Making the Leap to VoIP

Call me overly cautious. Checking out a new bit of technology here and there is one thing; changing your behavior entirely is another.  That's why I put off moving my household's phone life to VoIP until last week. In my multipart VoIP Chronicles, I'll share with you what I've learned.

What exactly is VoIP? It's using the Internet to transmit your phone conversation instead of using the traditional phone network. If you're curious about VoIP, like I was, but don't want to commit to using your Internet connection exclusively, you can try VoIP with PC software based solutions like the one offered by Skype which lets you talk over the Internet, for free, using your PC.

True VoIP A true VoIP solution is a bit more committing because you won't use your PC; you'll use an honest to goodness phone with the Internet. You'll say good bye to your traditional phone service, replacing them with a provider like Vonage, SunRocket or others. You'll need a router with phone ports, or a special adapter with an Internet connection on one end and a trusty RJ-11 phone jack on the other.  Inside the adapter is a chipset that turns your phone conversation into a digital transmission over the Internet. Finally you'll need a fast broadband connection.

Save Money You can save lots of money on your monthly phone bill because VOiP providers piggyback on an already existing Internet. They're not out there installing telephone lines. Most VoIP plans charge a single monthly fee regardless of where in the United States you call and calls out of the country are incredibly inexpensive.  From a regulatory standpoint the Internet is considered a data networks and not taxed as much as voice networks, either.

Cool Tricks  You can do things with a VoIP phone you couldn't do with your traditional phone. You decide where you want your calls forwarded to anytime you want.  You can pick up your voice mails on any computer, and even get a new number in a different area code (great for cheap long distance relationships). You can track your calls instantly (great for time and billing) and more.

Downsides?  The traditional phone company is pretty reliable. The Internet can be filled with glitches.  Those glitches could translate to lost calls, or poor audio. Calling 911 (which is location based) poses problems, too.And multiple phones in a household require you to do some planning.

Stick with me for the next installation of The Chronicles of VoIP and I'll show you how to plan for a variety of home configurations.