Are You Ready For VoIP?

So does the abbreviation VoIP leave you dumb struck? Don’t
worry; even I was when I heard about it for the first time. The
clouds parted when I discovered what it stands for: Voice over
Internet Protocol.

Have you ever been left hapless at the sight of immensely long
queues outside phonebooks? And that too when you need to
make a call to your aunt in LA and wish her on her 65 th birthday.
And, though you brave the queue for seemingly endless minutes or
hours, the constantly rising bill makes you our or conversation
too short to even cal it conversation. International calls are
still not dirt cheap and now that the world and its brother have
PC’s and Internet connection, even technophobes should have
enough sense to download software that enables you to make
phone calls using the Internet! Yes, you read it right. Make phone
calls using Internet. Just need to catch hold of an IP phone and
a software like Skype and you are ready for a futuristic roller
coaster experience!

Calling anywhere on Earth for three or four rupees a minute - at
most, is a pretty darn good idea, and one that’s catching on big
time. VoIP, in layman’s terms is the use of certain hardware and
software that makes you call up any other person on this planet.
Thereafter, you only need a good headset to have a chat and
assuming of course, that you have a multimedia PC and not a
BBC micro.

In a poll conducted worldwide, as many as a billion people have
abandoned telephone for IP telephony. In fact, you can make a
phone call to the US on dialpad coin for as little as 75 paise a
minute. The internet does not know or care whether the data
that’s rushing through its ‘routers’ began as a phone
conversation or a movie or a search for Pamela Anderson.
As long as it is in digital packets, it can find its’ way to the
Internet Protocol (IP) address it’s meant for. And so what is
happening is more and more phone calls are getting made
through Internet.

You can do it in either of the following of two ways: by going
to a site like dialpad.com or perhaps your own Internet service

provider’s site (if they offer the service), or by just picking
up an IP phone at a broadband Internet call? If you make the call
usingyour computer all you have to do is to go to the website, buy
a prepaid package that suits you using your credit card, and enter
the destination number.

Another way is Skype. Skype is a free software for Internet
phoning. It’s so simple that even technophobia can’t be an
excuse. Check out whether your computer has Windows 2000 or XP,
400 MHz or a more powerful processor, 126 MB or more RAM, a
sound card, speakers and microphones and atleast 33.6 kbps
dial-up-modem connection. A broadband connection is best. Make
sure your hard drive has atleast 15MB space to download Skype.
If the above is Greek to you, just ask any geek to check out
your system parameters.

Now, go to Skype” class=”alinks_links” onclick=”return alinks_click(this);” title=”Home Pge” style=”padding-right: 13px; background: url(http://www.smartgadgetsdepot.com/wp-content/plugins/alinks/images/external.png) center right no-repeat;” rel=”external”>skype.com click on the download link, save the
program on your desktop, open it and double click on the
installation file. Once Skype is installed, take out your
lastmonth’s phone bill and have a good laugh.

With Skype, you can call another Skype-user anywhere in the
world for free (you only pay for the net usage, not calls).
Skype has an option for landline calls that requires payment
charges depend on where you are calling. But rates are still
cheaper than landline costs.

The voice may break or come in snatches if the connection is
slow. But things are likely to get vapidly better in that
matter. My experience has been that if your soundcard,
microphone and headsets are of good quality, Skype gives you
fairly good service.

Also, IP telephony scores over messenger services offered by MSN
or AOL. In the letter, if your net connection speed is different
from your interlocutor’s, its’ hard to talk simultaneously. With
Skype, this makes no difference.

The broadband wagon has started to role, so its’ success seems
assured. In fact, it could even affect mobile telephony. New
Scientist reported earlier this year that cellphones with built
in Wi-fi capability that link to low-cost internet connection
are nearly for launch long-distance call costs can take another
big fall.

The flip side is, if you are calling Skype-to-Skype, the called
party will have to be online and pretty near the computer.
Similarly, if a Skype-contact calls you and you are offline or
online but missing about in the other room, you’ll miss the call.

That’s a disadvantage so do as the experts suggest. Just spread
the word on your online habits among your Skype - contacts or
pre - arrange a chat by email or via a short, normal phone
conversation. But the whole purpose of the technology is
defeated by the cost of Skype - enabled phones still, with IP
telephony, I sometimes wish to give all the phone booth things a
piece of my mind - at little cost and from a safe distance.

Author: Willie Reynolds
http://www. voipactivity.com

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Preparing Your TCP/IP Data Network For Voice Traffic

As much as vendors would like you to believe, employing voice
applications over your existing TCP/IP data network is certainly
not as simple as plugging in VoIP-enabled phones and installing
software to make them work. Combining voice and data networks
into one seamless operation can be tricky.

