What is an IP Phone?
In order to make VoIP calls you need to be able to connect an IP Phone (also known as a VoIP Phone) or an Analogue Telephone Adapter (ATA) to your broadband internet connection. When you sign up with a VoIP Service provider they may supply you with IP phones or ATAs as part of the package, otherwise you may have to purchase this equipment seperately.
An ATA is different to a VoIP Phone in that it allows you to use a traditional analogue phone with VoIP. Instead of plugging your phone into the usual telephone adapter in the wall, you plug it into the ATA. The ATA also connects to a broadband modem. The purpose of an ATA is to convert the analogue signal (your voice) into digital data, ready to be sent over the internet. Once everything is connected and working, you can make and receive telephone calls as you usually do; the only difference being that the calls are routed through the internet.
The biggest advantage of using an ATA is that you can continue using your existing phone equipment and won't have to buy new phones - just plug in the phone you are currently using, either wired or wireless.
IP Phones are different to ATA’s in that they plug directly into your Broadband modem. They already contain the relevant circuitry to convert your voice into digital data. An IP/VoIP phone is more convenient for taking advantage of many of the extra features that are included free with your VoIP account - call display, call waiting, call forwarding, voicemail plus many other others. You may still be able to use these features with an ATA, but you might need to configure your VoIP account at the service provider's web site. There are a variety of IP Phones currently available on the market. They range from simple handsets for residential use, to much more complex phone systems designed for business use. Most basic models will have an LCD display for configuring the phone, Caller ID, and other display information. More complex phones will have extra features like speakerphones, interfaces for attaching headsets, customisable ring-tones, and programmable buttons. |
If you want to go wireless with VoIP, you won’t yet get the freedom of a cellular phone, but you can still use wireless phones within an IEEE 802.11b wireless network.
When you sign up with a VoIP Service provider, included in the basic service package are things like call waiting, caller display, and call forwarding. You can take advantage of all of these features with an IP Phone. When your phone rings, the LCD screen will display the caller information. You can choose to accept the call or redirect it to voicemail or to an error message. Calls can also be forwarded to an outside number. If you want to keep your calls anonymous you can block your caller ID. This way, when you are calling somebody who has caller ID display, your name or phone number will not be shown. You can set this feature for all of your calls or just for selected ones. Another very useful feature of VoIP Phones is the ability to store names and phone numbers just like a cell/mobile phone. You can scroll through the phone book or set shortcut keys to commonly called numbers. Every call that comes in can be automatically added to your phone book and you can easily edit or delete numbers at any time. |
So there you have it, a simple guide on VoIP Phones and the features it offers. Once you switch over to VoIP and start using an IP Phone and/or an ATA it won’t be much different to using a phone like you currently do.
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