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.

With VoIP, the promise is the ability to make local and global long distance calls at a significantly lower rate than over a plain old telephone line through your local carrier. The VoIP trend has caught on and large enterprises all over the globe are adopting this new technology to reduce their cost of business communications which may include fax, conference calling, along with streaming video applications.

VoIP has been around for some time, but it has only been until recently that it has finally matured to the stage worthy of replacing everyday phone use. At the household level, it is certain by now that you are compelled to embrace this technology somewhat, but are not sure how to go about it or even if this technology has any real benefit for your family.

You are probably wondering, ?How much? How difficult? Is it necessary?? This article hopefully will clear up a few unanswered questions you may have regarding this technology and maybe even excite you enough to go on out and get VoIP hooked up in your own home.

First off, you must have an Internet connection. No, not your 56k dial up connection, but an actual high speed Internet connection. This can be cable, satellite, or DSL Internet, but you will need high speed Internet for VoIP to function properly and become your new calling station. Dialup just doesn?t have the capacity or speed to transfer voice digitally without significant quality loss.

A company named SpeakEasy has recently come out with a new DSL product that requires no current phone line for high speed Internet if DSL is your current favorite of broadband services and if you are planning on replacing your current phone service with VoIP.

Secondly you will need what is called a gateway. The gateway is connected between your computer and Ethernet modem. The VoIP gateway is where your phone line will be plugged into. Gateways enable freedom from possible computer problems that can shut down calling capabilities or deteriorate voice quality. Computer crashes, slow memory, and many other computer problems that plague us in everyday life, you do not want to plague your ability to make phone calls.

Gateways are specifically designed for VoIP phones but adapters are available for current phones should you not want to buy a brand new phone. VoIP providers usually have the adapters available for sale so you don?t have to shop around for one yourself. Before you write off buying a new phone however, video phones are the newest product line and it won?t be long before this trend explodes.

You may want to get your video phone so you aren?t left out of exciting face to face conversations with friends and relatives when they get theirs. Packet8 VoIP has a good video phone sold separately with their services. The services included with VoIP usually include all the convenient bells and whistles your current phone service provides including your own local VoIP telephone number, call waiting, voice messaging, 3 way calling, and more.

There are some important things to remember with VoIP before you go diving in to this feature rich voice technology. You should check with your VoIP provider for local 911 emergency coverage. Some VoIP providers charge extra on a monthly basis for both 911 and 411 access so make sure you know how much it is going to cost you before committing to a calling contract. One last important thing to remember is that your gateway is reliant on electricity to function. This means power outages will put your phone line out of service, but then isn?t your phone already only functional with electricity these days?

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. Almost all of the VoIP providers provide Voicemail with the standard VoIP calling plan. The special feature of the VoIP voicemail plan is in how the consumer can access his/her VoIP voicemail message.

In general, there are 4 ways in which a VoIP consumer can access their voicemail. When you add the three ways up, you will be able to access your voicemail from anywhere.

First, you can access your voicemail through your primary VoIP telephone by dialing *123 or some other combination of numbers (VoIP voicemail access code varies by provider). The automatic attendant will let you know how many voicemails you have and walk you through retrieving all of your new voicemails and saving/deleting your old emails. It is quite a slick system.

The second method is via a local voicemail access number, where you can call a local telephone number from any telephone (Cell phone/Land line/ VoIP phone). When you dial into your local voicemail access number, the auto attendant will ask for you to punch in your VoIP phone number and password to be able to access your VoIP voicemail system.

The third method is through your VoIP provider online account management portal. You can go to your Provider?s VoIP homepage and access the ?Customer Login? portal by typing in your username and password. Once into the portal, click on the Voicemail tab and you can listen to your new voicemails over Internet connection.

The fourth method, and possibly the most useful, is every time you get a new VoIP voicemail, you are sent an email. That email will state that you have a new voicemail from your VoIP account, the date the voicemail was received, and an attachment of the voicemail as a .wav file. One outstanding feature is that you can save the .wav file on your computer?s hard drive and email the voicemail to friends, family, or coworkers.The above are generally how most VoIP providers give consumers access to their voicemail (but not all). Be sure to check each VoIP provider for how they provide their consumers access to their voicemail.

