Faster, Clearer VoIP Phone Systems

Voice over Internet Protocol is one of the newest, bleeding edge phone technologies to emerge. It immediately became popular, and it's really threatening the business of the major telecoms like AT&T and Sprint. In fact, many of the telecoms now have their own VoIP offerings simply to stem the outward flow of customers. VoIP is a fantastic technology.

It uses the preexisting Internet infrastructure to transmit voice data around, and because it uses the more efficient Internet backbone over the phone grid, it's cheaper. But how do VoIP phone systems work? What advantages do they have, and what do you need to know before you choose a service?

The Technology

VoIP phone systems require broadband Internet connections like cable Internet or DSL. Voice actually doesn't take a terribly large amount of bandwidth, but 56k dial-up has technical limitations that prevent it from being a viable carrier for voice data.

When you order a service from a company like Vonage, they'll ship you a converter box to hook up to your modem.

You don't need a dedicated VoIP Internet phone for use with a VoIP phone system. Almost any old phone will do, and all you have to do is plug the phone into the converter box like you would into a wall outlet.

However, the VoIP phone system will most likely take five minutes or so to update the firmware and register the box online with the company to authorize it.

Don't worry if your phone doesn't receive a signal at first as it can actually take up to several hours to enable all the functions, but everything should be taken care of without your manual supervision.

However, if you do want a new phone, the VoIP companies will often offer you great deals on some that they will lease out to you for a small monthly fee (or a small one time lump sum).

Now that you know the basic technology that makes VoIP phone systems work, you can make an informed decision between going with the phone companies or the VoIP companies for your local and long distance needs.

However, there are some downsides that you should be aware of before making your decision. If the power goes out, you won't be able to use your VoIP phone system.

Therefore, you'll want to have a cell phone or phone hooked up into the land line in case of an emergency. Barring that, VoIP is technologically more efficient than land lines.