Talk Is Cheap

Description

More people are switching from standard telephone service to phone service via the Internet. While the cost savings are outstanding, there are some issues with Internet telephony. Are the connections reliable? Is the quality comparable? Will it include 911 services? Talk is Cheap is the easy-to-understand guide to the ins and outs of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and other Internet telephone options (including P2P).

Full Description

Fed up with the high tolls charged by your ordinary telephone service? If you're itching to cut the copper cord with your costly, traditional phone service, you need Talk is Cheap, the new, easy-to-understand guide to understanding and using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and other Internet telephone options. Technologies such as VoIP are gaining a great deal of attention these days as more people switch from standard telephone service to phone service via the Internet. But while the cost savings are outstanding, there are some issues with Internet telephony that you should know about. Are the connections reliable? Is the quality comparable? Will it include 911 services? James Gaskin's Talk is Cheap addresses these issues and many more by explaining how to make the switch and what the tradeoffs will be if you opt for Internet telephony over traditional phone services. Talk is Cheap focuses on the increasingly popular services from Vonage, which uses VoIP, and Skype--a free service that operates as a peer-to-peer (P2P) network with the ability to turn any PC, Mac, or Pocket PC into a telephone. The book explains your options; explores the background behind, the workings of, and differences between VoIP and P2P networks; and discusses the advantages and drawbacks of both technologies (including service offerings, quality, capabilities, completion rates, and more). Talk is Cheap then goes into detail on what you can expect in Internet service from traditional phone companies such as Verizon and AT&T. In addition, you will learn more advanced techniques, including how to turn your Palm or Pocket PC into an Internet phone and how to work with Wi-Fi phones and videophones. A straightforward, quick introduction to the ins and outs of using Internet telephone services, this book provides everything you need to make informed telephone decisions--whether you're thinking about the switch from traditional phone service or have already made it and want to get the most out of your new Internet telephone.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 How Internet Telephone Calls Work
1. Analog to Digital, Voice to Data
2. VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)
3. Riding the Internet Past the Telephone Companies
4. Redial
Chapter 2 Your Internet Phone
1. Phone-Centric Providers
2. Computer-Centric Providers
3. What's Old Is New Again: Internet Telephony from Phone Companies
4. Redial
Chapter 3 Free Internet Phone Features that You're Paying for Now
1. Saving Money
2. Handling, or Not, Calls
3. Other Features
4. Optional ($$) Features
5. Redial
Chapter 4 hoosing Your Internet Phone Equipment
1. Phone-Centric Equipment
2. Computer-Centric Equipment
3. Beyond Standard Voice to Video
4. Redial
Chapter 5 Vonage and Other Broadband Phone Carriers
1. Broadband Phone Carriers
2. What You Get with a Broadband Phone
3. Before You Sign Up
4. Signing Up
5. After You Sign Up
6. Troubleshooting
7. Redial
Chapter 6 Skype and Other Computer-centric Services
1. Skype and Competitors
2. Stumbling Blocks
3. Computer-Centric Phone Features
4. How to Sign Up
5. Requirements
6. How Much?
7. Decision Checklist for New Users
8. Using Skype
9. Managing Your Account
10. Skype for the Pocket PC
11. What Skype Forgets to Tell You
12. Troubleshooting
13. Redial
Chapter 7 911, Alarms, and Other Outgoing Calls
1. 911 Issues
2. Alarm Systems and TV Device Phone Links
3. SkypeOut
4. Broadband Enhancements to Traditional Telephone Services
5. Redial
Chapter 8 Tricks, Tips, and Techniques for Advanced Users
1. Adding Phone Extensions by Rewiring or Other Options
2. Improving Your Call Quality
3. Conference Calls
4. Skype Instant Messaging Tricks
5. Broadband Phone Politics
6. Redial
Chapter 9 Go Wireless
1. Skype and SIP-Friendly Cordless Phones
2. Wi-Fi Internet Phones
3. Futures
4. Redial

Product Details

Title:

Talk Is Cheap

By:

James E Gaskin

Publisher:

O'Reilly Media

Formats:

Print
Safari Books Online

Print Release:

July 2005

Pages:

272

Print ISBN:

978-0-596-00960-1

| ISBN 10:

0-596-00960-7

Customer Reviews

About the Author

James E Gaskin

James E. Gaskin has been solving computer and network problems for businesses small and large since 1984. He also writes books, articles, and jokes about technology AND real life. In 16 books and hundreds of articles, network consultant Gaskin tells people faster, cheaper, newer, and smarter ways to connect to each other and the world. A founding member of the Network World Lab Alliance, Gaskin focuses on small office issues and product testing. He is the leading voice for the small business market through his long-running Small Business Technology newsletter distributed by Network World. As a speaker, Gaskin travels the country in Hawaiian shirts helping people laugh at their IT pain while teaching them new ways to put technology to work. In venues such as Network World Technology Tours and seminars at leading industry conventions such as Networld + InterOp, Gaskin delivers objective information stripped of marketing hype in his trademark "unbiased and unboring" style. When avoiding computers, Gaskin plays classical chamber music on the violin and tennis (but not at the same time) in the Dallas area.

