What is VOIP ?

VOIP  stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol, or in more common terms phone service over the Internet.
Other terms frequently encountered and synonymous with VoIP are IP telephony, Internet telephony, voice over broadband (VoBB), broadband telephony, and broadband phone.
 You can get phone service delivered through your Internet connection instead of from your local phone company with the aid of VOIP.
 The service is preferred as   VOIP service providers usually offer lower rates than traditional phone companies, but sometimes doesn't offer 911 service, phone directory listings, 411 service, or other common phone services.
VoIP involves sending voice information in digital form in discrete packets rather than by using the traditional circuit-committed protocols of the public switched telephone network (PSTN). A major advantage of VoIP and Internet telephony is that it avoids the tolls charged by ordinary telephone service.

Companies providing VoIP service are commonly referred to as providers, and protocols which are used to carry voice signals over the IP network are commonly referred to as Voice over IP or VoIP protocols. They may be viewed as commercial realizations of the experimental Network Voice Protocol (1973) invented for the ARPANET providers. Some cost savings are due to utilizing a single network  to carry voice and data, especially where users have existing underutilized network capacity that can carry VoIP at no additional cost. VoIP to VoIP phone calls are sometimes free, while VoIP to PSTN may have a cost that's borne by the VoIP user. 

How VOIP works?
A way is required to turn analog phone signals into digital signals that can be sent over the Internet.
This function can either be included into the phone itself  or in a separate box like an ATA(  Analogue Terminal Adapter ), it connects an Analogue Telephone to a VOIP network .

Different ways of setting VIOP:

  1.An Analog Telephone Adapter (ATA) may be connected between an IP network (such as a broadband connection) and an existing telephone jack in order to provide service nearly indistinguishable from PSTN providers on all the other telephone jacks in the residence. This type of service, which is fixed to one location, is generally offered by broadband Internet providers such as cable companies and telephone companies as a cheaper flat-rate traditional phone service.

             
    2.Dedicated VoIP phones are phones that allow VoIP calls without the use of a computer. Instead they connect directly to the IP network (using technologies such as Wi-Fi or Ethernet). In order to connect to the PSTN they usually require service from a VoIP service provider; most people therefore will use them in conjunction with a paid service plan.

                                                    

3.A softphone (also known as an Internet phone or Digital phone) is a piece of software that can be installed on a computer that allows VoIP calling without dedicated hardware.Skype ,Vonage and Lingo are major providers in this field.
If you want to make long distance calls or call traditional telephone numbers, you need to buy Skype credits on their web site. Vonage and Lingo provide routers that you connect to your existing broadband connection (cable modem, DSL, or fiber).

Broadband providers like AT&T (Uverse) and Verizon (FiOS) and cable companies like Comcast and Time Warner provide VoIP services over their broadband networks. They do a full-service installation, so if you are not technically inclined, this may be your best option.

 


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