Basics VoIP

Basics VoIP :
Basics VoIP

VoIP: What are the Basics of VoIP? If you are new to Basics VoIP and want to know how VoIP works then this article is for you. It provides a brief summary of what VoIP is and how it can benefit you the consumer. It is a good article to get a basic understanding of what VoIP technology is all about.
To see a list of VoIP providers or to compare VoIP providers by price and features please visit www.VoIPChoices.com. Be informed and save!

VOIP: A Basic, Basic Intro by:Bear Cahill
What is it?
Most people are familiar w/ NetMeeting and other software that let you talk to others over the internet. VOIP is similar. However, it also uses your phone - the interface we're all familiar with.
Instead of connecting your phone to the wall, you connect it to a box either the VOIP company provides or you buy on your own. This is the modem. You need highspeed/broadband internet for this. Your modem plugs into your cable/dsl modem and now it can 'talk' btwn your phone and the internet.
Your phone lines already do pretty much what VOIP does, just w/ different/older technology (well, some of it's new w/ optics and such, but...).
How hard is it to setup?
It's actually very easy. Assuming you have the company send you a modem or you buy a kit at the store, you simply plug the modem btwn your current cable/dsl modem and your computer (e.g., the out from your cable modem now goes to the new box and the out from that to your computer). It also has a phone jack for your regular phone.
Once it is on, it will boot up and configure itself.
What are the benefits?
There are many benefits depending on the company you go w/, but here are a few I have (all of these are free w/ the monthly fee- $14.99 for my setup):
Features like caller id, call waiting, call waiting caller id, call forwarding, etc.
Voicemail
Email alerts for new voicemail.
Web access to voicemail - you can play your messages on your computer.
Auto-forward - if the phone is ever down or isn't answered, it's auto-routed to another number
Online management of all features, settings, account, etc.
Computer dialing - highlight any number on your computer, hit F6 and it sets up the call from your phone to theirs - very convinient!
Keep your regular phone (you don't need a voip phone)
There are some other cool features available for extra $ like the softphone which lets you use your computer as a phone w/o the modem - this means you can take your laptop w/ you wherever and you have your phone w/ the same phone number everywhere too (you can do this w/o the softphone, but you have to take your VOIP modem around w/ you - not bad if you're going somewhere for a longer trip).
Another really cool thing is the virtual phone numbers. You can get extra numbers that ring the same phone, but they are local numbers to any area code you want. So if I live in Dallas and have family in New York, I can get a local phone number here and there. That way my family in New York can call a local number (free) and talk to me! Vonage charges $4.99/month for that. I'm not sure about the others.
And the biggest benefit - IT'S CHEAP! I pay $14.99 plus some tax and such, but not the ump-teen taxes, charges, fees, etc. like the phone company charges.
Also, if you do a little research/reading, you can set it up to where every phone jack in your house is wired for VOIP. It's little more than plugging the output of your VOIP modem into the wall jack you already have. Very little more.
Bottom Line
You get lots of good, free features and options for doing/managing a lot more including a lot over the web and it's SO much cheaper (at least it is for me!). Being the 'average guy' I am, I don't really use all the features. Fortunately, it's pretty much a 'set it up and forget about it' type thing except that I save $40+/month w/ it!
I use Vonage b/c that's what I was told about first and it was one of the first. There are others and I'm sure they have their strengths, but Vonage has the cheapest base option at the time I did my research.
About The Author
Bear Cahill is a software engineer in the Dallas, TX area and runs a few websites: The Armchair Geek (www.thearmchairgeek.com), Webpage Hosting Info (www.webpagehostinginfo.com), Go To College Online (www.gotocollegeonline.com) and The Video Exchange Community (www.videoexchange.org)

Lingo Review

Lingo offers a great value to VoIP consumers who call frequently within the United States, Canada, or Western Europe. Lingo offers a home plan for $19.95 a month for unlimited long distance minutes to anywhere in the USA, Canada, and 17 countries in Western Europe. They offer an Unlimited Asia Plan that allows unlimited calling to many countries in Asia for $34.95, and an Unlimited International Plan that offers unlimited calling to many countries in North America, Asia, Europe, and Latin America for only $79.95. There are 26 calling features which are standard. Included are: Voicemail, CallerID, Call Forwarding, Call Waiting, 3 Way Calling, etc. Lingo’s VoIP service offers Virtual phone numbers in 15 countries and they are adding new countries all the time. The one feature that makes Lingo’s plan appealing to many is that Lingo provides two phone numbers per account (for a small fee). The first phone number is in the area code of your choice, and the second number called a Universal Phone Number. This means that with Lingo you can have a local number for people in your area, and another number for friends, family or business associates in another part of the state, a different state or even a different country.
Click Here for a more detailed explanation of the “Universal Phone Number”.

