VOIP Can Replace Your Regular Phone Service

VOIP (voice over internet protocol) is the newest rage in the communication field. It lets you talk to someone over your internet connection. There are 2 different versions:

One lets you connect a microphone to your computer and talk to someone else who is also hooked up to their computer. Skype is one company that uses this form of communication. It lets you talk to someone anyplace in the world for free, no long distance charges. This form of VOIP is great for supplementing your existing phone service and can virtually eliminate long distance charges.

The other version of VOIP hooks your regular phones to your broadband connection and can actually replace your current phone service. Vonage is one such company. I will go into the good points and bad points of using Vonage as your regular phone.

I have been a customer of theirs for nearly 2 years. To use Vonage you must have a broadband internet connection (DSL or cable). The only problem with DSL is that it is provided by your phone company, so it makes it hard to eliminate them. The quality of your phone service is directly related to the quality of your internet service. If your connection is down, your phone won't work. So keep that in mind. Vonage does have a forward on failure feature that lets you pick a number to forward to if your broadband service is down. I forward to my cell phone and have only needed it a couple of times in 2 years.

When you subscribe to Vonage, you will get a box ,about the size of a book, that hooks up to your modem or router. Technology keeps changing, so just follow the directions that come with your box. Your phone hooks up to the box and you are ready to go. This particular set up will ring only one phone. For multiple phones there are a couple of options. You can use a multiphone wireless set up, or hook you Vonage box to a phone jack (officially not recommended by Vonage). If you hook your box to a phone jack, you must completely disconnect the phone company's wires from your house. If the phone company happened to be testing lines and sent a signal on your wires, it could damage your box. You can keep your existing phone number, but it takes a couple of weeks to switch. Vonage will provide a temporary number to use in the meantime. I also believe they offer a trial period in case you don't like it.

My experience with Vonage has been very favorable. I can call anywhere in the US or Canada, 24 hours a day, with no long distance charges. The service is only $25 a month. And the unique thing about a Vonage bill, when they say $25, they mean $25. The only addition is for international long distance (very cheap) and a couple of dollars of sales tax. You don't get the long list of taxes that turn your $35 phone bill into a $60 phone bill every month. The service comes with voice mail, call forwarding, caller ID, call waiting many other features. You can actually retrieve your messages from your email if you wish.

Now for the things that might take some getting used to. First, all calls will require that you dial 1+ the area code, even if you are dialing within your area code. The Vonage system is not hooked up to your local 911 service. You can register your address with Vonage. Then if you call 911, they will know your address and contact the appropriate help. Some communities are starting to use reverse 911, they call all the phones in an area if there is a problem you need to be aware of. I'm guessing that I won't get that call. When I first got my service, there was a noticeable echo, but that has disappeared. The quality of the calls has improved to the point where there is virtually no difference when compared to a regular phone. As I stated before, if your broadband connection is down, your phone is down. If your internet service provider doesn't supply you with a good, constant connection- Vonage may not be for you. The only other problem I have run into has popped up a couple of times. Some business use non-conventional phone services to save costs. It seems that the non-conventional services are made to communicate with a conventional service, not with another non-conventional service. There is no problem communicating with another Vonage customer, but there and some phone numbers that you simply cannot call and they cannot call you. When that happens, it is time for the cell phone. If you receive a lot of faxes on your home phone, you may want to add a fax line for $10 a month. If you don't, the voice mail and fax will fight over who should answer. Also, if you have a security system that is monitored through your phone lines, check with them before switching to Vonage.

Now for the extra features. You can actually take the Vonage box with you when you travel. Hook it up to a broadband connection, hook up a phone and it rings with your home phone number- anywhere in the world. They also offer virtual phone numbers. For $5 a month extra, you can get a second phone number that can have any area code you want. If you have a lot of friends in another state and you want them to be able to call you for free- add a number with their area code.

This article has concentrated on Vonage because that is where my experience is. I am sure other providers offer similar service, so find what is right for you. After years of the phone company telling you that you had to do things their way, you can get a good feeling from disconnecting their wires from your house.

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