Voip Blog

IP-telephony is not really a new concept and is now available on the market for many years, it’s no more in testing mode. People don’t know exactly what a IP-telephony device is. What is it, how does it work?
Here you will find some information aboujt IP-telephony devices.

A IP-telephony device can be classified in three general categories:

• end stations (such as phones),
  
• gateways and routers,
  
• and controllers.

Like everything else in IT, every category has a specific function that it performs. And if you combine all the functions you will get a complete IP-telephony system.

Hardware and software VoIP phones
There are two types of VoIP phones: hardware and software.

• A hardware phone is a physical device, very similar to your common phone; it has a handset, dialpad, etc. The only thing that is different from your ordinary phone is that it connects to an Ethernet network rather than a telephone network. IP phones are built with all the necessary hardware (and software) to digitize your voice (i.e., codecs) as well as setup and make calls (i.e., signaling and transport).
  
• Software-only phones, or “soft” phones, use the PC’s capabilities to communicate with other PC’s over the Internet, by using the PC’s sound card, CPU and network card as part of the phone’s hardware, and thus, enable a PC to become an IP phone.
  

IP-telephony Controllers
VoIP controllers, also called IP PBXs, manage the VoIP network. They are actually tools that you can use to configure your IP phone: restrict access, enabling functions and passwords, allowing/not allowing certain options, etc. Plus they are performing all the functions of a traditional PBX. IP PBX controllers are PC-based, running a standard OS (such as Microsoft Windows, Linux or Sun Solaris, but very different) with additional software to control the IP-telephony systems. These IP-telephony systems can provide APIs to extend vendor-provided or user-written features and functionality.

IP-telephony Gateway
A IP-telephony Device is a device that connects the VoIP network to your public telephone network (PSTN). In this way, you can make calls and receive them, from your PTSN, even if you are using an IP-based system, just like your traditional phone. Depending on the type of the gateway, they are equipped with analog/digital interfaces in order to connect to your local telephone company. With so many options available today, gateways are also capable of transcoding (changing the signal from one codec version to another so that the IP-telephony device can communicate with the rest of the network). For example, a gateway uses G.729 codec, while your PTSN network uses a G.711 codec.

IP-telephony Routers
IP-telephony Routers are devices that decide where the IP datagrams should go, between networks, from the source to the destination. IP-telephony Routers are inter-network equipments that help a LAN connect to a WAN; therefore the router’s capability to ensure correctly handled high-priority traffic is very important. Since WAN speeds have generally less bandwidth than a LAN, proper packet queuing and prioritization is in order to ensure good voice quality across the path.

Jim Francisto
IP-telephony
Free Online TV
Reverse Cell Phone

Asterisk voicemail is of interest for all using an Asterisk phone system with an iPhone.
With this tiny software you are able to check the voicemail messages on the phone system.

It works similar to the native Visual Voicemail of th iPhone and allows you:

• return calls,
• delete messages,
• display caller-id information,
• listen to messages,
• move messages,
• list messages and
• change voicemail settings.

To use this service you only need to install An additional software on your Asterisk box. Asterisk is an Open-Source VoIP PBX.

Jim Francisto
Voip Phone
Reverse Cell Phone
TV Guide Channel

Access your favorite voip service directly from your browser.

The extension is ready to use for these voip services:
• Free World Dialup
• Gizmo
• VoIPStunt
• VoIPCheap
• Abbeyphone

You also can use your Asterisk phone system.

Product feature
• Video support
• One-click call feature to dial a phone number directly from the web page you are browsing
• Can be used with any SIP provider
• VoIP accounts can be provided by Abbeyphone (internet calls are FREE. PSTN call rates are listed here)
• Can be used with any SIP provider
• all voip funcitonality
• Available languages are English and Italian
• absolutely free.

Abbeyphone Labs VoIP Firefox Extension

Jim Francisto
VoIP
Voip Blog
Free Online TV

How to select the best VoIP service provider

There are millions of VoIP service providers providing services to the customers. So, when you want a VoIP phone service, it may be very difficult for you to find the best VoIP service provider. The following tips will help you to %select the best VoIP service provider.

See the reviews - VoIP provider reviews will help you to find out the best VoIP provider. VoIP provider reviews let you know the good and the bad things about the service providers. Once you know about them, you can analyse them and then select the best one for you.

Find the extra features

Go through VoIP provider reviews and find out the different features offered by the VoIP service providers. Caller ID, call transfer, call waiting, repeat dial, 3-way calling, return call are some of the value added features and services that the providers offer. Before you opt for such services find out whether they are free or paid services.

Compare the call charges
First compare the call charges of different VoIP service providers. The call charges are different for different service providers. The call charges are also different for different destinations. Depending on your destination to which you call, you can choose the provider. Again your usage will determine which service provider you should use. If you are a heavy user, then choose the service provider who offers cheaper options for heavy use. If you are a light user, then choose the provider who provides small cheap packages.

Local Area Codes in Your Region

You should find out whether the service providers provide local area codes in your region or not. If they do, then it is good for you. If a service provider does not provide a local area code in your region, do not go for him, because then all the calls you make will be long distance calls and you will have to bear more.

Call Coverage to Other Providers
Find out what are the call coverages offered by the service providers. Some offer call coverage to other VoIP service providers and some others offer to phones also. Sometimes, they offer free calls for the calls made to the same service provider. VoIp service reviews will let you know everything about it.

Reviews will also help you in deciding the best VoIP provider by helping to find out about the other features like

·local number portability
·provision of alternate numbers
·facility to emergency services
·how easy the service is to use
·quality of service
·price for installation and so on.

Provider reviews will help you in every way to find out the best VoIP service provider.

Jim Francisto
VoIP
Voip Blog
Free Online TV

Skype literally changed the communication habits. Traditional telecommunications companies like AT+T pressed the panic button and launched their own voice over ip service. IP-Telephony is no longer the cautiously protected secret of computer freaks it was before. With Skype voice over ip it is easy to bring your business confidently to the global market.

First Skype was launched as an IM software tool with voice as an added benefit. Within a short time this little software application became popular for making calls over the net.

Skype does not trust on a centralized network to route the calls like other voip providers.

For this reason Skype, different to other Voip providers like Vonage and Lingo, can gain larger without paying out anything extra for technology based on a centralized network, since Skypes network truly is made of thousands of interconnected PCs owned by people like you and me.

The recent acquisition of Skype by the Internet auction leader Ebay for enormously amount of $2.6 billion gives you some idea of the potential of the power of this technology.

What is my advantage when using Skype?

The call quality is of high quality in most countries. You only need a microphone and speakers to call with Skype. Most people think they know all about Skype. They know how to make free calls with a PC or notebook over the net. But Skype is much more than a PC-based IP-Telephony service.

With SkypeIn you can get a virtual business presence anywhere

These addons transform Skype to really effective marketing tool:

Sell your ebooks e.g. in Japan and get a local landline number. Redirect your calls with SkypeIn to your Skype number no matter where you are. Than redirect the call with SkypeOut to your cell phone. When you answer the call with SkypeOut on your cell phone no one will know that your are sitting on the porch in your garden in Florida.

The true power of Skype lies in the addons SkypeIn and SkypeOut to make it an essential tool not only for business owners.

Jim Francisto
Voip Devices
Free Online TV
Voip Blog