Free VoIP Tips, Explanations, and Articles

Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) is a method of delivering phone service that boasts cost savings and extra features over traditional telephone service operations. A VOIP service can probably be added to your existing network with minor software upgrades that shouldn’t mean too much out of pocket expense.

First of all, make sure you have enough speed to run the network. If your round trip time is never greater than 200ms, your network should be fast enough to handle VoIP and data traffic at the same time. Test by pinging devices both on your local LAN and your WAN.

Secondly, look at all the components of the VOIP network. You have:

• PCs, PDAs, and file servers sharing the network with a telephony server.
• Fax machine, VoIP soft phones and hard phones connected to the network with an analog telephone adapter.
• Your PCs, PDAs and laptop all able to call through any VoIP phone on the network
• Your PCs, PDAs and laptop can also place calls to regular telephones through either the telephony server or the long distance provider’s telephone switch.

Here are a couple of added notes with other details about VOIP networking. First, check with your equipment manuals for QOS and COS compatibility and replace any devices that do not support either one. Also, you need to secure your network as you do other similar areas, so check with your own systems to see which options work best for securing your network.

Once you install your VoIP network, you will be able to offer additional services to clients, friends, family and others who’d like to save bucks and get even more for their hard-earned money.

The main reasons most people are choosing to use Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) are to save money and to get increased functionality.

With increased Internet access and speed, more people are trying to take advantage of  services like VoIP that can consider long distance and even international calls as if they were local; i.e. no extra charges, as long as the other party is using a compatible operating system (like headphones that plug in or software to use the system, etc.)

Benefits of the majority of VoIP service providers include unlimited usage plans. That means for around $15 - $30 per month, you can get unlimited long distance for under $30 per month! Although most of these plans target calls for the USA and Canada, some providers do offer international unlimited plans or specially priced packages.

Another plus is that since VoIP providers lack high overhead costs, like the operating of large company networks, and they can and do pass their savings along to their customers. And so far to date, VoIP providers are not subject to the rigid and often high regulatory and tax restrictions that regular telephone service providers; i.e. they don’t have to pay the same fees and taxes as landline operations need to on a 24/7 basis. So they pass these savings along to customers, too.

VoIP offers a variety of awesome features over landline operations. You don’t have to stick with the same area code, for instance. Or you can add additional areas codes to your plan, saving family members and business contacts who would otherwise be long distance a lot of money long term.

Other nice features are:

Affordable Conference Calls – Although this feature can come with standard landline phone service, it can be expensive. Not so with VoIP; many VoIP plans offer 3-way or more-way calling at no extra charge.

Web-based voice mail – This allows you to listen to your voice mail from any personal computer that is connected to the Internet, no matter whether it has high speed or dial up access.

Softphone – This device allows you to take your phone service on the road. You can access your VoIP service from any personal computer with high speed access by plugging in your phone or headset.

So check out VoIP today join the club. Join the smart people who are saving more money and getting more functionality with their phone service!