| People who have never heard of VoIP will be | | | | Each of these methods is adapted by users based on |
| surprised to know how this new technology is paving | | | | their required applications for personal, commercial or |
| the way to a new era of telecommunications and | | | | business use. VoIP service methods that are currently |
| jumpstarting the way we will use telephony into the | | | | being used in general at present include: |
| future. More and more businesses, from small | | | | Analog Telephone Adaptor (ATA) |
| enterprises to large conglomerates, are slowly moving | | | | An ATA is basically an analog-to-digital converting |
| towards this technology, which sooner or later would | | | | device that allows the interconnection of a standard |
| be the mainstream form of communications over long | | | | telephone and a computer to facilitate phone calls |
| distances - even from across the world. | | | | through a VoIP network. A standard phone is plugged |
| The popularity of VoIP systems are brought about by | | | | into an ATA socket in the same manner as it is |
| the cost-effective and high quality features that the | | | | plugged into a wall socket. A software application is |
| system offers users, which they would not obtain from | | | | then activated to facilitate the VoIP network and |
| standard PSTN or Public Switched Telephone | | | | phone calls can now be made. |
| Networks. As experts point out, VoIP is a very | | | | IP Phones |
| innovative reinvention of the telephony wheel that will | | | | These phones are pretty much the same in |
| revolutionize the way people would communicate in | | | | appearance as ordinary phones except for their more |
| the near future. | | | | specialized internal structure and a different connector. |
| What Is VoIP and what are the Principles behind it? | | | | Standard phones use RJ-11 connectors while IP |
| To fully understand VoIP systems or Voice over | | | | phones use RJ-45 connectors, the same type used |
| Internet Protocol networks, one must have an | | | | for Ethernet connections. The software is already |
| understanding of the principles behind this technology. | | | | built-in, allowing VoIP calls to be made whenever there |
| People communicate with analog audio signals and | | | | is a Wi-Fi hot spot or Ethernet jack available for use. |
| when standard phones are used for communication, | | | | PC to PC calls |
| these same set of analog signals are transmitted | | | | Using a headset with built-in headphones and a |
| through the closed circuitry that compose this network. | | | | microphone, PC users can communicate through the |
| However, the system is limited in terms of bandwidth | | | | VoIP network on their personal computers and |
| to cover the wide variety of frequencies that | | | | communicate with another VoIP user - even if he is on |
| compose the human voice. | | | | the other side of the world. All you need is the VoIP |
| VoIP systems on other hand convert analog audio | | | | software and a broadband internet connection and |
| signals, the human voice, into digital signals and this | | | | you can start making free calls from anywhere. |
| converted data comes in a form that can be | | | | VoIP networks are making it easy for individuals and |
| transmitted over a high speed internet connection. | | | | organizations to make cost-effective calls for personal |
| Instead of a close circuit connection, the same | | | | or business use without the need for sophisticated |
| technology that has been used for more than 100 | | | | equipment and exorbitant expenses. Aside from that, |
| years by telephone networks, VoIP sends signals in | | | | the wide variety of features, functions and flexibility |
| packets of digitized information which contains more | | | | that VoIP systems offer make it an ideal |
| data per second than standard PSTN lines. | | | | telecommunications platform with enormous growth |
| Ways to Make VoIP Calls | | | | potential. |
| There are basically three ways to make a VoIP call. | | | | |