Las Vegas, NV May 11, 2005 Lasvegas.net now introduces a voice over internet protocol (VoIP) for your home or office.

VoIP is the ability to convert voice or fax calls into data packets for transmission over the Internet or other IP-based networks. Unlike traditional phone calls, where the conversation is converted into electronic signals that traverse an elaborate network of switches, in a dedicated circuit that lasts the duration of a call. VoIP works by converting the conversation into packets of data that travel over the Internet or private networks, just like e-mails or Web pages, though voice packets get priority status. The packets get reassembled and converted to sound on the other end of the call.

Voice over IP makes long distance calls cheaper by removing some of the access charges required for use of the public telephone network. A user’s physical location also becomes irrelevant; Las Vegas lets people choose their area code and possess multiple area codes in different cities that all ring to the same phone. VoIP also enables Las Vegas’s advanced features — like checking voice mail from a Web page or programming call-forwarding through a web tool.

Plans start at $14.99 for home based, and $39.99 for your business. When you purchase a plan, you get the Las Vegas ATA (Analog Telephone Adaptor) free*. The Las Vegas ATA brings traditional telephones to the networked world. It is a handset-to-Ethernet adaptor that interfaces regular analog telephones with IP-based telephony networks.

According to an article released by Yahoo News citing In-Stat on Tuesday, May 3rd, 2005 in this article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nf/20050503/tc_nf/34036, the period in which consumers and small business owners will switch to VoIP will be from 2005-2009. They also say that the migration to VoIP will have it’s highest peak somewhere from 2010-2014. Las Vegas residents can take advantage of using new technology through VoIP instead of traditional phones calls.

Contact Information:
For VoIP information: https://lasvegas.nuvio.com/index02.php
Las Vegas Internet Services: http://www.lasvegas.net

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Making telephone calls over the Internet is an exciting and cost
saving technology that is taking a position to completely change
voice communications forever. VOIP, or voice over Internet
protocol, is not a brand new technology, having been around the
business world for several years. But in the last few years, it
has begun to catch on with consumers as a way to combine all
forms of their communications in their homes (voice, email,
etc.) and beat the high fees that long distance companies on
their customers. There are many VOIP phone services around now
that offer the moon and more in order to get business. It is
important to carefully weigh the options so that you don’t go to
the trouble of switching from traditional landline phone service
to VOIP only to get stuck without phone service when the
provider goes under, or to get poor quality service and features
just to save money or get “free” VOIP service.

As a subscriber to VOIP phone services, there are a multitude of
options available to you. You can opt to simply talk through a
specially equipped microphone at your home computer, kind of
like a speakerphone. You can use your traditional home telephone
with the service, as long as you purchase a telephony adapter
that will convert the analog audio into digital data packets.
You can also choose to buy an IP phone that is ready to plug
into your computer and use right away. You can even go wireless.
Don’t be intimidated if you think that there is a lot of strange
equipment to set up or that you will be uncomfortable talking on
some “new” kind of phone. VOIP phone service is really no
different than the phone service that you are used to, it’s just
the wiring is different.

The low subscription price is first and foremost what is drawing
consumers to VOIP phone services. Depending on the provider you
choose, monthly charges range from $19.95 – $34.99 per month.
This usually includes free domestic calls (including Canada) and
very low International rates (often .03 – .04 per minute). And
features that you might be accustomed to paying extra monthly
fees for, such as Caller ID, Call Waiting, and Three-way Calling
are often bundled in with the standard services and standard
monthly charge. And don’t worry about calling people outside of
the service. Most providers have the capabilities to let you do
that. And, calling people within your service is often free of
charge. There really seems like there is no reason not to switch
to VOIP phone services, right?

There are some issues to think about before making the switch to
VOIP phone service. You need to consider the provider you
choose. Some services offer “free” VOIP service. This is often a
gimmick, and what you are not paying for in phone service is
apparent in the poor quality reception and limited calling
capabilities that you will have to deal with. Some newer
providers are often not established enough to handle high
volumes of traffic, and often go under, leaving customers in the
dark without any phone service at all. It is smart to choose a
well-established provider with a good reputation for quality and
customer service, in addition to competitive rates and features.
Also, it might be a good idea to consider switching only one
phone in your home to VOIP. That way, if your provider does go
out of business, you have a backup phone line to communicate
with.

