To the telephony novice, the world of modern communication can be an intimidating place. In a world so acronym-laden and thick with trade-jargon, it can be tough to know just what it is that you’re reading about in the first place. If you’re a small business-person, it’s even worse (and let’s face it, who else is reading this?): not only are you supposed to be familiar with these technologies, you’re expected to be able to make informed decisions regarding their use and implementation.

Faced with the daunting array of telecommunications options, you’ve turned to that trusted informant and advisor of the contemporary techno-savvy citizen, the Internet. A quick search for ‘IP Telephony’ or ‘VoIP’ will reveal that it’s easy to find virtual heaps of “information” about VoIP or IP phones (try it now!), but it will also present as many problems as it solves. On the one hand you’ve got the technical articles that immediately lose the reader in thick forests of acronyms that only the technologically initiated can sift through, and on the other (in much greater abundance) you’ll get hundreds of thousands of matches (seriously, try it) which at best are links to places to buy something and at worst are thinly veiled advertisements, clumsily disguised as informative articles.

On the Internet, as in the rest of life, nothing is free. The problem is that every company would love for you to believe that the “quality” content they churn out is an act of pure altruism for the benefit of the consumer at large. I won’t insult your intelligence by pretending that I don’t have an ulterior motive. But today, friends, is your lucky Internet-browsing day! That fact that I’m not pitching any particular brand of anything gives me the rare opportunity to furnish information that I think you might actually find useful. Now that I’ve gained your trust, let me proceed.

So what exactly is IP Telephony, and how is it differentiated from VoIP? If you refer back to your hypothetical search, you’ll find that most companies simply don’t distinguish between the two – it’s just another synonym that their copywriters can use to avoid using the term “VoIP” too often. But there is a difference. IP Telephony, in it’s strictest sense, refers to the use of VoIP, likely in conjunction with other products and services, in a company’s communications network.

Let me put it another way. If a company is advertising VoIP and raving about what it can do for your business, take a good look at what it is they’re offering to sell you. All that VoIP means by itself is the capability to send voice data over digital lines. This could be as simple as a media gateway, or an IP enabled phone. IP Telephony depends upon VoIP, but VoIP is not IP Telephony.

Don’t get me wrong – this is a powerful tool, but by itself it is by no means the business revolution that is so often billed. If all you’re looking for is a way to cut down long-term telephone costs a little, that maybe all you need. Most companies, however, are looking for something a little more useful.

All the fancy extras that you’ll hear about – vemail, virtual call centers, mobile technology integration, and so on – are actually facets of an IP Telephony platform. IP Telephony refers to the actual service – the package deal from a provider including software, hardware, and knowledge that gives you something more than an advanced phone or a specialized router. When you really think about it, the idea of a company offering to sell you VoIP is an absurd one. That would be like a company advertising TCP/IP or trying to sell the concept of packet switching.

Most websites advertising VoIP are simply trying to capitalize of off a trendy buzzword. It is rare to find an actual IP Telephony platform for sale other than the industry standard (which for reference is Avaya IP Office), though they do exist. One such is a small business-oriented virtual call center affair by the company GotVMail called VirtualOne.

But of course, it’s not that simple. There is no standard differentiation in the terms observed by all technology providers (there seem to be few standards on the Internet at all), and this will inevitably lead to confusion. Many companies are as already noted simply trying to sell you an expensive phone by impressing you with the word VoIP, but some more legitimate businesses simply refer to their entire IP Telephony platform as “VoIP service.” Frustrating. It would be nice if we could trust companies to be honest with us, but it’s simply not the case. In the end, the burden of research falls squarely upon the consumer. Good luck.

David Roberts is a telecommunications and technology writer for voip-avaya.com where he struggles to make informed buyers out of the mindless masses of online consumers.

The Internet, as most people know it, is history.

It just seems like yesterday the Internet was just one
big mass of wires and cables; a glorified file sharing
warehouse with more than a few too many lines sticking out.
One enormous LAN party that just got out of hand, causing a ruckus
and spilling out down the block and around the world; creating too
many millionaires for no good reason and causing too many sleepless
nights surfing the neon pink.

