If you've been watching television in the last ten years, you'll have noticed that some networks run a lot of ads for companies that offer to replace your telephone bill with a cheap monthly VOIP service. The savings is enticing, but what is VOIP? Is it as good as your phone service or will your Toronto web designer sound like he's at the bottom of a well whenever you try to call him? This article will answer your most commonly asked questions about VOIP.

VOIP stands for voice over internet protocol. When you have VOIP, your vocal communications service runs not through the telephone wires but through your internet connection. VOIP packages also offer other phone related service, such as text messaging, fax, and voicemail through your internet connection. For the sake of continuity, most VOIP packages sent to Tina McQuaid are sent to her detached home in Mississauga the same way your old phone bill was and are broken down similarly.

When you place a call on VOIP, your device seeks out the IP address of the Courtice dentist you're trying to call and makes the connection. Your voice and/or text is then broken down into packets, digitally encoded, and sent over the internet network where the process is repeated in reverse on the other end to turn the message back into analog audio. Depending on what encoding protocol your provider uses, this can result in some deterioration in the quality of the audio on the receiving end.

If you choose to sign up for VOIP, there are several different types of networks to choose from. Some companies, such as Vonage, have constructed networks that work with the phone system, allowing you to use your internet to call anyone you like, whether it's a phone or a computer but charge you for it. Other companies, like Skype, offer free service but can only connect to houses for sale in Oakville that have the same software installed and can only call telephones if tokens are bought.

VOIP isn't just available for your computer. You can also use your telephone on a VOIP network or sign your smart phone up on a VOIP package that lets it communicate over a 3G network or wireless hot spots. The only drawback of using VOIP is that your phone goes out when the internet does. For cell phones, that means any time you're visiting IRS expats in an area that doesn't have 3G or free wireless (i.e. outside of a big city).