Choosing A Telephone For

If you're going to sign up with a VOIP service provider, you're going to need a phone that will connect to the Internet. Some providers incorporate an IP phone with their package. Other providers specify that you need to supply your own equipment to use with the service. 

Conventional Phone

You can opt to use a conventional analog phone set with VOIP. You'll need to get an Analog Telephone Adapter (ATA) -- a small box that contains the software and hardware required to convert your voice into digital data before carrying it over the Internet. The ATA has both an Ethernet connector and a customary phone plug connector.

The advantage of an ATA is that you won't have to purchase a new phone. You just plug in your existing phone, either wired or wireless. You can still use the added features available with VOIP services, but you may need to configure your VOIP account through the service provider's web site.  

IP Phone

All IP phones have an Ethernet jack that plug into your broadband Internet connection router. Ethernet connectors look a lot like regular phone connectors, but are approximately twice as wide.

IP phones are convenient for utilizing the extra features that are included free with VOIP accounts. They include call display, call routing, call forwarding, voicemail and others.

There are many IP phones available, ranging from simple residential phones to complex phone terminals designed for business use. All models, even the most basic, have an LCD display for caller ID and phone configuration. More advanced models may have customized rings, headset interfaces and speakerphones. Some even have programmable keys that allow quick access to certain functions of the phone.

An especially handy IP phone feature is the ability to store names and phone numbers. You can set shortcut keys to commonly called numbers or scroll through the phone book. Every call that comes in can be routinely added to the phone book. Phone numbers can be edited or deleted at any time.  

Cell Phone

Although there isn't the freedom of a wireless cellular phone with VOIP, yet, wireless phones can be used within an IEEE 802.11b wireless network. These phones are suitable for residence, campus and business applications.

Don't despair, though. The VOIP/cell hybrid is just being released by a few manufacturers.  

VOIP Services

Basic service packages include useful features such as call waiting, call forwarding and call display. When your phone rings, the LCD screen displays the caller information. You then have the options of accepting or redirecting the call to voicemail or an error message.

You don't have to manually route each call separately. You can establish protocols for certain categories of calls. Anonymous calls, for instance, can be routed to voicemail. Calls from people you don't wish to communicate with can be routed to an error message. Calls can also be forwarded to outside numbers.

Some VOIP services operate just like regular phone services. Call waiting, for example, allows you to answer a second call while you're already using the phone line. When another call comes in, you hear a short beep and you can switch back and forth between the callers by a simple push of a button.

You can also block your caller ID, when you wish to keep your calls anonymous. Then your calls to somebody with call display won't identify your name or phone number. You can set this feature for all of your calls or just selected ones.

When you don't want to be interrupted, you can route all incoming calls to your voicemail or to a message that says you're unavailable. Your phone won't ring until you reset it to reroute.