| VOIP Service for making and receiving phone calls is | | | | out, so does your phone |
| probably the most cost effective way to | | | | Despite the fact that they have over-charged us for |
| communicate, and is showing the phone companies | | | | years, you need to give the telephone company |
| that their "cash cow" of home telephone service may | | | | credit, since when you pick up the phone, you almost |
| be coming to an end on the horizon. Still, VOIP | | | | always can hear the comforting sound of a dial tone, |
| service is not for everyone, and here are some | | | | ready to make your call. |
| things that you need to verify and feel good about | | | | With 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 not | | | | ability to use your VOIP phone also goes down until |
| going to include high-speed Internet service. The | | | | the internet service comes back up. This again goes |
| VOIP provider assumes you already have that, and | | | | back to the reliability of your high-speed Internet |
| would have that whether you decided to implement | | | | connection 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 not | | | | All VOIP providers are supposed to be setup so that |
| tell you is that your high-speed Internet connection | | | | they support 911 (or E-911) services in case of |
| needs to be fast, stable, and reliable. Depending on | | | | emergency. You see, with a traditional phone line, if |
| where you are and what high-speed Internet | | | | you 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 - if | | | | phone, so you need to register your VOIP phone |
| you have a lousy Internet connection, VOIP will be | | | | with 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 a | | | | where to go. |
| speed test on your connection so you can get a feel | | | | 4. Be ready to save money and have tremendous |
| for how fast it is. The problem is that these tests do | | | | flexibility. |
| not tell the whole story - it might have been fast at | | | | There is no doubt about it, VOIP service is |
| the moment you did the test, but is slower than | | | | significantly cheaper than traditional phones from the |
| molasses an hour later. Do you notice it stopping | | | | phone company. At no extra charge, you typically |
| when you are using it or having significant time | | | | get the features you would pay the phone company |
| delays? This could be a sign that VOIP will not work | | | | extra 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 the | | | | local and long distance calling throughout the country |
| computer when you would be talking on your VOIP | | | | at no additional cost with VOIP. |
| phone? If so, your connection may not be capable of | | | | If you travel, you can take your VOIP phone with |
| handling both connections at the same time. Typically | | | | you. If you are traveling to visit your friends in |
| this is more of a problem for DSL than for cable, but | | | | Denver or cousin in New York, just plug your VOIP |
| it can represent a problem with a cable connection as | | | | phone 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 Internet | | | | were at home, using your same phone number. If |
| connection? Forget it. You are not going to be happy | | | | you are in a hotel in Chicago, again plug your VOIP |
| with the results of VOIP service on a satellite | | | | phone 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 goes | | | | as if you were at home. |