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How Does VoIP Work? If you are using a VoIP phone then you should make a call in any of these 3 ways. • ATA Gateway ATA stands for analogue telephone adaptor. As the name suggests, you should install a device on your existing telephone including use your regular phone for VoIP purposes, even at the time it is not digital. The handset of your analog phone connects to the ATA, which in turn connects to your computer. Your computer needs to be connected to the internet in order for VoIP to work. The function pertaining to the ATA device is to convert the analogue signals of your regular phone into digital signals for use over the internet. • IP Phone These are special handsets that look like regular phones but they have a particular Ethernet jack (RJ 45) instead pertaining to the regular telephone jack (RS 11). IP Phones are already configured with the required software to work using VoIP. These phones connect to the same device (router) that your computer connects to in order to hook up with the internet. • Peer to Peer (or computer to computer) This is the easiest way of doing VoIP because it requires neither software nor hardware installation (as long as you have speakers/headphones including a microphone, including your computer is connected to the Internet). There are special services provided by several ISPs that include specific VoIP plans. While it is possible to use VoIP over your existing internet connection, if you truly need good quality including absolutely no signal loss with reliable voice connectivity then you must go for a separate VoIP plan instead of riding the back of your present connection. the is because VoIP needs a lot more dedicated bandwidth than is required for general web browsing. Since all that is needed to make VoIP work is a broadband internet connection, 1 convenience is that you should carry your IP phone or ATA device with you at the time you travel so that you never have to pay exorbitant long distance calling charges. If you have a laptop that you carry with you then you should install a softphone in your laptop for VoIP access. A softphone is basically a software that behaves like a phone through a laptop or desktop computer. Some of these softwares even resemble phones in their interface. VoIP offers significant savings for people including businesses that do a lot of business over their phone lines. The greater your phone bill right now, the more the savings through VoIP.
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