Advantages and Features of VoIP

Studies suggest that millions of households will soon be using VoIP phone services in the next couple of years. One of the reasons VoIP is catching on so fast is it offers a wealth of features and advantages over traditional phone services. Here is just a brief review of some of the benefits and features VoIP has to offer:

* Cost savings

VoIP technology allows consumers to save money. Most companies currently offering VoIP offer plans that are less expensive than many cell phone plans.

* Competitive Features

Companies providing VoIP services are offering plans that include standard features like Caller ID, Call waiting, Repeat Dial and Three Way Calling.

* Voicemail Superiority

You can check your mail while surfing the Web when using VoIP technology. Better yet you can attach messages to emails using VoIP and send them directly to consumers.

* Flexibility

You can call someone from anywhere you have broadband access when using VoIP technology. That means if you travel frequently for business you can take an IP phone with you and access your home phone if you need to. You can also attach a phone to your laptop and place calls from anywhere in the world while connecting to the Net. This is a very appealing option for business consumers in particular.

Last but not least the technology VoIP uses is extremely efficient, meaning your calls are placed through non congested and inexpensive lines. This allows computers to communicate with one another and accept information relatively easily, without long waits or disconnects.

You’ve heard of the latest technological miracle and you”re thinking of having a VoIP phone at your disposal. Great… but do you actually know what it is or are you just going with the flow? Either way, this article aims to help you with all the FAQs that are attached to the VoIP phone phenomenon. And without further ado…

1. What the heck is a VoIP phone? Good question but some people wouldn”t even bother asking. Pride and vanity… such a sin. A VoIP phone (Voice Over Internet Protocol) is simply a fancy technical term for an Internet phone. In a nutshell – that’’s it.

2. How does a VoIP phone work? Ah, such curiosity. Haven”t you heard of the saying that curiosity killed the cat? Okay, just kidding but please keep on reading. A VoIP phone works by converting your analog signals to data packets and vice versa.

3. What do you need to make a VoIP work? First and foremost you need an internet connection. If you currently live in an area that still doesn”t have internet access, although the odds of that is pretty slim then your out of luck and the VoIP phone is just not for you. In addition, the type of internet service provider or ISP can affect the probability of a VoIP phone working in your neighborhood. Usually, a VoIP phone goes hand in hand with broadband internet (DSL or cable). And although your VoIP phone may work with other types of ISPs like prepaid, dial up, satellite or wi-fi, the quality of voice reception isn”t always what it should be if you don”t have a broadband connection.

4. What are the advantages? Actually, there’’s really just one but it’’s a major advantage. It’’s really simple, VoIP phone services cost less than traditional phone services whether it’’s a cell phone or traditional phone service from home. And the more long distance calls you make the more you”ll save because the way a VoIP phone uses the Internet the location of the speaker and receiver are inconsequential.

5. What are the disadvantages? A VoIP phone does have some disadvantages but fortunately, they”re just minor. Poor voice reception quality – similar to cellphones in poor reception areas, is the biggest disadvantage but as the technology evolves even that issue is becoming less and less of an issue.

A Voip phone is vulnerable to power shortages: If the company providing you with VoIP phone services gets hit by a power shortage, your call would naturally get cut off.

Higher probability of dropped calls: Similar to cellphones once again, there’’s a higher probability of a call being accidentally dropped or cut-off because your VoIP phone relies on signals.

Technical Political/Legal Issues: Some companies are complaining that they aren”t able to bill their clients with the correct amount or usage due, because it’’s hard to accurately determine because VoIP phone services are provided by the Internet. Consequently, if you”re planning to use VoIP phone services for your company, don”t think that your long distance calls would remain cheap forever. Change is definitely in the air, my friend.

Phone Number Portability: This is rare because most VoIP phones support phone number portability but it’’s really dependent on your local phone company. If their services are not VoIP compatible then chances are, you may have to use another phone number.

Security: Since VoIP phones work because of the Internet, then it’’s more vulnerable to hackers and wiretapping. Not a high chance of this happening but something to think if you plan on using VoIP phone services in a company situation where classified transactions are done over the phone.

Locking in Broadband Phone Service: If your broadband company doesn”t currently support VoIP phone services, you may have to wait for your contract to reach its termination date before you can switch companies. Cancelling your subscription before the end of the current contract period normally results in high early termination fees.

Network Design: If you”re going to use VoIP phones for your company, make sure that you”ve got a smart network design. Hire a network administrator to oversee the maintenance of the network. VoIP phone service is still a new technology and prone to glitches. If you don”t have a well designed network or one that’’s not properly maintained, a power shortage may result in everything shutting down.

