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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.
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VOIP Questions and Answers Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, has grown in popularity recently and with that rise in popularity has come a number of common misconceptions and confusion. Global Value Conncet ( http://globalvalueconnect. The Future of Communications - Voice Over Internet When was the last time that you were able to make along-distance call for free? If you said "never", youprobably have not been introduced to VOIP or VoiceOver Internet Protocol. But, is this new technology asefficient as its counterpart, analog telephoneservice?Since the demand for world-wide communication hasgrown, the internet has become the most popular way ofcommunicating. Voice Over IP - Saving Money I was on a tech support call with a client in Australia for over forty-five minutes. Guess how much that cost me. What Do You Know About VoIP? What is VoIPVoIP is an acronym for voice over internet protocol, aka voice over ip phone. A VoIP, in essence, is a computer phone that allows you to make phone calls from your computer to anyone in the world, e. VoIP - A Laymans Look - Should You Or Shouldnt You? "As business people we manufacture shin pads, or we distribute cat food, or we evangelize, but should we be considering VoIP? Will it make us more money, or save us time?" -Dennis SchooleySo what's all this VoIP hype anyway? I mean we all know that our voice can be delivered to the four corners of the globe over telephone lines. (Actually, I missed that part of second grade math where they taught us that a ball has corners, but everybody says it, so I'll accept it). What can a VoIP Phone System Do for a Small Business? Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, is a term used to describe the transmission of telephone calls using a data network, rather than over traditional phone lines. It is a simple concept, but one that is having a very significant impact on the world of business communications. 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. 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 Phone Home? The movie Extra Terrestrial (ET) coined the phrase "phone home" and each year American's look for more cost effective ways to do just that. 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. 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. Using a Bluetooth Headset with your PC BluetoothFor those of you not familiar with the term, Bluetooth refers to a wireless protocol (or set of rules) designed for short range electronic applications (usually less than 30 feet in distance). Although the technology has been around for several years, Bluetooth support for PC users has been limited due to hardware manufacturers focusing on the more traditional 802. Voice over Internet Protocal VoIP for Business VoIP consists of 2 major technologies.. Needless HIGH RISK Exposure For Business Using Computer Phones The Facts? Computer phones (VoIP) offer the most optimal means of communicating when considering quality and cost, and can save businesses up to 80% on their phone bills when calling from PC to PC, to landlines, or to mobile phones, regardless of company size.? Over 90% of all VoIP solutions providers operate on unsecure lines or platforms, whether free or charging for services. 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. Consumer Review on CallWave Call Alert Service Missing phone calls while you are online?Are you thinking of getting a private fax number for your business?Can't afford an extra phone lines for your business?If you answer 'yes' for any one of the questions above, then CallWave might be what you are looking for. CallWave internet calls alert system is specially dedicated to all the internet users, cell phone users, and business owners. 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. 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. 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. VOIP This article contains the excellent information about the Voice Over IP Protocol.Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology is the wave of the future in terms of telephone communication via the Internet. Use your Computer to make Cheap Long-Distance Telephone Calls What is 'VoIP'?Simply put, VoIP refers to the carriage of voice signals over the Internet. PC to Phone VoIP refers to using your 'Internet-connected' computer to make calls to conventional telephones around the world.
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