Lingo is currently offering the first month of service for FREE. Click here to signup

VoIP.net review

VoIP.net - is the only VoIP provider that offers a free “Friends and Family” number for all of their residential plans which start at only $12.95 per month and it includes 500 Free minutes for calls throughout the U.S. and Canada (additional minutes are charged at only 2.9 cents per min.). VoIP.net also has an Residential Unlimited Plan that costs $19.95 for calls to anyone in the U.S. or Canada. Standard features include: Voicemail, CallerID, Call Forwarding, Call Transfer, Call Waiting, 3 Way Calling, etc. The one feature is they offer a Free fax to email service as a standard feature on all plans. Click here for more information or to sign up for VoIP.net.

Click Here for a detailed explanation of the “Friends and Family” number.

Compare VoIP Providers by Features and Price

Compare VoIP Providers by Features and Price

VoIPChoices.com offers a free comparison of the most popular VoIP providers around. The providers included Packet8, VoIP.net, Broadvox, Vonage, and Lingo.
You can compare the providers in a side-by-side table to determine which provider is best suited for you.

You can check them out at VoIPChoices.com

E911 and VoIP broadband telephone service

There are many factors to consider when selecting a VoIP provider and an especially important one is whether or not the VoIP solution Provider offers E911 service. This can be even more important if you have children in the household or business. You can read more on the subject by going to VoIPChoices.com

Porting to VoIP

Did you know you can keep your existing telephone line when switching to a VoIP provider. However, when porting your existing line to a VoIP line you might run into some problems.
To make the transition as smooth as possible check out Porting to VoIP. It lists the common problems that you might be faced with when trying to get everything switched. For a list of more articles on VoIP please see VoIP articles section at www.voipchoices.com

Fax and VoIP : Faxing with VoIP

Faxing with VoIP : FoIP

Broadvox Direct has come up with reliable Fax over Internet Protocol (FoIP). Read about some of the problems that consumers are having when they are trying to send a fax over their VoIP line. For the complete article, goto: Faxing over VoIP

Packet8 Expands Packet8 VoIP Coverage with New Rate Centers for Local Inbound and E911 Services

Packet8 VoIP broadband telephone service is offering a coupon for $20 off of it's activation fee when you use coupon code "telebay-cheaperld". The coupon code is also known as a Packet8 reseller code or a Packet8 affiliate code.

8x8 Expands Packet8 VoIP Coverage with New Rate Centers for Local Inbound and E911 Services


SANTA CLARA, Calif., Feb. 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- 8x8, Inc., (Nasdaq: EGHT) the Packet8 voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) and videophone communications service provider, announced it has added 987 new U.S. rate centers for Local Inbound Service and 660 rate centers for E911 service to all Packet8 broadband calling plans.
Using (3)VoIP(SM) Local Inbound Service from Level 3 Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq: LVLT), Packet8 residential VoIP service now covers 3,883 U.S. rate centers, significantly increasing the availability of the service throughout the country. The additional E911 rate centers broaden the availability of this optional Packet8 service feature to a total of 1607 rate centers including newly added cities such as Dallas, Louisville, Memphis, Flagstaff and Spokane.
In June 2004, Packet8 became the first VoIP residential telephone service to offer true, replacement E911 service which automatically routes calls and computer-based "screen pops" of caller information to emergency personnel at local Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs). Because the 911 call is routed as emergency traffic and is accompanied by E911 caller information, emergency personnel can ensure that callers receive the same kind of response that they are accustomed to receiving from legacy, switched telecommunications service provided by incumbent telephone carriers.
"8x8 remains committed to offering low priced, superior quality VoIP service to residential and small business customers in both isolated rural communities and large metropolitan areas," said 8x8 Chairman and CEO Bryan Martin. "As the market penetration of broadband phone service continues to grow, so too does the demand for critical features like real E911 support. 8x8 is still the only VoIP provider to offer this invaluable service."
About 8x8, Inc.
VoIP (voice over Internet protocol) service provider 8x8, Inc. offers internet-based telephony solutions (www.packet8.net) for individual residential and business users as well as small to medium sized business organizations. In addition to regular Packet8 VoIP service plans, priced as low as $19.95 per month for unlimited anytime calling to the U.S. and Canada, 8x8 now offers the Packet8 DV326 VideoPhone, the industry's first stand alone broadband consumer videophone. Packet8 Virtual Office, 8x8's VoIP system for small to medium sized businesses, is a hosted PBX solution comprised of powerful business class features. For additional company information, visit 8x8's web site at www.8x8.com.
NOTE: 8x8, the 8x8 logo, Packet8, the Packet8 logo and Packet8 Virtual Office are trademarks of 8x8, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
SOURCE 8x8, Inc.
02/17/2005 09:15 ET

