A guide to VoIP telephony
Published: 26 Jul 2006
What’s required to use VoIP?
To use VoIP it’s necessary to have a VoIP service provider -- just as an ISP (or Internet Service Provider) is required to use the Internet. You also, of course, need a broadband connection. Some variety of hardware to perform the phone audio functions is required. PC-integrated services require VoIP client software, while standalone VoIP phones can be set up with the service information from their keypads, although it's usually easier to use a Web browser, telnet or FTP software to enter these details.
VoIP hardware and software
The simplest VoIP systems make use of standard computer sound cards, fitted with a microphone and loudspeakers (or a headset), to stand in for the traditional telephone handset. Another option is to use a USB VoIP handset that's designed to resemble a normal telephone. VoIP client software supplied by the VoIP service provider handles a telephone book, dialling and answering calls. The drawback of these integrated systems is that because they rely on a PC, the PC must be turned on to make or receive calls. The advantage is that they are inexpensive, often easy to set up and the software phone book makes it very easy to organise and dial contacts.
A discrete solution in the form of either a VoIP phone, or a conventional phone connected to an ATA (Analogue Telephone Adapter), is often more practical.
VoIP phones look and operate much like conventional phones except that they are designed to plug in to an Ethernet network. They don’t require the presence of a computer on the network, other than for initial setup (although they can be set up with some difficulty using only the keypad). It's possible to plug a configured VoIP phone directly into a broadband gateway router -- or with a fixed IP service, directly into a broadband modem. A basic VoIP phone like the Grandstream BudgeTone 101 costs £47.98 (inc. VAT).
ATAs can be used to convert ordinary analogue phones for VoIP use. These adapters connect to the phone and to an Ethernet network and have built-in Web servers. An ATA like the Linksys SPA1001 Phone Adapter costs £35.25 (inc. VAT). Recently some broadband gateway routers have appeared with built-in adapters for a number of conventional phones.
VoIP service providers
VoIP service providers come in a variety of flavours, supporting either proprietary or open standards like SIP. Each provider has a slightly different charging structure and may be oriented to different market sectors. For example, at the entry level, Skype, Callserve and Tesco use proprietary protocols and are aimed at the home user. More advanced services like Demon, Sipgate, Sipphone, Voipfone, Voiptalk and Vonage all use SIP.
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