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Pros and Cons of Using VoIP Services

Some Advantages of Using VoIP:

It's Cheaper, or even Free
* Many services like Skype allow free person-to-person calling (including long distance) to anyone within their network. All you need is their free software.
* Most VoIP providers who do charge keep their rates between $20 and $25 a month.

Most allow unlimited calling in the US and Canada.

All the cool features are included - voicemail, caller id, call waiting, 3-way, call forwarding and more.

VoIP service is usually portable. With the anyone/anywhere no-computer-required providers, you can take your phone adapter anywhere where there is an internet connection. You simply plug it into the router (or modem) and make calls just like you do at home.

You can often choose your own area code. You can move across the country and still have a home-town phone number.

There are a Few Disadvantages to Using VoIP:

Not all VoIP services offer E911. If you call 911 from your VoIP phone, it may get routed to an answering service first, then to the local dispatch.

VoIP is dependant on your internet connection. If you loose power you will often loose your phone service too. (Some providers do offer an automatic forwarding number if the internet connection goes down)

Call quality sometimes degrades due to a slow connection or high internet traffic levels. Usually this only happens in areas where the infrastructure has not been upgraded for a long time.

The 'PC-to-PC' free VoIP services tie you to your computer. Normally that's not a bad thing, considering the cost savings of the service, but sometimes it might be nice to sit on the porch or patio and chat.