The Internet quietly crept into every facet of our lives…
no subject or topic was left unexplored in this binary medium.
Suddenly, there it was, the authority on everything. Our lives
encyclopedia-ed to death by bits and bites.

But the Internet has always been perceived as a connected medium;
tied together by cables, servers and networks. Until now that is,
because now everything has changed. And it’s about time, the Internet
has been tied to the ground for far too long, it’s time for
liberation. Independence Day. Bring it on!

The Internet is going Wireless — for real this time.

There were a few false starts; you can Bluetooth yourself silly,
but you won’t get much further than 30 feet or so. The BlackBerry
is great but a little limiting. And Wi-Fi services have been around
for a long while but those were not really convenient, if you have to
find something; it’s not convenient. Finding a ‘hot spot’ is the
space age equivalent of finding a ‘needle in a haystack’; takes
way too much time.

What changes things, what has finally given the Internet its
liberation?

Verizon Wireless 3G EV-DO (evolution-data optimized) and other
companies offering similar services around the world. This new
technology will change how we view and use the world wide web.
Verizon Wireless began commercial operations in Oct. of 2003 and
is now expanding to over 125 million US consumers by the end
of 2005.

With download speeds of 400 to 700 kbps and bursts up to 2 Mbps,
3G has really given us wireless Internet this time. It has or will
turn the Internet into a truly wireless system that’s devoid of any
cables or lines and really make it omnipotent. It will be everywhere.
No space within our biosphere will be without the Internet very soon.

For now Verizon Wireless or 3G is mainly located in the USA but
this will quickly change as other 3G companies and systems start up
to fulfill the demand. Wi-Fi may play a role too but will it go the
way of the ‘Beta’?

However, this wireless universe could not be possible without one other key
element. The one element that also helped give the Internet its wings.
The answer might or might not surprise you. What really gave the Internet
its groove? Can you guess? Give up?

Finally, we come to the last element of this brand new liberated
Internet — the little notebook computer. Don’t underestimate the
power of this great little revolutionary device, it is doing for
the Internet what the cell phone did for the phone industry — making
it wireless, portable, and accessible anywhere.

It could even be argued that it was the little notebook computer
that gave the Internet its freedom. Finally cutting the cable and
freeing the web, once and for all.

Once we had a portable computer that we could tuck under our
arm and take anywhere; we naturally wanted to take the Internet
along with it. After all, a computer without the Internet is like
having Mickey Mouse without Disneyland — a real downer — any kid
can tell you that!

Once the notebook or laptop computer gained in popularity, the demand
for a wireless Internet grew right along with it. The portability
factor being a strong selling point for both the notebook and the
Internet.

Likewise, in order to take full advantage of each of them; for
business operations, for personal communications, for emailing, for
web surfing… a wireless portable Internet was the obvious
next step. They compliment each other perfectly and one is not
completely whole without the other.

Technology has created this unholy trinity (the Internet, wireless
connections and the notebook computer) to fulfill our need for a portable
communication system that we can take and access anywhere. Until now,
the Internet was limited, tied to cables and wires…it never really
got off the ground!

But watch out; the cables are cut, the training wheels are off, the
bells are starting to ring real fast and this child has found its groove.

Every time a notebook opens, the Internet gets its wings!

————–
Copyright © 2005 Titus Hoskins of BWMagic’s Marketing Tools & Resources
This author’s articles have appeared on such sites as ‘Thetechzone.com’,
‘Promotionworld.com’ and ‘Addme.com’. Visit Notebook Reviews and Guide
to find out more about notebook computers. This article may be
freely distributed if this resource box stays attached.
————–

Many people are hearing for the first time about VOIP. VOIP, or voice over internet protocol, is a method of talking on the phone through the use of the internet. It works by taking analog audio signals and turns them into digital data which can then be transmitted over the web. Sounds confusing? Really, it is simple and very interesting. This technology has been developed and used extensively. Today, more and more people are switching their long distance service away from traditional means and focusing them on VOIP simply because it offers high quality and, get ready for this, affordable prices!

