A Basic Understanding of VoIP

VoIP is a revolutionary technology that has the potential to completely rework the world's phone systems. VoIP, or Voice over Internet Protocol, is a method for taking analog audio signals, like the kind we hear when we talk on the phone, and turning them into digital data that can be transmitted over the Internet. It's not all that complicated.  Think about a Fax machine.  It takes images and turns them into sounds that are transmitted over telephone lines.  What is truly amazing is that the patent for the first Fax device dates back to 1843 as an improvement to the telegraph.

Digitizing sound is nothing new.  The introduction of the CD player in October of 1982 was the beginning of the consumer digital age that has since encompassed our cellular phones, car radios and even our televisions.  Even the digitization of telephone calls has been with us since AT&T installed their first digital switch in January of 1976 using a protocol called ATM, or Asynchronous Transfer Mode.  VoIP is a modernized protocol that allows for improved quality, rich features and the ability to process traffic over the Internet.

The interesting thing about VoIP is that there is not just one way to place a call. There are three different "flavors" in common use today:

- Computer-to-computer - This is certainly the easiest way to use one form of VoIP.  All you need is a computer,  the software, a microphone, speakers, a sound card and an Internet connection.  It was this use of VoIP that began widespread use of services like Skype.  Of course sitting at your computer to make a telephone call is not what most would consider for their normal telephone usage.

Recently, a variation on this type of service has come about.  The most popular of these is MagicJack, which provides you with a USB device and software that need to be used with your computer.  Again, this requires your computer be on all the time to function.  Additionally, the software, necessary for connection to their network, turns your computer into a desk top electronic sign, bringing constant advertising to a banner on your screen.  After all, someone has to pay for all those calls.

While computerized calling may work for business collaboration, it is not a practical substitute for traditional telephone service.  Imagine your computer getting a virus, or locking up and your phone service failing.  Computer based services were certainly part of the revolution that has brought VoIP to the mainstream, but like the outhouse, it's time to improve the plumbing.

- IP Phones - These specialized phones look just like normal phones with a handset, cradle and buttons. But instead of having the standard RJ-11 phone connectors, IP phones have an RJ-45 Ethernet connector. IP phones connect directly to your router and have all the hardware and software necessary right on board to handle the IP call.  They often offer extremely rich features found only on top level business systems. 

While they are extremely advanced, IP Phones are not the best route for most homes and small businesses who have come to rely on basic desktop, wall, or cordless devices.  Having a more costly telephone may offer much, but will you actually use it? 

- ATA - The simplest and most common way is through the use of a device called an ATA (analog telephone adaptor). The ATA allows you to connect a standard phone to your computer or your Internet connection for use with VoIP. The ATA is an analog-to-digital converter. It takes the analog signal from your traditional phone and converts it into digital data for transmission over the Internet.  It has a standard modular telephone connector for a single phone, or connection into the existing telephone network wiring in your home or office.

As VoIP grows to replace traditional telephone lines, you will see the ATA replacing the familiar grey connection box from the phone company.  No longer constrained by the limits of copper lines, we will see the convergence of multiple services into one seamless network in the years to come.