Yazir

Security is an obvious concern when it comes to any sort of technology, but even more so with any technology that is run through the Internet. Because VoIP runs through the Internet any information can be intercepted by anyone at any time. Because many things go through phone line, private information can wind up in the hands of the wrong person. Obviously, nothing is a one hundred percent guarantee because as fast as technology is made to keep information from getting in the wrong hands, the wrong hands are working to figure out how to break through those systems. Luckily, VoIP security is becoming more and more well rounded all the time and soon it’ll be so well done that even the best of the best won’t be back to get their hands on personal information.

One of the ways that most VoIP providers secure their customers personal information is through the tunneling and encryption process. These techniques keep hackers and those will ill intent from capturing information packets as they pass through the internet. Most VoIP providers use Layer 2 tunneling and an encryption method called Secure Sockets Layer or SSL to keep anyone from getting into the information they shouldn’t have. The security of VoIP will undoubtedly change and become more sophisticated as technology allows and consumers demand more security and more privacy. For some time to come VoIP security will remain a huge concern, just because it’s widely known that all information that passes over the internet could potentially fall into the hands of someone with ill intent.

Don’t let VoIP security issues keep you from getting VoIP services. The benefits of VoIP far outweigh the security risks. The bottom line is that you are more at risk every time you get online sending emails and paying bills than you will be every time you use your VoIP services. So, the features and convenience are well worth the small security risk associated with the internet access associated with it!

Laura Rupert is a freelance writer who contributes to The Tech FAQ

More than 70 percent of residential internet users in the UK consider high-speed broadband to be almost as essential as water or electricity, a new survey has revealed. This could be seen as a landmark in the evolution of the internet, as it now comes at par with other necessary utilities.

Chris Stening, Managing Director of Easynet Connect, which provides business broadband services, acknowledged this shift and added that businesses in the UK have held the same opinion for a long time now.

In May last year, Easynet Connect had conducted a study and found 71 percent of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) agreeing that they couldn’t run their business for more than a single day without broadband. With more and more businesses relying increasingly on the internet, this percentage is expected to have gone up significantly since then.

Stening explained that with the proliferation of online applications, the average home user and big companies alike demand not only fast internet, but a service that is reliable and has the ability to support a variety of requirements. He expects this trend to continue for a long time, as many of our functions like banking, communication, entertainment etc. are now performed online. As far as businesses are concerned, the productivity boost that the internet provides cannot be matched by any other medium.

What is ‘VoIP’?

Simply put, VoIP refers to the carriage of voice signals over the Internet. PC to Phone VoIP refers to using your ‘Internet-connected’ computer to make calls to conventional telephones around the world. Whereas traditional telephone calls take place over fixed line ‘circuit switched’ networks, VoIP calls are routed through the Internet using a far more efficient method known as ‘packet switching’. Whilst carrying voice data more efficiently via the Internet is a benefit, the main advantage that VoIP has is one of cost. For example, a typical PC to Phone VoIP call to a telephone in the United States from anywhere in the world generally runs at just a few cents per minute. Keep in mind, the clarity/quality of PC to Phone calls is usually as good and in many cases better than that of a comparable Phone to Phone call.

How can it be so cheap?

Herein lies the beauty of PC to Phone calls. By using the Internet to route your calls, long-distance charges imposed upon you by the major telecommunications companies (Bell, Sprint, AT&T, etc) are all but eliminated. Furthermore, many of the governmental levies and fees associated with using the highly regulated ‘traditional’ telephone networks are also avoided. The result? Extremely cheap, long distance calling to conventional telephones around the world with little or no loss of call quality.

So how does it work?

In a typical PC to Phone call, your computer receives your voice input via a microphone and then translates your voice into a ‘data packet’. This packet of data is then transmitted via the Internet to as close as possible to the physical destination of the telephone you’re calling. Your voice ‘data packet’ is then switched to the conventional telephone network and routed to the phone that you are calling. All of this data transmission, translation and switching takes place transparently and extremely quickly. Chances are that the person whom you’re calling would have no idea that you’re talking to them using your computer.

So what do you need?

In order to start making long-distance telephone calls using your computer, you’ll need a computer that’s connected to the Internet, a microphone and speakers (a headset with a boom microphone is ideal). It’s worth mentioning that although there are several companies that support both the Linux and Macintosh platforms (e.g., www.skype.com), the vast majority of PC to Phone software is designed for use on Windows’ compatible PCs. As far as your Internet connection goes, the faster the better (e.g., high speed Cable or ADSL). However, PC to Phone does also work on dial-up Internet connections (the way I access the Internet).

