4 Things You Need To Know Before You Switch To VOIP Services

VOIP Service for making and receiving phone calls isout, so does your phone
probably the most cost effective way toDespite the fact that they have over-charged us for
communicate, and is showing the phone companiesyears, you need to give the telephone company
that their "cash cow" of home telephone service maycredit, since when you pick up the phone, you almost
be coming to an end on the horizon. Still, VOIPalways can hear the comforting sound of a dial tone,
service is not for everyone, and here are someready to make your call.
things that you need to verify and feel good aboutWith a VOIP phone, you are depending on your
before you consider switching to VOIP service.Internet connection to make and receive phone calls.
1. Your High-Speed Internet Connection is critical.If your high-speed service goes down, then your
Almost any VOIP service that you choose is notability to use your VOIP phone also goes down until
going to include high-speed Internet service. Thethe internet service comes back up. This again goes
VOIP provider assumes you already have that, andback to the reliability of your high-speed Internet
would have that whether you decided to implementconnection and provider.
VOIP or not, which is probably true in most cases.3. Be sure 911 is supported
However, what the VOIP service provider does notAll VOIP providers are supposed to be setup so that
tell you is that your high-speed Internet connectionthey support 911 (or E-911) services in case of
needs to be fast, stable, and reliable. Depending onemergency. You see, with a traditional phone line, if
where you are and what high-speed Internetyou call 911, they can tell where you are calling from.
provider you have chosen, this may not be a given.But this same ability does not exist with a VOIP
The VOIP provider has ZERO control over this - ifphone, so you need to register your VOIP phone
you have a lousy Internet connection, VOIP will bewith the service so that if you call 911 from your
lousy, it is a one-to-one relationship.VOIP phone, the emergency responders will know
There are various online sites that allow you to do awhere to go.
speed test on your connection so you can get a feel4. Be ready to save money and have tremendous
for how fast it is. The problem is that these tests doflexibility.
not tell the whole story - it might have been fast atThere is no doubt about it, VOIP service is
the moment you did the test, but is slower thansignificantly cheaper than traditional phones from the
molasses an hour later. Do you notice it stoppingphone company. At no extra charge, you typically
when you are using it or having significant timeget the features you would pay the phone company
delays? This could be a sign that VOIP will not workextra for, like caller ID, call waiting, voice mail, and call
well on it.blocking. You also typically get unlimited or high-usage
Also, do people in your household also use thelocal and long distance calling throughout the country
computer when you would be talking on your VOIPat no additional cost with VOIP.
phone? If so, your connection may not be capable ofIf you travel, you can take your VOIP phone with
handling both connections at the same time. Typicallyyou. If you are traveling to visit your friends in
this is more of a problem for DSL than for cable, butDenver or cousin in New York, just plug your VOIP
it can represent a problem with a cable connection asphone into their high-speed modem and you can
well.continue to make and receive calls just as if you
Is your only option a satellite high-speed Internetwere at home, using your same phone number. If
connection? Forget it. You are not going to be happyyou are in a hotel in Chicago, again plug your VOIP
with the results of VOIP service on a satellitephone into the high-speed connection in your hotel
connection.room, and you are making and receiving phone calls
2. When your high-speed Internet connection goesas if you were at home.