| |
| Voip | |
|
|
|
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. Bear Cahill is a software engineer in the Dallas, TX area and runs a few websites: The Armchair Geek (thearmchairgeek.com), Webpage Hosting Info (webpagehostinginfo.com), Go To College Online (gotocollegeonline.com) and The Video Exchange Community (videoexchange.org) Publish freely if this resource box is included and links maintained as links.
MORE RESOURCES:
VOIP - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Will the Bell System Survive? A Massive Transfer of Wealth from Bell to VoIP is Underway Will the Bell System Survive? A Massive Transfer of Wealth from Bell to VoIP Is Underway.The "Internet Revolution" has brought us e-mail, the World Wide Web and quick, convenient ways to communicate that we've come to take for granted. A Look at Internet Voice Technology (VoIP) for Residential Today's TechnologyOver the years, the technology has made remarkable progress. Telephony's improved data compression rate, better sound quality, and the availability of residential broadband has given consumers more affordable solutions with even more features than you might have currently. The Dangers of Peer-to-Peer Systems Peer-to-Peer (P2P) systems do not operate on secure lines, thus providing a conduit for hackers to enter a network or computer, access personal and confidential information, as well as deploy viruses or worms. Users of P2P systems are prime targets and/or launching points for malicious hacker attacks simply because it requires downloading and sharing electronic files or programs, not to mention usage on publicly open and interpretable industry standard protocols and industry standard codec. 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. VoIP - What is the Problem? In the beginning, when the Internet Protocol was first designed, no one was thinking about the possibilities of sending audio and video. Real time communication was not an issue. VoIP and 911 Warning Be leery of your VoIP phone system in case of emergencies. 911 services may not be available to you or will be limited. The Future of Communications - Voice Over Internet When was the last time that you were able to make a long-distance call for free? If you said "never", you probably have not been introduced to VOIP or Voice Over Internet Protocol. But, is this new technology as efficient as its counterpart, analog telephone service?Since the demand for world-wide communication has grown, the internet has become the most popular way of communicating. Alarm Systems & VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Phone Lines An astounding and unexpected number of people are dropping their (POTS) plain old telephone system, for the latest trends in phone service, VoIP. According to Frost & Sullivan there were 100,000 VoIP users at the end of 2003. Lower Videophone Prices Allow Individuals Accessibility VoIP service providers are now offering videophone at the lowest price we've seen on the VoIP service market. The tremendous drop in prices will see more individuals and SMB's investing in this affordable futuristic way of communicating. Telecom Industry Transition: WiFi, VoIP, WiMax - The Wireless Age is Already Here VoIP on WiMax will make the latest 3G technologies obsolete before they are completely installed. The reason is because 3G cell phone technology is capable of 2Mbs while WiFi is at 11Mbs in bursts and WiMax will be even greater therefore 3G is not needed as VoIP over WiMax is going to provide more data, faster speeds and greater numbers of users. Should You ,VoIP? My friend in Florida, Samuel, called me last week and immediately I noticed a difference in the sound quality compared to our usual conversations. At first, I dismissed it, thinking he was calling me from his cell phone. Bluetooth Computer Headsets - Enjoy Wireless Freedom Wireless Computer HeadsetsTill recently, few options were available to people interested in using cordless headsets with their computers. Dedicated wireless Headsets are available, however they often cost upwards of $200 US putting them out of reach of the average user. Outstanding VoIP Voicemail Features Makes Getting VoIP Voicemail Extremely Convenient There are many types of VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) protocols that are employed by the VoIP providers currently providing VoIP calling plans. Luckily for the consumers, the VoIP providers have listened to what functions the consumers want in their Voicemails. Why VoIP is not Going to Fail VoIP is an almost constant topic in our daily dose of business and tech-related news. VoIP, or Voice over Internet/IP is really an old technology re-emerging with a new face and marketing spin. VoIP: Finally Worth a Look Dear Internet Friends, Hundreds of thousands of consumers collectively save millions of dollars each month by replacing (or supplementing) their traditional telephone service with personal voice over IP (VoIP) telephony. Using IP to transmit voice is not new. VoIP Overview Since we're using computers all the time to do our work, let's make it easy and add the phone to the pile. VoIP also known as (voice over Internet protocol), Internet telephony, IP telephony, and Internet voice is catching on and is expected to grow in the next few years. 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. Do You Text Chat (IM) Online? IM (Instant Messaging) - man, we thought we had it made in the shade when we stumbled over this unique way to communicate! Outside of talking person-to-person on the phone, IM was the next best thing. Texting talk was endless and cost was nonexistent. How VoIP Works -- Busting Out of Long Distance Rates VoIP is the newest advancement in audio communications technology, and has a variety of different applications that make it useful. VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol, and how VoIP works is actually quite revolutionary because it streamlines the process of sending analog audio signals by converting them to a much easier to send digital form for transmission.
|
| home | site map |
