Considerations For A VoIP Service Provider

VoIP, or Voice over Internet Protocol, is poised to take the telephone industry by storm. It works by using the Internet to direct telephone calls, rather than land-based cable lines that are used with traditional telephone. Among the advantages are better affordability and greater functionality. Extra services that cost a great deal more with traditional telephone companies are often included in...

Continue Reading

Broadband Booster Can Improve VoIP Quality

Debbie Jacobsen

Although cable broadband internet is a whole lot faster than dialup, I usually experience a slight delay when opening a webpage. Perhaps most people don't notice the latency associated with cable internet, but as a former DSL user it got my attention right away. I noticed a distinct difference in speed between cable and DSL, but I realized I had to live with it in order to use internet phone service in the most economical way. DSL requires a phone line, which requires telephone service - so if you want to replace your land line phone with low cost internet phone service, the only option is to use cable or T-1 for internet.

With my internet phone up and running over cable broadband, the voice quality was better than expected. I noticed no big difference between VoIP and my land line phone, but did experience "dropped" calls and "incomplete" calls periodically. This is due to the latency in my broadband connection, but since VoIP saves me over $500 a year (unlimited calling for less than $20 a month) an occasional dropped call is fine with me! While flipping through a computer magazine, I spotted an ad for the Hawking Broadband Booster. This device is designed to eliminate the "lag" in your internet connection by monitoring the data that is coming and going and re-prioritizing the packets. It installs between your cable modem and router, and acts like a "traffic cop", eliminating congestion by ensuring that both router and modem get nice even streams of data. In an attempt to decrease the latency with my cable modem, I decided to try out this device. Although it is a bit pricy (around $100), I figured I could always return it if it didn't work as claimed. The broadband booster was really easy to install (just connect two cables and restart your cable modem) and required no configuration whatsoever. The device is tiny (2" X 4") and weighs only an ounce or so. I noticed an immediate improvement in my internet connection, although there is still a very slight lag. In the past several weeks I have logged nearly 3000 minutes on my VoIP service and have not experienced any dropped or incomplete calls. I am very satisfied with the Hawking Broadband Booster (HBB1), and recommend it to anyone using broadband and/or internet phone service. Although I am not a gamer, the company claims it really helps with online playing as well. Many people with satellite internet cannot use VoIP due to the inconsistent satellite signal. If satellite internet is your only choice for broadband, it may be worth your while to give this little device a try.

© 2005 Debbie Jacobsen, all rights reserved

About the author:
Debbie Jacobsen is an IT professional and owner of http://www.saveonphonese rvice.com - an informative website about internet phone service as well as a comparison of VoIP providers. To read more of Debbie's articles on VoIP, please visit her blog at http://djvoip.blogspot.com.


PC To Phone Using (VoIP) With Dial-Up

Have you heard that you can make phone calls over the internet cheaply? Have you had a chance to try it? Most people that have had a chance to try it have experienced hit or miss quality, dropped calls as well as some speech delays. But there are some steps that you can take to really improve the quality and consistency of you VoIP calls over your internet Connection. There is a lot of buzz these days around Internet based communication, VoIP, replacing regular traditional telephone service. Much of the buzz has been created by around a company called Vonage, who's motto is Leading the Internet...

Continue Reading

Google

Is a VOIP Calling Plan Right for Your Home?

If you watch TV read magazines, or drive through and cities with billboards chances are you've come across advertisements for VOIP calling plans. Many of these advertisements try to sell their services on how much less expensive their services are compared to traditional calling plans. They also talk about quality and clarity of calls. You've probably wondered how much of this is true and how much is hype. VOIP or Voice over Internet Protocol is probably one of the most revolutionary advances in the telecommunications industry. It allows you to talk to another person across the globe using digital...

Continue Reading