Can I surf the net and talk on a VOIP line at the same time???

Question

Im still looking at the pros and cons of this and cant find anything that mentions it anywhere.

Answer 1

Yes you can.

The only limitation is whether you have sufficient Internet "bandwidth" to support simultaneous surfing and VoIPing at the same time.  For realiable surfing/VoIPing you want at least 1Mb highspeed service.  However, I'm currently VoIPing with only 256/128 Kbs Internet speed.  It's not optimal, but I get by (I'm too cheap to upgrade to faster bandwidth).  I just hold-off on the surfing while talking on the VoIP phone or softphone.

VoIP is VoIP - and I want to set the record straight on this topic:

It makes no difference whether we use

Vonage, Packet8, InPhonex, CallCentric, voip.com, Cordia, MagicJack, etc...

Or

Skype, Yahoo Voice, Google Talk, MSN Messenger, Windows Live Messenger, Gizmo Project, VBuzzer, MediaRing Talk, Raketu, or Free World Dialup (FWD), etc...

Or,

whether you do it from a PC, softphone, IP Phone, PSTN phone connected to an ATA (analog telephone adapter)

Or,

If the softphone or ATA is "preconfigured" and "locked" by the VoIP provider, or if you use your own "configurable" softphone or configurable ATA phone adapter....

It is ALL VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol).

And,

it is "usually" SIP (sesission Initiatiion Protocol) which sets-up and manages the calls.

SIP and VoIP are "almost" always synanomous for the same thing.

But in the end, this is all just terminology for accomplishing the same thing...

"transmitting voice over the Internet"... VoIP...

It doesn't matter if you are calling PC-PC, PC-Phone, Phone-PC, or Phone-Phone... it can all be VoIP.  It's the same no matter how you do it...

Configurable ATA's are almost always SIP capable devices.

Configurable Softphones are almost always SIP capable.

If a service provider advertises that they are a SIP service, then they are usually telling you that they are a BYOD (bring your own device) service, which means you don't have to use their proprietary softphone or "locked ATA".  You can supply your own softphone or ATA and configure their network settings yourself and access their service on your own.  All you need from a SIP service provider is an account with your user-name and PW.  If you have that and know the domain name or IP address of their SIP servers, then you are set to go.  In-Network calling to other account holders is almost universally FREE.  Many VoIP services promote this as if they are unique - fact is, Most VoIP services allow FREE In-Network calling (between account holders).

I use a Linksys PAP2T phone adapter (SIP capable) and configure it for VoIP service with InPhonex and CallCentric.  I have also configured it for service with other SIP providers such as Les.net, Voip.ms, IdeaSip, SipPhone.

SIP is an Open Standard protocol, so most services use it whether they advertise the fact or not.

To do all this usually takes a little technical savvy.

This is why companies like Vonage, Packet8, voip.com, etc market their services with a so-called free ATA that is preconfigured and locked to their service.  It is easier for the customer this way.  They receive the ATA in the mail ready to Plug-and-Play.  This doesn't make them any better or worse than any other VoIP SIP-based service (and Vonage and Packet8 are SIP-based VoIP services).

In the end it is all the same.  It is just a matter of what package deal are you signing up for and... how much does it cost.  No magic here... it is all just Marketing...

Everybody knows about Vonage because they spent many, many millions of dollars on Marketing their product.  Almost no one knows about InPhonex and CallCentric... because they don't spend all their money on marketing (perhaps they should though).

I have a web site that explains a bit about "Many Ways to VoIP".  Link is in my profile.

(sorry for the ranting...perhaps a bit overdone...)

Answer 2

Yes you can use your phone and internet at the same time. But if your broadband internet is not working or disconnected your phone will not work as well.

Answer 3

YES! Dear friend..you can but make sure you have higher bandwidth DSL connection. Usually it works good with downloaded soft-phone. But if you are surfing heavy data filled site then probably you may get broken quality.

To your success,

SG.

From Talkways.net

Answer 4

As long as you have the Bandwidth for what you are trying to do yes.

Answer 5

yes, you can!!

you have two choices here....!

1. a true VoiP provider....!  ( which is usually a payed service)

you go directly thru the modem...like vonage, packet8 etc.

2. any free or payed SIP service...!  (some free, some paid)

like skype, voice.yahoo and many other ones....with this type of service you need your computer on "ON" in order to work and make calls....!

you also can have wifi-max with skype now.....no computere needed!

or the new MagicJack....which kinda piggy-back on Ymax....!

I use....MagicJack....voice.yahoo.com....P... skype!

Answer 6

Yes, you can with Skype (and I'm sure you could with others as well).

I personally like it because when I travel with my laptop it only charges me the price of a local call ( local to the country you in)