Making PC to Phone VoIP Calls over Dial-Up Internet Connections

Theres a lot of hype these days surrounding Internet-based voice communications (VoIP) replacing traditional telephone service. Most of this revolves around companies such as Vonage who coin themselves as the Broadband Phone Company? So what about those of us who dont have a broadband connection? Just because you dont have high speed Internet, doesnt mean that you cant save a fortune by using VoIP for your long-distance calls. Whilst a broadband connection will usually result in more consistent VoIP call quality, comparable results can be achieved using a dial-up connection provided some simple guidelines are followed.

Shop Around

Not all VoIP service providers support dial-up users. Companies such as Vonage bill themselves as alternatives to traditional telephone service and shy away from the dial-up community (who are tied to those traditional?networks to access the Internet). Furthermore, some service providers only support dial-up above a certain speed (e.g., 56Kbp). Two companies whose VoIP softphone applications work well over low speed connections include Callserve and Go2Call.

Free-up?your System Resources

In order to ensure the highest call quality, close programs that are running in the background? For Windows users, these applications can be seen in the taskbar at the bottom right of your screen. Right-click?the icons and close those programs that arent critical to system security (e.g., dont close anti-virus software, firewall applications and the like).

If youre using Windows XP with user switching enabled, log off all users except the one that will be used to make the call. This will prevent the other user identities from running software and/or using your bandwidth while youre making calls.

Free Up?your Internet Connection

Given the limited data capacity of dial-up connections, its important that you devote as much of your bandwidth as possible to the VoIP softphone application. To achieve maximum call quality, dont do anything that uses your bandwidth whilst making calls. This includes instant messaging, checking email, using a webcam, browsing the internet, downloading, etc. In Windows, you can look at the two little computers in the bottom right of your taskbar to see whether your connection is being used prior to calling (the little computers illuminate when data is being uploaded and/or downloaded).

Scan your System for Viruses, Spyware, Adware and Malware

Some of these malicious programs can hijack your browser, tie up your internet connection and slow down your system (not to mention seriously invade your privacy!). I recommend AdAware for free scanning and removal of Spyware/Adware. Once youve checked and cleansed your system of these nasty programs, your virus definition files should be updated to minimize the chances of re-infection.

Use a Headset with an Integrated Boom Microphone

Last but not least, using a headset with a boom microphone should eliminate those annoying voice echoes often associated with PC to Phone calls. Echoes are caused by your microphone detecting the voice coming from your computer speakers and re-transmitting that voice signal back to the person youre talking to. By using a headset, the voice signals are limited in volume (due to the headset being directly adjacent to your ears) and thus the chances of your microphone re-transmitting?those voice signals is greatly reduced.

So there you have it. A Lack of high speed Internet neednt mean a lack of PC to Phone VoIP capability.

Nathan Smith

Nathan is the owner of netphonedirectory.com which deals specifically with PC to Phone and PC to PC VoIP. The site includes a comprehensive directory of PC to Phone service providers as well as information on VoIP and what you need to make inexpensive long-distance telephone calls using your computer

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Bundle up Your Broadband

There are many things to be taken into consideration when choosing a broadband provider, but one of the most common is the extra features you can get with it. Getting broadband on its own is no longer necessary; instead you can receive your phone, TV and mobile phone from the same company.

The Broadband Bundle started in 2007 with Virgin and their "4 for 40" TV, internet, home phone and mobile phone package. Other companies have followed suit and with one company you can even get your gas and electricity along with your home phone and broadband.

But can a broadband bundle save you a bundle? There's no doubt that having all your bills coming from the one provider makes life a lot easier, but can you actually save money by doing so? The best way to find out is to simply assess the options. Say the package you're interested in offers free evening and weekend phone calls and 139 TV channels. This is all well and good if you work office hours and are a telly addict. But if you work nights and hate daytime TV, you're not really going to benefit from this package, in which case a simple cheap broadband package would be more cost-effective for you.

Don't just go by the headline price. Often this doesn't take into account the line rental you'd still need to pay to BT (currently around 11), and is usually for the lowest specification package with the lowest download cap. Decide how much you'd use the internet and go from there. A heavy user who surfs every night and downloads lots of music files or watches TV internet will need a download cap of around 40MB. Someone who only uses it occasionally, perhaps for online shopping, may only need a limit of 2MB. Be careful you don't end up paying for more than you need.

As with anything, there are pros and cons of a bundled package. You have the advantage of just one direct debit to one company, and a single line technical support, but on the other hand if something goes wrong with one service, your others may be affected too. Plus, minimum contracts for broadband bundles tend to be longer, usually around 18 months, so if you experience problems with one of your services you're tied in for longer.

If you choose your product wisely and compare different packages before buying, and read reviews from other customers, this shouldn't be a problem. Read the small print, make sure you know what you're signing up for, and you should be able to enjoy a hassle-free internet connection with all the extras.

Want broadband? Find cheap broadband by comparing broadband online.

J Tillotson is a UK author specialising in technology and communications.

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Streamyx Streamyx Webmail72699
Streamyx Streamyx Speed26828
Streamyx Webmail80296
Streamyx Www U22499
Streamyx Streamyx Selangor23647
Streamyx Streamyx Bill65912
Streamyx Adsl2477058
Streamyx Wireless83419
Streamyx U Mobile8316