Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP)

Alternatively referred to as IP telephone or Internet phone,  VoIP is short for Voice over Internet Protocol and is an Internet protocol that enables users to make calls over the Internet. 

VOIP, a category of hardware and software that enables people to use the Internet as the transmission medium for telephone calls by sending voice data in packets using IP rather than by traditional circuit transmissions..." (quoted from Webopedia Computer Dictionary).

To make a call a telephone is connected to a network cable, versus a standard phone line or a call is made over a computer. This enables long distant phone calls to be cheaper, although sometimes at a lower audio quality. The first experiment VoIP call was made in 1973 even though the first software known as "Vocaltec" that enabled end users to make calls did not appear until 1995.

Today, VoIP and Internet phones are becoming commonplace. Many cable TV providers offer bundles that include VoIP, allowing customers to take advantage of the Internet phone technology. Businesses have begun to embracing the change and utilize VoIP as well, nearly eliminating the need for telephone lines in the work place. While telephone lines are not completely gone, technology is moving things in that direction and it may not be long before the Internet phone, and the cell phone are the remaining two primary methods for voice communication.

Examples of VoIP include: Skype, Teamspeak, and Ventrilo.

Uses

VOIP has become a growing method of communication in the modern world, especially in sales-oriented jobs. It has been integrated mostly for business purposes to replace conventional phone calls. The methods of use can be classified into three major categories:

• To interconnect VOIP phones within a single building using the building's Local Area Network (LAN)
• To interconnect VOIP phones between multiple locations of the same organization using a backbone network
• To interconnect VOIP phones to regular telephones in different organizations or for sales purposes

Benefits

Toll-Free Calls

The main purpose of VOIP is to provide a method of cheap yet extensive communication. Regular telephone calls can become costly if used too frequently, yet with VOIP one only needs to pay for a good internet connection and subscription to a VOIP service. With these two facilities handy, VOIP becomes a capability to make limitless phone calls through the internet. Although the person at the other end may be using a regular phone, the VOIP user either uses a computer or VOIP phone to communicate.

The major advantage of VOIP is that it allows the user to make as many phone calls as they like for a fixed price instead of being charged by the minute. This makes a huge cutback on costs for jobs such as telephone marketing that require making many phone calls for hours every day.
VOIP can become low-cost or toll-free for people who are using only the internet to communicate. If both or all users are using the internet to communicate, VOIP becomes a way of talking or conferencing without having to pay any additional fee apart from the regular fee for internet.

Reduced Wiring Costs

Using VOIP can also minimize building wiring costs in new or renovated buildings due to reduced wire infrastructure. Instead of using many cable systems such as data networking, telephone connections, and cable distribution, VOIP makes it possible to rely on less cabling costs in terms of maintenance as well as initial installment.

Easy Relocation

Anyone who has relocated their job or home knows how difficult it is to switch local phone numbers, not only for them but even more so for others who want to call them. Cell phones have largely helped to solve this problem, but cell phones are one of the costliest methods of common communication. VOIP provides a cheaper solution, since internet is a universal medium. A VOIP instrument can be relocated without central administrative support. With the internet being a global medium, VOIP allows users to communicate from anywhere in the world at one of the lowest costs possible.

Roaming Facility

To use your regular local phone you have to access it from your regular phone line. It would not be possible for you to make a phone call using your local phone line if you are somewhere else using someone else's phone. Here is another problem that VOIP helps us overcome. With VOIP, you can use someone else's phone to use your VOIP connection. Some VOIP systems allow people to walk up to a telephone instrument in any office and dial a couple of numbers on the keypad ("log in"). That telephone then temporarily assumes the configuration of the telephone line in your home office. By assuming your telephone number, your list of speed dial numbers, and your intercom settings, it becomes a temporary substitute for your VOIP phone in your office!

Dynamic IP vs Static IP

Static IP addressing is for one customer on one IP address and Dynamic IP addressing assigns a different IP address each time the ISP customer logs on to their computer, but this is dependent upon the Internet Service Provider (ISP) because some ISP's only change the IP address as they deem it necessary.

If you have Dynamic IP Addressing through your Website Host it means that you are sharing an IP Address with several other customers.
If you are a beginner on the internet, an avid internet user, are entertaining the thought of starting your own website business, are a gamer, use VOIP or VPN there are several things you should know about IP Addressing.

Static IP Addressing

If you feel the need to always know what your IP address is then you need a Static IP address, because it is constant. Static IP addresses are more reliable for Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP), more reliable to host a gaming website or to play X-Box, Play Station, use Virtual Private Network for secure access to files from your company network computer, etc. 

Static IP addresses are also great if you use your computer as a server, as it should give your file server faster file uploads and downloads. Another plus with Static IP's, when hosting a website you are not sharing your IP with another company who sends out a lot of E-mail SPAM and not only has their website been shut down but in turn gets your IP address blacklisted.

In contrast a static IP address can become a security risk, because the address is always the same. Static IP's are easier to track for data mining companies. Static IP addressing is less cost effective than Dynamic IP Addressing.

Dynamic IP Addressing

The biggest advantages of Dynamic IP Addressing are less security risk as the computer is assigned a new IP address each time the customer logs on, they are cost effective and there is automatic network configuration (the less human intervention with network configuration the better). Dynamic addressing is usually used by ISP's so that one IP address can be assigned to several users, however some ISP's use Sticky Dynamic IP Addressing and do not change the IP address very often. Dynamic IP Addressing can be used by families with several computers or by a small business owner who has a home office. The software that comes with a router allows for Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) setup and assigns each computer attached to the router an IP address automatically.

In contrast, Dynamic IP addressing should not be used for VOIP, VPN, playing online games or game hosting because Dynamic IP addressing is less reliable then Static IP addressing and could cause the service to disconnect while you are on a VOIP, VPN or gaming.

Source: http://whatismyipaddress.com

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