The next thing to do is choose a PC to Phone Service Provider. These are the companies that provide the software and infrastructure necessary for you to make calls to conventional telephones via the Internet. There are many Service Providers and each have their own benefits and rates so it’s a good idea to shop around. Almost all of them allow for pay-as-you-go usage (i.e., on a per minute basis) however some also offer unlimited calling plans to certain destinations for a low monthly fee. Some of the better known Providers include

net2phone.com

iconnecthere.com

skype.com

Once you’ve chosen a Service Provider, you’ll need to open an account and deposit funds into that account. If you’re reluctant to use your credit card online, many of the PC to Phone companies offer alternative forms of payment (e.g., PayPal, direct deposit, wire transfer, etc.). Next, you’ll need to download the ’softphone’ application from your service provider. A softphone is merely the interface program through which you dial the number of the person you’re calling and usually only takes a few minutes to download on even the slowest ‘dial-up’ Internet connections. Softphones generally resemble the keypad on conventional telephones and work in much the same way. Depending on your service provider, the manner in which you ‘dial out’ will vary. Typically, the softphone will take into account where you are in the world and adjust the dialing settings accordingly. In other words, you’d dial the exact same series of numbers into the softphone that you would if you were using a conventional telephone.

Once you’ve made a few calls to friends and family around the world using your computer, you’ll quickly realize the fantastic cost advantages of making ‘PC to Phone’ calls versus ‘Phone to Phone’ calls.

So what’s the catch?

Whilst PC to Phone is terrific, it isn’t perfect. There are some disadvantages that you should be aware of and these include:

a) Quality: If you access the Internet via a ‘dial-up’ connection (i.e., through a normal telephone line), you may experience call quality degradation if you are surfing the web and talking to someone via PC to Phone at the same time. In other words, the ‘bandwidth’ or ‘capacity of your Internet connection’ may be limited and this could affect your calling ability.

b) Echo: If you’re using computer speakers to hear the person you’re talking to, that person may hear an ‘echo’ of their own voice. This happens for reasons similar to that encountered with the ’speakerphone’ function on conventional telephones. At the same time as you hear that person’s voice coming through your computer speakers, your microphone will also detect the voice and re-transmit the signal back to the person you’re talking to. This ‘echo’ can easily be avoided by using either a computer headset or by turning your speaker volume down so as to minimize the chance of your microphone picking up and retransmitting the incoming voice signals.

c) Cost: If you’re calling relatively small and/or remote countries, you should check the rates of the PC to Phone Service Providers’ to those countries before signing up for their PC to Phone service. For example, calling a country like Fiji in the Pacific Ocean is almost as expensive using PC to Phone as it is using a conventional telephone. The reason for these high rates to certain countries is usually due to the PC to Phone Service Provider not having the necessary switching equipment (required for switching your call back to the traditional telephone network from the Internet) physically located in that country. In these scenarios, your calls are routed through the traditional telephone network for a good proportion of the distance they travel and as such they attract many of the long-distance charges that the traditional networks impose. If you’d like to call one country in particular, it’s definitely worth shopping around to find out whether prospective PC to Phone companies have the necessary switching equipment located in that country (and hence, can pass on the savings to you in the form of cheaper rates).

So give PC to Phone a try. You’ve really nothing to lose and have the potential to save yourself a lot of money.

Nathan Smith

Nathan is the operator of http://www.netphonedirectory.com – a directory of PC to Phone and free PC to PC VoIP Service Providers. Nathan currently resides in New Brunswick, Canada

Whenever there’s a new technology, there’s an almost immediate demand for technical support and this is true of VoIP systems. But where can you expect to get that support? It may be more available that you expect.

VoIP stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol and this emerging technology certainly appears to be catching on, especially in certain circles. Some major companies and industries are finding the advantage of implementing VoIP to create better communication systems, often at a lower cost than traditional telephone service. Very basically, VoIP allows users to make unlimited voice communications to anywhere without incurring long distance charges. The process is very similar to emailing, but with voice capabilities rather than relying on the written word.

Because this technology has some ties to existing technology, there are many people who are just a few steps away from being prepared to install, maintain, repair and trouble shoot the VoIP systems. Large companies especially may find that there are those within the organization who need a minimal amount of training in order to be ready for this task.

So what are your options when it comes to VoIP training? Actually, they’re not nearly as limited as you might think. For those who live in larger cities, you may very well find that there are seminars, hands-on training and workshops nearby. In those cases, you’ll be able to choose the intensity of the sessions based on how much (or how little) you already know.

