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What You Need To Know About Internet Phone Services
by Fawn Rawson
http://www.frphone.com

Vonage, Lingo, VoiceWing, CallVantage - if these names
aren't familiar to you yet, they will be before long. They
are the top four current VOIP (voice over internet protocol)
service providers.

Those are just some of the advantages offered with Vonage
VoIP phone service. VoIP - voice over IP - services are the
latest wrinkle in the phone wars. They save you money by
routing incoming calls to your telephone using your high
speed internet connection.

What are the advantages of switching from a conventional
land line to VOIP service? The major advantage is cost. By
utilizing your high speed internet connection to carry voice
messages, you can virtually eliminate all long distance
charges. It will cost you no more to call from Boston to San
Francisco than it will to call from Boston to Worcester,
less than 100 miles away.

What equipment do I need to take advantage of VoIP phone?
You'll need either a DSL or high-speed cable internet
service and a telephony device - or the 'box'. Vonage
provides you with the box when you sign up for an account
with them. Simply plug your phone and your computer into to
box, and you're ready to go.

Is VoIP reliable phone service? VoIP has been around as a
low-cost way to make phone calls from your computer for a
lot of years. In general, your VoIP service will work as
long as a) your internet connection is up and running and b)
your electrical service is on. It won't operate during a
power outage, and losing your DSL or cable will also put
your phone out of service. If your internet carrier goes
down even occasionally, you'll want to keep regular phone
service at least as a backup - or get an uninterruptable
power supply.

Cell phones, however, offer a major advantage that VOIP
doesn't - yet. In order to use VOIP, you need a source of
electricity to power the 'box' into which your telephone is
plugged. The convenience of cell phone portability gives
people a good reason to overlook little inconveniences like
the occasional lost signal or scratchy line.

VOIP's major advantage at this point is cost. That pro is
countered by sound reception that isn't quite up to voice
line standards, and the inconvenience of losing your phone
service in case of a power outage.

How about emergency services like 911 calls? 911
availability varies from provider to provider. With Vonage,
for instance, you have to activate 911 service in order to
make emergency calls. Even then, because the service is
portable, like a cell phone, the call doesn't go to the
Emergency Response Center, and the operator will not have
your location. Since this is a key issue, though, 911
availability and behavior is constantly upgraded. If you
choose a VoIP phone service, check with the company on 911
availability.

Can I use multiple phone extensions with my VoIP? It's
tricky, but it's doable. The easiest way is to use a
cordless phone with multiple handsets. Again, it's another
area that's being worked on, so expect that to change over
time.

The portability does come with some disadvantages, though.
911 services don't work with all VOIP phone services, for
example. Each service has its own policy, and even those
that do offer 911 availability don't offer the Emergency
Response system that we're used to. If you use your VOIP to
call 911, the operator will not have your location, for
instance.

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