VoIP Phone – The Pros And Cons

You’ve heard of the latest technological miracle and you’re thinking of having a VoIP phone at your disposal. Great… but do you actually know what it is or are you just going with the flow? Either way, this article aims to help you with all the FAQs that are attached to the VoIP phone phenomenon. And without further ado…

1. What the heck is a VoIP phone? Good question but some people wouldn’t even bother asking. Pride and vanity… such a sin. A VoIP phone (Voice Over Internet Protocol) is simply a fancy technical term for an Internet phone. In a nutshell – that’s it.

2. How does a VoIP phone work? Ah, such curiosity. Haven’t you heard of the saying that curiosity killed the cat? Okay, just kidding but please keep on reading. A VoIP phone works by converting your analog signals to data packets and vice versa.

3. What do you need to make a VoIP work? First and foremost you need an internet connection. If you currently live in an area that still doesn’t have internet access, although the odds of that is pretty slim then your out of luck and the VoIP phone is just not for you. In addition, the type of internet service provider or ISP can affect the probability of a VoIP phone working in your neighborhood. Usually, a VoIP phone goes hand in hand with broadband internet (DSL or cable). And although your VoIP phone may work with other types of ISPs like prepaid, dial up, satellite or wi-fi, the quality of voice reception isn’t always what it should be if you don’t have a broadband connection.

4. What are the advantages? Actually, there’s really just one but it’s a major advantage. It’s really simple, VoIP phone services cost less than traditional phone services whether it’s a cell phone or traditional phone service from home. And the more long distance calls you make the more you’ll save because the way a VoIP phone uses the Internet the location of the speaker and receiver are inconsequential.

5. What are the disadvantages? A VoIP phone does have some disadvantages but fortunately, they’re just minor. Poor voice reception quality – similar to cellphones in poor reception areas, is the biggest disadvantage but as the technology evolves even that issue is becoming less and less of an issue.

A Voip phone is vulnerable to power shortages: If the company providing you with VoIP phone services gets hit by a power shortage, your call would naturally get cut off.

Higher probability of dropped calls: Similar to cellphones once again, there’s a higher probability of a call being accidentally dropped or cut-off because your VoIP phone relies on signals.

Technical Political/Legal Issues: Some companies are complaining that they aren’t able to bill their clients with the correct amount or usage due, because it’s hard to accurately determine because VoIP phone services are provided by the Internet. Consequently, if you’re planning to use VoIP phone services for your company, don’t think that your long distance calls would remain cheap forever. Change is definitely in the air, my friend.

Phone Number Portability: This is rare because most VoIP phones support phone number portability but it’s really dependent on your local phone company. If their services are not VoIP compatible then chances are, you may have to use another phone number.

Security: Since VoIP phones work because of the Internet, then it’s more vulnerable to hackers and wiretapping. Not a high chance of this happening but something to think if you plan on using VoIP phone services in a company situation where classified transactions are done over the phone.

Locking in Broadband Phone Service: If your broadband company doesn’t currently support VoIP phone services, you may have to wait for your contract to reach its termination date before you can switch companies. Cancelling your subscription before the end of the current contract period normally results in high early termination fees.

Network Design: If you’re going to use VoIP phones for your company, make sure that you’ve got a smart network design. Hire a network administrator to oversee the maintenance of the network. VoIP phone service is still a new technology and prone to glitches. If you don’t have a well designed network or one that’s not properly maintained, a power shortage may result in everything shutting down

8 Irrefutable Reasons to Compare Broadband Before You Apply

ARE you dazzled witless by the wide array of choice in broadband? If you are, you are not alone as broadband providers are conjuring up every inviting incentive to attract you, the potential customer, to their own special exciting deals.

In view of the bewildering number of options available and to assist you make that important choice more easily and avoid further confusion, we can give you 8 excellent reasons for comparing broadband packages ( we couldn’t think of 9 and 7 seemed too few).

1. Limited or Unlimited Download

An important point to remember is that some broadband packages have a download limit which can be very restrictive if you need to do a great deal of downloading.

It is wise to make a few comparisons first to find out the monthly limit on downloads before you buy, though a limit isn’t inevitably a bad thing – except when you have to pay for exceeding the limit!

However, if you only use the internet for surfing the net occasionally or keeping up-to-date socially, for instance, why pay more than you need for unlimited use?

For anyone who is a limited user, by comparing broadband offers you will find an excellent and exceptionally reasonable choice is TalkTalk Free Broadband (together with Talk Evenings & Weekends) package, which offers an astounding 40GB limit for a little less than £6 a month.

This should please even the most avid YouTube user.

2. Possible Hidden Charges

Some broadband providers do not advertise all their charges at the outset and you might find you are required to fork out unexpected additional charges before you even get to first base with your new package.

