Voice over Internet Protocol - VoIP 101

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What is VoIP?

VoIP – abbreviation of Voice over Internet Protocol – is a relatively new technology, which is sometimes touted as the technology of the future as well, considering the things it can perform that were impossible even less than half a decade back. It makes use of the normal broadband Internet connection for channeling the telephone calls, as opposed to ordinary telephone calls. This offers a savings by bypassing the large telephone companies altogether and provides higher efficiencies to the customers. Further, the biggest advantage with VoIP is that the user does not have to implement or buy any costly infrastructure, hardware or software to use this facility. Instead, what all one may require are a reliable Internet connection, a phone, and minimal hardware and software support, as required and provided by the service provider. As you read ahead, you will be presented with the detailed working and other aspects of VoIP. Here we go…..

How Does VoIP Works?

In order to realize VoIP, the items the customer needs to have are a fast and reliable Internet connection, a router and a VoIP gateway. Internet is the medium of communication while the function of the router is to route the telephone calls through the Internet instead of the conventional telephone line. The VoIP gateway – usually installed in some place in the customer’s house itself – converts the analog voice signals into digital format, which are then again broken down into smaller chunks named ‘packets’, before sending it over the internet. This is done in the same way usual data is being transmitted to and from a PC over the Internet. These data packets will have the info of their supposed destination and instructions to bring it back to analog format embedded in it. Once reached the receiving end, these packets will again pass through a VoIP gateway, where it is reconverted back to the original analog format. The gateway then sends these signals over a Public Telephone Switch Network (PSTN), thereby routing the call to the respective phone number the user has dialed.

Common Applications for VoIP

Most common applications of VoIP are calls made between two personal computers, between a PC and an IP phone, or between two IP phones.

PC-to-PC calls are the easiest of the ways to tap the VoIP technology for making cheaper calls. And the maximum infrastructures one may require to do so are a microphone, a suitable sound card and a broadband Internet connection. The service is virtually free of cost and the only money he/she may have to shell out is the monthly fee for the Internet service provider.

IP phones differ from conventional phones in having a RJ 45 Ethernet connector instead of the usual RJ 11 connectors. As these phones come with all the required software and hardware preloaded, the user can make calls by directly plugging it to the router.

Different Dimensions of VoIP

With VoIP, the customers can make phone calls from their IP phones or ATA’s from virtually any part of the globe (assuming there is a ready and fast internet connection available). This is the biggest plus of VoIP and it comes handy for those people who are frequent travelers, especially business executives.

Then there are the “softphones,” which are actually software, which brings the VoIP services to one’s desktop or laptop. Some of this software may have an interface that looks much like the dialer of a telephone, and the user can dial the numbers in the same way he/she may dial a conventional phone to place a VoIP call.

Most of the VoIP service providers offer features such as caller id, call waiting, repeat dialing, call transfer, and three-way dialing features for free. Many of them also allow the user to attach messages to an e-mail that is sent to his/her PDA or PC or check his/her voicemail over the web. But for advanced facilities such as forwarding a call, filtering, or sending call directly to the voice mail, the service provider may charge a fee and it varies from service provider to provider.

Conclusion

From a user point of view, as the components and facilities offered by most of the service operators and VOIP phone system suppliers may vary a lot, it is advisable to check the pros and cons of every service provider before eventually subscribing for one. Hence see to it that you, as the customer, have been offered all the fixes for the possible compatible issues that could arise between the existing and adding hardware and software components. After all, what is the logic in having a system that is not functioning properly?