A VoIP router is one of the key pieces of equipment that you are going to need if you want to use the VoIP technology. This technology is unlike any other, and it offers features and qualities that were really never even thought possible, even just a few years ago.

Where to Look

If you are interested in buying a VoIP router, then of course you first have to find one. Because of the height of VoIP technology in today’s world, there are really an endless number of different retailers who offer related products and equipment. However there are also many companies that are selling their products for too high of prices and which you should avoid.

One company that you can go to for a VoIP router and be satisfied with your purchase is DLink, a company name that you have surely heard of before. They offer an array of different routers for you to choose from, one of the fan favorites being the 2-Port VoIP Gateway/Router with 4 LAN ports.

This VoIP router features: supports either SIP or MGCP protocol, enables VoIP phone calls and Internet sharing, built-in firewall helps by protecting and safeguarding your network, compatible with various call features including caller ID, and it has 4 built-in LAN ports.

Tiger Direct is another great option that you have for finding a VoIP router, and they are a company that has been in the business for nearly a decade now. They understand the trials and tribulations of this industry and are incredibly knowledgeable and skilled at what they do.

Today they are recognized for being one of the industry’s top computer and computer product retailers, and they offer one of the largest selections of VoIP related products in the world.

They have always invited only the most intelligent and courteous employees to join their staff center, and do this to ensure that all of your questions are answered intelligently and appropriately. They are a company that is enthusiastic about what they do and they are all about matching the customers with what it is that they need.

The most important thing here is that you have a lot of choice when it comes to VoIP routers you just have to know where to look. These are just two of the many fantastic companies offering VoIP related products, and so you definitely should not be at a loss if this is what you are on the search for. 

Although cable broadband internet is a whole lot faster than dialup, I usually experience a slight delay when opening a webpage. Perhaps most people don't notice the latency associated with cable internet, but as a former DSL user it got my attention right away. I noticed a distinct difference in speed between cable and DSL, but I realized I had to live with it in order to use internet phone service in the most economical way. DSL requires a phone line, which requires telephone service - so if you want to replace your land line phone with low cost internet phone service, the only option is to use cable or T-1 for internet. With my internet phone up and running over cable broadband, the voice quality was better than expected. I noticed no big difference between VoIP and my land line phone, but did experience "dropped" calls and "incomplete" calls periodically. This is due to the latency in my broadband connection, but since VoIP saves me over $500 a year (unlimited calling for less than $20 a month) an occasional dropped call is fine with me!

While flipping through a computer magazine, I spotted an ad for the Hawking Broadband Booster. This device is designed to eliminate the "lag" in your internet connection by monitoring the data that is coming and going and re-prioritizing the packets. It installs between your cable modem and router, and acts like a "traffic cop", eliminating congestion by ensuring that both router and modem get nice even streams of data. In an attempt to decrease the latency with my cable modem, I decided to try out this device. Although it is a bit pricy ($70 - $100), I figured I could always return it if it didn't work as claimed.

The broadband booster was really easy to install (just connect two cables and restart your cable modem) and required no configuration whatsoever. The device is tiny (2" X 4") and weighs only an ounce or so. I noticed an immediate improvement in my internet connection, although there is still a very slight lag. In the past several weeks I have logged nearly 3000 minutes on my VoIP service and have not experienced any dropped or incomplete calls. I am very satisfied with the Hawking Broadband Booster (HBB1), and recommend it to anyone using broadband and/or internet phone service. Although I am not a gamer, the company claims it really helps with online playing as well. Many people with satellite internet cannot use VoIP due to the inconsistent satellite signal. If satellite internet is your only choice for broadband, it may be worth your while to give this little device a try.

? 2005 Debbie Jacobsen, all rights reserved

To learn more about Packet8 VoIP service , visit http://www.savewith8.com. For more information on VoIP internet phone service, visit my blog: http://www.djvoip.blogspot.com. Internet Phone Service - The Future is Here.

VoIP stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol and is the process of placing a voice call over the Internet using Internet Protocol (IP) Packets. Packets are bits of data that are passed, or routed, from node to node, until they are received by the final digital device (node). The final Node then turns the packet of information back into an analog voice stream that can be heard over a regular telephone.

While both types of phone service, VoIP and Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS), rely on switching the telephone call through the quickest connection. The POTS telephone call creates a static, dedicated connection, traveling over the same exact route in both directions. This connection stays open until the callers break the connection. The packet switched phone call over the VoIP system actually contains the complete destination address of where it is going, and each packet can take different routes and different amounts of time to reach their destination.

To make a VoIP telephone call, the user has to have two things, a high-speed Internet connection (256kbs or higher) and a broadband telephone adapter. The telephone adapter plugs into the users existing system, either directly into the modem, or into a router. Many of the new broadband phone adapters have a router built into them, so that the user just plugs it directly into their high-speed modem and they can then plug their computer or router into the broadband phone adapter.

In most situations, it is best to have the router built into the broadband phone adaptor, so that if the user is making a telephone call and on the computer at the same time, the router knows to give most of the bandwidth to the phone call, thereby reduce lag time and the frequency of dropped calls. While the new VoIP phone systems are a hundred times better that the ones seen just two or three years ago, they can still drop calls when confronted with a slowdown in the network between the caller and the person receiving the call.

So, while the new VoIP can save the average user a lot of money, VoIP telephone service is still only practical for home and small business users, since the stability isn't there that is required by large business ventures. Anyone who is thinking of switching to VoIP should remember that anytime their Internet service goes down, so does their phone service.

For more information on VoIP phone service is available at http://www.calling-plans.com