Dummies, Wireless

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Part IV: Using a Wireless Network
All sorts of VoIP services are on the market today, ranging from simple IM
client-based voice chat services right on up to sophisticated multiline services
designed to replace all landline phones in a business. For the purposes
of a home user, we can divide VoIP service providers into two (not so distinct)
buckets. We say not so distinct because many VoIP service providers
can fit into either of these two categories, depending on which individual
elements of their service you choose. Without further adieu, let’s talk about
what these two categories are:
� Home phone replacement services: These services are primarily telephone
adapter based (or hardware based). They are designed to completely
replace your existing POTS landline voice service and to work
with all existing phones in your home. These services provide you with
a traditional phone number (that anyone can call). Vonage is the biggest
example here.
� PC-based supplementary voice services: These services are primarily
built around PC usage (though, as we discuss later in this chapter, they
can work with phones) and are primarily marketed as (and used as) supplements
to existing landline services — in other words, you use them
for specific calls (such as overseas calls) but keep your POTS phone for
local calls, inbound calls, and so on. These services typically provide
you with a username (like the username you might have for AOL IM) —
other users of the service can call you by clicking your username in
their VoIP software program. The primary example here is Skype, which
began as a PC-to-PC-only service but has since branched out to include
PC-to-phone, phone-to-PC, and now phone-to-phone calling.
As we mention earlier, these two categories have a lot of overlap. For example,
most hardware-based VoIP providers offer a softphone client that allows
PC-to-PC or PC-to-phone calling (and can be used on your laptop when you
travel), and many of the primarily PC-to-PC providers now offer phone devices
that let you connect your home phones to the service and can assign you a
traditional phone number (for example, Skype’s SkypeIN service). In this chapter
we talk about wireless hardware that fits into both types of VoIP service.
Some of the leading providers of VoIP services follow:
� Home phone replacement services:
• Vonage (www.vonage.com)
• Verizon VoiceWing (www.verizon.com/voicewing)
• AT&T CallVantage (www.callvantage.att.com/)
• Lingo (www.lingo.com)
• BroadVoice (www.broadvoice.com)
• TelTel (www.teltel.com)