VoIP: The future is now
Blake Turner
Have you ever experienced any anxiety about making that phone call to that friend you have on the other coast but thought better of it and decided to not do so at all because you are worried about that telephone bill? Is the price of a relevant phone call the number one problem you are thinking about now, instead of the conversation you are wishing to have with family or friends or significant other who are on the other side of the globe?
Believe it or not, there is a way around phone companies and the excessively high phone bills they churn out. The fact is they do not need to tell you who you're going to call or how long you are supposed to make that call. You and only you should have the power to decide the calls you want to make.
Thanks to the magic of technology, there is now a very effective and a lot less expensive way to make phone calls. It is called VoIP. The following are the basic features of VoIP. What is VoIP?
If this concept sounds new, relax. It basically is. VoIP is actually short for Voice over Internet Protocol. This is a new way to convert voice analog signals - basically the kind usually heard over the phone between talking parties - into data that is digital - basically the kind which could be transmitted through the internet.
Is VoIP useful?
VoIP is practically useful because it allows anyone to call just about everyone through the wires of the internet. This is because the number you are calling really has no need to have similar VoIP features or functions. Plus, the cost of availing VoIP is a lot less inexpensive than the usual phone line features.
How could one avail of VoIP?
First things first, one should call a company that provides a service such as VoIP. Once the service has been ordered, the company would then provide you with a router as well as a phone adapter with VoIP functions.
Then, the telephone should be connected to the phone port adaptor. Always be aware that updates are always available for downloading. Such downloadable are automatically put on the phone as long as the phone and the ISP is plugged and connected. Check to make sure there is a dial tone on your phone. If there is one, installation is done and making calls is just as easy as one two three.
VoIP additional tips
Before availing the services of VoIP, one should make sure that the phone one has is VoIP capable. Basically, there must be a readily available internet broadband service. But if there is no dial tone present, try to check if the internet broadband connection is still working. If it is, unplug the adapter of the VoIP for at least thirty seconds. After which, try applying power again.
There are VoIP provider companies that let its clients choose as much as a second and a third virtual telephone number. Of course, these have an additional charge per month. Believe it or not, via these numbers, you could have - for instance - a west coast telephone number even if you live in the east coast. But anyone who calls you on that particular number will be charged the rate of a call made locally in the west coast.
A speed of something a little less than 256k in your VoIP is really not that advisable especially for phone functions such as three-way calling.
VoIP warnings
Make sure that you check with the company that provides you with VoIP service regarding the availability of the 911 service function. There should be a 911 available service. There are VoIP companies that do not provide this automatically.
Use a power supply that is basically un-interruptible. This avoids any lag that might occur during interruptions in power. Just make sure though that the provider of the broadband is similarly protected from power electrical failures.
Also, make sure that the actual amount of the phone bill per month is clarified with the VoIP provider since there are instances that the bill amount to be paid is advertised in a low rate, but there is a "regulatory additional recovery fee" noted in the bill that is a bit costly. For your information, such an add-on fee is legally not allowed and mandated by the federal government.
In summary, VoIP is the best thing that communication could offer. It makes reaching out to anyone and everyone easily accessible as well as practical.
About the author:
Blake is the webmaster at http://www.articlesvoip.com/ he has
been involved in internet technology for the last ten years.