In effect, it allows you to get free phone calls through your internet connection. In fact, you can use VOIP instead of using any of the phone company products and therefore you do not have to pay them for what you can get for free using VOIP. Sounds great, doesn’t it?

There are several providers out there that are now offering VOIP service. In fact, some of the traditional phone companies are realizing that this is the way of the future for their business and are developing networks across the United States. Although the technology for the VOIP system has been around for a while, not many carriers put it to use. But, Vonage is one of those that did. And, they have a growing percentage of individuals on their plans now. They are growing because this is an affordable way to make phone calls. Many see VOIP as the phone systems that will be used well into the future.

How Do You Do It?

There are several ways in which the phone call using VOIP can be used.

 The first and most common is ATA. This is the simplest method. It allows you to plug into the computer using a analog telephone adaptor. You will plug your standard telephone into the ATA and then plug the ATA into the computer. As you can see, this sounds simple and works well for most. There is software that is needed to configure the system but like most other programs it is relatively simple to use.

 Another way to use the VOIP service is through IP phones. These phones look just like traditional phones but have special adapters on them. The phones will connect to the computer using an RJ-45 Ethernet connector. This way, they can plug directly into your router. The phones themselves have all the necessary technology stored on them. Soon, you will find that there will be phones that use Wi-Fi connections in that they will allow you to make VOIP calls anywhere there is a Wi-Fi hot spot.

 Lastly, there is even an easier method for using VOIP. Computer to computer systems are available that allow you to never pay for any long distance phone calls again. Using a microphone, speakers and a sound card that your computer may already have, you can talk via the internet to anyone else. In most cases, there is no charge for these calls besides those of paying for your internet service.

Why Should I Have It?

We have talked about how it works, but why should you switch to a VOIP service? The fact is that this system is one that allows for the most affordable pricing of any long distance phone service. Let’s face it, that is what most people are looking at. But, there is more to it than just that.

 You have flexibility in the use of your VOIP service as well. You can take your adapter with you to virtually any location around the world that has broadband technology and hook into your home service. You can also use your computer to make calls anywhere it can get on the internet. As long as you have a microphone and speakers, you are set to use your VOIP service.

 Features. There are just as many and more features that can be used through the VOIP service. Such things as caller ID, call waiting, three way calling and repeat dialing are available through the VOIP service. Call forwarding, voicemail, or even screen your calls using the service, are all options that you’ll have as well. In fact, you can check your voicemail online or send emails with attachments.

 It is also easy to use. Once you get through the initial installation process and become familiar with how the system works, you are sure to be able to take advantage of it fully. It is as simple as doing what you do now.

VOIP is the telephone system of the future. There is little doubt that you will see it used more and more so in business and in homes around the world. Take advantage of the huge savings that this system can offer you and you’ll see just why so many want to take advantage of VOIP!

For more information about voip technology visit http://www.voip-voice-over-ip-info.com/. You may freely reprint this article on your website or in your newsletter provided this courtesy notice, link and URL remain intact.

Hurricane Wilma Put Me Out Of Business For A While
———————————————–
WinXP Routing – My consulting services business is heavily
dependent on Internet access. Without it, I am pretty much
dead in the water. Since I cannot afford an enterprise
satellite backup link, I came up with a more economical way
of keeping my network online in the event of a critical
infrastructure failure. We experienced such a failure on
October 24th, 2005 courtesy of Category 3 Hurricane Wilma.

Verizon, and other carriers, offer wireless (digital /
analog) access pretty much anywhere in the US. Download
rates for this type of “mobile” Internet access can burst up
to 2Mb/sec but typically float around 768Kbps. This is still
a respectable speed if you find yourself without a working
wired Internet connection.

It’s one thing to have a laptop with wireless Internet
access anywhere, anytime, but quite another to have that
same access for your entire home / small business. However,
it can be done, and this is exactly how I stayed connected
during Hurricane Wilma.

