Before we can discuss the types of VoIP phones we must understand what a VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) phones are. This article explains two types of VoIP phones, the VoIP Softphones and the VoIP Hardware Phones. Keep reading to learn which type of VoIP phone will work best for you.
What Is a VoIP Phone?
A VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) phone is a device that is capable of using the VoIP protocol to participate in a phone conversation. A VoIP phone can be a hardware phone or a softphone—software that runs on a computer connected to a high-speed Internet connection. A VoIP phone may be enabled only for the VoIP protocol or be designed for a different protocol all together and able to be pressed into service for VoIP nevertheless, or it could be designed to work with multiple protocols. A VoIP hardware phone may be wired or wireless.
What Are Types of VoIP Phones?
The main divisions of VoIP phone are softphones and hardware phones.
• Types of VoIP Softphones
A number of VoIP softphones are free. Some of these include paid upgrades that users may optionally select. Examples of VoIP softphones are AOL Instant Messenger (AIM), Apple’s iChat, Google Talk, Skype, Windows Live Messenger, and Yahoo! Messenger. Some of these softphones are made only for specific operating systems—for example, the desktop version of Google Talk is only for Windows XP or later on a Windows operating system. Softphones typically come with a number of features that make multi-faceted interactions possible, like instant messaging, video chatting, file transferring, desktop sharing, and more. The quality of reception may vary with the softphone, and within the softphone, depending on who you are phoning and time of day.
• Types of VoIP Hardware Phones
VoIP hardware phones can be old-fashioned landlines, sometimes referred to as PSTN phones (Public Switched Telephone Network), and cordless phones designed for that network can become VoIP phones by means of an Analog Telephone Adapter (ATA) connecting them to an Ethernet modem or router connected to a high speed Internet connection.
VoIP phones can also be built-for-VoIP phones that have design and features similar to any other home or business phone. These phones, unlike analog phones pulled into VoIP service, usually work only with VoIP—they do not adapt to analog use as a rule, unless they specifically say that they do, in which case, you can plug them in with a PSTN line. Another use of VoIP phones is intra-office calls.
Finally, there are dual-modality phones that combine VoIP capability with WiFi. These phones are made to use VoIP when a wireless Internet or ATA is available and use cell towers for a signal when not. This set-up gives a phone owner flexibility that can be missing in both a dedicated VoIP phone on the one hand and a cell phone on the other hand. Where there are no wireless networks, the cell phone can be used. In indoor situations or where a cell signal is limited, the VoIP phone may be able to kick in.
VoIP hardware phones in a business or home setting can also be combined with a compatible local PBX (Private Branch Exchange) to route phones outside their LAN (local area network) to the outside world. VoIP providers who specialize in business phones are equipped to address needs such as these.