Advantages of VOIP services

You get to make free long distance calls, and you get all the free features such as caller id, call waiting, three-way calling, voice mail and more.

VOIP cost about half the cost of traditional phone services and it seems that the taxes and surcharges are much lower. Also your bill is easier to understand and it can be viewed via the Internet. You can track all of your incoming and outgoing calls and the minutes that you are using with real time reporting.

Great instant online and phone customer support that is far better than the service that you receive through the big companies. There are no holding problems, delays, or automated calls.

Disadvantages of VOIP services

Sometimes you hear an echo sound through your phone; it sounds like you are repeating yourself. Also if your cable or DSL goes out, so does your phone line.

There is no emergency reliability. Maybe you will never need it, but if you have to use 911, you have to give exact address and name. They have a hard time tracking where you are and this could cost you valuable seconds.

You must have a DSL router or a second computer set up to run a second phone line. With traditional phone services, a phone jack is in almost every room.

Research your choices

To view our recommended sources for voip and read more articles about voip, visit Nationwidebillrelief.com/voip.html

Use due diligence in order to make a wise choice in choosing your phone service. We hope this advice is helpful for you in making a sound choice on your home telephone service.

Voice Over IP (VOIP) is a relatively new technology. Voice Over IP allows people to leave behind the old and very traditional analogue phone networks and now adapt in favor of the very new and very progressive Internet-based calling system infrastructure. Using this technology for your communications actually works out cheaper for you in the long run as it means you won”t need to pay for calls if the people you are calling and speaking to are also using the same VOIP system.

Voice Over IP runs on several different types of infrastructure. This is the main reason why you should take the time to do your homework and find out how it works and what is involved, before you even consider setting up a Voice Over IP network at your home or place of business. When you do your homework you will see that invariably VOIP offers lots of advantages over and above the standard traditional telephone based analogue service that most people are currently using. Let’’s take a moment to examine some of the advantages of using Voice Over IP.

The main advantage of Voice Over IP is to be honest – the cost – the cost benefit goes directly back into your pocket. And because Voice Over IP uses the infrastructure of the Internet to make outgoing calls, you will never need to pay your traditional phone provider to maintain a telephone line or for phone and line rental. In addition, many Voice Over IP service providers allow customers to make long distance calls that attract minimal or no long distance charges at all. Many service providers even offer customer VOIP packages that allow you to opt for discounted internet call rates so you can save even more.

But what about this for a benefit? If you have Voice Over IP software installed on your PC and you want to speak to someone who is also uses Voice Over IP, then you are able to talk for as long as you want without having to pay a single cent. This is because your voice is actually transformed into digital data packets rather than audio, and the data is transferred in a similar fashion to that of email. Voice Over IP also makes it very easy and cheap to conduct conference calls and video calls.

There are, of course, some minor disadvantages to using Voice Over IP and you should consider these before you embark on setting up Voice Over IP. Since Voice Over IP is a relatively recent and largely untapped technology, Voice Over IP is prone to experience more errors than using a normal phone would. In addition, if you experience a power failure, then you would be unable to make a call, like you could with a traditional analogue phone. In any event, Voice Over IP is something that you should investigate for your own home and business needs and you should consider it soon while the rates are cheap and the deals are good.

You have a telephone, right? You have a computer, right? You want to save money, right? BAM, you are a VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) candidate.

It is inevitable that VOIP will replace traditional telephone service at some point. The only question is when should you jump in?

VOIP is quickly becoming more reliable and receiving wider acceptance. In fact, phone companies are already taking advantage of the technology to provide cheaper long distance rates. Like any emerging technology, however, there are kinks in the system that are still being worked out.

Advantages

VOIP has many advantages over regular phone service. One primary advantage is its low cost. If you have a fast Internet connection (DSL or cable), you can make PC-to-PC phone calls anywhere in the world FREE. PC-to-phone connections usually have a charge, but probably still cheaper than regular phone service.

You can sign up with a VOIP service provider for a monthly fee and get unlimited calls within a specified geographic area. For example, some VOIP services in the United States allow connections anywhere in North America for no extra charge. International calls are charged at a modest rate.

Another advantage is its portability. You can make and receive phone calls wherever there is a broadband connection by simply signing in to your VOIP account. This makes VOIP as convenient as e-mail. When you”re traveling, you simply pack a headset or Internet phone; then you can talk to family or colleagues for next to nothing.

