Voice Over IP Articles

VoIP Disadvantages- Best VoIP Review already wrote about the benefits of VoIP and in this article we are going to discuss the disadvantages of VoIP. There are disadvantages of VoIP so it important that you know the VoIP disadvantages. VoIP disadvantages!

Like any other phone system, VoIP has disadvantages. But which disadvantages you see will depend a lot on your equipment, your network, and the manner in which you use VoIP. By identifying some possible disadvantages in advance, you have the opportunity to avoid them through your choices of client, hardware, network, and Internet telephony service provider.

Cost

Despite your experience under certain conditions or what you may have heard, not all VoIP calls are free. Even for providers who offer free computer-to-computer calls when caller and recipient are using the same service, there may be charges for computer-to-phone, phone-to-computer, or phone-to-phone calls.

Phone Number

Before there were URLs with their memorable branding of businesses, there were phone numbers, some made memorable by their digit sequences, some by spelling out words on the telephone punch pad. Switching to VoIP may lose you all of the recognition you’ve built up, as you may not be able to port your number to VoIP.

Minimum Requirements

Dial-up service may be sufficient for your Internet needs, but it won’t be powerful enough to carry voice. High-speed service, usually broadband or cable, is usually considered a minimal necessity for successful VoIP service.

Quality

VoIP can suffer from a variety of quality problems: static, frequency interference, noise, echo, and delays. Factors that are somewhat within the user’s control include the system bandwidth partly determined by the type of service you choose; the hardware, whether computer, phone, Analog Telephone Adapter (ATA), modem, router; the choice of phone frequencies, and the proper placement of hardware, keeping adequate distance between ATA, router, and phone to avoid electrical feedback.

Power/Network-Dependence

Power failure is not something that every home or business is immune to, and in the circumstances in which the power fails, being able to contact the "outside world" can be of crucial importance. But unlike a regular phone line, which can make connections during an electrical blackout, a VoIP connection goes down along with the Internet connection.

In addition, network glitches don’t just stop your email and prevent you from surfing the Internet if you have VoIP. In this case, you may lose your incoming and outgoing phoning ability. Man-in-the-middle attacks, in which the attacker hijacks the call, are also possible. You may also suffer indirect effects of a Denial of Service (DoS) attack on your network, or simply poor allocation of server resources.

Emergency Calls

Because the regulations for VoIP do not require the offering of emergency 911 services, some do not. Some actually prohibit you from using their service for emergency calls. Even if you can make 911 calls, there is another issue to be aware of: calls made on traditional phone networks can deliver your location to the 911 operator; VoIP cannot so if a VoIP emergency call is placed, it may be essential for the caller to give the location, until this issue is fully addressed. Whatever the 911 situation in your home or company, it is absolutely crucial that everyone who has occasion to come into the building served by the system know exactly how to reach emergency services if needed.

Calling Limitations/Compatibility

Suppose that you were to get a hardware phone connected to a specific Internet telephony service provider, such as the Belikin Skype Wi-Fi phone. Making a choice such as this has serious limitations in not only here you can call, but whom you can call. And given that that these hardware items are not necessarily inexpensive,

Security

Not all VoIP protocols, including Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), are encrypted, and if your data is not encrypted, it can be vulnerable to theft. Eavesdropping and vishing, the word for VoIP Phishing, as well as viruses and other malware can not only endanger your privacy and security, but also interrupt your service. According to a McAfee report in December, 2009, there are nearly 60 security vulnerabilities in VoIP, about three times as many as there were in 2006.

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