Article DetailsA Guide to IP Phone Technology Part Two |
| Date Added: March 19, 2009 01:24:28 PM |
| Category: VOIP |
| In part one of this IP phone guide we looked at the actual phone components and protocols involved in making a phone that can utilise VoIP. This instalment is geared more towards looking at the actual types of IP phone available as appose to how they work. Perhaps the most popular and easy to use of all the IP phones is the USB VoIP phone. Plugging directly into a USB port found on a computer, they use SIP/VOIP software to make phone calls via the internet. In reality, these phones are pretty simple but are incredibly easy to use. It is of course, possible to use VoIP directly on your computer using a software-based package that utilises you computers sound and microphone capabilities. A SIP/VoIP phone that is hardware based is another example of an IP phone. These look just like a regular telephone but instead of being connected to a telephone line, they are directly connected to a data network. Rather than using software package that has to be installed on a computer, hardware based IP phones come ready equipped carrying all the necessary means to make a call. Hardware based IP phones also come with a hub integrated so that network connections can be shared doing away with the need for an extra network point. There are also hardware based IP phones that use both VoIP and PSTN technology. These phones give the best of both worlds since these different technologies can be switched as and when is needed. For anyone who wants to keep their existing analogue phone but utilise VoIP technology will need to use an ATA adapter, which enables you, connect your ordinary telephone into on end and the VoIP system to the other. IP phones can also utilise video in that they are available with built in cameras so that video calls and video conferencing can take place if needed. Where not all IP phones have built in cameras, VoIP allows an additional web cam to be used alongside an IP phone in order to make use of the feature. Of course, it’s no good just talking about what IP phones have to offer. Let’s take a look at where we can actually purchase these phones. Big Box Shop is the ideal place to purchase not just IP phones from but a whole host of telephone, networking and video products to name but a few. An amazing range of IP phones can be found by simply visiting the website here. |
