Many VoIP providers claim to offer the best possible service for your money. Before making a decision on which service to subscribe to, it is necessary to separate the hype from reality. You need to analyze carefully several factors before making a decision. Here are a few things you should consider:

1.    Rates – The monthly subscription rate for the service should be low. However, beware of rates that are too low. If your service provider is not able to sustain the business at very low subscription rates, the chances of the company folding up are very high.

2.    Equipment – Find out if the VoIP provider is willing to give you equipment free of cost or sell it for a discount when you subscribe. This is an important factor to consider.

3.    Technical Support – A company that provides technical support round the clock coupled with a policy for prompt maintenance is the one whose services you should seriously consider.

4.    Quality of Service (QoS) – Take a good look at the quality of service provided by the company, and make sure that it matches your needs. Companies frequently bundle services that may not be of much use to you. Find a provider who is willing to customize the service for you.

5.    Customer Feedback – Customer feedback is a good place for you to find out whether the provider can meet your expectations. Customer feedback often debunks the tall claims made by the service providers.

6.    Refund – Some service providers back up their claims on QoS with a money back guarantee in case they fail to meet the levels claimed. A provider willing to refund the money in case of faulty service is a good choice.

7.    Number Portability – This is another important aspect to be considered. You may not want the telephone number of your business to be changed, as the hassles involved with informing all your clients, changing contact information on your stationery and on advertisements can be quite daunting. In this situation, you should favor a service provider who allows you to use your existing phone number.

Ms. Pinky is a Computer Support Specialist for more than 25 years. Has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Engineering, MS Research work in Systems Engineering

Get more free computer tips on her blog at http://www.computerhelpdeskandsupport.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Pinky_Mcbanon

VOIP calls are made through the Internet. You can use a regular cordless phone that plugs into a special router that attaches to your computer or you can use a soft phone. A soft phone is calling software that is installed on your computer. As long as you have a microphone attached to your computer you can use a soft phone. So why would you possibly need to have a VOIP phone like the Verizon FiOS digital phone service? Here are five reasons why:

1. Cell phone batteries don’t last long – Do you have a friend or a family member that you routinely talk to for hours? Cell phone batteries aren’t made to provide hours and hours of talk time but you can talk on a regular cordless using a VOIP for hours without the battery dying. If you want to have long phone conversations then having a VOIP phone like the Verizon FiOS digital service makes a lot of sense.

2. Unlimited calling including days – How many times have you gotten hit with a huge cell phone bill at the month because you went over your allotted daytime minutes and then got charged a lot of money for using more daytime minutes? When you use a VOIP phone like the Verizon FiOS digital phone service you can get unlimited calls meaning you can call people at any time of the day or night and not have to pay extra. No expensive daytime calls and no waiting until 7 PM or 9 PM to make calls for free either.

3. Long distance is included – Some cell phone plans make you pay extra for long distance or roaming. When you’re using a VOIP phone like the Verizon FiOS digital service you can call locally or long distance for one monthly fee. Some plans even include international calls to certain countries in that monthly rate. So you pay one fee and you can call just about anywhere that you want with no extra charges.

4. 911 service – It will be a lot easier for police, fire crews or emergency medical personnel to find you if your VOIP digital phone line is connected to your address. Calling emergency services on a cell phone can be tricky because it’s not always easy for emergency services to find you when the call comes from a cell phone. But if the call comes from a VOIP phone like the Verizon FiOS phone service then you can get emergency help right away if you need it.

5. You can have a business phone – If you work at home you should really have a business phone line so that clients and customers can call you, but many people are hesitant to give out their personal cell phone numbers. You can set up a VOIP line to be your business phone for a low monthly fee and then your business will look more professional and you can connect more with your clients.

Russell Blanc manages an online resource about broadband, high speed internet and Verizon Fios

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Russell_Blanc

There are several websites that work on the principles of VoIP. They cater to offer free calling services to people in the entire world. Aspiring people just need to subscribe themselves to these websites. There are no subscription charges on these sites. The process is very simple. One just needs to fill in the blanks of an online form. Having down so, people get themselves registered to these websites. So, after completing the registration process it is possible for the subscribers to avail every service offered by the website. The registration just takes a few minutes and a person can be through with it in one go.

The websites enable people to make free phone calls, even if they happen to visit remote places of the world. It just takes to access internet on a laptop or a PC. Having done so, users can call for free, their friends and relatives. The conversation over this system of telephony can be carried on for hours without having to bother about anything like ‘phone bills’. Moreover, the system is also blessed by other features. While making free PC phone calls with the aid of websites, one can also see the end caller on the screen of their PC. This helps to build in more intimacy. Then callers can also send messages, share images and upload videos. All these make this system of calling for free very effective.

