Voice Over IP Articles

WiFi VoIP- As VoIP becomes more popular so does the popularity of WiFi VoIP. In this WiFi VoIP Best VoIP review is going to discuss the general aspect of WiFI VoIP. After reading this WiFi VoIP review, you will know what to look for when buying WiFi VoIP.

VoIP stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol, a way of using the Internet to make phone calls. But there are multiple factors that can vary, one of those being the way in which the user connects to the Internet. These include dial-up connection, cable internet, T-lines, Wi-Fi, cell phone, and satellite access. WiFi VoIP refers to making or receiving calls via the Internet, using a Wi-Fi connection. When using Wi-Fi VoIP, one can make phone calls in a way that wasn’t possible before.

What Is Wi-Fi?

Wi-Fi is a trademark for a group of WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) devices that are based on the IEEE 802.11 standard, created by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Today, Wi-Fi is found in many technological devices, from the large stationary devices, such as computers, printers, and video game consoles, too laptops, smartphones, MP3 players, PDAs, and notebooks.

Wi-Fi access depends on proximity to a wireless network. In residences or businesses, there is often one or more Wi-Fi origination points, located wherever the routers are placed. Public points of Wi-Fi access are referred to a Wi-Fi hotspots, and these are offered, often free of charge.

Wi-Fi hotspots are found in places such as restaurants, hotels, and other places that promote business, including airports, beginning in 2003. A number of college campuses have widespread Wi-Fi access. The first city-wide Wi-Fi in the United States was in Sunnyvale, California, as of 2005. Newer ventures in Wi-Fi access have included a Wi-Fi schoolbus in Vail, Arizona.

Wi-Fi Networks and Ranges

Some VoIP setups require using a computer or cable conneted to a computer, while others depend on a device connected to an Ethernet modem or router. Wi-Fi VoIP gives you more freedom to move around while making calls, but this freedom depends on the type of Wi-Fi network you set up. The most frequent choices are 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n.

•　802.11b was the standard released in mid-1999. Set at 2.4 GHz, it can have problems with interference caused by other devices operating at 2.4 GHz, such as Bluetooth devices, cordless phones, and microwave ovens. The best indoor range is generally a maximum of around 120 feet (38 meters).

•　802.11g was the standard introduced in June, 2003. It is also set at 2.4 GHz, but features much higher speeds than are possible with 802.11b. It is, however, backward compatible with 802.11b, although including a b device in a g network reduces the data rate significantly. The best indoor range is, like that of 802.11b, generally a maximum of around 120 feet (38 meters).

•　802.11n was released in October, 2009, and quickly adopted as its speeds can match wired Ethernet. Dual-band n routers offer a choice of 2.4 or 5 GHz and all n routers have a new technology called MIMO (multiple-input multiple output) that allows multiple data streams to be transmitted through multiple antennae. The best indoor range is generally a maximum that is nearly double that of 802.11b/g: around 230 feet (70 meters), but operating at 5 GHz will have a reduced range.

The range limitations point up one of the downsides of Wi-Fi VoIP roaming coverage is an issue, because calls can only be placed or received when the range is right for connection to a wireless Internet network, to which the user has access. Keep in mind that with a Wi-Fi phone, this is the only type of access one has, that is, one can only make and receive VoIP calls. With a dual-mode phone, on the other hand, one can also make calls on the cellular network, so if you are placing the call, you can choose the mode to fit the circumstances.

Sources

nytimes.com/2010/02/12/education/12bus.html?scp=1&sq=internet%20school%20bus&st=cse

apple.com/wifi/80211/

pcworld.com/article/145098/new_80211n_routers_the_best_wifi_yet.html

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