How To Configure A Laptop As A Wireless Internet Access
Point
———————————————–
Note: I am making the assumption that you already have a
basic understanding of IP routing as well as how to use the
Windows registry editor. You will also need to install and
configure a proxy package, such as winproxy (I actually used
an older version that performs Network Address Translation
using the VZAccess Valid Internet IP assigned by Verizon as
the hiding address). This allows the computers on your
internal network to access the Internet. Optionally, you
could install Windows 2000 Prof / Server which can perform
Internet connection sharing.

I have a relatively new HP/Compaq laptop running Windows XP
SP2. I ordered the VZAccess card (aprox $149) and the
monthly services (aprox $59.99) from Verizon . The VZAccess
card installs in the PCMCIA slot and the laptop already has
an integrated 10/100/1000 Ethernet controller. This
effectively gives me two Ethernet cards. All routing
devices, in this case my laptop, must have at least two
Ethernet cards to route between networks, in this case, my
home office network and the Internet.

The internal network card, the real Ethernet port integrated
into my laptop, was assigned an address such as
192.168.0.254/24 (to be my default gateway for all my
internal computers) and the VZAccess card is dynamically
assigned an IP address from the carrier.

The real trick is what needs to be done to make WinXP Prof
act as a router. In order to do this, you must make a
registry change. For those of you with little experience in
making registry changes, I must tell you that if you make a
serious mistake, you run the chance of really messing your
system up. There are Proxy packages that can take care of
this for you, and do not require this routing change.

Configuring Windows XP Professional To Route IP
—————————–
In order to make Windows XP Prof performing IP routing
between network segments, you need to perform some changes
to the Windows Registry.

At the Start -> Run command, type regedit and press enter.
“HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesTcpip
Then navigate to the following Parameters”. Selected the
“IPEnableRouter” entry, which by default will have the value
0, and change it to 1. Close the registry editor, and reboot
your system.

When the system reboots, it will be able to route traffic
between your internal network and the Internet (Your
Wireless card). Of course, you need to adjust your DNS
information to point to an appropriate Domain Name Server on
the Internet. All of your internal workstations / systems
must point to the internal network card / IP on the laptop
as the default gateway.

Conclusion
—————————–
This seems like a pretty easy setup, and it can be if you
have a good understanding of routing and network address
translation. The goal of this article was to demonstrate
that you can configure a pretty inexpensive solution that
can keep you connected in the event of a communications /
power failure. Of course, there are other things to
consider, for instance, we were without power for 7 days,
however, we had a gas generator that kept us going. The
bottom line is, where there is a will, there is a way. And
the way for me was the Poor Mans Wireless Internet!

You may reprint or publish this article free of charge as
long as the bylines are included.

Original URL (The Web version of the article)
————
http://www.defendingthenet.com/newsletters/WinXPRouting-Sta
yingOnlineDuringHurricaneWilma.htm

About The Author
—————-
Darren Miller is an Information Security Consultant with
over sixteen years experience. He has written many
technology & security articles, some of which have been
published in nationally circulated magazines & periodicals.
If you would like to contact Darren you can e-mail him at
Darren.Miller@ParaLogic.Net. If you would like to know
more about computer security please
visit us at http://www.defendingthenet.com.

There are many types of VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) protocols that are employed by the VoIP providers currently providing VoIP calling plans. Luckily for the consumers, the VoIP providers have listened to what functions the consumers want in their Voicemails. Almost all of the VoIP providers provide Voicemail with the standard VoIP calling plan. The special feature of the VoIP voicemail plan is in how the consumer can access his/her VoIP voicemail message.

In general, there are 4 ways in which a VoIP consumer can access their voicemail. When you add the four ways up, you will be able to access your voicemail from virtually anywhere.

First, you can access your voicemail through your primary VoIP telephone by dialing *123 or some other combination of numbers (VoIP voicemail access code varies by provider). The automatic attendant will let you know how many voicemails you have and walk you through retrieving all of your new voicemails and saving/deleting your old emails. It is quite a slick system.