Don’t be too concerned about losing your phone service or
getting swindled by a fly-by-night VOIP phone service provider.
There are several reputable providers on the market, and a
testament to that is the continuing growth of the technology. In
addition to the money you will save by subscribing to VOIP
service, you will have the freedom of being able to travel with
your phone and phone number and make calls anywhere you go. If
you have access to a broadband Internet connection, you can make
and receive calls by simply plugging in. This is ideal if you
travel a lot for business. Besides the obvious money savings
involved with VOIP phone service, it is a convenient technology
that gives you a lot of options and freedom that traditional
telephone services just can’t provide.

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Learn the essential information for picking the Voip provider /
services at href="http://www.voip-services-provider.com/voip-phone-services.h
tml">Voip Phone Services

Wireless VoIP

Wireless and VoIP have joined forces. Installing a WLAN network
card into your computer uses wireless technology. After
installing the card, your computer will become “wireless”. This
means that you will be able to enjoy an Internet connection
without the use of cables and cords.

VoIP is the technology that allows the transmission of audio
files by transmitting them into data packets across the
Internet. By integrating Wireless and VoIP a new generation of
audio telecommunications has been birthed. By having a VoIP
service and a wireless connection, you can enjoy the best of
both worlds- wireless VoIP connections.

Visit http://www.infonet.us for more articles on voip

Wireless networks are activated by what is known as a “hotspot”.
A hotspot is an area where there is an access point. Wireless
connections are basically created by radio signals. An access
point is where the network has established their main signal. It
is possible for wireless users to basically “jump” from hotspot
to hotspot and utilize various networks access points.

The combination of Wireless and VoIP has led to another
invention-VoWiFi. VoWiFi stands for Voice over Wireless
Fidelity. VoWiFi has also produced the new VoWiFi phones. These
phones operate like cell phones, only they use VoIP technology,
(transmit over the Internet) and are wireless, operating in
various hotspots.

VoWiFi phones are very inexpensive to use, as is all of VoIP
technology. It is much cheaper to submit audio as data packets
over the Internet and it uses considerably less bandwidth. This
is a reason why VoIP technology is gaining in strength and
momentum.

Many people are choosing the freedom that is offered by VoIP.
VoIP can offer nearly free or free long distance phone calls.
Since VoWi Fi operates from hotspot to hotspot or
network-to-network, you may think that there are roaming charges
involved. Well, this is not the cellular network that you
love/hate. There are no roaming charges involved with VoIP.
That’s right, you can take your VoWiFi phone from hotspot to
hotspot, maintaining your connection (provided you easily go
from hotspot to hotspot) absolutely free.

You may be wondering why not just use cellular? Why go wireless?
Well, for those who travel a lot or are consistently out of
their cellular range, roaming charges will apply and can be
expensive. By using your VoWiFi in hotspots while you are
traveling, you can pick up a connection and make your calls for
free.

Be careful not to confuse a VoWiFi phone with a cordless VoIP
phone. They are two distinctively different products. A VoWiFi
phone will enable you to access hotspots, but a cordless VoIP
phone is simply a way to have a cordless phone in your house
that is compatible with your VoIP service provider.

VoWiFi phones are hitting the market and companies such as
Vonage are soon to debut their new VoWiFi phones.

An interesting trend is the creation of the hybrid phone. If
someone is a traveling salesman, or just simply travels
frequently and is on their cell phone, then leave their network
range- they can take advantage of the new hybrid phone. The
hybrid phone, which is part cellular, part VoWiFi, will be able
to access hotspots, and pick up a signal. Voila- no more roaming
charges!

Wireless VoIP does show promising signs towards the future and
many look anxiously awaiting new products and increasing
performance by these products. You will have to have a VoIP
service provider before you can access VoWiFi. However, you can
still find many free hotspots that will give your phone a
connection.

