Internet Telephony: What Is It and How To Use It

If you love the prospect of being able to get rid of your phone bill, say goodbye to your local phone company and drastically decrease the amount you have to pay for phone calls, then you certainly need to check into establishing an internet telephony system. Though you might think that a great many of the Internet calling plans and products are a gimmick -- and some seem to be -- there are legitimate methods you can be comfortable at home using only the Internet to make and receive phone calls. Indeed, the technology employed for this kind of service or product has come a long way in the past 5 years. Though not perfect, many people think it is more than satisfactory, especially if it provides a way to save money in the long run.

What is Internet Telephony?

Simply put, an internet telephony system can be either a type of hardware or even software that allows you to use the internet as the channel for telephone calls. Also known as "VoIP," it is commonly referred to as Voice over Internet Protocol. When you make a call over the Internet with VoIP, the personal computer essentially turns the information you're sending -- your voice -- into data packets. These data packets get sent over your internet connection to the person receiving the telephone call at the other end, at which point the data packets are essentially reassembled into their original state.

Like every new and cutting edge technology, there's certain to be some ups and downs. The same is true of VoIP and Internet telephony systems. For example, a few people report reduced call quality. While it's true that the caliber of calls made over your internet connection aren't quite the same as those made over an analog phone line, oftentimes you are able to still carry on enjoyable conversations turn out to be pleased with the quality you're receiving. Dropped calls might also be a problem, but this mostly depends on the kind of Internet connection you have.

VoIP for the Home

As mentioned, it is possible to setup an internet telephony or VoIP system with either hardware or software. Hardware-based VoIP systems can in fact be achieved through Magic Jack or Ooma, two systems which use your active Web connection to make calls. Magic Jack is a simple device which costs around $40 in the store or through the company's own website. The device looks like a big USB drive. One end of the device hooks up to the computer and the other connects to a standard phone that you want to connect. You put in the Magic Jack software and you're instantly capable of making free calls with the Magic Jack VoIP system along with your regular phone. You still do pay for a few fees, such as a fee for any vanity phone number and $20 for each subsequent year that you want to make phone calls after your free year of calling expires.

Another major hardware device you can use to have an Internet telephony system is Ooma. While you pay for the hardware device called the Ooma Telo, the catch with this particular product is that it costs around $200 for the device alone. However, the upside is that the fee you pay for the device will be the only fee you ever pay to make and receive free phone calls over the Internet. To setup the Ooma Telo, you simply plug it into either your internet modem or router, depending on how you get connected to the Internet. Then, you connect a regular telephone into the Ooma device and you can make free phone calls as long as you have the device. The only other fees you have to pay are the required federal surcharges and state fees associated with any phone service.

Skype - The Major VoIP Player

Skype is actually among the first VoIP services that launched their product for businesses and consumers alike. If you wish to be able to make calls from your computer to a different computer for free, the other user must also be a Skype user. So essentially, Skype-to-Skype calls are totally free and the only step you need to take is to register for an account with Skype and download the dialpad software. To make calls from your pc to any other land line or cell phone who is a non-Skype user, all you need to do is pay $2.99 monthly to get an unlimited long-distance calling plan. You can also purchase additional services, such as voice mail and a phone number that lets others call you.



Don't hesitate to stop by our website for more information about cheap wireless broadband and the way to find and make use of wireless internet to your advantage.