Voip works just like
a regular phone with just one key
difference — how the phone call actually
gets to your telephone. Instead of using
the high priced telephone company's wiring,
Voip routes your phone calls directly to
your telephone using your high speed internet
connection. You hear a dial tone and make
your phone calls just like you've always
done. What's changed is that you don't pay
a big bill to use the phone company's wires.
What
is voip?
Voip, or Voice over Internet Protocol, is
a technology that enables people to use
the Internet as the transmission medium
for telephone calls. Voice data is sent
in packets through your high-speed Internet
connection rather than by traditional POTS
lines (Plain Old Telephone Service). Voip
is significantly less expensive than typical
telephone long distance packages, plus one
high speed Internet connection can serve
for multiple phone lines with no loss in
functionality, reliability, or voice quality.(Courtesy
www.voip.com)
Voice
over Internet Protocol, is a method for
taking analog audio signals, like the kind
you hear when you talk on the phone, and
turning them into digital data that can
be transmitted over the Internet.
How is this useful? VoIP can turn a standard
Internet connection into a way to place
free phone calls. The practical upshot of
this is that by using some of the free VoIP
software that is available to make Internet
phone calls, you're bypassing the phone
company (and its charges) entirely.
VoIP is a revolutionary technology that
has the potential to completely rework the
world's phone systems. VoIP providers like
Vonage have already been around for a while
and are growing steadily. Major carriers
like AT&T are already setting up VoIP
calling plans in several markets around
the United States, and the FCC is looking
seriously at the potential ramifications
of VoIP service.
Above all else, VoIP is basically a clever
"reinvention of the wheel." In
this article, we'll explore the principles
behind VoIP, its applications and the potential
of this emerging technology, which will
more than likely one day replace the traditional
phone system entirely.
The interesting thing about VoIP is that
there is not just one way to place a call.
There are three different "flavors"
of VoIP service in common use today: |
ATA
The simplest and most common way is through
the use of a device called an ATA (analog
telephone adaptor). The ATA allows you to
connect a standard phone to your computer
or your Internet connection for use with VoIP.
The ATA is an analog-to-digital converter.
It takes the analog signal from your traditional
phone and converts it into digital data for
transmission over the Internet. Providers
like Vonage and AT&T CallVantage are bundling
ATAs free with their service. You simply crack
the ATA out of the box, plug the cable from
your phone that would normally go in the wall
socket into the ATA, and you're ready to make
VoIP calls. Some ATAs may ship with additional
software that is loaded onto the host computer
to configure it; but in any case, it's a very
straightforward setup.
IP Phones
These specialized phones look just like normal
phones with a handset, cradle and buttons.
But instead of having the standard RJ-11 phone
connectors, IP phones have an RJ-45 Ethernet
connector. IP phones connect directly to your
router and have all the hardware and software
necessary right onboard to handle the IP call.
Wi-Fi phones allow subscribing callers to
make VoIP calls from any Wi-Fi hot spot.
Computer-to-computer
This is certainly the easiest way to use VoIP.
You don't even have to pay for long-distance
calls. There are several companies offering
free or very low-cost software that you can
use for this type of VoIP. All you need is
the software, a microphone, speakers, a sound
card and an Internet connection, preferably
a fast one like you would get through a cable
or DSL modem. Except for your normal monthly
ISP fee, there is usually no charge for computer-to-computer
calls, no matter the distance.
If you're interested in trying VoIP, then
you should check out some of the free VoIP
software available on the Internet. You should
be able to download and set it up in about
three to five minutes. Get a friend to download
the software, too, and you can start tinkering
with VoIP to get a feel for how it works.
(Courtesy http://www.howstuffworks.com) |
