As you most likely know, VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) is a technology that allows you to make phone calls over a broadband internet connection instead of a traditional landline phone service provider, or POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service).

There are a number of services and devices which allow you to take advantage of the cost savings that this technology makes possible . I will go over three of the highest profile : Vonage, magicJack, and Ooma Telo.

Vonage is the most established of the three. It offers every traditional land line feature , and more.

Their most widely subscribed to calling plan includes unlimited calls in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico; cheap international rates to 60 countries; and a variety of handy features like voice mail, three-way calling, caller ID, existing number portability, the ability to take your number with you should you move, and a long list of other features.

Vonage’s one big negative is the price . Their popular “Vonage World” calling plan costs $25.99 per month. That’s cheap compared to a fixed-line phone, however , the main point of using VoIP is the economization . From that point of view , $25.99 a month seems a little steep . Vonage also provides business phone plans that are slightly more expensive , but still seem like they could save the average office lots of money. It seems to me that Vonage is a good way to go for an office , but leaves something to be desired as a residential phone service provider.

While Vonage has a lot in common with a fixed-line telephone service, magicJack is a whole new kettle of fish . The Magic Jack itself is a telephone jack that you plug into a USB port on your computer. Then all you have to do is set it up by following the prompts that will pop up on your computer screen. A soon as that is done , you can plug your standard RJ-11 phone jack-equipped telephone into the magicJack and start calling .

The most attractive thing about the magicJack is its price . The initial investment in this gadget is only $39.95, which includes the $20.00 purchase price and the first year’s service charge. After that, there is an annual service charge of $19.95. You heard right : $19.95 per year.

The other great aspect of the magicJack is its portability . At 113 x 55.56 x 13.65 mm ( 4.45 x 2.19 x 0.54 inches), It’s compact enough to carried in your pocket. It can be used  for making unlimited calls in the United States (including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands) and Canada from anywhere that you have access to a broadband internet connection–even if you’re overseas . Say for instance you are visiting Italy. You’d still have to pay Magic Jack’s international rates to call anybody there (currently $0.02 per minute to a fixed line phone, and $0.28 to a mobile), but you could call home for free.

One diadvantage is that it does not offer portability of your current land line phone number. In simple terms , you can’t transfer your home phone number to the magicJack. On the other hand , you can choose from a list of area codes and telephone numbers when you first set it up, and receive calls at that number wherever you are in the world.

A more annoying downside for most people is the fact that you can’t turn off the magicJack’s advertisements. The following is quoted from the terms of service agreement:

You also understand and agree that use of the magicJack device and Software will include advertisements. Advertisements will be served through the magicPage™ Software or the magicJack softphone – the software/softphone attempts to serve local advertisements and classifieds using a completely automated process that enables us to effectively target dynamically changing content. Our computers may analyze the phone numbers you call and your registration information in order to improve the relevance of the ads. We do not provide any personal information to our advertisers or third parties.

That sounds pretty annoying , but I guess it’s similar to a bad smell: after a while , you hardly even notice it. But that’s not the biggest negative point of the magicJack. The biggest downside , when thought of being a replacement for a traditional land line, is that it only works when your computer is on .

Lastly , let’s look at the Ooma Telo. From the aspect of being a replacement for a traditional home phone, the Ooma Telo is the best of both worlds .

Like Vonage, it works independently from your computer, so it doesn’t matter if your computer is on or off, or even if you have a computer. It’s also more or less stationary. That’s a good thing for somebody with young children. Nowadays, most people rely on their cell phones most of the time, but with young children in the house, it can be reassuring to have a phone accessible to anyone who might be looking after them, like parents or a baby sitter.

As with magicJack, Ooma Telo does not charge monthly phone bills . Actually , there are no phone bills at all. Once you buy the Ooma Telo box, you are only charged $11.75 a year for taxes and regulatory fees.

The box itself is very sleek, modern looking and includes an answering machine that uses capacitive sensing technology, so the buttons respond to the slightest touch of a finger .

On the downside, it lacks portability . You can of course take it with you in the event that you move house , but it’s not a device that you would carry about with you on a daily basis .

The disadvantage of the Ooma Telo is the initial investment . It is from $200.00 to $250.00. That’s not exactly a king’s ransom , but it will put a bigger dent in you wallet than the 40 bucks for a magicJack. On the other hand , when compared to Vonage, it will pay for itself in no time .