The second method is via a local voicemail access number, where you can call a local telephone number from any telephone (Cell phone/Land line/ VoIP phone). When you dial into your local voicemail access number, the auto attendant will ask for you to punch in your VoIP phone number and password to be able to access your VoIP voicemail system.

The third method is through your VoIP provider online account management portal. You can go to your Provider’s VoIP homepage and access the “Customer Login” portal by typing in your username and password. Once into the portal, click on the Voicemail tab and you can listen to your new voicemails over Internet connection.

The fourth method, and possibly the most useful, is every time you get a new VoIP voicemail, you are sent an email. That email will state that you have a new voicemail from your VoIP account, the date the voicemail was received, and an attachment of the voicemail as a .wav file. One outstanding feature is that you can save the .wav file on your computer’s hard drive and email the voicemail to friends, family, or coworkers.

The above are generally how most VoIP providers give consumers access to their voicemail (but not all). Be sure to check each VoIP provider for how they provide their consumers access to their voicemail.

VoIP voicemail service is only one of the things to consider before choosing a VoIP solution. In fact, there are many things to consider when choosing a VoIP provider. An educated consumer generally results in a satisfied consumer. Please see our VoIP: Things to consider article to find a list of more things to consider when choosing a VoIP provider. You can Compare VoIP providers side-by-side at www.VoIPChoices.com.

Chris Landry is the foremost authority on residential and small business VoIP providers. Chris is the founder of http://www.VoIPChoices.com. Chris has prequalified several high-quality VoIP providers and compares them by price and features at http://www.VoIPChoices.com. Chris can be reach via email at Chris@VoIPChoices.com.

What is the best way for you to get cheap internet access that still suits the needs of people like me? Getting access to the internet in today’s world is almost a necessity. I know I could never live without my internet access. At the same time, though, if you are like me you don’t want to spend a fortune on your internet. Getting cheap internet access is possible. You just need to know where to look and how to get it.

Whether it is the purchase of cheap internet access or anything else, you need to first assess your needs. How much time are you going to be spending on line? How often will you need to log on and how fast do you need to get on once you get to your computer? These are questions you need to ask yourself so that when you go looking for cheap internet access you will know what you need to look for. Cheap is relative and will depend on what your needs are. For instance, you can certainly find a cheaper internet connection that is dial up and pay by the minute than if you need a high speed connection. Once you have figured out what you need out of your cheap internet connection, you can move on to your search.

Ironically, the best place to look for cheap internet access is on the internet. In order to start your search, find a connection somewhere. Check your local library or university to get on line and begin looking. Go to your favorite search engine and type in “cheap internet access” and see what comes up. Start sifting through the top sites and see if anything tickles your fancy in the way of service and price. If you know you need high speed connection, or want dial up, or some other specific need put that in your search as well to get the services more specific to your immediate needs.

The second thing you can do is check for local internet service providers. Many local providers offer cheap internet access that will have a local connection. With a local company you may have better access to tech support or customer service should you have a problem with your cheap internet access. The other place you should probably check is with local schools and businesses who may offer cheap internet access on the side in order to offset server prices. It may be a bit of a long shot, but you may be surprised how many businesses offer cheap internet access, but don’t advertise that they have it.

Finding internet access, and maybe even cheap internet access, is almost a necessity today. We communicate through email, research on websites, and seek out old friends on alumni message boards. Each time, though, we have to get on line first without breaking the bank. Cheap internet access is obtainable you just have to know what you are doing. Figure out what your needs are then begin with an online search. Also, check out local service providers and businesses to see if they offer cheap internet access to the public. Once you have done that, you will have your internet before you know it.

If you would like to view more of my articles on broadband internet, please feel free to visit my website on cheap internet providers!

Previously I wrote that VoIP was a good choice. If naked DSL or DSL without phone service is not an option for you, then VoIP can still be a good choice for your second or even third phone line. It sure comes in handy for your teenage children not to mention a home office. I recently sold service to a gentleman who wanted VoIP specifically for the ability to have a virtual number. His daughter recently went off to college in another state. He purchased VoIP service and signed up for a virtual number. He got a virtual number in the same area code that his daughter was in. This allows his daughter to call him at local charges vs. the long distance charges she would normally have to pay. Kudos’ to him for making his decision. Just another great benefit VoIP has to offer.

