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PC_to_Phone_VoIP_over_Dial Up
| PC to Phone VoIP over Dial-Up
So you've heard that you can use your computer to make cheap
long-distance calls over the Internet. Maybe you've even tried
it. Chances are though that if you've attempted VoIP calls over
a dial-up connection, you've experienced intermittent quality,
'call drop-outs' and annoying speech transmission delays. The
good news is that there are some quick, easy steps that you can
take to dramatically improve the quality of your VoIP calls over
dial-up connections.
There's a lot of hype these days surrounding Internet-based
voice communications (VoIP) replacing traditional telephone
service. Most of this revolves around companies such as Vonage
who coin themselves as the 'Broadband Phone Company'. So what
about those of us who don't have a broadband connection? Just
because you don't have high speed Internet, doesn't mean that
you can't save a fortune by using VoIP for your long-distance
calls. Whilst a broadband connection will usually result in more
consistent VoIP call quality, comparable results can be achieved
using a dial-up connection provided some simple guidelines are
followed.
Shop Around
Not all VoIP service providers support dial-up users. Companies
such as Vonage bill themselves as alternatives to traditional
telephone service and shy away from the dial-up community (who
are tied to those 'traditional' networks to access the
Internet). Furthermore, some service providers only support
dial-up above a certain speed (e.g., 56Kbp). Two companies whose
VoIP softphone applications work well over low speed connections
include Callserve and Go2Call.
'Free-up' your System Resources
In order to ensure the highest call quality, close programs that
are running in the 'background'. For Windows users, these
applications can be seen in the taskbar at the bottom right of
your screen. 'Right-click' the icons and close those programs
that aren't critical to system security (e.g., don't close
anti-virus software, firewall applications and the like).
If you're using Windows XP with user switching enabled, log off
all users except the one that will be used to make the call.
This will prevent the other user identities from running
software and/or using your bandwidth while you're making calls.
'Free Up' your Internet Connection
Given the limited data capacity of dial-up connections, it's
important that you devote as much of your bandwidth as possible
to the VoIP softphone application. To achieve maximum call
quality, don't do anything that uses your bandwidth whilst
making calls. This includes instant messaging, checking email,
using a webcam, browsing the internet, downloading, etc. In
Windows, you can look at the two little computers in the bottom
right of your taskbar to see whether your connection is being
used prior to calling (the little computers illuminate when data
is being uploaded and/or downloaded).
Scan your System for Viruses, Spyware, Adware and Malware
Some of these malicious programs can hijack your browser, tie up
your internet connection and slow down your system (not to
mention seriously invade your privacy!). I recommend AdAware for
free scanning and removal of Spyware/Adware. Once you've checked
and cleansed your system of these nasty programs, your virus
definition files should be updated to minimize the chances of
re-infection.
Use a Headset with an Integrated Boom Microphone
Last but not least, using a headset with a boom microphone
should eliminate those annoying voice echoes often associated
with PC to phone calls. Echoes are caused by your microphone
detecting the voice coming from your computer speakers and
re-transmitting that voice signal back to the person you're
talking to. By using a headset, the voice signals are limited in
volume (due to the headset being directly adjacent to your ears)
and thus the chances of your microphone 're-transmitting' those
voice signals is greatly reduced.
So there you have it. A lack of high speed Internet needn't mean
a lack of PC to phone VoIP capability.
About the author:
Nathan is the owner of http://www.netphonedirectory.com which
deals specifically with PC to Phone and PC to PC VoIP. The site
includes a comprehensive directory of PC to Phone service
providers as well as general information on VoIP and what you
need to make inexpensive long-distance telephone calls using
your computer
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