The advantages of this system of calling have tempted many people to completely abandon their traditional methods of calling. Now, people find it more convenient and useful on their part to subscribe to the free internet calling services offered by the websites. This is because they can reach out to others residing in their country or overseas, free of cost. So, large number of people all over the world are known to have registered themselves to the calling services provided by the websites.

Information about free calling and websites that cater to offer this service are available on the internet. People can learn details about these sites from the information available on the web. By inserting keywords on various search engines, a user can easily find details about the free PC phone calls and websites that bring such free calling services. However, people should only subscribe to those sites that are well known and provide all latest facilities to subscribers.

Enjoy the digital technology. Make free calls over the internet through free calling service

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nisha_G_Tring

In the package, you will see that you have the USB device and a USB extension cord. If you have an a/c powered USB hub, you may also use that to plug the device into. I recommend using the a/c powered USB hub if you cannot plug in the magicjack directly into a USB port on your computer. This will help you avoid some problems later on.

After that, all you need to do is to plug your phone line into the device. Wait a few minutes while it automatically downloads the software for you to be able to make phone calls. When it is finished, you’ll see a softphone screen pop up on your computer to help you make phone calls. You may also dial a call by using your phone.

The softphone screen can be used for dialing numbers. It also keeps a log of the numbers you have called, as well as having an address book where you can keep frequently called numbers. It also has send and hang up buttons to push to start and end your calls. You may also start a call by just picking up your phone and dialing, then hanging up when you are finished talking. The softphone screen also has links to click on to access 411 pages, Yahoo, Google and your voice mail. It will also import your favorites from Internet Explorer. The softphone screen can be minimized when you are not using it, but you cannot make it go away, it will always be on your desktop.

If the device is not working perfectly for you, go to the official Magic Jack website and download the magicfix. Your computer will also periodically download updates as they are needed for this internet phone.. Magicfix can also be accessed through a button on your softphone screen.

You can call any landline or cell phone with your magic jack in the United States or Canada, you’re not limited to only calling other magic jack users. You may also pick out any area code you wish, and can change your phone number at any time.

Adrienne Petersen has more detailed instructions with images at what Magic Jack is and provides reviews of Magic Jack features

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Adrienne_Petersen

The cost was about $45.00 when it was all said and done. I received it in about 4 days and immediately put it to use. To my surprise the device worked right away. It only took me a few minutes to get it running and I started making calls immediately. I remember thinking that I was going to get some insane bill in the mail from my Internet service provider or something but that never happened.

A Quick Review of the Magic Jack Service:

Pros:

1. You can use any regular phone to connect to the box.

2. You can use it when you are on vacation with the same phone number. (If you have a laptop and bring it along)

3. It sounds the same whether you are calling someone next door or across the country, the reception is always crisp and clear.

4. The Magic Service is cheaper than any other phone service at $20.00 per year & after the first year service is free.

5. Magic Jack emails every voice mail to you and you can get them at any time, even if the Magic Jack is not plugged in.

Cons:

1. Just like a cell phone there is an occasional cut out and you don’t know when your disconnected.

2. Occasionally when you plug Magic Jack in it gives off a loud buzz. I just disconnect it and reconnect it and it works fine. Could actually just be my computer, it is kind of old.

There are 2 steps to setting it up.

1. Plug the Magic Jack into your computer.

2. Plug your phone line into the outlet on the back of the Magic Jack. Once you complete these steps you will immediately be able to start making cheap local and long-distance calls.

So, I guess what I am trying to say is it requires absolutely no technical skills to get it set-up and working. Unlike Skype, Vonage or other popular VoIP services, the Magic Jack service does not require any headphones or headsets to make calls. You can use any phone, cordless or chorded and it does not even have to be your phone; I recently used it with a hotel phone.

The Magic Jack service provides a number of features such as call waiting, 911, conference calling and voice mail. It has a “follow-me” feature that forwards calls to other phone numbers when you are offline.

Jason Murphy has spent over 10 years studying and learning Internet technology. He provides consumer reviews and helpful information on his Web site: http://bestofthebest2009.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jason_Matthew_Murphy

There has to be an alternate choice for reducing the rising communication bills and still make free calls. Such an alternate way is currently being in used. Presently, many companies are using internet phones which let them make free internet calls. Well, it is not that these companies can make only free calls but they need to pay off monthly rental fees as well as minimum cost for much reduced call rates. These internet based call rates are cheaper than that of mobile phone call rates or landlines call rates.

