VoIP or voice over internet protocol is fast displacing conventional phones as being the number one choice of both individuals and also businesses in meeting their communication needs since it provides a number of advantages not least of which is cheaper costs and being a viable option to conventional telephone usage.

Since the technology used by VoIP is helpful in providing cost cuts to the user, it is thus taking over from conventional phones with an estimated more than one million new users shifting over to it from normal telephone usage.

Learn Advantages and Disadvantages

It pays to read the many VoIP reviews that tell of the relative advantages and disadvantages of using VoIP instead of conventional phones, and given that there are now many major service providers, one will have to fall back on reading VoIP reviews in order to judge the better service providers. Some of the big names to look out for include Vonage which is the leader in service providing, followed by Packet8, Sunrocket, Verizon and Viatalk to name but a few players providing VoIP services to end users.

So, you can use VoIP reviews to judge different service providers based on the quality of calls they provide, price and also the number of VoIP features included. Because VoIP is yet to fully develop as an emerging technology, it may still be too early to judge what constitutes real call quality which will thus change as you look at different service providers. To protect you from high call drop rates, your best bet would be to read up as many VoIP reviews and conduct research on prospective service providers to get the best possible deal.

The second point you can get information on through reading up on VoIP reviews is the price plans offered by different service providers which in most cases would vary quite a bit. To pay the least price you may opt for the basic plan that has constraints on how many long distance minutes you can use each month, while there are other plans that can be tailored to suit individual business needs and that may even provide for video conferencing.

Perhaps the thing that VoIP reviews are best suited for is their ability to provide helpful information regarding VoIP and the features that different VoIP equipment ought to have. You will thus learn from VoIP reviews that it is more or less essential to have 911 emergency call abilities on your VoIP phone though there are other features that you can learn up about as well including call forwarding, voice mail and also call waiting, three way calling and online management of accounts while the ability to transfer current phone number would also be gleaned from reading the better VoIP reviews.

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Voice over Internet Protocol also known as VoIP, IP Telephony, Internet Telephony and Broadband Phone, is revolutionising the way in which we make long distance phone calls. VoIP has made it possible to provide a method of communication very similar to the standard telephone network, using an Internet connection.

The increases in Internet bandwidth, when combined with the advances of audio compression and machine speed has allowed VoIP services to be capable of a high quality, sometimes even better than the PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network). However, many users are also likely to accept a drop in quality for the benefit of free long distance calls that using VoIP gives you. This being the case, an even wider range of people are able and likely to use these systems. It is not surprising therefore that VoIP is increasingly being used today.

With VoIP, there's not just one way to make a call. There are actually three:

Analogue Telephone Adapter (ATA) - With VoIP, you are able to use your existing telephone handsets, eliminating the cost of having to purchase any additional hardware. Currently, the most commonly used VoIP method is using an ATA which simply connects to your regular telephone and to your Internet connection. The ATA is an analogue-to-digital converter (ADC) which takes the analogue signal (your voice) from your regular phone and converts it into digital data ready to be transmitted over the Internet. An ATA can either be purchased or provided free when you sign up with a VoIP Service Provider. Utilising an ATA is very basic, simply plug the cable from your phone into the ATA instead of the wall socket, and you're set.

IP Phones- IP Phones look just like standard telephones. They have a handset, buttons and a cradle. IP phones use an RJ-45 Ethernet connector instead of the standard RJ-11 phone connector. They already contain the relevant circuitry to convert your voice into digital data. An IP phone is more convenient for taking advantage of many of the extra features that are included free with your VoIP account - call display, call waiting, call forwarding, voicemail plus many other others. Wi-Fi IP phones are also now available allowing you to make VoIP calls from any Wi-Fi point. An additional benefit that makes VoIP so attractive for home and small business users is flexibility. With VoIP, you can make a call anywhere there is broadband connection. Incoming VoIP calls can be automatically re-directed to your VoIP phone regardless of the location, as long as it is connected to the Internet. For business travellers, this means they can take their phone or ATA with them on their travels, and never miss a home phone call.

Computer-to-Computer - Also known as SoftPhones, this is the most traditional and possibly the easiest way to use VoIP. With this method you can make free Internet phone calls worldwide. All that is required is a PC connected to a broadband internet connection, and a headset consisting of earphones and microphone connected to the soundcard of your computer. You will also need to download and install VoIP software. With the software installed, invite all your friends to download the same software and when someone is up and running, give them a call! VoIP software is free to download, and allows you to make completely free VoIP calls to other users of the same software, regardless of distance.

Instant messenger programs based on VoIP such as Skype, Yahoo! Messenger, and Gizmo Project also have the ability to be mobile, enabling you to receive and make phone calls using VoIP technology.

Sunny Keer is an expert and an avid user of VoIP technology. Visit http://www.voip-service-reviews.com where you will find reviews of VoIP Service Providers. For more VoIP Articles and Information, visit http://www.voip-service-reviews.com/voip-articles.html