Voice over IP ( VoIP )
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ATA � The most common form of VoIP is ATA , which stands for Analogue Telephone Adaptor . This involves connecting a standard telephone to the computer via a small piece of equipment . Once connected , you make calls in the normal way but the Internet connection is used to transmit the call . A service provider supplies the ATA box which converts the signal from analogue to digital . You simply plug the telephone into the box , as you would into the wall socket , and then plug the box into the PC . In some implementations , software is also supplied to add advanced features .
An IP Phone
� An IP Phone is like a normal telephone but with the addition of an Ethernet ( RJ45 ) plug instead of the usual RJ11 plugs found on a normal phone . Using an RJ45 plug , an IP phone can be connected directly to the Internet as you would a PC . IP Phones have network cards built into them and can be configured with IP addresses in the same way computers are . Many new IP phones come with wifi capabilities and can connect to any wireless network in the same way as a laptop or mobile phone .
Computer-to-computer
� Computer-to-computer connections don ’ t require any additional hardware . In this scenario , one would simply use the microphone and speaker on their PC or laptop and make phone calls that way . In fact , these days any networked device can make and receive VoIP calls in this way via a number of different apps . The most commonly-used is the popular video calling software Skype .