What is Voice Over IP and how do I use it?

Voice Over IP or Voice over internet Protocol is a clever way of using the internet to make long distance phone calls. There are three different ways of using VoIP: computer-to-computer, ATA or IP phones. Through computer to computer, you simply need the software, a microphone and speakers to make calls to other computers. ATA stands for analog telephone adapter, which alows you to plug in a piece of hardware that connects your phone to your internet provider. There are also special IP phones you can purchase that look similar to regular phones but use an ethernet connector rather than a phone cord so that you do not require a special phone adapter.