Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is the technology that turns analogue audio signals into digital data that can be sent over the Internet.
There are a number of VoIP services that can provide free or low cost voice calling. These services are provided by a number of key players - Skype, BT Communicator, FreeTalk (Dixons Group) and Vonage.
Consumer VoIP services are ideal for making low cost calls to the public telephone network and many of them offer consumers excellent deals on calls, including unlimited UK calls and low cost international calling. They will also offer the ability to call other users within the "service" for free. For example, one Skype customer can call another Skype customer at no cost.
To get this completely free service both you and your friend must have a broadband enabled PC and have Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) software installed such as Skype 3.6 for Windows.
The Skype Internet Calling service enables you to conduct telephone calls not only between suitably set up PC’s but also between land-lines and even mobile phones for a fraction of the cost of the conventional telephone networks. Skype 3.6 for Windows also includes a video component so that you can see your friends and family on the full PC screen or in the Skype Calling Window.
There are three main options when choosing a ' phone' to use with the VoIP service:
A piece of software that you run on your computer that allows you to make and receive phone calls. You then use this with a suitable headset which provides the combined microphone and speakers you need to make calls.
A physical adaptor which allows you to plug a traditional analogue or cordless phone into a VoIP system.
This is a full telephone which is 100% VoIP. Instead of having a standard telephone adaptor (RJ-11) the VoIP Hardware Phone uses an Ethernet connector (RJ-45), which plugs in to an Internet Router. These IP phones have all the necessary software to let you make VoIP calls.
Typically, a traditional VoIP Hardware Phone (or VoIP adaptor) will give you better sound quality and ease of use.
VoIP phones provide better sound quality than software phones because the telephone has signal processing chips which are dedicated to handling a voice call.
VoIP phones also provide greater ease of use for most people as the familiar interface of a telephone means that they are able to make and receive phone calls easily without having to understand a new computer program.
Software phones are useful for customers who travel using laptops regularly, and also desk bound operators who are handling a high volume of calls. They are also ideal for two friends who wish to chat using their computers and the free software download.
If you decide to use an Internet telephone adapter or VoIP Hardware Phone you will need to ensure that you have a spare Ethernet socket on your ADSL or cable modem.
If you have a broadband ADSL connection, such as BT Broadband, Pipex, Tiscali or Sky and you are using a basic USB modem to connect your PC to the ADSL line, you may need to replace it with an ADSL modem which has Ethernet ports. Also make sure your PC has an Ethernet connection.
Skype is undoubtedly the best-known VoIP service for home users. It is a free download and really easy to use. It lets you call computer to computer across the world and it costs you nothing more than the cost of your normal Internet subscription.
People use the free version of Skype to stay in touch in ways that they haven’t been able to before. They can talk to each other for hours free of charge - even though they may be thousands of miles apart!
To make the service even more useful there are various services you can pay for. These include SkypeOut, which allows you to use your computer to call land-lines and mobile phones for a very low cost, and Skypein, which allows land-line users to call your Skype account using a local telephone number. There is also a voice mail service that can take messages if someone calls and you are not available.
The only thing Skype cannot do is make emergency calls (911, 999, 112, 211).
To use the free PC to PC Skype service you just have to . The minimum requirements to run Skype are Widows Vista, XP or 2000 (Windows 2000 users require DirectX 9.0 for video calls), a 1GHz processor, 256MB of RAM, 22 MB of free hard drive space and a broadband connection.
For High Quality Video calls you will need a high quality video webcam and software, a dual-core processor computer and a fast broadband connection (384 kbps).
