Use your broadband connection to make low-cost calls to virtually any phone number, anywhere in the world! Learn why Internet calls are so popular and what you need to get started, see how easy it is to set up, discover what it costs and get answers to common questions.

This article brought to you by D-Link

If you’ve been hearing a lot lately about consumers saving big money on their phone bills by making phone calls through the Internet, you’ve been hearing right! The popularity of making phone calls this way has swept the world with millions of people now happy users. The ‘official’ name for Internet phone technology is known as VoIP, or ‘Voice over Internet Protocol’. VoIP has actually been around for a long time, too - people have been making Internet phone calls for more than a decade. But over the last few years, VoIP technology has vastly matured, not only in voice quality, but in greatly simplified ease of use, compelling millions to embrace VoIP by making and receiving Internet phone calls to other Internet phones, and to regular phones, all over the world, every day.

While you will see references to “VoIP” in the media, in this magazine, on D-Link packaging, on the Internet itself and elsewhere, we’ll use the terms ‘Internet phone calls’ and ‘VoIP’ interchangeably in this article where appropriate.

How does VoIP compare with a regular phone line?

Thanks to the fast speeds of broadband Internet and thanks to a feature called QoS (Quality of Service) technology built-in to most D-Link VoIP equipment, Internet phone call voice quality now rivals regular phone lines. On a side note, if you’re already using VoIP phones or equipment without QoS technology (D-Link or otherwise), you can add a D-Link QoS ‘box’ to your existing setup to instantly improve the quality of your calls, as this works to ‘prioritise’ the voice calls on your Internet connection, as it makes sure the voice call is sent before email, downloads or anything else.

Through D-Link’s preferred VoIP phone service provider gotalk www.gotalk.com.au, the price of Internet phone calls has come down to just 9.9c per call, untimed, to any regular home or office landline in Australia, with a number of plans available from a no monthly cost plan through to a capped plan and a range in between. Making an Internet phone call is no different to the way you make calls using a regular telephone, once you’ve set it all up - just pick up the phone, dial the number as per normal, wait for someone to answer, and then start talking. And as a handy bonus, if you’re calling friends, family, colleagues and others who use the same VoIP phone service provider as you, no matter where they are in Australia or around the world, there’s no extra charge to call them at all! It’s quite a refreshing change from needing to worry about long distance charges or needing to keep your conversation short - Internet phone calls let you talk as much as you want to at very low prices that give a delightfully refreshing new meaning to the well-known term ‘talk is cheap!’

Before you get started

The process of setting up your new VoIP phone line is easier and faster than ever, too. No appointments with phone company technicians are needed, and as your new Internet phone line can literally be installed by you, switched on and ready to go within minutes of arriving home with your new D-Link VoIP equipment - meaning there’s no need to wait two weeks or longer for a new phone line to be installed. You can even install two or more VoIP phone lines in your home or office in the same way, making Internet phone technology one of the most versatile and easiest to use yet!

What you need
Let’s look at what you need to get a new Internet phone line set up at your place in a little more detail, with some step-by-step information to show you how easy the process really is. We’ll also try to answer any questions you’ll likely have right here in this feature.

Broadband Internet connection

A broadband connection with a recommended minimum down load speed of 512Kbps. This can be a cable, ADSL or even a wireless broadband Internet connection.

Router with spare Ethernet port

A router with a spare Ethernet port - this is like a four-way power board for your Internet connection. From the picture below you can see what this usually looks like, and there’s a good chance you already own one. If so, and there is at least one free (empty) socket, please go straight to section E in the column to your right, otherwise please read on below to section C where we outline some of the router choices you have.

Broadband modem

If your broadband modem plugs into your computer via a USB connection, please skip to section D. If your broadband modem plugs into your computer via a single Ethernet port (and has no spare Ethernet ports) you will need a four port router, with a model such as the D-Link DI-704P, ERP $99.95, as shown below. With four Ethernet ports you can connect a range of equipment into your home or office network so they can talk to each other and access the Internet as required - and this includes VoIP equipment. A more sophisticated alternative is the D-Link DVG-G1402S, ERP $299 and pictured below, a four port wireless router that lets you connect up to two existing standard telephones, be they wired or cordless versions. It also works with Ethernet Internet phones as explained further below. Now go straight to section E at the top right of the next column. D. If your supplied broadband modem connects to your computer using a USB cable, you will either need a replacement broadband modem that connects via Ethernet, or better still, you can buy a broadband router (wired or wireless) that comes with a broadband modem built-in, along with a four-port Ethernet router. An excellent example is the D-Link DSL G604T (ERP $199.95), an ADSL 2/2+ compliant wireless broadband router with 802.11g wire less and four Ethernet ports as pictured below. You can connect an Ethernet Internet phone or an analogue telephone adapter into this model as explained in section E to your top right.

