Do You Really Need VoIP?

With this in mind you will have to look at your phone bill and your internet usage and decide whether VoIP is worthwhile for you.

- If you make a lot of phone calls generally you will find VoIP is more than justifiable and will quickly pay for itself in the savings you make.

- If you are an average phone user, but are an avid broadband internet user, you are already halfway there so the cost may still work out in your favor.

- If you live regionally but do have access to broadband, the savings you make in National and STD calls will quickly justify VoIP service.

- If you are looking for a cheaper way to implement VoIP a software based VoIP phone, or "softphone" such as x-ten lite or SJPhone might be a cheaper option than that of a hardware VoIP solution.

- If you don't make many phone calls and/or don't use broadband much the overall cost of VoIP might not be necessary.

Getting Started with VoIP

Ok, so you want to go ahead start using VoIP, so you will need the ingredients I mentioned earlier. Each of these are worth thinking about so choose each carefully and with the right combination you will be onto a good thing.

• A Broadband Internet Connection - VoIP will work on a 64 or 128k ISDN connection, however for good Quality of Service (QOS) a 256k connection is recommended at least. These kinds of speeds can be achieved with DSL, Cable, Satellite and Wireless connections all of which are outside the scope of this website. A good starting place for comparing Australian broadband providers is Whirlpool.net.au.
• A Hardware or Software based VoIP Phone - VoIP Handsets can look just like regular phones except they can plug into your broadband router, hub or your computer instead of the regular phone line. Like most things they vary in price from the simple and cheap to the elaborate and costly. A popular solution, is the Analog Phone Adapter or ATA which allows you to use your normal phone but also is connected to your broadband router or hub and will route calls accordingly. As time goes by, we hope to compile and review various options for both Handsets and ATA's in order for you to make an informed decision.
• A VoIP Provider - To start using the VoIP service, you need to subscribe to a VoIP plan, much the same way you select an internet plan based on your usage. In order for you to make the best decision based on your needs, we have compiled a list of providers and plans that allow you to compare and consider the benefits of each in order to assist you. Click Here for our VoIP Price Comparisons.

For more information on VoIP visit our VoIP FAQs and for a description of some of the services available from VoIP providers see our VoIP Services Explained section. If you have any queries that have not been answered please feel free to contact us.