This weekend I was speaking with a friend of mine who recently purchased a home computer. He knew about my business and wanted to know his options for internet access. He also knows that I’m not just a big fan of VoIP but that I myself use it. His primary objective was internet access, secondary objective was VoIP. Here’s where the choices, for him, weren’t so straightforward.

First off, his current phone provider is the local cable company. He doesn’t use cable TV, rather he uses satellite TV. This current scenario meets his needs. He’s a huge sports fan and not about to give up his satellite TV because of the sports packages. Do you know anyone else in this type of situation? I told him that ‘normal’ DSL is out of the question. Our local RBOC won’t allow DSL access without phone service. What about naked DSL? Yes, my company has recently signed up a couple providers offering naked DSL, but the price is a bit higher. About the same as cable internet access would cost when you don’t have cable TV service. In both cases, naked DSL and cable access, the monthly fee was more than he’s willing to pay.

Well then, that was our dilemma. His existing setup won’t allow for either DSL or Cable without him spending more than he wants per month. A switch to cable TV service with cable broadband access won’t work for him either. He just doesn’t want to give up the satellite TV sports package. So what to do?

His options, as it were, are limited. I asked about his phone habits. How many local and long distance minutes do him and his family use? His child is fairly young and his wife’s family lives in the area, so long distance minutes don’t come into the picture. That leaves local calling. I have a bundled service I could offer him, but guess what, YEP, the RBOC ‘will’ allow a competitor to offer local service BUT the RBOC will ‘not’ allow that competitor to offer DSL.

He was trying to avoid the local RBOC, which is why he switched to cable phone service a few years back. Now, although he does have choices, the only thing to meet his budget is to cancel cable phone service and go back with the RBOC. Once phone service is active, then I can get him DSL access. DSL access from the local RBOC’s is really dropping in price so he can get his first 6 months at a very reasonable price. Even after that 6-month period, the rate is reasonable as well. This solves his primary objective to get high-speed internet access but doesn’t solve his secondary objective to get VoIP. He has no use for a second phone line so that’s not an option.

Since the FCC has mandated that RBOC’s need to offer naked DSL in roughly 3 years time, that’s actually going to work for him. After that 3-year timeframe his young child will be in high school. He’ll have more choices in just a few years. So, for this case, he doesn’t get everything he wants at the budget he can afford. Rather he solves his primary objective of internet access for now and will go for VoIP once the prices of naked DSL come down.

Although this is doable, it’s really a shame. It may be rare and it was the first time I’ve personally run across this type of situation. Phone from cable, TV from satellite works great for him, but because the phone companies and cable companies don’t play well, he looses. I will show him how to make his long distance calls from his computer, but for VoIP as a primary phone service, he’ll need to wait. Sometimes the decision to use VoIP is not such an easy choice. (For now)

Provided by the FullService Broadband Provider – http://www.fullservice-broadband-provider We provide unbiased and informative information on broadband and communication products and services. Our free service is possible through Try Right Technology, Inc. http://www.trighttech.com

Life has not been the same with the invention of the internet. It has changed the way we communicate and live our lives. High speed internet is so called, as it has a high rate of data transmission. Customers get connections at bandwidth of 256 kilobits or more. It is often called Broadband Internet access. These days the broadband implementations are up to 30 Mbit/s, which is several hundred times faster than those times when internet had become popular such as ISDN and 56 kbit/s. It even costs less than ISDN, and sometimes no more than the cost of 56 kbit/s; though the rate may differ from country to country.

Broadband connection means 56 kilobits/sec in at least one direction, and this bit rate is accepted all around the world. Broadband can also mean lower-bitrate transmission methods, as specifically no bitrate is defined by the industry. Some Internet Service Providers (ISP) take advantage of this and market lower-bitrate connections as broadband. Advanced technology in broadband can simultaneously carry and process a good amount of information at a faster rate. This gives greater connectivity or better web access, as well as higher download speeds.