If you have large universities or technical schools in your area, you may also find that these have some excellent training opportunities. Though there seem to be a limited number of colleges and technical training facilities that offer VoIP training as a regular curriculum item, there’s little doubt that it will come in the near future.

Distance learning is also an option in many areas. If you don’t find some VoIP training that you’re interested in available in your area, consult area universities, libraries or community programs about the possibility of establishing a VoIP distance learning class. There are several advantages to distance learning over correspondence or online courses. You have the opportunity to interact with the teacher and other students via an Internet connection (voice and video, as a rule). You also have hands on classroom experience and lessons, just as you would in a traditional classroom. There’s also the fact that you meet at a prearranged time on a regular basis for the duration of the course – a fact that many people find necessary in order to maintain their focus and to complete assigned coursework.

If none of these are available, or if you simply can’t commit to regular meeting times, you may find that online courses in VoIP is a great way to get the training you need. There are several options, so take time to consider those companies offering VoIP training to be sure you’ll have worthwhile information at the end of the course. If hands-on work is vital to your learning style, look for training that offers real-life situational exercises.

This article may be reproduced only in its entirety.

Scott Knutson is an entrepreneur and writer. For more of his articles visit: Internet Phone | Internet Phone Service | VoIP Service

Against popular belief and GSMA’s assurances, recession has finally hit the mobile broadband market. According to recent reports, the economic slump is making many major providers delay the launch of faster mobile broadband services.

The mobile broadband segment has been providing telecom companies with much-needed growth in these worrying times. The fact was highlighted in GSMA’s Leadership Summit, which boasted that mobile broadband could play a huge role in pulling the economy out of recession. But as the true extent of the economic turmoil is revealed, it is becoming increasingly clear that no industry is immune, and that includes mobile broadband.

Until recently many mobile operators had major plans for network upgrades and fresh investments into 3G and 4G. However, The Australian has reported that several operators, including T-Mobile and Vodafone, intend to delay their investments until the economic situation is encouraging again.

No one can deny the potential of mobilebroadband, but like many other industries with great prospects, it will have to wait for the economic conditions to improve until it finally fulfils its promise of sustained growth. This is bad news for the operators who were pinning their hopes on mobile broadband because their revenues from the voice segment are already stagnating and margins are coming under pressure.

Over 90% of computer phones (VoIP) are not secure because they use a public known codex (publicly known encryption of sound packets) and a publicly known protocol to transport voice conversations. Therefore, users of these type of services are unknowingly exposing themselves to anyone who wants to listen in or access their confidential information. In addition, because of the public openness, the user’s computer’s vulnerability can result in a costly computer crash and total loss of all information.

Peer-to-peer computer phones are on unsecure lines.

There are five areas to address when checking for Security when looking for a VoIP Service Provider. Here’s how a VoIP Service should protect your security, whether on dial-up, wireless, satellite, or cable connections.

1. Call Security: A VoIP service’s audio (your voice) should compress your voice into proprietary encryption packets to travel across the internet, and return back to voice at destination. That particular VoIP service should host proprietary software, and as such, the only one that can interpret the voice and data contained in those packets.

2. Computer Phone Identity: When your first download and install a VoIP provider’s computer phone, a confidential phone number and password should be given to protect against unauthorized installation. To protect against unauthorized installation, your computer phone’s setup process should combine the phone name and hardware data from the PC on which it was installed to create a unique ID string known only to that VoIP’s own server. Because of the association between the unique ID with that particular PC, it prevents one person from reconfiguring their VoIP service’s computer phone to spoof another. It also prevents someone from copying that VoIP service’s software to another PC and then using it without having gone through the password-protected installation process.

3. Client Server Model: The VoIP service should follow a client-server model. The client is the softphone offered by a particular VoIP service. That particular VoIP service’s Server should be behind a highly secure proprietary firewall hosted in a professional facility. Any information shared should therefore only be between the client and server of that particular VoIP service. This means, that unlike some peer-to-peer solutions, private information about “buddy” lists or call patterns, etc., remains entirely confidential.

4. Softphone Setup: Firewalls vary widely and each network configuration may be quite different. When a VoIP service’s softphone first initializes, it discovers its ability to reach that VoIP’s service server, as well as a variety of ports and protocols for placing calls, depending on the results of its discovery. In a strict environment, the VoIP service’s softphone uses the same path the proprietary firewall already permits for web browsing (typically TCP ports 80 and 443). This allows users to make calls from anywhere without compromising or reconfiguring their own firewalls.