How irritating is that?

Some frequently disguised broadband charges might include items such as their line rental, the installation fee or the cost of your modem/router. So fore warned is fore armed!

On the other hand, some providers like Tiscali’s Broadband and Talk include the line rental in their packages, which means no nasty surprises to pay at the end of the month. What bliss in these expensive times.

A good idea is to first check with a broadband comparison site like www.ChooseISP.co.uk before deciding on your new broadband package.

They provide a breakdown of additional charges you are likely to encounter, in an easy-to-follow format.

The ChooseISP broadband experts have surveyed the market in some detail and why not make use of what they have found out for you – it will certainly save you the frustration and effort of searching for hidden detail or the dreaded small print conditions.

3. Make the most of any Free Offers

Don’t we all love a freebie!

It pays you hands down to compare broadband, as you are then unlikely to miss out on which providers are currently offering their customers all those attractive little free extras and whether or not they are available for the entire duration of the contract.

A provider such as BT Total Option 2, for instance, offers trendy Norton Security, which will efficiently fight off all unwelcome invaders.

Others may offer a free firewall, a welcome bit of hardware or even free webspace.

The most exciting freebie on offer at the moment is from AOL, who is currently providing a FREE HP Compaq laptop or free Sony PlayStation 3 as part of their package.

Our contact at AOL tells us that the free laptop offer is for a limited time only, ending in a couple of months.

So don’t delay, get busy with those broadband comparisons and avoid losing out.

These freebies are not to be sneezed at!

4. Speed

Does your current slow or inconsistent download speed have you reaching for a tranquiliser in frustration?

Sometimes one feels as if paint would dry quicker than watching that irritating little hour glass hanging and hanging and…

Why pay for a broadband that is meant to move with the speed of a hare but you later discover has the speed of a tortoise (and a slow one at that).

By first comparing broadband offers, you can thoroughly examine each package and select one with the speed that is most suitable for your requirements.

To help you decide more easily, broadband comparison sites like www.ChooseISP.co.uk offers you a variety of individual broadband reviews, such as O2 Broadband, which gives you a clear and accurate idea of the download speeds of the different packages and how consistent they are.

Their level of research is pretty impressive.

5. Choice of Contract

You might be pleasantly surprised on comparing broadband to discover the wide choice of packages available offering a variety of contract types, and indeed in some cases, no contract at all.

No longer are you tied to an automatic 12-month contract.

For instance, the UK’s fastest broadband provider Be* offers a package with absolutely no contract necessary at all, though they do request a 3-month notification period should you wish to change providers.

Another fast broadband provider offering packages on a no-contract basis is Plusnet.

However, they stipulate that the wireless router has to be paid for, and also, should you pull out before 12 months is up, you will have to pay a £40 fee.

All the more reason for you to do your homework thoroughly before committing yourself and just imagine what you could do with that money!

6. Will you get what you are promised?

Which broadband providers can you trust to stick to their advertised deals?

With so many tempting bargains being bandied about, all offering first class reliability and astonishing speeds, it can be really difficult to make a sound decision.

By using a broadband comparison site like www.ChooseISP.co.uk to compare the different broadband packages, you will be given an impartial overall view of the various deals on offer as well as finding out what other satisfied customers have to say.

One broadband deal being highly recommended by their customers right now, as well as us, is O2 Broadband’s stunning deal not only for their mobile customers but now also for non-O2 mobile customers.

7. Best bundle deals

If you are prepared to bundle your broadband, TV and mobile within one provider, there are some astounding bargains on offer at the moment which can save you a lot of money.

One service you may well have heard about is the Sky See, Speak & Surf Base 1 broadband bundle for just £17 a month, which is excellent value.

To discover the best broadband bundle deals, it is a good idea to also compare broadband, TV and mobile packages individually.

8. Thinking ahead

If you have only recently joined your present broadband provider, it might be worth looking ahead a bit.

For instance, you may have been caught out by a broadband provider who offered you a tempting rebate during your first 6 months, only to find it then fell away leaving you very much the poorer.

To avoid further similar misfortunes and to save you more money, have a look at a broadband comparison site like www.ChooseISP.co.uk. It is the only website where you can compare broadband alone, compare broadband & phone, or compare broadband, phone & TV packages and see what it will cost you, not only in the short term but also in the future.

The trick is to avoid unwelcome surprises and ChooseISP gives you the ideal opportunity to check it all out before committing yourself and handing out those precious £’s.

Good luck in your search for the best broadband deal to meet your special needs. No need to gaze into your crystal ball or clasp a horseshoe in your hand with tightly closed eyes – broadband comparison sites like ChooseISP.co.uk have done it all for you. No sweat, no hassles.