DSL and Cable Modems:

Broadband connection is usually delivered through telephone lines or through cable networks. The two most popular consumer broadband technologies are DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) and cable modem; both transmitting 256 kilobits per second or more, and starting at approximately four times the speed of a modem using a standard digital telephone line. Cable modems use your cable line for access to the internet. They can be cheaper than DSL. VDSL and pushing fiber optic connections are some other newer technologies that are opening up the possibility of higher performance for streaming data, such as audio and video streams, as they would permit speeds 100 times faster than the typical DSL or cable broadband connection.

Dial-up Internet Access:

In dial-up internet access, the client would have to dial up the ISP using a modem and a telephone line to establish a modem-to-modem link, which would then be routed to the Internet. This is used mostly in rural or remote areas where there are no broadband connections. This can be a time consuming process. Establishing a telephone connection and to perform handshaking before data transfers take place can take time. This way, the duration of the connection would incur costs. With modern dial-up modems the maximum possible speed is 56 kilobits/sec.

Advantages of DSL over Dial-up Connections:

DSL is faster – DSL has the advantage when it comes to speed. DSL modems are much faster than dial-up modems. DSL provides from twice as fast speed, up to 125 times faster than a 56 kilobits/sec dial-up modem. The only limit to the speed with DSL is the speed of the Internet itself and all the different computers attached to it.

No interference – Even though DSL uses your regular phone line, it doesn’t block your phone calls. You can also take and make calls while using the Internet. You do not have to log off the Internet to make a call, whereas in dial up connection you will have to log off to use the phone.

DSL is always connected – With DSL there is no need of a modem and you do not even need to dial up to do something online. You can check anything, browse through the web pages, check emails; your DSL connection will always be there.

Reliable – DSL is reliable as it is not dependant on your phone line, as phone networks always experience problems; unlike a dial-up connection where you cannot connect without a phone line.

In many countries now the governments have taken an active role in spurring broadband use, and help in building communications infrastructure for public utility like in highways or airports.

Visit High Speed Internet Services for more detailed information on DSL and High Speed Internet.

You did it! You’ve decided to leave dial-up behind for the speed of broadband Internet access. So, what are you going to do with all that speed now?

You’re really in a great position to fully enjoy all the web and Internet have to offer. Gone are the days when you’re waiting for a dial-up signal (remember all the busy signals you used to get on dial-up?) Gone are the long delays waiting for a page to load or in downloading those email attachments.

Access time, page loads and downloading email attachments are just the beginning. The benefits of broadband access far exceed that. You’re free to surf where ever and what ever you can imagine. Searches become so fast there’s not a topic anyone can thrown at you that you won’t be able to use your favorite search engine to lookup information on.

Online bill pay, shopping, gaming, streaming audio, video, uploads, downloads, research, chats, forums, instant messaging, blogs, the list goes on. Not sure what any of those terms mean? Go to your favorite search engine and type the word or phrase in and find out! The search engines are getting smarter and smarter and the result pages are more accurate today than they have ever been.

Don’t worry about online time. You may have had dial-up access that limited your online experience by placing time limits on you. After your limit was up, the cost per minute could get very expensive.

Looking to learn HTML, XML or a programming language? There are free tutorials all over the internet just waiting for you.

Surfing the internet and the web can keep you busy enough. With broadband internet access, your possibilities don’t stop there. You can setup a home network and run more than one computer on your connection at a time! No more fighting over who gets how much time online! Don’t have a second computer (or need one) at home? No problem. You also have the option of going wireless! (Ok, you could go wireless with more than one computer as well!) Wireless really breaks down the walls! (Literally!) My primary computer at home is a laptop and I love the freedom to be anywhere in my home and be online! No more wires!

Now, with your broadband internet service you’re surfing better than ever. You may have decided to hook up a home network. You might even consider VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) for your phone service and actually leverage the cost of broadband internet service by saving money on your monthly phone bills!

