WHAT IS VOIP

VoIP or broadband phone is a phone service over your high-speed Internet connection. There are mainly two kinds of VoIP services - phone based and computer based. They allow you to make phone calls either using your regular phone or a computer headset with microphone respectively. When you pick up your phone or use your computer to call a number the call is sent over the Internet instead of over copper wires running out of your house. VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol.

HOW DOES ONE PLACE OR RECEIVE A VOIP PHONE CALL

With a phone based service, you use it the same way one uses a regular land line, by picking up the phone to answer it and dialing a number to place the call. With a computer based service, you can call using a headset with microphone plugged into your computer or even with your regular phone if you buy an additional instrument.

DO I NEED A COMPUTER TO CALL

No, you do not need a computer for phone based VoIP services. An adaptor (usually provided free by your VoIP provider) connects the phone to a high-speed internet connection. A computer is always helpful to utilize and manage different features offered by the provider. However, it is not needed.

IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MAKING A LOCAL CALL AND A LONG DISTANCE CALL

In terms of technology or how you dial the number, there's no difference. Call charges, however, vary from plan to plan. Some VoIP providers offer unlimited long-distance in which case the call is free. Even when the call is not free the rates are usually very low. Some VoIP providers charge the same way as a traditional wire-line telephone service. Others permit you to call anywhere at a flat rate for a fixed number of minutes.

TECHNICAL OVERVIEW OF VOIP

As the name implies, VoIP refers to calls that traverse networks using Internet Protocol (IP). The voice stream is broken down into packets, compressed, and sent toward its final destination by various routes (as opposed to establishing a 'permanent' connection for the duration of the call), depending on the most efficient paths given network congestion, etc. At the other end, the packets are reassembled, decompressed, and converted back into a voice stream by various hardware and software elements, depending on the nature of the call and its final destination.