| ology is increasing daily and plenty of consumers are | | | | Research Projects Agency Network or ARPANET. |
| facing new challenges about learning new forms of | | | | ARPANET is a United States Department of Defense |
| communication using computer hardware or software. | | | | project designed to produce a global network. It also |
| The changes in our world raise many questions, and | | | | became an ancestor of the internet. |
| these common questions and answers focus on one | | | | Isn't a VOIP user "handcuffed" to an internet |
| growing area of communication, IP Telephony or Voice | | | | connection if they want to use the phone? |
| over Internet Protocol. These questions that people | | | | Certainly a drawback to the VOIP system is its |
| often ask are heard all over these days, but our | | | | reliance on internet connection. This reliance on an |
| answers will help explain much about this new phase | | | | entirely separate service can make using VOIP |
| of keeping in touch with others. | | | | telephony equipment seem to be quite complicated, at |
| What exactly is IP telephony? | | | | times. The quality of the connection through the VOIP |
| IP telephony is a term that refers to VOIP technology | | | | system is also very reliant on the quality of the internet |
| or Voice over Internet Protocol. It is essentially the | | | | connection, lending to a distinct relationship between |
| routing of voice conversations over a network, such | | | | the internet connection and the phone connection that |
| as the internet, or any IP based interface. IP telephony, | | | | many users regret. VOIP systems can, however, use |
| Internet telephony, Voice over Internet Protocol, VOIP, | | | | conventional phone connections for connectivity and |
| Broadband telephony, Broadband phone, and Voice | | | | can use other business grade network systems like a |
| over Broadband are all terms that relatively refer to | | | | T1 connection in some cases. Many business providers, |
| this in the same way. If someone mentions any of | | | | in fact, only hook the system up to a T1 connection to |
| those terms, they are likely referring to the notion of IP | | | | enable permanent connection to their network. |
| telephony. It is a growing aspect to communications, | | | | Just how reliable is IP telephony, anyway? |
| too, and many people are starting to use it in their | | | | As conventional landline phones are connected to |
| homes to help with their communications aspects. | | | | telephone company phone lines, they may actually be |
| Where did IP telephony come from? | | | | kept going in the event of power outages or other |
| IP telephony is a commercial evolution of the 1973 | | | | occurrences that may interrupt the service. Most |
| project called "Network Voice Protocol". Network | | | | household VOIP broadband services, however, rely on |
| Voice Protocol was a computer networking project | | | | a modem connection or other powered services to |
| that was used to transport human speech patterns | | | | make the phone work. In these cases, a VOIP phone |
| over communications networks. It was developed by | | | | may not be the most reliable service you can have. |
| internet researcher Danny Cohen of the Information | | | | On the other hand, there are many options you can |
| Sciences Institute and was created to demonstrate | | | | take to create a more reliable service for your phone |
| that it was possible to develop a feasible blueprint for | | | | so that it will not be interrupted by power outage or |
| two-way voice communications over a digital network. | | | | other issues. |
| The Network Voice Protocol project was used to | | | | What are some major VOIP or IP telephony |
| send speech between sites on the Advanced | | | | providers? |