Before you attempt to run voice communication over your TCP/IP
network, familiarize yourself with the following key issues in
order to avoid any unpleasant surprises.

Voice vs Data

VoIP enables the human voice to be sent over networks as data
“packets”. These packets are then reorganized into the human
voice upon reaching their final destination. One would think
that non-voice traffic travels over the network in the same
manner as data traffic. After all, data is data, right?

Wrong. The reasons are that TCP/IP networks do not generally
deliver “packets” of data in the same order, along the same
route, or even within the same time frame. This is not a problem
for normal data downloads or data transfer, but for voice
conversations it is critical that “packet” information is
transferred without packet loss or latency.

Bandwidth

It goes without saying that in order to run voice over a TCP/IP
network, sufficient bandwidth is required. Most network services
customers are familiar with the raw bandwidth of each of their
connections. The key issue here is not to confuse “available”
bandwidth with “total” bandwidth. For example, a T-1 devoted to
data networking may have 1.5 Mb of raw bandwidth. That does not
mean, however, that the entire 1.5 MB of bandwidth will be
available for voice applications.

Packet Loss

Inherent in any network is the inevitability of “packet loss”.
Packet loss refers to the percentage of data packets that travel
the network then fail to reach their final destination. Packet
loss can be tested and measured using network analysis tools. If
you test and determine a packet loss of 3% or more, your
existing network will not successfully handle voice traffic.

Keep in mind that packet loss increases dramatically when a
network is overloaded with traffic. In fact, a network may even
become unusable for voice applications when approaching their
maximum bandwidth capabilities.

Jitter

Packets of voice information traveling across a network take
varying amounts of time to go from one end to the other. This
variation is referred to as “jitter”. The receiving end of a
VoIP voice call “buffers” packet information so it can be played
as a smooth and unbroken stream of voice audio. The depth of
jitter (measured in milliseconds) can and should be measured.
Always be sure that jitter settings match the behavior of the
network. Dropouts may occur if the setting is too low, and
delays in the audio will occur if the setting is too high.

Latency

The total amount of time it takes for a packet of voice
information to get from one end of the network to the other is
called latency. Latency is also measured in milliseconds. A
latency of 200 or more milliseconds can result in echo,
especially if the connections at the receiving end are not all
digital. A latency of more than 400 milliseconds results in both
parties of the call constantly “interrupting” each other, then
waiting for the other person to finish. This situation is simply
not acceptable for even the most patient of callers.

Codecs

A codec is responsible for converting the analog voice signal of
a phone call to digital packets of information - then converting
them back to analog voice audio. There are many types of codecs
available depending on available bandwidth and the quality of
the audio that is desired. First determine the amount of voice
data traffic you anticipate having, then choose the appropriate
codec. The G.711 codec is widely used throughout North America
and although it consumes up to 83 kB per second of bandwidth it
provides toll-quality voice connections.

Configuration for Quality of Service (QOS)

The most complicated and difficult issue you will encounter will
be how to successfully configure the network to handle both data
and voice packets simultaneously. File downloads and other data
transfers that occur at the same time as voice calls can easily
interfere and even interrupt these voice conversations if the
network is not configured properly.

It is the job of the routers to treat voice packet information
in a special way. Without routers giving voice packets special
treatment, they will almost always lose the battle when in
direct competition with data packets. The configuration of
routers to do this properly is called “Quality of Service”, or
QOS. There are four types of configurations of QOS. Each provide
different levels of efficiency for handling voice and data
traffic simultaneously.

1) Best-Effort QOS
This configuration is the most
inefficient and one that most network routers are configured by
default. Voice traffic may sound fine with this configuration,
although any large data downloads will easily interrupt voice
conversations.

2) Differentiated Service
One way to solve the problem of
competition between voice and data packets is to configure
routers to simply determine the difference between the two types
of information, then handle them accordingly. Differentiated
service allows for routers to use different schemes for handling
the two types of traffic.

3) Dedicated Service
Routers can be configured to ensure
that sufficient bandwidth is always available for voice traffic.
This configuration tells the router to never use the dedicated
bandwidth for data transmission. Although it can be complicated
to configure routers with dedicated service, it does a good job
of eliminating the problem of data traffic interfering with
voice communications. One major disadvantage, however, is that
the “dedicated” portion of the network will go unused when there
is no voice traffic.

4) Guaranteed Service
The most complex and expensive
option to packet competition is guaranteed service. This
configuration allows routers to set up dedicated but temporary
bandwidth for each individual call. When a call has ended, the
bandwidth then becomes available for other voice calls or data
traffic.

The ability to use data networks for voice applications is an
attractive one although not always simple and straightforward.
Proper planning and testing will help you avoid the inevitable
pitfalls of configuring voice applications over data networks.