Both Wireless and VoIP are relatively new technologies that have
a lot of kinks that need to be worked out. The products are
hitting the market at increasing speed, while rules,
regulations, and security issues seem to be taking second place.
That is the nature of telecommunications technology though, and
we can expect that the face of Wireless VoIP will look very
different in the next few years. Major corporations are already
embracing this technology, creating services, phones, hybrid
phones and plans that center on VoIP while the FCC races to
determine where in fact VoIP technology’s classifications lay.

There have been significant issues regarding wireless VoIP and
security and 911 services. Well the good news is, that while
these issues are battled out, agreed upon, and rewritten, we can
still take our phones and lily pad our way from hotspot to
hotspot- free of roaming charges.

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In the dynamically changing world of technology, VoIP (Voice
Over Internet Protocol) is one of the latest and potentially
greatest wonders ever created by the human mind. Watch a techie
show, read a techie magazine or talk to any cyber dude and most
will acknowledge that VoIP is one of the coolest advancements
they’ve ever been blessed to experience.

On the other hand, for the vast majority who are not
techie-nerds and who are looking for a non-techie to English
translation of what VoIP has done to induce such high praises,
then sit back, relax and read a bit more. In a nutshell, VoIP
allows you to make phone calls over the internet, using your
computer, to pretty much anywhere on the planet. The VoIP
acronym is simply a fancy, smancy technical term for what could
just as easily be called an Internet phone.

The miracle of VoIP can be explained in a simple process. The
analog voice signals, which are the technical term for the
exchange of hot air you have with friends and family while
talking for hours on the phone… Sorry, I couldn’t resist a bit
of humor as I drifted back to days gone by and my youth. Ok,
back to business.

VoIP converts the analog voice signals into digital data
packets, which allows those packets of data to be transferred
via cable lines (the internet) and then they are reconverted
into analog voice signals at the other end so that once again,
you can understand what is being said. Thanks to internet
protocol, VoIP supports real time and two way transmission of
conversations.

Sounds Good But How Do I Get Started With VoIP? First, you have
to know what type of internet service you have from your ISP
(Internet Service Provider). The reason you need to know the
type of service you have is because currently, VoIP works best
with a cable or DSL internet connection because they are
faster… as in they can download more bits of information (data
packets) per second and this allows better sound quality on your
internet calls.

Although VoIP services are available for other types of ISP
connections like dial up, prepaid and satellite… the
technology with VoIP has yet to progress to the point where you
will consistently experience crystal clear sound over slower
internet connections. However, if you currently live in an area
that hasn’t been wired for broadband, you shouldn’t have to wait
too long for the technology to progress to where you can enjoy a
quality conversation over a slower internet type connection.
However, for the time-being, quality is still a bit patchy
without a high speed connection.

How Much is This Internet Telephony, VoIP Thingy Going to Cost
Me? Cost is one of best things about VoIP because VoIP services
cost less than residential phone service and much, much less
than most monthly cell phone plans. And if your DSL or broadband
internet company just happens to be one of companies that
currently offers VoIP services, then so much the better because
that usually translates into even lower rates than if you used
an independent or outside company for your VoIP phone service.

How Reliable Is VoIP? Because transmission is being done over
the Internet, the voice quality is largely dependent on your
internet connection speed. And… at this moment in time,
regardless of your ISP or connection speed the voice quality
still hasn’t reached that of normal land based or mobile phones.
Plus, although rare, if your internet connection goes down you
wouldn’t be able to make or receive phone calls and VoIP is
still more vulnerable to dropped calls due to a lack of signal
strength.

Although VoIP still has a few drawbacks, once you try it you’ll
quickly realize that they aren’t the type of problems that will
stop you from wanting to use it… especially when you get your
bill each month because with VoIP the savings can be dramatic if
you spend a bunch of time on the phone.

How Secure Is VoIP? Because transmission is in an environment
where the dreaded “hacker” reigns supreme this concern is an
obvious and legitimate one. Let’s face it… although not
perfectly secure it’s no less secure than sending emails and
billions and billions of those are sent each day. And frankly,
if you’re concerned about others listening in on your phone
calls you should toss your cell phone because picking up those
signals by the “unscrupulous” is much easier than sabotaging
your VoIP phone calls.