Packet8 Adds New Features to Packet8 VoIP and Video Broadband Phone Services

Packet8 VoIP broadband telephone service is offering a coupon for $20 off of it's activation fee when you use coupon code "telebay-cheaperld". The coupon code is also known as a Packet8 reseller code or a Packet8 affiliate code.

8x8 Adds New Features to Packet8 VoIP and Video Broadband Phone Services


SANTA CLARA, Calif., Feb. 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- 8x8, Inc. (Nasdaq: EGHT) the Packet8 voice over internet protocol (VoIP) and videophone communications service provider, announced the addition of three new calling features for its residential broadband telephone and videophone services.
The new features enhance the functionality of the Packet8 service while providing subscribers with greater flexibility in managing their phone service options. They include:

-- Phone-Based Management for Call Routing and Voicemail

These are in addition to the already existing Packet8 features that include:

Unlimited Minutes (not on metered plans)

Local Number Porting(LNP)
Personalized Voicemail
Unlimited In-Network Calling
Caller ID
Caller ID Blocking
Call Waiting
Call Waiting ID
Call Forwarding
3-way Conferencing
Call Return *69 activates
Online Management & Billing
Choose Your Own Area Code
*70 Call Waiting Disable
*78/*79 Do Not Disturb
*77/*87 Anonymous Call Blocking
Distinctive Ringing for Virtual Numbers
FAX
Great options for a small monthly fee
Virtual Phone Numbers
Enhanced 911
Toll Free Services

VoIP Questions and Answers : A Basic Review

Are you new to VoIP? Want to learn the basics of how it works? What VoIP equipment for do I need? How do I make a VoIP call? Does my computer always need to be on to use VoIP?
These questions and more are answered in an informative article found on VoIPChoices.com

The Best Canadian VoIP providers : VoIP Canada

VoIPChoices.com has prequalified 3 different VoIP vendors in Canada as the best Canadian VoIP solution providers available. They also do a side-by-side comparison of the VoIP solution providers to make it easier for a consumer to be informed. An informed consumer is one that will save the most money and get the features he/she needs in a Canadian VoIP provider.

VoIPChoices.com only recommends Canadian VoIP providers who have demonstrated that they can provide the best VoIP quality and customer service at deeply discounted rates.

VoIP Canada : Canadian VoIP providers

Not all VoIP providers offer Canadian VoIP telephone numbers but VoIPChoices.com has located a few and they do a nice comparison of what each offers. Canada VoIP customers can enjoy unlimited local and long distance calling to any number in the United States or Canada for around $20 a month ($U.S). More and more carriers are becoming available in Canada so check VoIPChoices.com often for new carriers.

Canadian VoIP plans offer the same included features as other VoIP plans. These features include: Call Waiting, Voicemail, CallerID, Find me/Follow me, etc.. Be sure to COMPARE the VoIP providers in Canada before choosing. It is your right as a consumer to be informed and save.

Packet8 VoIP requirements

Packet8 Requirments:

*Broadband or dial-up Internet connection-minimum 56K modem
*Broadband includes: DSL/Cable, Ethernet LAN, WiFi, T-1 or T-3 lines
*Broadband is required to use Packet8 adapters that convert your existing phones.
*Major credit card - Visa or MasterCard

*Save $20 off Packet8 activation Use coupon/resellers code "telebay-cheaperld" Order Packet8 Online now.

Lingo VoIP Coupon : 1 free month of service upon signup

Lingo VoIP is offering a free first month of VoIP service to new customer for the sake of showing customers how good VoIP performs and how far it has come. Lingo VoIP has one of the largest included calling areas. Customer of Lingo VoIP can call any telephone number in the U.S. or Canada for free as well as many Western European countries.