Author: Robert Potter
www.teconassociates.com

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Latest News

Recent Voip News

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What Are The Disadvantages Of Using VoIP Service?

While you may marvel at the technology with which VoIP can be utilized, there are a few disadvantages in its use. During a blackout, a regular phone is kept in service by the current supplied through the phone line. This is not possible with Internet phones. Therefore when the power goes out, there is no VoIP phone service. One solution to this problem is to use battery backups or power generators to provide electricity.

Another disadvantage involves emergency 911 calls. Traditional phone equipment can trace your location. Emergency calls are diverted to the nearest call center where the operator can immediately access your location. However, due to the portability of the VoIP phone, the tracking system will encounter a problem finding your location. Accordingly, the FCC now requires service carriers to implement Enhanced 911. This has been mandated for both VoIP and celluar phones. This will, in effect, allow the emergency call center to route a call to a Public Safety Answering Point where they, in turn, will be able to determine the location of the caller. In addition, VoIP Service users are required to register themselves and to provide a registered service address so that the VoIP can route the Emergency call when needed.

Since the computer network was originally designed for data communication only, issues such as clarity, delay and echo when using VoIP has caused concern. Also, there is the matter of privacy. Since information is sent out and returns using internet service, viruses and phishing can be encountered.

As with any new technology, it takes time to iron out all of the existing problems. The bottom line, however, is that the consumer should ponder the type of service VoIP has to offer. VoIP can be an alternative method to your traditional phone service due to its cost effective savings and features. It is certainly a service deserving of your attention.

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VoIP Business Applications

VoIP is a great money saver for businesses today. The savings for large companies can be immeasurable to those who have many inter-office telephone lines, as well as a myriad of departments. Many companies, who have offices out of the country, can well afford to take advantage of the savings VoIP services would offer in long-distance calling.

Businesses with branch offices (both national and international) can realize substantial savings on their telephone expenses by using VoIP. All calls within the organization will be treated as local calls even if they are originating from another country. In addition, local phone numbers can be set up in a number of sites throughout the world, allowing people to call the company for the same price as a local call.

VoIP also has features that can make inter-office communication easier and more cost effective. Conference calls can be set up by departments in several locations allowing everyone involved to participate. By using VoIP within the company’s existing network, a multitude of departments will be able to communicate internally, thus deriving a significant savings buy not using a traditional telephone line.

Business-class voicemail and call routing are part of most corporate VoIP packages. When calling into an organization, people can route their calls by dialing an extension number or specifying the person’s name or department they wish to reach. Unanswered calls are automatically sent to voicemail. Many of the VoIP functions can be automated and pre-programmed in order for certain individuals to have restricted access to departments within the organization, or have certain voice messages played at specific times of the day.

Certainly, today more than ever before, most large companies will incorporate new services allowing for greater flexibility and cost effective results. VoIP is no exception, and is becoming a viable alternative to traditional phone usage in the corporate sector.

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VoIP for Home

Individuals can also benefit from VoIP. In addition to the savings on local and long-distance calls, there are the extra features which are included in the basic VoIP service. Traditional phone companies charge extra for services such as Caller ID, Call Forwarding, and Call Return. However, all of these additional services are included in the basic packages which most VoIP service providers offer.

VoIP also has special features which a traditional phone company cannot offer. You can have many different phone numbers in different locations all routed to your residential phone. This allows people to call you at local rates even if they are halfway around the world. It also allows you to set up separate lines for various family members — perhaps your teenager would prefer to have his or her own telephone number.

If you travel a great deal, you can take a VoIP phone with you and plug it into any broadband connection anywhere in the world. This allows you to make calls to friends and neighbors back home, as well as business associates for the same cost as a local call –regardless where you are in the world. People can also reach you by dialing your local VoIP phone number. The call is routed through the Internet to your current location whether in Singapore or Timbuktu.

There is software you can use to set up your VoIP service at home. It is called SoftPhone, and can be used either on your desktop PC or your laptop. All you need is a speaker and a mic (or headset), and you will be able to enjoy the benefits of VoIP. If you wish to install a webcam, you will not only be able to converse but literally see the person you are talking to. If you wish to update your internet system to encompass VoIP, now is the time to investigate the services offered.

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More On Using VoIP Service

You have researched VoIP extensively, and now is the time to make the decision. You have been very satisfied with your traditional phone, as well as your cellular phone. Do you really need VoIP?

Here are a few points to consider if you are still on the fence; pondering what to do. VoIP can save you money. That’s the bottom line. It is less costly than your regular phone and, for a monthly fee, you will have the opportunity to make unlimited local and long distance calls anywhere in the world. To participate in any VoIP plan, ensure that you ask many questions regarding their features and rates.

