subject: Talk For Free With Voip [print this page] I'm hooked on Voice over Internet Protocol--VoIP for short. It has saved my phone bill and is on it's way to completely revolutionizing the way we view global communication. Voice over Internet Protocol transforms analog audio signals into digital data that can then be transmitted via the Internet. This means you can sidestep the phone company and make calls for free! My good friend is living in Europe. Previously we had to communicate via email and the occasional postcard. Now we can talk to each other from halfway across the world, and it doesn't cost a thing!
There are different ways you can employ VoIP. By far, the simplest and most widespread method is to use an analog telephone adaptor (ATA) which lets you connect a regular phone to an Internet connection--usually a computer. The ATA converts the analog phone signal into a digital transmission, and, voila, you're good to go.
Another way to use VoIP is to get an IP phone. They look like normal phones, complete with handset and buttons, but they use an RJ-45 Ethernet connector in place of a RJ-11 phone connector. The phone is equipped with all the necessary hardware and software and calls your router directly. An added bonus: if you have a Wi-Fi phone, you can make a VoIP call from any Wi-Fi hot spot.
Perhaps the easiest way to use Voice over Internet Protocol (and a way to make long-distance calls for free) is to go computer to computer. If you have a microphone, speaker system, and sound card as well as the right software, it's a piece of cake to place a call to somewhere like Paris or Tokyo.
Using VoIP, you can place a call from anywhere that has broadband connectivity, making it a great tool for business travelers who want access to their home phones. Another option is the client software known as softphone; it loads the VoIP service right onto your computer.
These solutions are great for the average Joe like me wanting to catch up with a friend oversees. But bigger business networks might require something more powerful--something like a dialogic d/480. A dialogic media processing board like this provides communication solutions for companies: 2-port analog interface, media and network interface, advanced conferencing, voice play and record, speech integration, video, high-speed fax, and of course, Voice over Internet Protocol, to name a few.
With all of these convenient options, it's a cinch to find a method that works for you. I know I did!
