VOIP Phones

By Prasad Cheruvannur

As technology is advancing, we have seen bigger reductions in phone rates and in our bills. I still remember the days when Telstra (Australia) used to charge me 2.20/minute on each call I am making to India. There is heavy competition in nowadays and now some providers are charging only 11 cents. If you are prepared to buy a telephone card then it will be much cheaper. If you are having broadband internet now you can use voice over internet phone technology (VOIP) to reduce your bill further or to nil.

How to setup VOIP service

1. Computer:-One method is through computer, by downloading and installing any soft phone program. This will cost you nothing to setup. However, the disadvantage is that the computer must be on to make and receive a call.
2. Modem:-The other methods are buying a voip enabled modem or voip adapter and connecting a normal phone to this device, or buying an internet phone itself. By this method, you will be able to call anybody through VOIP and you will be able to receive the phone calls without the help of computer. There are VOIP modems with multiple sip facility, which will enable you to register with multiple service providers. This article explains how to set up VOIP modem in your house to make VOIP calls.

SIP Account providers

Now you have to visit any sip provider and register or subscribe an account. So many free sip providers are there, who will allow you to call any broadband internet phone free of charge through them. There is also paid service providers who will allow you to call any PSTN number (Normal phones) with very low rate and VOIP phone free of charge. For example you call to USA, Singapore, Canada and Australia for 8 cents untimed from anywhere in the world. To call India you will have to pay 4 (US)cents/minute.

Free sip providers

Here is some free sip providers. Please Google for more free sip providers.

1. IPTEL.ORG:- Subscribe (not register) to their service so that you can call any Internet phone in the world free of charge.
2. Draytek.org:- this is also another free service provider, which allows you to register free account with them. They also have a paid service which will allow you to call any public phones at a cheaper rate than the normal phone

Paid service providers

1. pennytel.com:- Pennytel provides paid sip service with high quality of voice. You can call around 37countries just for 8 cents/minute. Also pennytel to pennytel is free of charge
2. justvoip.com:-justvoip.com and voipwise.com provides free calls to67 free countries including USA, Australia and Canada. But the quality of the voice and quality of customer service is very bad.

Modems:

There are number of VOIP modems are available, if possible get a voip modem with multiple sip account. This will help you to register one free sip account and one paid account simultaneously. I found draytek modem is having up to 6 sip accounts. Also Netcom, netgear, simens voip modems are available.

Setup voip modem

1. Connect the broadband line to the modem, Connect any normal phone to the voip port of the modem and connect the computer (Only for set up).Please read the instruction book came with the modem to do this.
2. Go to the setup page of the modem (Read instruction book of modem to find out how to setup the modem) Connect to internet and make sure that the connection is OK by browsing on the internet. You may need to enter your username and password provided to you by your ISP in the setup page for this.
3. Once you are able to browse on internet go the VoIP setup page of your modem and enter your account number, the domain of the sip service provider, and the password of the account. Normally your sip providers will send your sip account detail and setup instruction to the registered email address provided while registering your account . Once you have done click ok and make sure you are getting register with the sip service provider. Almost all modem will show you the status of registration with sip provider. If not make, sure you are entered correct username, proxy, domain and password. Make sure no space added up while doing cut and paste.
4. Go to telephone book page and make a telephone dial book entries, so that when you dial a numbers on the connected phone the modem will dial the sip URL of against that number.

If above things has been correctly done you can make calls to anywhere in the world through VOIP now. If anybody calls you, your telephone will ring. You can switch of the computer now. But the modem/adapter must be always on, to receive the call. All telephone calls to other voip number all over the world are free from this phone.

Summary:

I am using Draytek modem in my home and making calls to India free of charge as I have installed VOIP in some house where we use to call heavily. Now my daughter used to talk hours to India without worrying for phone bill. I also make normal calls to India and Australia through pennytel.com

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