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Quick question about VOIP telephony
Ferrus
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
So I'm not really up to date on the latest developments on the internet/telephone market. I only yesterday got internet access in my new home. My ISP only provides VOIP (Long story).
I just wanted to know if I got this right: I can either use a modem/router combination that supports VOIP and plug my old phone in there with an adaptor OR I can buy a new VOIP-phone and use that with a router that DOESN'T natively support VOIP?
I'd prefer the latter because my old phone is pretty cheap and those voip-phone look so shiny!
I just wanted to know if I got this right: I can either use a modem/router combination that supports VOIP and plug my old phone in there with an adaptor OR I can buy a new VOIP-phone and use that with a router that DOESN'T natively support VOIP?
I'd prefer the latter because my old phone is pretty cheap and those voip-phone look so shiny!
I would like to pause for a moment, to talk about my penis.
My penis is like a toddler. A toddler—who is a perfectly normal size for his age—on a long road trip to what he thinks is Disney World. My penis is excited because he hasn’t been to Disney World in a long, long time, but remembers a time when he used to go every day. So now the penis toddler is constantly fidgeting, whining “Are we there yet? Are we there yet? How about now? Now? How about... now?”
And Disney World is nowhere in sight.
And Disney World is nowhere in sight.
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There are routers that support the feature of typing in your VoIP info and plugging a normal analog phone (pretty much any normal phone you buy in a store) in the back of it to make and receive calls.
Or you can buy a stand alone device to just do the VoIP, they come in different styles. You can get ones that are just a small box that you configure with the info and plug a normal analog phone into ( like the router but with out the router). Then there is the style where the entire thing is wrapped up in a fancy phone, so you input that info into the phone and plug it into your network.
If you really wanted too you could download free programs (xlite phone) and use your VoIP number on your PC.
1) Softphones. These are programs like Skype, but are more generic in that they work with a range of VoIP providers' networks. Typically they'll use SIP - Session Initiation Protocol - to communicate to the provider's phone system. There are a range of free and paid-for clients available; X-Lite is probably the most well-known, and has Windows, Mac, and Linux versions available (plus it's free).
Advantages to softphones are that they require no additional investment in hardware, so long as you have audio input and output on your computer. Get a decent headset to negate echo and you're good to go, and if you're using a laptop, you've now gained a mobile phone so long as you have an Internet connection. The downsides are that you're tied to your computer, and are reliant on finding a softphone with features that suit you; X-Lite doesn't allow you to transfer calls between extensions, for example.
2) Adapters. If you already have an analogue telephone, you can get an adapter box to use it as the handset for your VoIP system. Some adapters are also routers or DSL modems, meaning you still only need to plug one device into the wall to get telephony. Others are simple boxes which have Ethernet and phone jacks. You configure the adapter with the settings provided by your provider, typically by connecting to a web-based interface much like you'd configure a router.
The main advantage of this is that you don't need to buy a brand-new VoIP phone to use your service. If you've a perfectly serviceable phone, you can keep on using it. If the handset ever breaks, you can just walk to the nearest electricals store and pick up a replacement. However, you may find a lot of the more useful features of a VoIP phone lacking without dedicated buttons on the phone - you might have to dial convoluted button sequences to transfer or put calls on hold. In addition, you're reliant on the adapter to configure it; if you can't get in, you most likely can't set it up.
3) Dedicated VoIP phones. Easily the most expensive option, even though entry-level hardware is coming down in price. However, since they're designed to work with VoIP natively, they'll boast better-integrated features such as busy lights, easy attended transfers, and so on. Possibly overkill for a single phone in a household, but by far my preferred option in terms of technical support. Some allow you to configure them from the handset, while all of them will also have the same web-based configuration as the adapters do.
Since all you need for a dedicated VoIP phone is an internet connection, you can just plug it in over Ethernet, set it up, and get talking, and being able to put calls on hold with one button, dial out on a separate line, and connect those two together (for example) can be as simple as three button presses on a good VoIP phone. While this may be overkill for simple home usage, you don't have to worry about the adapter and handset not talking to one another, and most come with a good LCD screen for configuration, viewing options/phone books/call statistics, and so on. Personal favourites: the Snom 300 series, particularly the 360. Lovely workhorses.
The most important thing to remember with VoIP is that your network connection is everything. If your network uses NAT, be prepared to become familiar with port forwarding on your router, as this is the single most common cause of problems like one-way audio and call dropping. If you use the same connection for data as well as voice, be prepared to set quality of service to ensure your calls don't get starved for bandwidth.