The VoIP service’s softphone should be able to initiate conversations with that VoIP service’s server and keep the server updated as to its status. By doing this, no public IP address needs to be setup for the PC running the computer phone. It also enables user flexibility without concern about security or privacy when moving from network to network. The VoIP service’s computer phone should be compatible with Network Address Translation (NAT) and Port Address Translation (PAT), and the kind of dynamic addressing that is found in wireless “hotspots”, hotel internet access, and dial-up.

5. Monitoring Capability: A strong security model should include an auditing mechanism to monitor usage and activity. This means that each computer phone should include its own usage log, enabling users to look through their own personal history of inbound, outbound, and missed calls. In addition, the VoIP service’s website should provide users the ability to view all individual phone call charges using the already set up confidential number and password.

Dee Scrip and her close friend Andy Murray operate the website http://www.whypay4calls.com. Where you can experience a 7 day free trial with a secure line on patented technology. NO contracts, obligations, or hassles!

The growth of high speed Internet access coupled with the flexibility and lower cost of calls using VoIP in the UK has made this burgeoning technology very attractive to consumers. Internet telephony is now one of the fastest growing applications on the World Wide Web with around four million VoIP users in the United Kingdom alone, not including business subscriptions.

The first step that needs to be taken when thinking about getting an account is to research the available VoIP providers and the range of services they offer. Once the provider and service have been decided upon the next stage is setting up your account. This is a simple process but do bear in mind that you should check your service offers a local number. Some VoIP providers don’t cover every phone exchange in which case you are likely to be offered a number from the nearest exchange thats available.

Having a non-local number may not seem important when VoIP is used for outgoing calls, it will be an issue to your family and friends when they make long distance (or national rate) calls to speak to you even though they may live in the same road. There are some VoIP services that only offer non-geographic numbers, using codes such as 0870, 0845 or 056. In the case of non-geographic numbers some limitations exist: Calls to 0870 and 0845 numbers are prohibited from most landline, mobile and VoIP providers’ all-inclusive call packages. In the case of 056 numbers, it is not possible to call them from outside the UK at present.

Thought should be given to ensuring you have access to a landline as a backup. The reason for this is that if there is a power cut you are likely to lose your internet connection – because the router and ADSL modem need power – and your VoIP access too, because the VoIP equipment needs to be connected to the mains. There are some types of VoIP equipment that offer a “lifeline” function that will connect emergency calls, and all calls if there should be a power failure, to a landline. You should check this feature with your provider if you feel that you need to have this option included in your service.

Some VoIP companies offer services that allow you to pay for calls as you go while others offer a service that charges a single, all-inclusive fee. Plans offering unlimited local and national calls are also available for small businesses and for residential users. In the case of businesses additional features such as a free fax service are often included. There is a pricing option available to fit your needs.

Just contact the service provider of your choice and they will set up an account for you. The average person should be up and running with VoIP in about half an hour. Start saving money with VoIP today!

HTC really put their backs into the design of the HTC S620 creating a real design classic. Like other similarly priced models from HTC the design is quite cutting edge and would be appealing to a wide range of users. Compared to some of the more well known handsets for the price the S620 is quite functional, if a little basic.

Regardless of the fact that acquiring a great deal on the S620 is pretty easy, it can time consuming. There are a lot of vendors each offering a large selection of of deals from various mobile network operators. To quicken your search it is worth making use of a mobile phone comparison site to find the best deals on the HTC S620 .

The S620 has Polyphonic (40 channels), MP3 ring tones enabled plus a vibrating tone . The S620 is compatible with 2G GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 . The S620 is fitted with a 1.3 MP, 1280×1024 pixels, video camera. For those that need access to the Internet on the move a WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML (PocketIE), browser is included.To allow mobile Internet access a WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML (PocketIE), browser is included. A Standard battery, Li-Ion 960 mAh, battery cell is that is fitted to the HTC S620. Regarding battery cell life the HTC S620 has 220 hours reserve charge and 5:00 talk time. This mobile phone is very small. The HTC S620 weighs only 130 g,. A TFT, 65K colors display is fitted to this phone. This handset is bluetooth enabled making a number of devices compatible. Additionally the S620 has , Built-in handsfree, MP3/AAC player, Java MIDP 2.0, Organiser, Office document viewer and Video/audio album.

This is now quite an old mobile phone, but still does a great job. If you are offered one, in end of line clearance you could get yourself a truly fabulous deal.