Talk Is Cheap

James E Gaskin

  • 出版商: O'Reilly
  • 出版日期: 2005-07-01
  • 售價: $920
  • 貴賓價: 9.5$874
  • 語言: 英文
  • 頁數: 272
  • 裝訂: Paperback
  • ISBN: 0596009607
  • ISBN-13: 9780596009601
  • 已絕版

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商品描述

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:

Preface

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. Choosing 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

Index