Three reasons why you are going to love VoIP

VoIP, or Voice over Internet Protocol, is rapidly becoming a top choice for people wishing to avoid costly telephone service. Why? The system works by allowing you to make phone calls using a computer network, such as your Internet provider. The way it works is similar to email; most providers offer unlimited long-distance calling for a low monthly fee or for a low per-minute rate. Where long-distance...

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A Little Help To Find You A VoIP Phone

Michael Lemm

Here's a collection of resources to help you learn what you REALLY need to know before you get yourself a VoIP Phone. Might help you make the best educated choice for YOU.

CNet has an excellent extensive comparison and review of a number of different VOIP carriers. It's from a May 2004 article so it's obviously a bit outdated (e.g. Packet8 has E911 now.....Broadvox has implemented the "to come" features).....but still provides some good info and resources about BroadBand Phones.

CNet Internet Phones

DSLreports.com has a fact filled table updated every week from reviews shared by that Forums members (Telcom industry pros/experts/users/management/sales):

DSLreports.com

The folks at DSLreports.com are pretty picky & opinionated sometimes but it will give you some interesting insights. Note that providers are only listed if a review has been submitted. So a vendor you may be looking for may not be on the list.

They also have a pretty active VoIP discussion board where you can get unedited non-PC opinions (PC politically correct....not PC personal computer LOL), breaking news good and bad, and the opportunity to ask about use and installation at:

VoIP Forum

You should also look over the info at the FCC website (Federal Communications Commission). Besides the expected legal stuff you can see what the Feds think consumers should receive from VoIP vendors as well as some info on set-up and use:

FCC

I have a bunch of resources which will help you choose and understand VoIP phones at my blog BroadBand Nation. Be sure to click all the links and look over the article archive too.

BroadBand Nation

Personally I'm partial to Packet8.....especially for business use (VoIP video phone, Virtual Office hosted PBX). But that's just me.

About the author:
Michael is the owner of FreedomFire Communications http://ld.net/mscprez and http://DS3-Bandwidth.com ....delivering choices to both residential and business consumers worldwide for voice and data broadband services. Michael also authors BroadBand Nation http://BroadBand-Nation.blogspot.com where you're always welcome to to drop in and catch up on the latest BroadBand news, tips, and ramblings for the masses.


Faxing with VoIP, Can I do it?

Faxing with VoIP can be slightly different than the traditional Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). Not all VoIP providers offer Fax capabilities and some charge extra for this feature. Some VoIP adapters or ATA's as they are called allow fax capabilities by simply connecting your fax to the device. If your ATA supports fax capabilities you should not need a second line to send faxes. Beware that unusual amounts of faxing can violate your Terms of Service agreement with some providers and force you to upgrade to their business service, I think the normal user should not have a problem with...

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Google

How to choose a VoIP provider

VoIP (or voice over internet protocol) has become an increasingly popular alternative to traditional long-distance phone calls. The reason? Cost. A VoIP provider can reduce your phone bills by as much as 80%, more than justifying the initial costs of buying the equipment and monthly or annual fees. Choosing to go VoIP is easy; which VoIP provider you sign up with is trickier. With the number of companies and the diversity of packages to choose from, it's hard to tell if you're really getting your money's worth. Here are some things to consider as you narrow down your choices: * How much are...

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