The Lingo VoIP plan for $19.95 per month includes the following:
* Unlimited calling to any telephone number in the U.S. and Canada
* Unlimited calling to the U.K. (land lines only, no cell phones)
* Unlimited calling to the Germany (land lines only)
* Unlimited calling to France (land lines only)
* Unlimited calling to Italy (land lines only)
* Unlimited calling to Ireland (llo)
* Unlimited calling to The Netherland (llo)
* Unlimited calling to Belgium (llo)
* Unlimited calling to Denmark (llo)
* Unlimited calling to Switzerland (llo)
* Unlimited calling to Sweden (llo)
* Unlimited calling to Finland (llo)
* Unlimited calling to Austria (llo)
* Unlimited calling to Luxembourg (llo)
* Unlimited calling to Vatican City (llo)
* Unlimited calling to Norway (llo)
* Unlimited calling to Portugal (llo)
* Unlimited calling to Spain (llo)

for more information about Lingo VoIP and access to the 1 free month, please goto Lingo VoIP

Packet8 coupon code "telebay-cheaperld" will save you $20 on signup

Packet8 VoIP broadband telephone service is offering a coupon for $20 off of it's activation fee when you use coupon code "telebay-cheaperld". The coupon code is also known as a Packet8 reseller code or a Packet8 affiliate code.

Packet8 VoIP broadband telephone service is one the recommended carriers of VoIPChoices.com. To get more information on Packet8 VoIP, please see the Packet8 official website.

VoIP Providers

What should a customer consider when choosing a VoIP provider?

1. Monthly Costs - Did you know you can save up to 75% of your longdistance calling by switching to a VoIP service provider.
   
2. Features - VoIP providers offer a lot more features than traditional phone service at a lesser cost.

For more things to consider when choosing a VoIP provider please see VoIP considerations.
an article that lists some of the things to consider when looking to make the switch to a VoIP
service. What should you know about VoIP service providers before making the leap? You can also see listing of top VoIP Providers at www.voipchoices.com.

Virtual Numbers

Some VoIP providers offer virtual numbers to it's customers. These numbers are often free of charge or are available for a nominal fee.

A virtual phone number is a number you can obtain that has a different area code other than the one you are presently in. How can this benefit you? Well, it's easy. If you have moved and your family live in a different part of the country then you can get a number in their area code and they can call you free of charge. You can stay connected to friends and family and still save a lot of money on your long distance bill. For more information on services that offer virtual numbers visit www.voipchoices.com or compare VoIP for a listing.

If you own a business and were thinking of switching to a VoIP service than you might want to check out the article Creating a Virutal Presence .

VoIP and Taxes

Have you ever looked at your phone bill and wondered what all the extra taxes are for. If you weren't aware you are paying a lot of extra money every month without ever picking up the phone to call someone you should take an extra look at your phone bill. You might be surprised to find out how much your phone company is charging you in extra fees.

Did you know that you might be able to avoid a lot of these extra fees by switching to a VoIP phone service. For more information on VoIP and taxes check out VoIP is less taxing at www.voipchoices.com. This article discusses the types of fees you pay on regular telephone services vs. VoIP. It's worth a look.

Common VoIP Questions

Some questions that people have when it comes to VoIp are:

1. What is VoIp and what does it stand for?
2. How do I make a VoIP Phone call?
3. What Equipment do I need to make VoIP phone calls?
4. Are there any differences between making a local phone call and a long distance phone call?
5. Who can I call if I am using a VoIP service?
6. What are the advantages in using a VoIP phone service?
7. Will I be able to dial 911 from a VoIP phone?
8. Will I be able to use my computer when making a VoIP call?
9. Can I take my VoIP phone adapter with me when I travel?
10. Does my computer need to be on to use the VoIP Phone?

These are only 10 questions regarding VoIP. There are many more. Raymond Klesc is an author of a VoIP guide that answers these common questions and concerns. You can go to articles.voipchoices.com for a full reprint of this article or VoIP questions to learn more.

What is VoIP?

If you understand what VoIP is you can benefit from what it has to offer. The bottom line is Voice over IP technology can save you money! Find out as much you can before switching to a voip service. See VoIP Articles at www.voipchoices.com for a listing of articles to get you on your way to becoming a VoIP expert.