Unless you live under a rock somewhere in Antarctica, you
already know VoIP is an abbreviation for voice over Internet
protocol, also known as broadband telephone. That being
said, should one use VoIP ? How does it work ? What are some
benefits ? Are there any problems with VoIP ?

To answer this question we first need to know how broadband
telephone works. First and foremost VoIP works on a
broadband Internet connection like high speed cable or dsl,
a DTA ( digital terminal adapter ), and just about any
average home telephone will do.

Most long distance telephone calls are carried over the
Internet (yes, traditional calls). The DTA box transmits and
receives all calls directly to the Internet, bypassing the
telephone company all together, consequently; bypassing all
the taxes and sir charges too.

With most VoIP services, the big benefit for the consumer is
significant cost savings. Service ranges from between nine
and thirty dollars a month depending on the plan you choose.
Many VoIP companies offer flat rate calling, and some for
under twenty dollars a month. See
http://www.cheapest-service.com/broadband-phone/

As with any new technology, there are still a few bugs to be
worked out. Some VoIP services don't offer 911 service in
all areas. The FCC has passed legislation to have VoIP
companies make 911 service available to all consumers by
November 2005.

The DTA only connects to one telephone. A fix is plugging
the outgoing DTA line into the network interface telephone
box outside. Unplug the telephone companies line and plug in
your own. If the telephone company tries to reconnect, it
might fry your DTA box. Put a warning sign up.

This technique will propagate the VoIP signals throughout
all the lines in your home. Another quirk is when Internet
service or electricity goes out so does your broadband
telephone. If you don't already have cell-phone service, a
cheap pre-paid works nicely as a back up.

All in all, my experience has been VoIP is worth what you
pay for it. Knowing the bugs and their fixes can lead to
substantial cost savings in telephone service. Even if one
doesn't completely replace their traditional telephone
company, VoIP is an excellent choice for a second telephone
line or even just as a long distance plan.

VoIP could even be a good excuse to upgrade your dial-up
Internet connection to high speed Internet. The reasoning
behind it being, the savings in telephone service could
offset the rise in the cost to upgrade to broadband Internet
service. You be the judge.