It is always to good keep one’s eyes open for the advanced technology as it can be really useful for people. Often traditional means are very costly and new advanced technology means are designed to reduce the present expenses. And free internet calls are the gifts of the advanced VoIP technology which help people to talk more and pay less. With the appearance of this advanced technology in the market, internet phones or PC phones are in huge sales. People can buy these phones, connect them with their personal computers and thus, they are on the way to internet calls.

Giant companies can buy internet phones to connect these with their office computers. It is much profitable for them. This scenario would be quite different for common people. Such people should apply for mobile internet calls. These days people are using advanced mobiles which can carry out all the functions of internet. For getting mobile internet facilities, people can get in touch with the telecommunication service providers or they can consult their present service providers.

Some people often complain that the kinds of internet phones used by them do not let them speak properly. Such kinds of interruptions happen only, if the internet phones used by them are of poor quality. So, in order to access digital quality communication service, people should stick to higher quality internet phones, provided with better VoIP service providers. People can get good and quality internet phones from these service providers. It is always good to take such phones from service providers only as they always provide hi-tech internet phones to its customers and thus, they can make free internet calls.

How would people come to know the best VoIP service providers? For finding the best service providers, people can take the help of market reviews on VoIP service providers. Such reviews can be found abundantly on the World Wide Web. People should go through a couple of effective reviews which would definitely help them in finding the best free internet calls service providers. Here, the main focus of people should be to know the highest rate of customer rating for a particular VoIP service provider. The one which has got the highest customer satisfaction rate is the most ideal one to carry on.

Is it good to apply for free internet calls or VoIP service subscription when service providers give huge offers? It is absolutely right to apply for internet VoIP service during offers as people can get lots of reductions like free processing fees, free calls and internet service for a couple of months etc. When jumbo offers are out in the market, people should jump at them to grab instantly.

Enjoy the talk around the world. Make free internet calls through free calling service

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nisha_G_Tring

In doing my research to reduce telecom costs, I checked out several phone service companies, including AT&T, Comcast, and multiple VOIP service providers, including Vonage. What I found was pretty revealing, especially the cost of service when making and receiving international calls to different countries. It’s all over the map!

But, let me digress just a bit. I discovered MagicJack when I was out having dinner with an old colleague. He bought a Magic Jack because he was traveling frequently within the US and internationally. He was opposed to paying the outrageous rates that hotels charge just to make even a local phone call. He’d heard about MagicJack.com and decided to give it a whirl. On a trip to India, he decided to try it out and was blown away by the fact that he could call back to the US … FREE!

MagicJack.com does NOT restrict the use of their device from calls abroad. So imagine a world traveler who calls back home frequently. Plug this little device into your laptop’s USB port and the hotel phone and you are now calling the US literally for nothing. There is a $19 / year charge, but that’s it! Let’s take this idea one step further. Imagine you have friends or relatives who live outside the US. Pick a country. Buy a MagicJack, assign a phone # to it and send it to them. They now have a valid US phone # and can make and receive calls for that same measly $19 / year – UNLIMITED. Talk your head off!

Now, let’s get REALLY creative. I have a virtual assistant who lives in the Philippines. I could have set her up with a T1 line or an international calling card … or, I guess, any # of options. I could also have signed up for Vonage and let her use the soft phone version of their service. The cost for Vonage? … $24 / month. Compare that to only $19 / YEAR with MagicJack.com.

Now, to be fair, Vonage has a huge infrastructure for which to pay. They even have a customer call center in case you need help. MagicJack.com does not have a call center, yet. You do everything via chat sessions. Their chat sessions are very quick and I have not had a problem getting immediately to one of their support staff.

I have plenty more ideas about how to use MagicJack. But, I don’t want to spill all of the beans, for fear that they might cut me off as a Power User (grin). In any event, I think the people at MagicJack.com have created a truly revolutionary product and have signed up for their discounted 5 year service because I just love saving money.

David Chan is a business professional who works with teams across the globe. He’s also a technology enthusiast and enjoys sharing his technology experiences with others. Find out more about different devices, such as the iPhone, Smart Phones and more at http://everypathnbeyond.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_K_Chan

Let me start off with the negatives of magic jack Internet phone service, and on this article I’ll try to show you both the negatives and positives of the service.

