use of a fax machine however it does not guarantee functionality either.

ร�ยท 1 Touch Tone: According to their website there is no formal Faxing capabilities. I would assume the modem could be connected to the ATA just like a standard phone. There Terms of Service does not forbid the use of a fax machine however it does warn against over usage, which could require a business package upgrade.

ร�ยท Sun Rocket: According to their website there is no formal Faxing capabilities. I would assume the modem could be connected to the ATA just like a standard phone. There Terms of Service does not forbid the use of a fax machine however it does warn against over usage, which could require a business package upgrade or suspension of service

ร�ยท Lingo: According to their website there is no formal Faxing capabilities. I would assume the modem could be connected to the ATA just like a standard phone. There Terms of Service does not forbid the use of a fax machine however it does warn against over usage, which could require a business package upgrade or suspension of service

This is just a sample of providers to find out more you can search for additional providers online or visit our website.

As you can see most providers offer Faxing capabilities for free unless over usage or non-residential use is discovered. If you will be using VoIP for purposes other than the once in a while fax then I would suggest upgrading to a business plan that supports increased faxing.

This article may be reprinted without notification as long as the signature/link to author remain intact.

Editor at Michigan VoIP. Visit our site: Michigan VoIP Info.com for more comparisons.