View James E Gaskin's full profile page.

Colophon

About the Author James E. Gaskin has been solving computer and network problems for businesses small and large since 1984. He also writes books, articles, and jokes about technology and real life. In 16 books and hundreds of articles, network consultant Gaskin tells people faster, cheaper, newer, and smarter ways to connect to each other and the world. A founding member of the Network World Lab Alliance, Gaskin focuses on small office issues and product testing. He is the leading voice for the small business market through his long-running Small Business Technology newsletter distributed by Network World. As a speaker, Gaskin travels the country in Hawaiian shirts helping people laugh at their IT pain while teaching them new ways to put technology to work. In venues such as Network World Technology Tours and seminars at leading industry conventions such as Networld + InterOp, Gaskin delivers objective information stripped of marketing hype in his trademark "unbiased and unboring" style. When avoiding computers, Gaskin plays classical chamber music on the violin and tennis (but not at the same time) in the Dallas area. Colophon Our look is the result of reader comments, our own experimentation, and feedback from distribution channels. Distinctive covers complement our distinctive approach to technical topics, breathing personality and life into potentially dry subjects. Mary Brady was the production editor and proofreader for Talk Is Cheap. Nancy Reinhardt was the copyeditor . Matt Hutchinson and Claire Cloutier provided quality control. Julie Hawks wrote the index. Scott Idleman/Blink designed the cover of this book. Karen Montgomery produced the cover layout with Process Type Foundry's Stratum. Marcia Friedman designed the interior layout. This book was converted by Andrew Savikas to FrameMaker 5.5.6 with a format conversion tool created by Erik Ray, Jason McIntosh, Neil Walls, and Mike Sierra that uses Perl and XML technologies. The text font is Berthold Baskerville; the heading font is Adobe Helvetica Neue; and the code font is LucasFont's TheSans Mono Condensed. The illustrations that appear in the book were produced by Robert Romano and Jessamyn Read using Macromedia FreeHand MX and Adobe Photoshop 7.

O'Reilly Books & Videos

Switching to Internet Telephones

Chapter 1 How Internet Telephone Calls Work

Analog to Digital, Voice to Data

VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)

Riding the Internet Past the Telephone Companies

Redial

Chapter 2 Your Internet Phone

Phone-Centric Providers

Computer-Centric Providers

What's Old Is New Again: Internet Telephony from Phone Companies

Redial

Chapter 3 Free Internet Phone Features that You're Paying for Now

Saving Money

Handling, or Not, Calls

Other Features

Optional ($$) Features

Redial

Chapter 4 hoosing Your Internet Phone Equipment

Phone-Centric Equipment

Computer-Centric Equipment

Beyond Standard Voice to Video

Redial

Chapter 5 Vonage and Other Broadband Phone Carriers

Broadband Phone Carriers

What You Get with a Broadband Phone

Before You Sign Up

Signing Up

After You Sign Up

Troubleshooting

Redial

Chapter 6 Skype and Other Computer-centric Services

Skype and Competitors

Stumbling Blocks

Computer-Centric Phone Features

How to Sign Up

Requirements

How Much?

Decision Checklist for New Users

Using Skype

Managing Your Account

Skype for the Pocket PC

What Skype Forgets to Tell You

Troubleshooting

Redial

Chapter 7 911, Alarms, and Other Outgoing Calls

911 Issues

Alarm Systems and TV Device Phone Links

SkypeOut

Broadband Enhancements to Traditional Telephone Services

Redial

Chapter 8 Tricks, Tips, and Techniques for Advanced Users

Adding Phone Extensions by Rewiring or Other Options

Improving Your Call Quality

Conference Calls

Skype Instant Messaging Tricks

Broadband Phone Politics

Redial

Chapter 9 Go Wireless

Skype and SIP-Friendly Cordless Phones

Wi-Fi Internet Phones

Futures

Redial

James E Gaskin