Make Calls And Lower Your Phone Bills By VoIP

Posted by Bilal Akram on April 5, 2010

In past making an international or a long distance call were considered to be a luxury however, thanks to VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) or simply Internet based telephone service, this is no longer the case.

VoIP enables you to call your family members and friends all over the world at amazingly low rates.

VoIP Services

Skype is one of the best VoIP services around, although there are quite a few other services available which will let you make phone calls over the Internet using your regular landline, mobile phone or your computer.

There are three kinds of VoIP solutions:

1. Hardware based – You get a dedicated router that sits between your Internet modem and your corded /cordless phone so you can make and receive phone calls just like before.

2. Software based – You install VoIP software on your computer or your web-enabled mobile phone and make phone calls via the Internet connection bypassing your phone company. It doesn’t matter if your mobile phone is connected to the Internet over Wi-Fi, GPRS, EDGE, 3G or Wi-MAX.

3. Web based – Web based VoIP services neither require any hardware nor software. You open the VoIP service provider’s site, type the phone numbers and you’re instantly connected.

Let’s take a deeper look at popular VoIP services that fall in each of these categories:

1. Dedicated VoIP Hardware

This is the best option for people who make frequent phone calls but doesn’t want to sit in front of their computer screens.

What you need is a router, sign up for the appropriate service (listed below), and connect the box to your internet and the standard telephone. Here are some of the best hardware based VoIP products that also provide you a traditional phone number so you can both place and receive calls through VoIP. Best Hardware based VoIP:

Ooma

Skype Phone

Vonage

2. VoIP Software for PC and Mobile Phones

In order to make VoIP phone calls through your computer, all you need is a headset with a microphone and one of the following programs:

Windows Live

Skype

Yahoo Voice

Pfingo

3. Make VoIP Calls with (or without) Internet

You can make cheap international phone calls over VoIP without even having an internet connection as long as you have a landline or mobile phone.

There are services that let you enter your phone number and the number you are calling on a website; your phone will ring, and when you answer it, it will automatically dial the number you wish to call. Services like:

Rebtel

Jaxtr

Jajah

Google Voice

Note: VoIP calls are generally cheaper than regular phone calls but make sure you have a decent broadband connection for better voice quality.