VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) - An Overview

You've probably at least heard of the word "VoIP", even if you didn't quite understand what all the excitement is about. VoIP stands for "Voice over Internet Protocol" and is going to change the way you think about making long distance phone calls. Basically, VoIP technology turns analog audio signals (i.e. the sounds you hear when talking on your regular telephone) into a digital signal (which is then transmitted over the Internet.) So why is VoIP revolutionizing the industry? Because it means that by getting your hands on some of the free software that's available right now, you can totally bypass your telephone company, and start making long distance phone calls for free! This revolutionary technology has the ability to totally change the phone system of the entire world! Perhaps you've seen television commercials for one of the pioneers of VoIP - Vonage. Vonage brands itself as the "broadband telephone company" and offers enticing perks to customers who switch to it's VoIP service such as low-cost 800 numbers and very cheap international rates (fees are waived from the U.S. to Canada, and international calls are as low as .03 cents a minute to overseas locations such as Paris). But Vonage isn't the only company who is interested in harnessing the power of VoIP. AT&T is setting up VoIP calling in several areas of the U.S. and there are other major VoIP players on the scene as well, such as Skype, who is relying on viral advertising to get the word out. Even some regional cable television companies are now offering VoIP telephone service at deep discounts to their customers. One of the interesting components about VoIP is that there's not just one way to make a VoIP call. There are actually three ways to make a VoIP call: 1) VoIP via ATA: is the most commonly used VoIP method right now. Using the ATA (analog telephone adaptor), you connect your regular telephone to your computer or Internet connection. The ATA is an analog-to-digital converter and it takes the analog signal from your phone and converts it into digital data and transmits it over the Internet so you are able to make VoIP calls. This is how Vonage and AT&T's CallVantage handle VoIP calls. The ATA is free with their services. And using an ATA for VoIP is so simple that anyone can do it. Open the box, plug the cable from your phone into the ATA instead of the wall socket, and you're ready to begin making VoIP calls. Depending on your computer, where you live, and what type of Internet connection you have, you may need to also install VoIP software onto your computer, but this shouldn't be too difficult for most people. 2) VoIP via IP Phones:VoIP phones look just like a standard telephone. They have a handset, cradles and buttons. But an VoIP phone uses an RJ-45 Ethernet connector instead of the standard RJ-11 phone connectors. VoIP phones connect directly to your router and all the hardware and software is already built inside to handle your VoIP calls. Look for Wi-Fi IP phones to be available in the near future, which will allow you to make VoIP calls from any Wi-Fi hotspot. This will allow you to take your VoIP phone with you when you travel, and stop in at any Internet caf