A phone

Now that you have a spare Ethernet port, whether your router already had one, or you needed a new router with spare ports, you need to plug in your telephone. You have two choices. You can con nect an Internet phone such as the D-Link DPH-120S (ERP $219.95 and pictured below), a sophisticated deskphone with an array of advanced phone features mirroring those found on advanced office phones, which uses an Ethernet connection (not the standard telephone jack) to plug directly into the spare port on your router. Alternatively, should you wish to use an existing wired or cordless telehone that has a standard RJ-11 phone jack, you can plug an analogue telephone adaptor (ATA) into the spare port of your router. An example is the D-Link DVG-2001S (ERP $119.95) and is pictured below.

Internet phone account

An Internet phone account with with an Internet phone service provider, such as gotalk. These are available from a $0 monthly cost, through to $9.95, $19.95 and $29.95 monthly plans. All D-Link VoIP devices ship with an amount of calls included as part of the package. There is also a capped plan available for $49.95 that gives you $100 worth of calls. See www.gotalk.com.au (or www.gotalk.co.nz in NZ) for full details on the range of VoIP plans available.

What does it cost to make calls?

Depending on the plan you have chosen, calls to any regular land line in Australia cost 9.9c untimed per call, and calls to mobiles are 26.9c per minute. There are no flagfall charges! Calls to international destinations start from 1.9c per minute with a full list of rates to countries worldwide available. See the gotalk website for full details on local and international call rates.

How to connect and activate your own Internet phone

If you already own a four port router or have purchased one as described in the previous column, setting up an Internet phone line is simple.

1. Plug in a D-Link DPH-120S deskphone into your router using the supplied Ethernet cable or plug in a D-Link DVG-2001S analogue telephone adaptor so you can connect a regular wired or cordless

2. Turn the DPH-120S deskphone or the DVG-2001S adaptor upside down to find your pre-assigned gotalk number and password. There is also a serial number on the base of the unit you’ll need to enter into the gotalk website.

3. Visit the gotalk site at www.gotalk.com.au/register/10bbvoffer and click on ‘Broadband Voice’. Then click on the D-Link Logo. Now select the D-Link VoIP phone or adapter you have chosen, then enter your gotalk number, the serial number of the device itself and then sign up to one of the gotalk Internet phone plans with your credit or debit card.

4. Wait approximately 6 to 10 minutes, and your Internet phone ser vice is connected and ready to go! This is the standard connection time, but in the busiest periods this could be up to an hour, how ever you will always receive an email from gotalk advising you when the service is connected. You can now start making excellent value phone calls, to real phones, anywhere in the world.

Instant answers to common questions

Q. I can see that it’s easy to set up an Internet phone line, but what if I still want someone to do it for me?

A. D-Link’s Installation Services can install your new Internet phone line for you within 48 hours of making a booking. You can visit www.dlink.com.au or call 1300 700 100 for more information. D-Link’s Installation Services are only available in Australia for now.

Q. What do I do if I don’t hear a dial tone after installation?

A. Please check that all cables are correctly plugged in and installed. If so, and there is still no dial tone, please turn off your broadband modem, your router and any D-Link VoIP phone equip ment. After at least 30 seconds, turn everything back on, starting with your broadband modem first. Wait at least two minutes for your broadband modem to re-establish a connection, and then pick up your phone and listen for a dial tone. If you still can’t hear a dial tone, wait an additional couple of minutes and then pick up the phone again. If there is still no dial tone, please contact D-Link Customer Support on 1300 766 868 for assistance in Australia, or 0800 900 900 for Customer Support in New Zealand.

Q. What happens to my Internet phone line if my broadband service is interrupted?

A. If your broadband service is interrupted, your Internet phone ser vice will also be interrupted. When normal service is restored, your Internet phone service will return to normal.

Q. Can I dial the 000 (in Australia) or 111 (in New Zealand) emergency service number through my Internet phone line?

A. Yes, calls to emergency services numbers will connect through your Internet phone service, however you may need to specify your address or location due to the nature of VoIP technology. If possible, use a regular phone line or your mobile phone to call emergency service numbers.

Q. What if the voice call quality gets choppy? A. If you are using D-Link (or other) VoIP equipment without QoS (quality of service) technology, please ensure that your Internet connection is not overloaded by large or numerous uploads and downloads - stop any ‘big’ uploads and downloads while making and receiving calls. If you want to add QoS technology to an existing VoIP setup that doesn’t have it, see page 13 for information on the DI-102 Broadband VoIP Accelerator. D-Link technology that has QoS built-in helps to effectively overcome this problem by prioritising voice traffic so it travels over your Internet connection first (before other downloads and uploads), although a totally overloaded con nection may still cause choppiness. D-Link recommends a broad band connection with a minimum 512k download speed for the best results.

Q. Where can I find more answers to other questions I may have?

A. Visit D-Link’s website at www.dlink.com.au in Australia, or www.dlink.co.nz in New Zealand, or please contact D-Link Customer Support on 1300 766 868 for assistance in Australia, or 0800 900 900 for Customer Support in New Zealand.

Related: