VoIP De-Mystified
How to Connnect VoIP Phones
If you are interested in how to compare and choose a
VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) system, go to the main
VoIP for Dummies page.
Each provider of VoIP service will give you detailed instructions for connecting their system.
You should follow those instructions. The purpose of this page is to give you some idea what
is involved before you purchase a VoIP service. Although this information is generally correct,
there may be some variations for some VoIP services.
For some VoIP services, especially those for residential use, you may use your same phone as you
have used for POTS (Plain Old Telephone service), but instead of being connected to the phone
line coming into your home or business, it's connected to a small box called a Digital Terminal
Adapter (dta).
As with normal phone service, several phones may be connected to the line from
the dta so that the phone number can be answered from different locations. The dta plugs into
an ethernet port on a router connected to your broadband connection. Even if you do not have
a router, many of the dtas supplied by VoIP providers contain two ethernet ports. To connect a
dta with two ethernet ports, you can simply unplug the ethernet cable that currently plugs into
your PC, plug this cable into one of the dta ethernet ports, and then run an ethernet cable
between the other dta ethernet port and the PC ethernet port.
The setup in the previous paragraph works fine for many of us. However, if there is a lot of data
traffic on your network, VoIP voice quality could suffer unless additional steps are taken. Data
traffic is such things as Email being sent or received, surfing the web and ftping files. Again,
understand that many use VoIP service with good quality while one or more PCs on the network are
being used to surf the web or send and receive Email. However, there are cases especially in
an office with many PCs where the VoIP service will suffer unless it is given prioriity over the
data traffic. This is accomplished by activating what is called QoS - Quality of Service. To do
this, you need a more expensive router than is typically found in many homes or home offices.
It's best to purchase one of the routers that your VoIP vendors recommend because normally they
recommend routers on which their service has been successfully tested.
Again, I want to stress that many of us use VoIP service without purchasing a special router.
However, if there are a lot of PCs on your network working at the same time, or if just one PC
often transmits and receives large files, you probably need QoS. Large files could be Email
attachments, large kilobyte web pages or ftp transmission files. There is only so much capacity on
your network. If most of the capacity is used by PC data, VoIP service will suffer
Another consideration for many routers is that typically your router is set for DHCP which means
IP addresses are assigned to PCs and dtas dynamically. Many networks and router
default settings are such that the router assigns an IP address for a specified period of time
called the lease time. The default typically is something like 99 days. For a PC, this is no big
deal. A new lease can be obtained by rebooting the PC, for example. Well, dtas are not rebooted
often. The time will come when the dta and/or the router will have to be rebooted unless the
router is set so that there is no lease expiration. Contact your router manufacturer for info
on how to do this.
At Persimmon Telecommunications, you are offered the BEST plans in the industry for your personal and/or
business needs. You may go directly to a list of
VoIP services. Below we give suggestions for how you can best shop for and compare VoIP plans.
For more "VoIP for Dummies" info for residential and small business users, see the VoIP Slide presentation.
Shop and Compare VoIP Services Although it's a work in progress, here is a spreadsheet that
compares various VoIP plans:
VoIP Comparison (Microsoft Excel Worksheet). Features available from at least one
VoIP provider are listed in the left column. Then, entries are made indicating which service provides
each feature. Once you choose a plan of interest, go to that provider's web site and examine carefully
what they say about the features that are important to you. Some of the features listed on the
VoIP plan comparison worksheet are defined or implemented very differently from one vendor to the next.
Here are the links to the various companies where you can read about them and sign up for service:
Monthly and Yearly Unlimited VoIP Services
and
Packet8.
If you do not yet have a broadband Internet connection (for example, cable, DSL, or T1),
go to Broadband Internet Access to compare options, shop for
and order the one that best fits your needs.
One Stop For
Your Telecommunications Products and Services!
Compare the options, Order the one that best fits your needs and Save.
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