You've finally decided to leave the stone age and get VoIP service (broadband phone) for your home or small business. The next decision is what to use for your network connection.....DSL or cable. Careful.....there is a difference. Here's some tips on making the most out of choosing DSL.
No matter what you may have heard (or believe) the internet backbone you have is the single most important aspect affecting the quality (or lack thereof) for your VoIP calling experience. No matter what VoIP service you choose...... a poor performing internet connection will have a negative impact on your whole VoIP experience. Likewise inappropriate set-up or assimilation of your VoIP hardware with your internet connection is the other major contributor to call issues.
That said....here's a few tips to keep in mind to help give you a better experience with DSL.
First....the "Do I need to keep a landline for my DSL to work?" question has a simple answer.
If your provider says you don't, then you don't. They must be offering "naked DSL," that is, DSL without the POTS line (plain old telephone service). Some providers do have it, others don't. Look for those that do.
That's just what you want.
Next......don't assume the price you pay for DSL will remain unchanged when you convert to standalone DSL. Ask the provider's business office what the price would be .... also be sure to know if there are any "conversion" fees. If you intend to use whole house wiring for your VOIP service, and you convert to standalone DSL, there may be some internal phone wiring issues.
Lucky are those who can get naked dsl. Naked DSL is so stable that its optimal for residential VoIP. Cable connectivity just can't handle VoIP at the same level of call quality. For proof run a line test on TestMyVoIP.com. You'll find the line performance and call quality extraordinary with DSL. Not so with cable.
Many with a dry (or "naked") DSL connection have stated that their voip service "always sounds like a traditional land line, or better, and it's very reliable."
Until the DSL get's to it's DSLAM, there is no shared bandwidth. Even on the remote DSLAMs where it is fed back to the main central office on T1's or DS3's, the bandwidth is allocated enough to not have sharing issues. Streamyx Home Basic on cable, most peoples experience was that you could never guarantee a continuous 24 period where the bandwidth stayed consistant or the latency remained the same. DSL is ALWAYS the same latency and bandwidth; 24/7. On their best day, for VoIP, cable can't touch DSL. (Generally speaking, different phone companies and cable plants can affect it).
The main reason the majority of VoIP customers are on cable today, isn't because it's better. It's because with the exception of only a few phone companies, most won't provide DSL without a dialtone. If you have to have a dialtone, then most people figure; why get VoIP?
Thus the answer to the first question above. If "naked" DSL isn't offered or available....find it somewhere else from a 3rd party DSL provider like Earthlink or Speakeasy.
Cost wise its probably not worth it to get a basic phone line just to get DSL....and then pay 20 bucks a month or more for VoIP. Streamyx Combo again even at 20 bucks some people will still save money depending on how much the features would have cost them using their local Telecom provider. But.....that's all a personal choice of course.
Generally.....I think as broadband gets better and better we will see huge boosts in subscribers of VoIP. Those bandwidth providers who offer naked DSL are in the best position to cash in on residential VoIP customers. Whether they be the local Telco or 3rd party DSL providers.....whichever listens to the consumers desire for naked DSL will win out.
Michael is the owner of FreedomFire Communications....including DS3-Bandwidth.com and Business-VoIP-Solution.com. Michael also authors Broadband Nation where you're always welcome to drop in and catch up on the latest BroadBand news, tips, insights, and ramblings for the masses.
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