Phone-to-phone VOIP is also portable. Internet phones are small and light enough to take anywhere. When you sign up with a VOIP service provider, the Internet phone or adaptor used by that service is assigned a unique number. This ”phone number” remains valid, even if your VOIP service is in Los Angeles and you”re connected to the Internet in London. When plugged into a broadband connection, anywhere in the world, you can make and receive calls as though you were at home .

Features like call forwarding, call waiting, voicemail, caller ID and 3way-calling, are included with Internet telephone at no extra charge. While you”re talking on the phone, you can send pictures and documents at the same time.

Disadvantages

There are a few glitches that still interfere with the technology’’s broad acceptance by the public. Lack of continuous service during power outages and emergency calling are the 2 biggest hurdles.

Conventional phone service continues by the current supplied through the phone lineduring a blackout. This isn”t possible with Internet phones. When the power goes, there goes VOIP service. Battery backups and power generators that provide electricity are the current solutions to this problem.

A major concern involves emergency 911 calls. For the most part, VOIP services aren”t useful in emergencies. Traditional phone equipment can trace the locations of calls. Emergency calls are diverted to the nearest call center where the operator can identify your location, in the event you can”t talk. With VOIP, there is no way currently to determine where Internet calls are originating. There is an emerging standard called e911 however, which is attempting to solve this limitation.

VOIP also has sound quality and reliability problems. Data sent across the Internet usually arrives at its destination scrambled. E-mail and documents can be reassembled in the correct order when it arrives. Voice data also arrives scrambled, but it’’s more complicated because of the real-time nature of VOIP. Some data packets may have to be dropped when they don”t arrive in time, in order to make voice connections with the least delay. This can cause brief silences in the audio stream.

Distance and speed of the connection determine the amount of data lost. Some networks receive more traffic and thus are more likely to cause audio dropouts. One way to provide high quality audio connections is to create dedicated data paths.

With the incredible amount of work dedicated to VOIP, these disadvantages will no doubt be resolved withinin the next 2 years. It is expected that by then VOIP will have widespread consumer acceptance.

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.

Here are a few examples:

* Cheaper Phone Calls – as your utilising existing data networks
* Simpler Infrastructure – one set of CAT5 cables
* Scalable – simply extend the existing data network
* Reduced Operating Costs – converged system is simpler to manage
* Enhanced Customer Service – “Click to Talk” web services and easy role out application like call centres
* Flexibility – Remote or home workers can work as if in the office

Its fair to say that most people focus on the costs savings but in most cases the business improvements far out way the costs savings.

For example if your business operated from multiple sites it would be possible to have a single centralised system located at one site, with optimal staffing resources to operate, manage and support. No need to have 3 receptionists when one will do!

Say you had staff that wanted to work from home or from a remote office. With this technology it would be easy to give them the look and feel of being in the office and the transparency that their co-workers and customers enjoy.

Rolling out a distributed business application such as a contact centre or call centre is much easier and more robust.

But….its not that simple to get right!

You must consider:

* Quality of Service – across the data network
* Reliability ? Think when did your LAN / telephone system last fail?
* Security – May increase exposure to data and voice
* Support – Which department is now responsible – training?

With the latest handsets it is possible for them to act like a PC with their own IP address and with the right handsets they can even run XML applications cutting down the need for unnecessary PC’’s etc.

To get it right requires the right planning and foresight to make sure that your systems will grow and deliver the maximum benefit with the minimum risk.

Get a Virtual Phone Number Eliminate Long Distance Charges with VoIP Phone Service

There is a revolution brewing in the telephone industry. But it is not the recent demise of AT&T or the failure of Worldcom. It is a new, yet proven, technology that lets you talk with friends, family and loved ones over the Internet.

It’’s called VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) or broadband phone, and it lets you use your ordinary home or office telephone to dial and talk to anyone using the Internet as your “channel” of communication. Instead of dialing through the Bell System copper wires, you make calls through your DSL or cable Internet access provider. No microphones or headsets. Just use your existing telephone to talk throughout North America and the world.

This new technology not only saves you 50 to 60 percent on your monthly phone bill. It also provides a host of services the phone company cannot. One of these – a “virtual phone number” ? can eliminate long distance charges to friends and family who want to call you. Here’’s how it works.