To reiterate the main points , Vonage is a solution that offers a seamless transition from a fixed-line telephone to VoIP (with the caveat that number portability is not available for some land line numbers) and a list of benefits that make it much more convenient than your land line phone service ever could be . But, it’s one of the most expensive VoIP providers.

MagicJack is very reasonably priced , but is not the best replacement for a land line:  it lacks existing number portability and doesn’t work unless your computer is on .

The Ooma Telo offers the best of both worlds. similar to  Vonage it gives you a seamless change over from a land line to VoIP (with the same caveat about existing number portability) and as with the magicJack, when you say “hello” to this VoIP provider, you can say “goodbye” to your monthly telephone bills. For more info and the best prices on the Ooma Telo, check out Ooma Telo.Net at http://www.oomatelo.net

Tags: vonage, telephone jack, voice mail, magicjack, voice over internet protocol

Voice over IP has become the indispensable face of communication in companies of all sizes. But the mode of communication has particular security issues that have to be considered seriously. A number of safety threats exists among which the denial of service, spit and fraud stand out as most dangerous. However you will find methods to safeguard your company from the severe threats.
Distributed denial of service otherwise known as the DoS attack is the most severe threat to VoIP. Any web connected device and works would be affected by flooding networks with spurious traffic or server requests. The attack is usually caused by machines that have been compromised by a virus or other malware. The entire system grinds to halt and also the impacted servers are unable to process any valid requests as a result of massive improve in traffic. Particular DoS attacks specifically target VoIP services but the real time nature of voice traffic means they have a massive impact. Generally the users would detect drop off in service high quality and eventually the IP handsets stop working.
Even though it is very tough to defend the networks against DoS assaults, company can cease their machines from becoming part with the issue by updating antivirus software and also by installing firewall. The impact of these attacks could be mitigated by maintain good network practice like changing login defaults and using firewalls. Also businesses have to look carefully at their VoIP infrastructure and make certain that all unnecessary applications are removed.
Soon after considering the network vulnerabilities mentioned above, attention should be given to possible danger of spam over internet telephony or spit. There is really a palpable fear that VoIP would suffer the same fate with the email spam. And 1 of the main downsides of VoIP spam is that email anti spam methods would not work for it. In this scenario, the possible threat posed by spit is making persuading vendors to develop alternate anti spam solutions. The solution would filter the calls that come in the network and check if it is a spam call by verifying the source.
There is a significant area where the malware can pose a serious problem for VoIP users. The biggest concern for business would be the premium rate fraud where hacker enters the telephony program and make calls towards the premium rate quantity. This kind of fraud isn’t a new thing as PBXs have already been vulnerable to these assaults. Such type of fraud attacks are particularly a menace towards the consumers than to companies since the fraud methods used in e-mail phishing would be honed in voice calls. You will find much more chances of huge fraud in voice phishing as people tend to merely trust the telephone messages than emails. There have already been some phishing attacks that use a combination of email and also voice for getting credibility to the scam. Even although the safety threats faced by VoIP are real, the businesses can ensure the safety with the voice communication by taking correct precautions.

Tags: service, denial of service, safety threats, device, server

What do you want your cell phone to do for you? When it comes time for a cell phone upgrade, this is a good thing for buyers to consider. Back in the day, the only reason a person needed a cell phone was to make phone calls. Over time they also started to want to take pictures, send text messages, listen to music and access the internet. With a smart phone you can do all of the above and more. Playing games, checking the weather report and making phone calls are only a few of the countless things you will be able to do on this phone. Choosing a phone from the top Android phones that’ll suit your needs will depend on what you want out of the phone. Here are some of the highest rated Android phones available now.

A highly esteemed Android phone available on the market is the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini. This phone is built on a slightly different model with no name change. The mini is more or less a compressed version of the phone is it modeled after. This phone functions with the Android 1.6 operating system by Google and combines it with the UX interface by Ericsson.

With a weight of less than one hundred grams, the phone features a touch screen of only two and half inches in size. Despite its small size, it has tons to offer. The phone is equipped with a five-megapixel camera and a 3.5mm headphone jack that allows you to listen to music already stored on your phone.

The HTC Desire is a crowd-pleaser among the Android phones. This Android phone uses a Nexus One handset that was produced by Google. Essentially, the HTC Desire is an enhanced version of its original model. Equipped with an Amoled WVGA display, the screen is almost four inches big. It uses a snapdragon processor which operates on the Android 2.1 operating system. This phone also employs the use of Adobe Flash (the 10.1 version). To help the user operate the system, the screen is a touch screen that features optical joystick and track pad technology.

