Free VoIP Phone

Today, the use of computers has spread worldwide. And this was even pushed forward with the introduction of the Internet. Even little children are now familiar with the Internet.

If you’re an avid user of the Internet, then you’ve probably heard of what VoIP is and its many uses. VoIP or voice over Internet protocol is a new application on the net that allows a person to make phone calls. Somehow, traditional telephone lines are not enough. And this is the very reason how VoIP came into existence.

Telephone networks are threatened because of the emergence of VoIP. More and more businesses, and people, are opting to replace their existing phone lines.

VoIp was not really intended to replace traditional telephone lines. In fact before, it was widely used for voice communication among computer users from different locations. Today, this application is still in use but is now more developed and acts like a telephone network. With the use of VoIP, anyone can call or receive calls anywhere, regardless of the location. You can receive calls as long as you have an Internet connection or your telephone set is connected to a network in your local area or LAN.

How did VoIP started? The Israeli’s were the very first ones to make a voice connection over the computer, and that all happened way back in the year 1995. Within that year, the new technology became a software, the Internet Phone Software. Before, they used a modem, speakers, sound card, and microphone.

The computers which can use this new technology were only those having installed the software. With regards to the quality of sound, it was rather poor and can’t even come close to the traditional phones.

By the year 1998, that same technology was further developed. The gateway to computer-to-telephone connections was opened. The Internet was also used by people having telephone-to-telephone connections; and with the aid of the computer in initiating and establishing the phone call connection, the regular phone can be used.

At present, both commercial and residential sectors are finding VoIP quite useful. Different services also offer different connections like PC-to-telephone or the traditional phone to another phone.

Internet telephones are plugged into the USB port or sound card of the computer. The phones have ringers and number pads just like the ordinary phone set. But now, it is already possible not to have a computer in using VoIP. You simply connect your telephone set directly to the broadband modem (cable or DSL).

When you use VoIP, your voice is converted to digital data. The data is compressed after your voice has been digitized. Around 1500 bytes ‘packets’ of digital data is transferred through the net. These packets also contain information on their origin, destination, and timestamp. The timestamp allows correct order-reconstruction. Upon reaching their destination, the packets are again re-assembled and are converted back to analog. The receiving party will be able to hear your voice.

Delay is one thing that hinders good communication. And if you want to use VoIP, you should first have a broadband connection. This makes it a lot easier and simple to add VoIP.

If you have second thoughts about using VoIP, you can always try it out for free. There are many VoIP packages that you can download on the net like Net2Phone, Gizmo, Skype, and other VoIP providers. This will be a lot easier if you and your friends all try it out together. Once you have the software downloaded, give your friends a call. Make sure that you have a headset and attach it to your computer’s sound card, and there you have it.

If you want to call your friend, just click the name you want to contact. It also has other features like call forwarding, conference calls, and voicemail without extra charge if the call is made using computers.

If you’re satisfied with the results, then perhaps you want to replace your existing phone with VoIP. But before making any decision, make sure that everything is to your advantage by using VoIP over the traditional phone. Don’t be confused between an Internet phone and an IP phone. Internet phones are connected to the USB or the sound card while an IP phone is plugged to the modem.

If you want to enjoy VoIP now, then it’s all up to you.

In a family with several children, it’s not very good to compare them with each other. Oftentimes this will result to a feeling of enviousness and rivalry. They would also try to compete for their parent’s attention. Comparing can be very harmful to the kid’s relationship towards each other.

Comparing things can be useful if you’re trying to compare a VoIP service provider. And this goes true even to different businesses offering products and services in order to attract customers; they want to compare their products/services against a competitor. Whichever provider that comes out best will get the fairer share of the market.

This is one reason why all business owners have developed ways to attract prospects, including all VoIP providers. But do you know what VoIP is?

The main technology responsible for internet phones is the voice over IP, more popularly called VoIP. As its name implies, this new technology allows any person to make voice conversations over the IP network.

Through VoIP, a P2P session is established by optimizing protocols as a group. This will result to an uninterrupted stream of digital data carried through the net. The two VoIP protocols which are now widely accepted are the open standards and the session initiation protocol or SIP. Voice signals are continuous in nature, and so it requires this session.

Now, three internet phones are being used, namely: PC softphone , VoIP handset, and the ATA or the analog telephone adapter. The first one is a software that makes use of the computer’s sound card, speakers, and microphone. The VoIP handset relies on your personal computer and is more complex than the first one. The ATA will not require you to have a personal computer because the high-speed internet connection is directly connected to it. These internet phones also have different softwares.

VoIP providers use any of the three phones and software. So if you have preferences especially with the hardware, you have to compare different VoIP providers. By comparing them, you will be able to choose one that has almost all your needs.

The VoIP provider is responsible for the initiation of P2P sessions. Aside from that, they also associate the telephone numbers to different IP addresses, and route VoIP data to other personal computers, to the mobile number or landline number that you’re trying to call.

Although VoIP providers differ in their hardware and software being used, the process of making a call is still the same. They only differ on the hardware’s processing.

Not all people are ready for this new technology. They still compare it with their long-trusted conventional telephone. In comparing these two, the biggest difference lies on the costs. With VoIP, you can surely cut down your monthly phone bills. VoIP is often associated with ‘free’ calls.

VoIP service is well-known for free calls for promotional or trial basis. However, when you sign up for their service, you will be asked to pay low-cost plans to enjoy the service. But this cost is lower than that of traditional phones.

Since VoIP is still new in the market, other people want to rely on their traditional phones for reliable connections and exceptional sound quality.

In doing a comparison between a traditional phone and voice over IP, you can see their advantages and disadvantages over the other. If you try count each of their good and bad aspects, you can come up with a good decision. It’s either you settle for VoIP or remain loyal to your traditional phone.

You alone can compare these two services. If you have a regular phone, why not settle first for a free trial period? Look for a VoIP provider which offers such service, you can find a lot of them on the internet. After the trial period expires, make the decision. Trying it yourself can give you a clearer view of how VoIP works.

If for some reason, you’re not satisfied with the result, then continue with your traditional phone service.

Comparing VoIP and the regular phone service will only be effective if you know what you need in a phone service. Most people who go for VoIP are the ones which want added features on their phone, one that only VoIP providers can provide.