Kevin Erickson asked:


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

John B. Mayall asked:


A common scenario these days is having a loved one abroad either studying or working. While the person might have gone overseas for some purpose, he/she might get to feel very lonely as the new atmosphere is quite alien and nobody among family or friends are close by.

In such a scenario, the sole rescue is the telephone. This is a great way to communicate and keep in touch with near and dear ones. But, this can get very costly if done on a regular basis. So, in order to cut costs, the person will have to restrict from making calls frequently. But, now there is a new answer to such problems. One can make frequent calls overseas at much lesser rates than calling over the telephone.

Yes, the answer to this is Voice over Internet Protocol or VoIP. This system allows a person to reach out to anyone anywhere in the world free of cost as long as both have a computer. Nowadays, there are computers in every home which makes it much simpler to have VoIP. All one needs is to have a efficient and fast internet connection through cable or DSL. This will ensure that the calls received are crystal clear and very quick.

The greatest advantage VoIP provides and the reason why many people are opting for VoIP in their homes is the expense. It is definitely much cheaper to call over VoIP in comparison to a conventional telephone. Also, you get to enjoy additional benefits and facilities that are generally not provided with a regular telephone. Many people, especially the older generation hesitate to try out many new technological advances because they feel they cannot understand how to use some of the modern gadgets. But, this is not the case with VoIP as it is very similar to the regular telephone.

Earlier, VoIP was only available for business purposes but it is now available for residential purposes. The rate plans vary depending on the nature of usage. There are many service providers giving residential plans and you can search the internet to get more information on them. You will be asked to purchase a device called the Adaptor box (ATA) that will connect your internet connection with the telephone. Before you get into using VoIP, it is best to read up more about it and become familiar with some relevant information about the VoIP system. This makes it much simpler for you to use the system later.

With traditional phones, you need to pay for calls that will add up to your monthly bills but this is not the case if you are using a VoIP phone. With VoIP, you get to make calls that have great voice quality and very dependable without having to bear an additional charge.

While using a landline, there might be some added charges that skyrocket your monthly bills. Service providers of VoIP give the options of various packages that enable each and every user to opt for one that suits their needs. While some packages might include any number of local calls or overseas calls others provide features like 3-way calling, call forwarding, call waiting, caller ID, e911, voicemail, etc. Such features and facilities are generally not provided with a conventional telephone.

While looking for a package that suits you, you need to assess your requirements and the budget. Once you have analyzed this, you can look for the service provider that gives your requirements at the budget suited for you. You can take the help of contacts who are using VoIP already to get more information from them.

While knowing the benefits from this system, you should also know the downsides to the VoIP system.

VoIP system is not compatible for use with a fax machine. For this reason, both of them cannot be used at the same time. Also, VoIP needs power unlike a conventional phone line. So, if there is a blackout, you will be stranded and not be able to handle calls if you do not have any source of power backup.

If you are happy about the advantages the VoIP system provides, then you can think of going in for one. It is especially useful if you have any near or dear one in the family living abroad for any purpose. It will reduce the limitations of distance and help you stay in touch.

VoIP can be used to make calls from a computer to a conventional landline or a mobile phone. This depends on the plan you have opted for with the service provider. You will need to pay something extra to your monthly bills but it is definitely less expensive in comparison to landline costs.

If you have the need to make long distance calls on a regular basis, a good option to take up is to take up residential VoIP.