Chances are, the phone you use at home or in the office is a traditional phone.

That is, it’s connected to a whole network of landlines via copper wires. Analog signals (your voice and the voice of the person you’re on the phone with) are transmitted back and forth over those wires.

A digital phone, however, is a different creature altogether.

With the advent of the Internet, VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) emerged.

Through VOIP, your voice and that of person you're talking to gets converted into digital data and sent over an Internet connection. This way, it isn't prone to interference and the delivery is much, much faster.

Assuming you have a fast internet connection, of course. By no means should you use dial-up for VOIP! Its upload and download speeds won't be fast enough to allow you to hear what the other person is saying real-time. And it'll be the same experience for him as well.

With the proper equipment, VOIP allows you to make cheaper calls through your computer, a special IP (Internet Protocol) phone, or a traditional phone linked to an adapter. With more and more public places and establishments offering free or paid wireless Internet access, making calls using VOIP will soon be possible from just about anywhere.

Say you want to be able to make clearer and faster calls with all the added services (call waiting, video conferencing, caller ID, etc.) over VOIP. Here are some of the things you might need:

• High-speed Internet (Broadband/DSL, cable modem + provider)
• Computer/phone attached to an adapter
• Special phone plugs
• Additional software (may be optional)

While you can check out existing VOIP providers like Vonage or AT&T, a better option may be for you to get it bundled in with your cable services.

Did you know that Charter, Comcast, Cox, Time Warner, RCN, Insight, Mediacom, and Suddenlink offer this along with cable? If you're worried about losing your phone number that you've had since forever, don't fret because you get to keep it.

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