AUTHOR: Scott G DATE: 11:06:00 PM ----- BODY:

All about VoIP, my hobby..

A little intro before I throw all the links at you. VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. It's basically the idea of sending voice through the internet using either a phone that connects directly to the internet or an adapter that uses your connection and a traditional phone plugs into it. Pretty easy concept to grasp. The main method of sending and receiving voice is over a broadband (high speed, cable or DSL) connection. The first and probably most known is a New Jersey based company called Vonage. They offer a few different plans, but the one that stands out is unlimited local and long distance calling for $29.99. Keep in mind that the local telephone carriers often charge $50-$60 before taxes ($70+ after). After Vonage came on the scene there have been many more. Vonage and these other companies attempt to offer a phone service that is just like your home phone. Most do not offer 911 services, if so it's not traditional 911. The nature of VoIP is that it's not tied to a location. You can have any area code and bring the phone or adapter anywhere that has broadband, even another country. The second oldest service is Packet8. They charge $20 for unlimited long distance. Many people thought in the beginning that the price reduction wouldn't last, but it has. Every VoIP company has its strengths, and one that offers unparalleled features is VoicePulse. Other companies are Broadvox Direct, BroadVoice, Primus (Lingo), Voiceglo, and even AT&T has an offering called CallVantage. After those that try to offer service like traditional service there are more "hobby-like" services that can use IP phones/adapters, but you don't dial or get assigned a regular phone number. The service that fits the above description best is Free World Dialup. I've mentioned it many times. You get assigned a 5 or 6 digit number and you can call others over the network for free. They occasionally offer the ability to call traditional numbers, but they focus on "IP to IP" calls. The gentleman who runs that service is truly a visionary, his name is Jeff Pulver. There are so many other services that I could literally go on forever. To put the icing on the cake I'll show you the service I use to get an unlimited incoming residential toll free number(as in no per minute charges) and unlimited long distance. They're called QuantumVoice. I think I've said enough, happy clicking! Until tomorrow.. --------