What is VOIP and how it works” to your 7 year niece?

Question

What is VOIP and how it works” to your 7 year niece?

Answer 1

VOIP means Voice Over Internet Protocol

Internet Protocol is like your computers telephone number, what happens is your VOIP service assigns a phone number to your modem which then connects it to your phone just like a regular phone.

Answer 2

VOIP (voice over internet protocol) is a special internet phone that allows you to make local and long distance telephone calls using your high speed internet connection. It is not expensive to use ($15-30 per month) and you can keep your original phone number.

However, this phone service also has some problems:

It needs a high speed internet connection. If you are paying $20-30 per month for internet, it is likely that the speed of it is not fast enough. If the speed of the connection is too slow, the phone steals the entire internet connection (even when it is not being used) and will not allow the internet to be used. Sometimes, the speed of the connection is not fast enough for both the internet and phone. If this happens, both the phone and internet will not work and both modems will have to be restarted.

Answer 3

Voice Over Internet Protocol, using a client program on a computer at each end, or sending from one client program to a recipient's regular telephone, or the reverse.  VOIP uses compression to fit voice data into a relatively narrow bandwidth, that can hopefully be sent and received quickly enough for smooth sounding speech and a continuous conversation, even with the other loadings placed on the internet.  When you speak over VOIP you are using the broadband part of your telephone line, not the regular telephone connection, so it is rather like having a second line.

A VOIP service (and although Skype is now part of the language their service is only one example) will usually allow free typed and voice conversations, and sometimes video, between two users running the software on their computers.  These services are free as they are contained within the internet.

You can also purchase credit to allow calls from your VOIP program to a "normal" telephone on a telephone network.  These services are not free because you are roaming outside of the internet and telephone companies raise charges as with any call on their systems.

You need to check if these charges are actually cheaper than using your regular phone service to place the call.  Some people find they can get a good enough deal to replace their regular telephone service, but you need to check availability of emergency calling if you do so.

It is possible to integrate VOIP into your home to the extent that you can purchase handsets to make the experience just like any telephone call, or continue to use headsets and webcams via a computer.

I think your question was for a child, so the shorter answer is that you can usually hook up the same client as your friend/s are using and chat to them for free across the internet.

Answer 4

OK you clear on the acronym.

The remainder is simply about having a reasonable fast computer or equipment converting voices into digital signals and back at both ends, though how they end and where they end is still up in the air. As digital signals they can travel freely only dependant on the speed of Internet connection.

Although coupled with privacy issues, we did get an unfortunate VoIP 911 Death incident couple month back.