Another feature of VoIP is its calling capacity. If you have family members who live across the US, for instance, you can call all of them at the same time, and the cost to you is the same as calling one individual. Wouldn’t this be an ideal situation during the holiday season?

Mobility is another factor that lends itself to climbing aboard the VoIP train. You can take the VoIP converter with you anywhere you travel, as long there is Broadband connection available.

Decisions, decisions. We’ve given you the advantages and disadvantages; the applications; how to choose a provider; a list of providers for both PC to PC and PC to Phone; the types of phones available; hot to use VoIP; the security issues surrounding Skype; VoIP services and providers; and a wide range of technical information which you can use to make an educated decision.

VoIP is fast becoming the next technological wonder in this century. It’s up to you whether you wish to become a part of this new adventure.

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What Are The Advantages In Using The VoIP Service?

VoIP has made significant advances in the communication arena. Using a regular phone service has become secondary to the advantages incurred when using VoIP. This new technology allows for the transmission of voice and data to be sent across the internet. It has become widely accepted as a new source of communication among network users. While it seems evident that VoIP will eventually replace traditional phone service, clearly it is cost effective when initiating calls either out of state or country.

If you have a computer which utilizes Broad Band Service, DSL, or Cable High Speed Service you will be able to engage in PC-to-PC phone calls anywhere in the world for free. The cost for most VoIP services will reduce your telephone bills significantly. The greatest advantage in using VoIP is the mobility factor. You can make and receive phone calls wherever there is a broadband connection, simply by signing in to your VoIP account. This makes VoIP as convenient as e-mail. If you are traveling abroad, simply pack a headset or Internet phone and you can converse with your family or business associates.

The portability that VoIP allows using phone to phone service is a significant advantage.

When you sign up with a VoIP service provider, the Internet phone or adaptor that is used with that service is assigned a unique number. This number remains valid even if your VoIP service is in New York and you are connected to the Internet in Tokyo. Because the Internet phone is small and lightweight, you simply plug it into a broadband connection wherever you are, and make or receive calls just as though you were in your own home or office. You can also send data such as pictures and documents at the same time you are talking on the phone. How convenient is that? VoIP is surely becoming a leader in the communication medium.

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VoIP and Bandwidth

VoIP is dependent on a certain amount of bandwidth and it is only due to the widespread acceptance of broadband modems that (useable) VoIP is possible. So – what exactly is bandwidth and how does it affect VoIP?

Bandwidth refers to the amount of digital data that can be transmitted in a certain time period. Internet connections are usually measured in KiloBits Per Second (kbps). To give you an example, take a look at your webpage. It is made up of a few paragraphs of text and a few illustrations. The size of this web page might be about 3,000 bytes or 24,000 bits. At a download speed of 512 kbps this page can be viewed in 0.05 seconds – almost instantaneously.

You maybe yelling, “Hey, my web pages don’t load that fast on my computer.” You won’t reach your maximum transfer speeds for a couple of reasons. First there is latency – the delay caused by the physical limitations of each piece of hardware the data is passed through. Latency is introduced through the transmission medium, the routers that determine the path the data will take, and storage when the data finally reaches your computer.

What this means for VoIP is that enough bandwidth must be supplied to allow for the transmission of the actual voice data in real time as well as extra bandwidth for the overhead required for any data transmission.

There is way to determine the amount of bandwidth your home will need. Using 128 kbps as a base is fine, but it is advisable to increase your kbps to the maximum available, especially if you have several computers and other devices connected to the Internet.

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What Is VoIP and How Does It Work?

VoIP stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol. Basically what VoIP allows you to do is to call anyone, anywhere using your computer via software from a VoIP service provider.

The only stipulation is that you and the party you are calling must have an internet connection. In short, a high speed internet connection such as DSL, Cable, or Broadband that will enable you to call anyone for free.

How does it work? Using a modified interpretation it works like this. Voice calls through the internet become digitized, compressed and encapsulated into data packets which transmit the information. Thus, when you call a certain party, that particular packet will decompress and the voice will return back to you. While the explanation may not be simple, the end result is that calling via the internet, whether or not the person you are calling has the same service, or using a land line phone – can be done effectively and efficiently.

While calls from the internet to land line phones are fee-based, it is still lower than using your traditional phone to make long distance calls. You can determine, by researching all of the different VoIP services, which provider affords you the best package to meet your needs.

We informed you what VoIP is and how it works. While, for some, this technology may sound too complicated, remember back to a time when computers were first introduced.

It seemed as if the challenge to operate this type of machine was insurmountable. However, over the years you have learned, upgraded and enhanced your internet experience.

VoIP is just another medium whereby you will not only save money, but enjoy the interaction between you, your family and your friends. In addition, you will be introduced to some very creative gadgets and VoIP phones to enhance your VoIP experience.

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