Internet Telephony Test (VoIP)

Reviews on Internet Telephony (VoIP)

"Tesco Stickphone internet telephony"

Published on: 12/2007

On test: Tesco Stick Phone

There are plenty of ways to save money on phone calls these days, to local numbers, mobile phones and internationally. One way is the now popular Skype service, either using the software on a PC or using a standalone handset. Alternatively, there's the Stickphone from Tesco, which works similarly to the Vonage V-phone and comes in the form of a USB plug with a small headphone socket on the end so you can attach the supplied headset.

"Siemens Gigaset S450 IP"

Published on: 11/2007

On test: Siemens Gigaset S450 IP

The Gigaset S450 IP is the first handset in Siemens’ initial series of DECT cordless phones with integrated VoIP functionality. Traditional in terms of design, this handset has one clever trick up its sleeve: it has connections for both fixed (10/100Mbps) LANs and can be used as a conventional phone, allowing those without a PC to enjoy the benefits of low-cost internet telephony, easily and conveniently. Unfortunately it also has one major drawback — it can’t be used with Skype.

"Linksys SPA962 VoIP phone"

Published on: 11/2007

On test: Linksys SPA962

The latest member of the Linksys family of business-class Voice over IP (VoIP) handsets, the SPA962 is a robust and professional-looking device with a clear colour display and support for up to six extensions.

"Ipevo Solo Skype Desktop Phone review"

Published on: 11/2007

On test: Ipevo Solo Skype Desktop Phone

Using Skype on your computer can be a pain, so there are a range of Skype products that help you get around this by giving you access to the Voice over IP application without the need for a computer, but can the Ipevo Solo be one of those products? We get dialling to find out.

Internet Telephony (VoIP)

Voice over Internet Protocol is a new way of staying in contact with friends and family by utilising the extra bandwidth of an internet connection to make voice calls, much in the same way as an instant messaging programme allows with text-based chat.

The explosion in popularity VoIP has experienced can be clearly seen in the fact that it has been only three short years since the first beta release of Skype (arguably the biggest name in VoIP services) to the release of wireless, hardware-based handsets being sold in Tesco stores in the UK.

The quality of a VoIP call will depend on the speed of the internet connection, the compression algorithm used and the distance between callers. Drawbacks of VoIP include problems with lag and jitter. This means that each party may have to wait an uncomfortable amount of time before their voice is relayed. Other drawbacks include the fact that as a VoIP phone relies on either a computer or mains power and a router, in the case of a power-cut, the VoIP service will be unavailable. A normal fixed-line phone will not suffer this same fate as power is supplied over the telephone lines and backed up by generators and batteries at the telephone exchange.

Of course, these failings aside, VoIP remains a tempting prospect for many owing to its very cheap local and international call prices. Another great aspect is free calls between VoIP users, these remain free no matter where in the world the callers may be and as hardware solutions retain user information, they can be plugged into any computer or used on any wireless network to make cheap calls at any time and in any place.

Handsets cost as little as £20 and call plans for free local, national, international and customer to customer calls start from under ten pounds.

This category contains tests on VoIP Phone, Voice over Internet Protocol, Voice over IP , Internet Telephone Service, Online Phone, VoIP Phones, Voice over IP, Online Phones.