If you are overly concerned with security due to the fact that
VoIP is a relatively a new technology and that there still
exists; although remote, a possibility that those cyber
technicians will hijack your calls then you’ll just have to wait
until you feel these issues are solved before you give VoIP a
test drive.

Can You Keep Your Number? Yes and No! In most instances you will
be able to keep your current phone number but just to be safe
you should ask this question before signing up for VoIP service.
And frankly, in some cases you may be required to change
numbers. Oh well… nothings perfect.

This article may be reproduced only in its entirety.

About the author:


Kevin Erickson is a contributing writer to: href="http://www.eyeonvoip.com">VoIP | href="http://www.zephyrnet.com">Wifi Hotspots | href="http://www.usfairtrade.com/">Trade Show

Short T/F quiz

1.T / F You can save a significant amount of money using VoIP rather than traditional telephone/cell phone calling methods.
2.T / F The minimum requirement for VoIP is a broadband (high speed) connection.
3.T / F VoIP security is not an issue to be concerned about because most computers are protected with firewalls.
4.T / F Over 75% of the world will be using VoIP for communication within the next 3-4 years.
5.T / F You can make all your phone calls anywhere in the world from your computer.
6.T / F Peer-to-peer (P2P) networks are perfectly safe to use, especially if your computer is protected with firewalls.

Answers

1.The answer is True. In fact, it is the tremendous savings of up to 80% off traditional phone calling that makes VoIP attractive to consumers and businesses. The only equipment needed for VoIP is your PC and a microphone (if one is not built into your PC). Beware of VoIP service providers that require you to purchase additional equipment and/or sign contracts.

2.The answer is False. Although the public has been fed a steady diet that the minimum requirement for VoIP is a high speed (broadband) connection, this is absolutely false.

Over 90% of the VoIP providers have used this false premise as a smokescreen to take your focus off the fact that their priority was and is to line their own pockets rather than expend the time, effort, and funds to develop technology that incorporates dial up capability.

The technology required for dial up connections to use VoIP involves the ability to compress data packets down to a minimum size of 8 kbps prior to traveling over the Internet.

3.The answer is False. Security should be the most important feature of any VoIP solution provider. Firewalls do not incorporate protection for VoIP. VoIP security should incorporate protection against identity theft, Trojan horses, viruses, and worms.

Craig Pollard of Siemens advised that “Voice must be protected like any other application”. He further stated that, “Along with IT directors and telecom managers, a number of financial directors came to our road shows, which may not be surprising considering the damaging potential of VoIP threats if a network is not properly protected.”

Over 90% of VoIP solution providers do not operate on secure lines. These providers, in order to save a few dollars at your expense, operate on industry standard codec (encryption codes) and industry standard protocols which are publicly open and interpretable. Hacker friendly providers offer hacker manuals, software, programs, and even processor chips that makes accessibility to your computer from these industry standards – as enticing as chum is to sharks in a feeding frenzy.

When a computer hacker gains unauthorized access to your computer, their sole purpose is to steal your identity and sell your personal and confidential information to other criminal entities. In addition, they often plant Trojan horses, viruses, and worms into your computer.

4.The answer is True. Industry insiders such AT&T says, “VoIP traffic is projected to account for approximately 75% of the world’s voice traffic by 2007″. This suggests a major paradigm shift in communication.

5.The answer is True. Not only can you make all your phone calls anywhere in the world from your computer, you can also travel with your computer phone. Simply by bringing your unique number and password, you can download your phone with your entire contact list. Of course, PC to PC is usually free between subscribers. PC to telephones and cell phones typically involves fees at drastically reduced rates when compared to traditional calling rates.

6.The answer is False. P2P networks use industry standard codec (encryption codes) and industry standard protocols which are publicly open and interpretable.