When you order your VoIP phone service you can also order a second phone number in a distant city. For example, if you live in Philadelphia you”re in the 215 area code. And, if you have relatives in Los Angeles, you can order a virtual number in area code 818 (Los Angeles). Then, when a family member in LA wants to call you, they simply dial the 818 phone number, which is a local call for them. Amazingly enough, your phone rings in area 215. Your family gets to talk to you for the cost of a local call: for free.

Virtual numbers are great for kids going away to college. Rick and Patti live in Cleveland and have a son going to college at Kennesaw State University, near Atlanta. They can order a VoIP phone number with the Cleveland area code for the home phone, and get an Atlanta area virtual number. Then, when their son wants to call home, he makes a local Atlanta call and the phone rings at Mom and Dad’’s house, 700 miles away.

Of course VoIP phone service also provides toll free numbers ? usually at less than two cents per minute ? giving you yet another way to make it easy for friends and family to stay in touch.

Get virtual! Join the millions of people jumping on the VoIP bandwagon and start enjoying the rich features and accessibility you can get through broadband phone service.

VoIP phone service providers offer many advantages to the residential and small office/home office user. If you have a high speed internet connection then choosing a VoIP phone service might be right for you.

But before you run out & buy the 1st thing you see….arm yourself with a little education 1st. The benefits must make sense to you or you are just following the crowd.

Lower Monthly Fees

The price of a VoIP phone line is a fraction of the cost of a traditional telephone line, the long distance calls are much less expensive if they are made via a VoIP provider, and applicable taxes are far lower with VoIP phone service than with a traditional phone service. Some VoIP phone service providers offer a phone line for around $ 9 U.S. dollars per month and will charge you for calls you make at the rate of 1-3 cents per minute depending on the provider. Most VoIP phone providers offer a bundled service offering unlimited incoming calls and unlimited long distance calls to anyone in the U.S. or Canada for one small fee. VoIP unlimited calling plans currently start at $ 19.95 per month. As with the traditional long distance market trend…expect even this low cost to drop over time as technology and competition matures.

Lower Taxes

So far to date governments have taken a hands off approach when it comes to VoIP phone service providers. Since the calls are being carried over the Internet, governments have not heavily taxed VoIP phone services. Right now the only tax you can expect to see on your VoIP phone service provider’’s bill is a Federal Excise Tax, which is only 3% of the cost of the service. For example, if you were to choose a $ 19.95 unlimited calling plan, the Federal Excise tax would be 3% of $ 19.95, or 60 cents. Your total bill would be $ 20.55. Compare that to your local telephone bill (go ahead and take a close look) and you will see you are spending quite a bit on taxes each month. Therefore, choosing a VoIP provider could add up to significant savings for you and your family.

Included Features

Most VoIP phone service providers offer features that are included, while most traditional phone companies charge an extra $ 20 to $ 30 per month for these. Most VoIP phone providers include the following features in their low monthly fee: Free voicemail, call forwarding, caller ID, call waiting, call waiting ID, 3 way calling, speed dialing and much more.

Flexibility

When you choose a VoIP phone service provider, you will be sent a converter to allow a regular phone to use the VoIP phone service. Your phone number is programmed into the converter. This means that you can take your phone converter and phone number and use them wherever you travel in the world, just as long as you have access to a high-speed Internet connection. Because your telephone number is based in your converter (and not your home/office), you have the option of choosing any area code for your phone number. Some carriers will allow you to have more than 1 phone number in different area codes for a small additional fee (called a virtual phone number). For example, you can have one number in your local area code and another phone number with an area code from another city. By having a virtual phone number in another city where you have a lot of friends and family, you will be saving them money because they can call you on a local number instead of paying for long distance charges to contact you. Both phone numbers will ring your VoIP phone wherever you have your converter and regular phone hooked up to a high speed internet connection.

Draw Backs

Connectivity issues with 911 service is still a concern with some providers. Although much progress is being made rapidly in this area across the board……it’’s best to find a provider already enabling E911 service.

Despite what urban legends you may “hear” about using a VoIP phone with dial-up internet access….this is still a myth. If you want a quality credible VoIP experience you will need to have high speed internet access (DSL, cable, or satellite).

Your VoIP phone is portable & can be taken with you anywhere in the world. However, it’’s not quite as unassuming & convenient as many of the newer small cell phones. But then…..cell phone calls home from Europe would be a lot more expensive too.

Hopefully the above info gives you a little knowledge to go on if you are considering a VoIP phone. Just remember to shop & compare and you”ll do fine.