Find out everything you need to know about VOIP
HOME articles Advantages of VoIP A Comparison of Different VOIP Companies Internet phone call hardware Skype – Making Calls from your PC, for free! Internet phone calls – what may go wrong? Can spies eavesdrop on your phone calls over the Internet? Internet phone calls – brings people together What are Internet phone calls? Chatting with strangers – over the Internet Further Articles Wireless Articles: 10 Steps to Install a PCI Wireless Card 5 Reasons Why You Need a Wireless Network 5 Things You Must Do Before You Buy Any Wireless Equipment Ad-hoc or Access Point. Network Structures Explained Bluetooth - Personal Wireless Confused Yet - Wireless Jargon Connecting to a Wired Network - Wireless Access Points Could You Already Have Wireless and Not Realise It Create Always-On Networks with a Wireless Router Dealing with Security Threats - Wireless Encryption Fighting with Windows - Getting Wireless Set Up How Do Wireless Networks Work Ports and Cards - How to Tell What You Need RFID - Wireless Shopping Sharing an Internet Connection over a Wireless Network Sharing Your Files and Folders Wirelessly Taking it Long-Distance - Wireless Extension Points The Future of Wireless Wardriving and the Wireless Pirates What Else Can You Do Over a Wireless Network What is Wireless Networking What to Look For - Range, Speed and Standards Wireless Alphabet Soup - What's the Difference Anyway Wireless Everywhere - Talking Your Laptop for a Walk Wireless Troubleshooting - 5 Things to Try	Skype – Making Calls from your PC, for free! Skype Me! A friend asks you to “Skype me!”, and you flash him a questioning look. You wonder, what on earth does that mean? Well, if you have not heard of Skype before than you are really missing out on the latest form of convenience available over the Internet. What is Skype? This peculiar sounding word represents an application named Skype, which offers Internet users the opportunity to call someone else, who is also logged on to the Internet and has Skype installed, right from the computer for free. Does this sound too good to be true? Well, it’s true. Skype operates on VoIP technology that utilizes a peer-to-peer model, rather than a traditional server-client model. Therefore, the Skype user directory is decentralized and distributed among the various nodes on the network. Installing and Using Skype All you need to have is a desktop PC or notebook which is installed with a soundcard, speaker and microphone, an Internet connection that is preferably broadband and the Skype application which can be downloaded from Skype’s website at http://www.skype.com for free. Register your personal information at Skype and obtain a user ID which is specific to you. Get your friends or family to do the same, add their Skype user ID to your contact list and now you can give them a call wherever they are! For a low fee, you can also use Skype to call traditional PSTN phones and cell phones. This is known as Skype Out. Quality communications With a user interface that resembles those of instant messaging software like MSN Messenger and Yahoo! Messenger, the sound quality of communication through the use of Skype is amazingly clear with minimal interference. You can even make the “phone” on the other line ring, just like any other phone. Disadvantages of Skype The downside of Skype at this point in time is that if your computer is turned off or if you are not logged on to the Internet, you won’t be able to receive phone calls from people who may be trying to contact you. However, Skype offers a feature that allows incoming callers to leave messages for you so that you can call them back when you are online later on. Although there are phones available that allow you to plug them straight through your USB port to your PC, they need to be purchased separately. Due to the lower call costs factor, users are willing to overlook these limitations. However, until a point in time when migration costs to Internet telephony are lowered and quality and availability of VoIP calls become consistent, PSTN phones will still remain as primary phones used in households and offices.