First off, you’re going to be required to have fast Internet connection and that is the main requirement of ANY voiceover telephony systems. There’s just no getting around that, that is required. Although you can enjoy unlimited free local and national long-distance including Canada, international calls are possible only if the other person also has the device himself !Having that they are wired to have the capability to call ANYONE in the US and Canada(with or without the device) unlimited and vice versa.

If you have a business partner, family member residing in another country and you anticipate a lot of calls back and forth? It definitely is a good idea to send the device over, and watch the savings pile up!

911 service on the magic jack is not as dependable as that of regular landline phone services, and thats the downside. In my opinion its just not advisable to only have VOIP phone, especially during emergencies. The magic jack internet phone is the best choice as a SECONDARY phone, bar none! But I certainly wouldn’t recommend it as your solo phone!

You can make local calls you are even granted a special phone number you can make national long-distance and even international long distance calls with. The more long-distance calls to make, the bigger your savings!

A special magic jack phone number is granted when you sign-up and is active regardless of where you are in the world! You can receive calls to and from anyone, anywhere, and they are totally free when calls originate or directed towards US and Canadian numbers.

The package itself costs $39.95, and if you’re like my sister? It’ll literally pay for itself within hours.. The other free features they come with are free calls to cellphones, free voice mail, free caller id, free call waiting, free call forwarding and some others I can’t recall at the moment.

At any rate if you’re interested in this sort of thing I recommend that you DO NOT purchase right away, and instead take them on their one-month free trial offer just to see if this is something you could find your own reasons to benefit from, and hopefully cut down your phone bills by a few hundreds, to several thousands if you’re a heavy long-distance consumer.

I Hope you have found this article useful… You can read about something, or you can actually SEE IT IN ACTION for yourself!… If you want to see a demonstration (or just watch the videos and testimonials etc., about the Magic Jack Internet Phone Service Click here. Reviews of magic jack phone are also found here

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kyle_Black

The following are Factors to Consider when Choosing a VoIP Phone:

Get to know the VoIP control protocols that are supported by the phone, this may include:

- H.32:3 – This is a standard multimedia with a conference protocol that comprises of voice, video and data conferencing. It

- SIP – Session Initial Protocol is an IETF standard multimedia conferencing protocol which comprises of voice, video and data conferencing that is used over packet-switched networks.

- MGCP – Media Gateway Control Protocol is a protocol used within VoIP system, it is an internal protocol which was primarily developed to address the demands carrier-based IP telephone networks.

- IAX2 – Due to the IAX having much bandwidth efficiency than the competing VoIP call protocols it is enabled to support more concurrent VoIP calls over the same amount of bandwidth.

It is also advisable to know the type of VoIP codes that are supported by the phone. Here are some examples of the VoIP Codes; they are the G.711, G.722, G.723, G.726, G.727, G.728, G.729, ILBC, Speed, GSM-Full Rate, GSM-Enhanced Full Rate, GSM-Half Rate and DoS FS-1015.

Other factors to be considered may also include:

- It is good to check whether the phone supports 3-way calling.
- You are also advised to check whether the phone supports DND (Do Not Disturb).
- It is good to know whether the phone can support the custom ringtones.
- You are advised to check whether the phone can provide a method to work behind routers and NAT (Network Address Transaction).
- Check whether the phone supports STUN.
- You should also check whether the phone can support Symmetric Real-Time Transport Protocol (RTP).
- The phone should also be able to support a SIP outbound proxy.
- The phone should be compliant with the Quality of Standards (QoS).
- Check whether the phone also supports encryption.

If it is a Hardware VoIP Phone:

- Check the connection that the VoIP phones support that is whether it can support the Ethernet connection (Power over Ethernet).
- Check whether it supports IPv6.
- Check whether it supports videoconferencing.
- Check the phone handset whether it is coded or is codeless.
- Check whether it is a handset phone or a headset type of phone.
- Confirm whether it has a speaker phone.
- Check the display whether it is an LCD display and whether the display is backlit.
- Check the ergonomics to be good or perfect.
- Confirm whether you like and you are comfortable with the style.

If it is a Software VoIP Phone:

- Check and confirm whether the phone software is compatible with your Operating System.
- Confirm and check whether the phone software is easy to use by either you or the destined operator.
- Check whether it supports various skins that are customized.
- Confirm whether the software support videoconferencing.
- Check to confirm whether the software support shared white boarding.

Are you interested in VOIP service but don’t want to cancel your landline? No problem! Visit our VOIP site at VoipDocument.com and get a free voip trial to compare voice over IP and your phone service side to side

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeff_Jarred