The thing preventing me from VOIP is price, that fact tha ATT will jack my DSL price about 100% if I don't use their phone service prevents me from using VOIP.
Selling naked DSL at the same linked price would answer my problem. I have a feeling ATT is never going to do that.
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I agree with this article. At my current position, we have huge issues with dropped calls, unable to hear the other party while one the phone, can't dial out are just some in growing list of issues.
However, the functionality of the service are fantastic. Working in the IT department, I am responsible for desk moves and part of that is moving phones with it. Because most companies are currently wired for the internet anyway, rearranging the office is so much better because I don't have to worry about whether or not there is a phone jack on the other side of the room or under a desk, the data ports are always there.
I honestly believe this will be the way of the future, but for now I think the technology is too new for it to be considered significantly better that a a regular phone connection.
However, the functionality of the service are fantastic. Working in the IT department, I am responsible for desk moves and part of that is moving phones with it. Because most companies are currently wired for the internet anyway, rearranging the office is so much better because I don't have to worry about whether or not there is a phone jack on the other side of the room or under a desk, the data ports are always there.
I honestly believe this will be the way of the future, but for now I think the technology is too new for it to be considered significantly better that a a regular phone connection.
One of the less obvious reliability problems is that if the network goes down, so does the ability to contact the support staff!
Instead of your four, I would suggest that usability is high on the list and when I cannot send a FAX on VoIP, then that is NOT usability. There is a handicap send ing faxes, it won't take them and until the technology is improved, it won't.
I just cannot see people using the phone only when I would like to put in a backup modem on my 'puter for times when my ISP is doing maintenance and having the ability to send/receive faxes is critical in a home office. Get the services working and then talk about all the BS you do in this article, but until then, let's concentrate on the "Emperor's New Clothes"
I just cannot see people using the phone only when I would like to put in a backup modem on my 'puter for times when my ISP is doing maintenance and having the ability to send/receive faxes is critical in a home office. Get the services working and then talk about all the BS you do in this article, but until then, let's concentrate on the "Emperor's New Clothes"
Anybody could go down the high street, buy an (inexpensive) phone and plug it in, no dhcp, gateway etc. No training either, that simple.
Not any more, the phone is a computer a lot more expensive than the old two wire device and some times it is really hard to get the four wire IP device working, and certainly wont work a mile away on poor two wire cable, more like 60 meters on very good cat 5.
Some IP phone systems don't give out two wire devices very cheaply or easily when needed ( as already mentioned for faxes )
But if they did you could have IP trunks with simple hardware. The IP trunks are the ones that (can) save the money in my view. Of course some people may use the special IP features, but most users only want a phone, they already have a computer.
Not any more, the phone is a computer a lot more expensive than the old two wire device and some times it is really hard to get the four wire IP device working, and certainly wont work a mile away on poor two wire cable, more like 60 meters on very good cat 5.
Some IP phone systems don't give out two wire devices very cheaply or easily when needed ( as already mentioned for faxes )
But if they did you could have IP trunks with simple hardware. The IP trunks are the ones that (can) save the money in my view. Of course some people may use the special IP features, but most users only want a phone, they already have a computer.
If you have a digital phone system then you probably have analog conversion boxes for your data lines already - These work great with VOIP. We have not had any POTS lines for seven years. Just call the vendor that begins with an N and ends with an X.
This is not a problem. A simple FAX machine is an analog endpoint. Just jack it into an FXS port. Configure your dial-peers, and you're good to go. Although, IMHO, a FAX is really just data anyway, there should be machines out there that use an ethernet connection and TCP/IP. No need for an FXS port. Why convert the document image to digital then to analog and back to digital again? The analog step could be omitted completely.
Reliability and QoS are my main concerns.
A power fail transfer scheme is currently mandatory, and probably always will be. It is wise to hold onto a couple of POTS lines for this purpose.
This is the age of convergence. Soon enough, the age of complete intergration will be here when these issues have been solved.
Reliability and QoS are my main concerns.
A power fail transfer scheme is currently mandatory, and probably always will be. It is wise to hold onto a couple of POTS lines for this purpose.
This is the age of convergence. Soon enough, the age of complete intergration will be here when these issues have been solved.
Something I have yet to see discussed is the impact on a combined data and VoIP network when everyone picks up their phone and tries to make a call. Will the QoS routines choke out the data traffic? In a company like mine, where the phone traffic is as vital as the traffic to our servers, this is not acceptable. So, I would have to significantly increase the size of my internet pipe in order to provide enough headroom for all the traffic. When the CEO's phone call gets blocked, he can, and will, walk to my office for a "friendly chat." I see no reason to rip out equipment that is already paid for and is almost six-sigma reliable just to be trendy. I plan to let the phone system do phone stuff, and the data network do data stuff for quite some time.
Fax of IP is already out there. Just search for "FoIP FAX" and check out the hits.
You touched lightly on my concern, data security. As you mentioned, VoIP capture is very simple, lots of paid and free ware to do it. And capture can be beaten by good encryption. But you did not specifically mention the other half of the security issue, the security of the VoIP server. As soon as you put your phone service onto IP, you have to be sure to properly secure, and constantly keep secure, another data server. It becomes another server to be patched, updated and maintained. It is another server on the network that exposes you to hackers. Like any other server, it is not a problem if you pay attention to its upkeep.
You touched lightly on my concern, data security. As you mentioned, VoIP capture is very simple, lots of paid and free ware to do it. And capture can be beaten by good encryption. But you did not specifically mention the other half of the security issue, the security of the VoIP server. As soon as you put your phone service onto IP, you have to be sure to properly secure, and constantly keep secure, another data server. It becomes another server to be patched, updated and maintained. It is another server on the network that exposes you to hackers. Like any other server, it is not a problem if you pay attention to its upkeep.
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