Voip? what is VoIP?
Voip allows you to make phone calls to and from various phone technologies, as long as your device can access the internet it’s probably capable of voip to some extent. The most common form of VoIP is SIP (session initiation protocol) this form logs into a server, listens for input from the server and periodically re-registers against the server, allowing the server to know the client is still available to handle calls. should the client not register the server can switch the calls to another location.
How does it work?
By converting your voice into a digital signal and transmitting it as data, you can send and receive your voice to other compatible SIP devices, just like an email or you tube video.
How do you know who has a compatible device?
By using a carrier, Everybody has a compatible device, your Voip calls are converted into the appropriate technology automatically.
so is it any good?
VoIP is excellent, using the g.711a codec (the default setting on many VoIP boxes) you can transmit your voice at 64Kb/s, only ISDN, a digital phone line, can match that. As voip uses the internet the only limiting factor on line connections is your slowest speed attribute, generally upload speed. A moderate and dedicated adsl 1 service will happily run 2-3 lines, a good shared adsl 2+ service could happily drive 4-6 lines. a dedicated dsl2+ service on a good-excellent connection could run 8-12 lines happily.
Impressive given all of this happens on the old line technology that only supported one phone line.... at a lower quality.
ie, pstn lines are 57.6Kb/s, a decent adsl2+ connection can support 8 lines at 64Kb/s, so 512Kb/s. SO that means your hosting 8 lines at higher quality than the original phone line they're being transmitted over. it's pretty nifty.
Why Change to Voip?
While there are many various reasons for the shift towards VoIP the main and most driving reason is simply Price, calls via VoIP are cheaper, “line” rental is cheaper, there is limited physical connection so the hardware costs are reduced, the Draytek 2820 ippbx is even a high end DSL router as well. The phones can be installed anywhere and logged on remotely, and other KINDS of sip based telephone are compatible, including softphones, software clients that allow you to use your pc or smartphone as an extension of the phone system.VoIP even allows for video calls, something regular phone lines cannot.