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VoIP Hardphones
VOIP hardphones provide a complete VoIP telephone solution that can simply be connected to your existing high-speed internet modem or router. Some hardphones can be interfaced to your PC via a USB connection. A VoIP hardphone can be thought of as an analog telephone combined with an ATA or IP Phone Adapter. This article will briefly discuss some of the features to look for when choosing a VoIP hardphone.
Basic Features
A basic VoIP hardphone will look similar to a regular telephone handset with call id capability. There will be a handset, keypad for dialing and display for number and call id information. Basic VoIP hardphones are available in either corded or cordless models. The cordless handsets are very similar to cordless analog telephones. They have a base station that contains the ATA, and provide a wireless signal for communication with the handset. The base station is connected to your high-speed modem or router using an Ethernet cable, and the handset can be used anywhere within range of the base station.
Advanced Features
VoIP hardphones are available with most of the features offered by traditional analog telephones. The base unit can include a speakerphone, voice mail indicator, advanced display (including color displays) and enhanced caller ID features. The voice mail indicator is used to indicate that new VoIP voice mail has been received.
Another feature available on hardphones is extra data ports for connecting your high-speed internet to your PC(s). Hardphones with this feature actually incorporate the ATA, VoIP interface and router capability into a single device. This means that the VoIP hardphone can be used to replace your existing router or to add additional PCs to your network.
Complete VoIP videophones are also available, which have a display incorporated into them to facilitate video calls. This provides a standalone videophone without using any of your PC hardware.
Vonage V-Phone
Vonage has recently introduced a unique new device call the V-Phone. The V-Phone is a small, self-contained unit that allows you to use your Vonage service on any computer with high-speed access, regardless of where the computer is located. The V-Phone interfaces to the computer via USB, and can be directly plugged into any available USB port.
The V-Phone comes with a detachable stereo earpiece microphone. Whenever the V-Phone is plugged into a PC’s USB port, it uploads a softphone application (Vonage Talk Software) to the PC. You can then place and receive calls using the Vonage Talk Software. The V-Phone also includes 250mb of storage that can be used to store your data files, MP3 songs or digital photos. This unique device is small enough to fit on a keychain, and allows you to literally take your Vonage service with you at all times. The V-Phone is available only from Vonage, and costs $39.99. This price includes a new Vonage VoIP phone number.
Hardphone Manufacturers
There are a number of different companies that manufacture VoIP hardphones. These manufacturers basically fall into two categories – companies that in the past have mainly produced traditional analog telephones, and companies that have specialized in network or computer hardware who are moving into the VoIP hardphone market. Uniden and Vtech are two companies that have traditionally produced quality analog telephones. Both of these companies have been able to use their existing expertise in analog telephones to produce some very capable VoIP hardphones.
Linksys and Dlink are two companies that have a long history of manufacturing network and internet-access hardware. These companies have been able to use their expertise in network hardware to produce quality VoIP hardphones. US Robotics and Belkin Products are examples of general computer hardware manufacturers who have moved into the VoIP market.
VoIP Hardphone Compatibility
Compatibility is an issue that needs to be considered when purchasing a VoIP hardphone, in much the same way as with ATAs and VoIP routers. Some VoIP providers offer hardphones that are manufactured especially for use with their service. Compatibility will not be an issue if you purchase your hardphone from your VoIP service provider. However, there are a number of reasons why you might want to purchase a third-party hardphone. Reasons include more features at a lower cost as well as enhanced features not available on hardphones offered by VoIP providers.
If you decide to shop for a third-party hardphone, compatibility with your service provider needs to be an important consideration. As with ATAs and routers, you should check with both the manufacturer and your service provider to make certain that the model you intend to purchase will work well with your VoIP service.
VoIP Hardphone Pricing
Prices for VoIP hardphones cover a wide range. The most basic corded units are typically available in the range of $25 - $35. Basic wireless units are available from $40 - $50. Corded and wireless units with advanced features can range from $50 - $150. These phones include features such as multiple cordless handsets and extra data ports. Dedicated videophones start at approximately $150.
VoIP is a fast-changing technology, and new hardphones with more advanced features are being offered at a rapid pace. As more people sign up for VoIP service and purchase hardware, prices can be expected to continue to decline in the near future.
Summary
VoIP hardphones provide a complete, plug-n-play solution for VoIP phone service. They greatly simplify the installation of VoIP service. In fact, the installation of a basic corded or cordless VoIP hardphone is no more difficult than plugging a traditional telephone into a modular wall jack. And currently, VoIP hardphones are only slightly more expensive than their analog counterparts, with prices continuing to decrease.
Using VoIP can be as simple as downloading a software package called a softphone to your PC. We will look at VoIP softphones in the next article.