An Introduction to VoIP
VoIP or Voice-over IP refers to the communication of people between IP addresses over the Internet. It was first utilized in the year 1995 as a substitute for the telephone. It works by converting a voice signal into a digital signal. Then, it travels over the Internet as data.
Afterwards, it converts back into a voice signal to the other end. There are different ways to use VoIP. The first is to make use of a microphone plugged into the computer. You can also use a phone adapter or VoIP phone (the phone adapter refers to a device that converts your telephone signal so that it can be useful for VoIP calls). VoIP phones are the same with telephones, but they are mainly for VoIP calls. You can also use a regular telephone with VoIP.
VoIP is less costly compared to a regular telephone. This is because you use computers and the IP addresses, so there’s no longer a need for a telephone line to be installed. This will spare you time and money. The cost is the leverage of VoIP over regular telephones. You can save a lot on long distance calls. Because of the technology used, a long distance call costs the same as a local call. Businesses are also able to save a sizeable amount of money by using VoIP.
Because VoIP calls have to be converted into a digital signal and then back into a voice signal, there could be a slight time delay. Another disadvantage is that the voice quality may not be as clear as a regular telephone. But the technology is continually improving, and both these drawbacks are being enhanced.
The future is looking good for VoIP. More and more people seem to be taking interest in it (both personal and businesses) and this trend is not going to stop anytime soon. It may not have the same quality with a regular telephone, but it never ceases to improve.
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Q&A: Is Voice over Internet generally more or less secure than a regular landline?
Question by city8of8angels: Is Voice over Internet generally more or less secure than a regular landline?
I have about had it with AT&T. Ever since their strange merger, things have only gone downhill.
First of all, never in our (I and my husband) lives have we had a $ 60 landline phone bill. We do not like to use that phone for anything. The only reason we have a landline is for professional/business purposes.
Second, somebody who claimed to be from AT&T had made an attempt to tinker with our connection. If we did not live on a military base and all visitors had to be screened and approved, who knows who these people where and what they were trying to do.
So, here I am wondering if VOIP is worse or better with that kind of stuff. I would really appreciate knowledgeable opinions. Thank you!
Best answer:
Answer by Mr. VoIP
No consumer electronic communications is absolutely secure or tamper proof. We all know that telephones can be tapped, legally and illegally. If the Feds and law enforcement want to tap your lines, they can do so legally with a court order (or just claim national security reasons).
But, the same holds true with VoIP. Technically speaking, VoIP is more difficult to tap, but it can be done with the right equipment. And, VoIP companies are required by law, or by agreement, to allow law enforcement to tap lines if required too.
So, when it comes to security, nothing is absolutely secure.
Now, some VoIP services are starting to encrypt their VoIP data while traversing over their own networks. So, in those cases, it is secure from random tapping over the Internet. But, as soon as the connection terminates to a real telephone that connects to the PSTN landline network, it is no longer truely secure from taps.
Skype is well known to encrypt their client data while traversing over the Internet. So, they are about as secure as you can get from a public service.
But, to address your concerns about cost, VoIP will always cost you less (for comparable service features) than any PSTN or cell phone service. Even if a person keeps their “basic” landline service for emergency backup (no extras), VoIP will save them considerable money when it comes to having a 2nd phone line and long distance calling.
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SMART Bridge Trading Solution VoIP Flexibility and Features.wmv
Email : biz@smart-bridge.net www.smart-bridge.net VoIP Flexibility and Features There is no doubt that VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) has many advantages over traditional calling, but one advantage that might not seem obvious at first is the flexibility that VoIP possesses. For the majority of people, the first thought of VoIP will be the cost saving opportunity that is certainly possible. In previous articles we have mentioned how the cost, especially for businesses and long-distance callers, can be significantly decreased from traditional calling. This is mainly due to the fact that VoIP carries a call over a broadband internet connection, meaning that many taxes and charges that would usually be incurred with regular telephone companies are avoided. VoIP is not a new technology; in fact it’s far from it. VoIP is a technology that has been around for several years, but has only recently begun to make big strides in becoming a real alternative to regular analogue phone systems. At first, it had its disadvantages such as poorer voice quality, but the advancement in technology has meant that this is no longer the case.
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