A rather popular model of the Android phone is the Samsung Beam i8520. The phone uses Android technology for its operating system and it features a pico projector. Essentially, users of this phone can use it to project just about anything from their phone onto a wall. It makes the days of lugging around a giant projector a thing of the past. It also has smart phone technology – the Android operating system mentioned previously as well as the Touch Wiz skin invented by Samsung. The camera in this phone is 8 megapixels which makes it better than most handheld digital cameras!Its beneficial to check out the free android applications Apple’s iPhone has competition from other manufactures, after Google built the Android system. Noticeably, the Android is a big time competitor with Apple and has now allowed other cell phone companies an opportunity to provide comparable smart phones to people who want to upgrade from their current phone to something more wise and cultivated. The bottom line is, cell phones are no longer used exclusively for phone calls. Now they take photos, play music and connect to the internet. If you decide you’d like an upgrade for your cell phone but are hesitant if the iPhone is meant for you, the Android powered phone is a great alternative.  keep in mind that you have got to use a android mobile phone

Prior to the introduction of SIP network system, the process for making phone calls is dependent highly on distance.

Learn more about SIP network technologies today.

For instance, if you call overseas, you will have to spend so much on telephone bills. Whereas if you only call your neighbor or someone within your town, you might even get your phone call for free.

The call alone is not actually expensive, it is the processes done to support the telephone lines that are quite pricey.

Although the creation of the SIP network system brought forth more complicated technicalities, it actually provided much comfort and convenience for the users. Before all else, what does SIP network really mean and how can it precisely help phone calls? Session Initiation Protocol or SIP is a type of technology used in attaching your typical telephone system to the internet.

In other words, if you get a SIP service, your phone calls will not just directly flow through normal telephone lines anymore. Instead, they will pass on to your SIP-set computer or phone and will be routed to wherever they need to go using the internet connection.

So when you acquire SIP network system for your home or office, you will no longer need to worry about long distance charges or low-quality phone servicing. Because with SIP, your calls are conducted through the internet. And just as how the internet could promise steady and quick connection equally all throughout the entire planet, you can expect more advantages on your side.

Then again, getting this kind of service requires a lot of assessment from your part. Some features of the SIP network, though, can only be beneficial in some terms. For instance, its multiple call capacity may be a big addition if you have a company with a lot of branches. But if you don’t the you might be simply wasting your money. Of course, the decision lies solely on you and your needs, so just decide wisely.

Find out more on SIP providers.

When the information technology department plans for upgrades, especially a VoIP deployment, a lot of attention is focused on servers, applications, switches, routers, and network security. Just about no attention is paid to the core network services that provide users access to all these splendid systems, and are in all cases essential for VoIP to even work at all.

If users are unable to get to the applications that they need over the network, or if customers are unable to access the Internet-based Web services or applications that they need, all business transactions come to an immediate stopping point . Since application access is so necessary, it is worthwhile to look at how to make sure everything in the system works properly.

There are four core network services that have to be up and running for users to be able to get to their applications. These are:

1. DHCP stands for Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. This service is what gives the user an IP address on the internal network when they connect. No network communication can happen without having an IP address, as well as the other information that the DHCP service provides, which is a default route and the IP addresses of the DNS servers. What most people don’t know is that most often the DHCP service is handled by a non-redundant Windows box , or by a router that provides almost no visibility into the operation of the service. DHCP is necessary for VoIP systems.
2. DNS stands for domain name service. This service is what changes simple to remember names on the network, like a URL in an application , to the IP addresses that the applications running on computers can’t do without . Without DNS, any network-based applications cannot be used. DNS is most often provided centrally by redundant windows servers, and externally by multiple small Linux boxes running BIND. Unfortunately, sometimes the Windows DNS service has stability issues, and it is tedious and error prone to change the BIND settings on the Linux boxes.
3. NTP stands for network time protocol. There are many applications that need the correct time on the servers and workstations, especially SIP-based voice applications and network security programs . NTP is in most cases served from redundant windows servers.
4. IPAM stands for IP address management. It is important to have an overall IP address organizing method in order to ensure that DHCP and DNS are working properly. Entire new subnets are added in a VoIP deployment, so this is especially high priority then.

As you should be able to see, high availability core network services are a very important to the correct operation of everything on the network, and especially VoIP. In your next upgrade planning cycle, it is beneficial to look at upgrading the availability of the core network services of DHCP, DNS, NTP, and IPAM.