John Ashcroft, Attorney General, in remarks at the High Technology Crime Investigation Association 2004 International Training Conference held on September 13, 2004 stated, “We have seen worms and viruses attackdisrupting basic servicesAnd with the increased use of the Internet and especially peer-to-peer networking, we have seen malicious code spread more quickly and infect more personal computers than ever before. The cost of these worms, viruses, and denial-of-service attacksreaches into the billions of dollars.”

P2P networks such as Skype operate by taking bandwidth (information carrying capacity) from customers on their service to assist other customers using their service – analogous to a symbiotic relationship. The tools that enable them to accomplish this are bundled in the software their customers agree to in order to download and access their VoIP service.

Another grave concern for both individuals and businesses when using P2P systems is unknowingly having your computer used as a supernode. A supernode occurs when your computer is arbitrarily assigned as a hub.

When you are running the software for P2P services, your computer’s disk space, bandwidth, and processing power are used to help other users on the same system operate their software more efficiently because of their own network or firewall constraints.

We as consumers still have a lot to learn about VoIP, as this technology is the new era of communication and is continuously being changed.

All VoIP service providers need to incorporate the protection, needs, and desires of its customers, as well as address security and dial up capability.

All VoIP service providers should invest in developing a proprietary patented technology that incorporates compression of data packets so that their VoIP can be used on dial up connections, as well as cable, satellite, and wireless.

All VoIP service providers should develop and create their own proprietary high end encryption codec with patented technology, simply because they do not want their customers to be victims of viruses, worms, Trojan horses, or have their identity stolen as a result of using their VoIP service.

Simply put, all VoIP service providers should place the protection, security, and needs of their customers FIRST. Of course, they are in business to earn profits, but it should not be at the expense of exposing their customers to unscrupulous entities.

Want to hear and experience what exceptional sound quality on optimally secure lines sounds like? Download a 7 day free trial at http://www.free-pc-phone.com and see for yourself.

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About the Author

Dee Scrip is a well known and respected published author of numerous articles on VoIP, VoIP Security, and other related VoIP issues. Other articles can be found at http://www.free-pc-phone.com

You’ve heard of the latest technological miracle and you’re thinking of having a VoIP phone at your disposal. Great… but do you actually know what it is or are you just going with the flow? Either way, this article aims to help you with all the FAQs that are attached to the VoIP phone phenomenon. And without further ado…

1. What the heck is a VoIP phone?
Good question but some people wouldn’t even bother asking. Pride and vanity… such a sin. A VoIP phone (Voice Over Internet Protocol) is simply a fancy technical term for an Internet phone. In a nutshell – that’s it.

2. How does a VoIP phone work?
Ah, such curiosity. Haven’t you heard of the saying that curiosity killed the cat? Okay, just kidding but please keep on reading. A VoIP phone works by converting your analog signals to data packets and vice versa.

3. What do you need to make a VoIP work?
First and foremost you need an internet connection. If you currently live in an area that still doesn’t have internet access, although the odds of that is pretty slim then your out of luck and the VoIP phone is just not for you. In addition, the type of internet service provider or ISP can affect the probability of a VoIP phone working in your neighborhood. Usually, a VoIP phone goes hand in hand with broadband internet (DSL or cable). And although your VoIP phone may work with other types of ISPs like prepaid, dial up, satellite or wi-fi, the quality of voice reception isn’t always what it should be if you don’t have a broadband connection.

4. What are the advantages?
Actually, there’s really just one but it’s a major advantage. It’s really simple, VoIP phone services cost less than traditional phone services whether it’s a cell phone or traditional phone service from home. And the more long distance calls you make the more you’ll save because the way a VoIP phone uses the Internet the location of the speaker and receiver are inconsequential.

5. What are the disadvantages?
A VoIP phone does have some disadvantages but fortunately, they’re just minor. Poor voice reception quality – similar to cellphones in poor reception areas, is the biggest disadvantage but as the technology evolves even that issue is becoming less and less of an issue.

A Voip phone is vulnerable to power shortages: If the company providing you with VoIP phone services gets hit by a power shortage, your call would naturally get cut off.

Higher probability of dropped calls: Similar to cellphones once again, there’s a higher probability of a call being accidentally dropped or cut-off because your VoIP phone relies on signals.