So many more possibilities await you.

If you’re not yet using broadband, find out what’s available in your area. Find out which vendors are offering what specials. Learn a bit about the technology, get your quote for service, get your service ordered and installed and start surfing the way it was meant to be!

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Voice-over Internet protocol (VoIP) services are certainly becoming more and more popular and for the most part it’s because they are a quality alternative to traditional landline and cell phone based calling plans. I’m no prophet but the future of the technology and how people make phone calls is definitely pointing towards VoIP.

As is the case with most new technologies trying to decipher through all the hype and claims is a daunting task indeed and with companies popping up left and right to grab their share of this ever increasing pie, it gets more challenging by the day.

So what do you do? Well, on the positive side, virtually all of these new web-based phone services (VoIP) are packed with features, including unlimited local and long-distance calls and yet, they cost less than most traditional plans. Another plus is how simple they are to set up. Most simply require that you plug your regular phone into an adapter connected to your computer.

Of course, what is and what isn’t essential in any plan is debatable but a few “essentials” you may want to consider when choosing which VoIP provider to go with are outlined below.

Connection Compatibility

One of the few VoIP requirements is a high speed connection but with the ever expanding reach of broadband into all parts of the country access to a high speed connection is no longer restricted to just the major metropolitan areas. That being said, all high speed connections don’t provide enough performance to handle IP calls, so before you start researching different service plans you should take a look at Test Your VoIP (http://www.testyourvoip.com) to see if your connection is up to snuff. The test is free and it should take less than 30 seconds.

Assess Your Calling Needs

You need to ask yourself a few questions before you go out and select a provider because if you don’t know what you’re looking for it’s pretty difficult to find it. A few questions you should consider are: What do you want most out of your phone provider? Are you looking to just cut costs?

A basic plan that offers a bunch of long-distance minutes is extremely inexpensive and if that’s all you care about perhaps that’s the route you should take. On the other hand, if you want business flexibility you should consider a small business package that costs more, but adds services like conferencing, a separate fax line, even an 800 number.

Want to take it on the road? Vonage (http://www.vonage.com) and others offer “soft phone” services, which let you make and receive calls on your PC. Another option to consider is where you place the most calls. If you make a ton of international calls, you might want to consider one of the smaller players like Lingo (http://www.lingo.com), Broadvoice (http://www.broadvoice.com) or CingUCel (http://www.cingucell.com) that offer unlimited dialing to select countries. Another nice VoIP feature is that most providers treat calls to Canada as domestic long distance. Determine where you call the most and then match the most appropriate service to your needs.

Feature Comparison

Virtually all VoIP service packages will exceed the minimal call waiting and voice mail bundles of traditional phone services. One example, CallVantage (http://www.usa.att.com/callvantage/index.jsp?) from AT&T may cost a bit more than some but it includes a useful call forwarding capability that will try to find you by ringing up to five different phone numbers when you aren’t home.

You’ll have to decide after shopping around whether you feel comfortable going with one of the smaller startups or if you should stick with one of the big players. With the big players you’ll usually pay $5 or $10 more per month more for the “peace of mind” of a well-known brand name like AT&T or Vonage (http://www.vonage.com) which are currently the two largest VoIP providers in the market.

Verizon VoiceWing (http://www22.verizon.com) is fairly new to this ever increasing niche but with its merger with MCI it operates under one of the biggest brands in the telephony world. Once again, it’s clearly up to you and your comfort level but if a service has fewer than 100,000 subscribers, you may want to look closely before jumping in.

Cold Turkey

Like all new technology VoIP continues to improve and the result is better call quality and service levels but switching cold turkey may not be the best idea. With many providers offering 30-day money back guarantees (always read the terms carefully) you can test the waters and ease into the transition. Initially, you may want to consider switching to VoIP on a second line and then, if you’re happy, make the full transition.

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Kevin Erickson is an entrepreneur and writer. You’ll find more of his work at: VoIP Solutions | Wireless Internet | Trade Shows