This short article is not intended to be a be-all, end-all of hooking up VoIP in your home. It does provide an overview and explains the basic requirements and equipment necessary. With that said let's get to it.
VoIP, Voice over Internet Protocol, is a method of making and receiving calls using your broadband internet connection. The equipment required using VoIP in your home:
1. Broadband internet connection
2. Router
3. ATA
4. Phone
Let's start with #1 above. The broadband internet connection 'does' make a difference depending on your longer-term plans. For example, if your longer-term plan is to use VoIP and cancel your primary POTS line and you're using DSL for your broadband service, you need to do a bit more investigating. Naked DSL, or DSL without primary phone service, is still relatively rare. If you cancel your phone service, you may loose your broadband connection as well. Check with your local phone company to determine whether or not they provide DSL without phone service.
Moving along to #2, a router. Simply put, a router allows your broadband internet connection to be 'routed' or spread between more than 1 device. Your broadband internet comes into your home and plugs into your modem. Your modem then would plug into your router. You computer plugs into your router. Why? Remember, a router splits out your signal, so any devices you want hook into your internet connection needs to go through your router.
Broadband connection -> modem -> router
Computer -> router
ATA -> router
As you can see, it's not very complicated. Devices you want connected to the internet do so through the router.
You can see above that we've connected an ATA to the router. An ATA is the 'Analogue Telephone Adapter'. This device converts from analog to digital and back again. This device is what will allow you to make and receive your phone calls through the internet using VoIP.
The last thing to connect is the actual phone. Yes there can be 'specific' internet phones, but I for one cannot justify the cost of those and I use my regular cordless phone. (You can search the internet for IP phones if you so choose. Keep in mind that IP phones are NOT a requirement)
Now our network looks something like this.
Broadband connection -> modem -> router
Computer -> router
ATA -> router
Cordless phone system -> ATA
You can see that the cordless phone system plugs into the ATA. That’s it and as you can see it’s not complicated. Enjoy your VoIP and your new home network!
This article provided by Try Right Technology, Inc. Visit us at http://www.trighttech.com
Source: www.isnare.com