Technical Political/Legal Issues: Some companies are complaining that they aren’t able to bill their clients with the correct amount or usage due, because it’s hard to accurately determine because VoIP phone services are provided by the Internet. Consequently, if you’re planning to use VoIP phone services for your company, don’t think that your long distance calls would remain cheap forever. Change is definitely in the air, my friend.

Phone Number Portability: This is rare because most VoIP phones support phone number portability but it’s really dependent on your local phone company. If their services are not VoIP compatible then chances are, you may have to use another phone number.

Security: Since VoIP phones work because of the Internet, then it’s more vulnerable to hackers and wiretapping. Not a high chance of this happening but something to think if you plan on using VoIP phone services in a company situation where classified transactions are done over the phone.

Locking in Broadband Phone Service: If your broadband company doesn’t currently support VoIP phone services, you may have to wait for your contract to reach its termination date before you can switch companies. Cancelling your subscription before the end of the current contract period normally results in high early termination fees.

Network Design: If you’re going to use VoIP phones for your company, make sure that you’ve got a smart network design. Hire a network administrator to oversee the maintenance of the network. VoIP phone service is still a new technology and prone to glitches. If you don’t have a well designed network or one that’s not properly maintained, a power shortage may result in everything shutting down.
About the Author

Kevin Erickson is a contributing writer to the following websites: http://www.eyeonvoip.com and http://www.eyeonalaska.com. This article may be reproduced only in its entirety.

Finding Free VoIP On The Web

If you are interested in trying out Voice Over Internet Protocol
the good news is you can upload some free software to try before
you by. Many Internet sites offer free software that takes a
matter of minutes to upload and start using. Even better, have a
family member do the same and start calling one another using
VoIP. This way you and your friend will start understanding how
to use VoIP and the many advantages VoIP has to offer.

Just Google VoIP for a list of qualified providers. Most people
are already making calls using VoIP without even realizing it.
Phone companies have used VoIP technology for some time to route
phone calls from one place to another. Many phone company’s
route calls through an IP Gateway. This reduces the amount of
bandwidth they have to use when transferring calls to local
switches.

VoIP Advantages

While IP phone use is just now making headlines, phone companies
have known for some time that using VoIP is the most practical
way to conduct business. Commercially VoIP has been doing well,
now consumers just need to jump on the bandwagon and start
learning how VoIP can benefit them when placing calls. Roughly
10 percent of the population is currently using VoIP technology.
This is likely to change rapidly as consumers start realizing
how beneficial digital data packets of information are when
communicating. You can not only communicate over the net but
store information, search, copy and combine converted data to
use in any way you see fit. Corporations are slowly realizing
that VoIP may offer competitive advantages. Consumers are
starting to take advantage of the cost savings.

About the author:


Article by Frank Owen, visit his web site for more information
on voip http://www.voipresourcehub.com

One of the reasons VoIP is so successful and advantageous is it
uses packet switching technology rather than circuit switching
technology to provide phone services. Most phone companies use
circuit switching technology. Packet switching technology is
different in that it allows multiple phone calls to occur within
the same space a single phone call would occupy using a circuit
network.

This means less transmission time is used and less expense is
incurred for the same phone call placed using packet switching
versus circuit switching technology. How does packet switching
work? Basically you pick up the receiver or initiate a phone
call, which sends a signal. After dialing a phone number the
tones are converted into digital data your computer can read and
stored temporarily until the VoIP company sends the phone number
you punch in to their call processor. The processor maps the
phone number to an IP address. That is nothing more than
someone’s computer address, then connects the two computers
together using a soft switch device.

Your Computer and VoIP

Your computer is basically acting as an intermediary, passing
voice messages much like it would an e-mail to another user. You
can talk for any length of time necessary, and all the while
your computer and VoIP software will be transmitting data
packets of information from one computer to the other,
translating analog information into digital virtually
automatically. The entire process takes just seconds and allows
a higher volume of calls than a traditional phone line would.

About the author:


Article by Frank Owen, visit his web site for more information
on voip http://www.voipresourcehub.com