Internet Phone (VoIP)

High costs of international cost from New Zealand to Philippines has triggered me research about VOIP (voice over the internet protocol) or internet phone. I never thought that it was so easy to set up your own telephony over the internet. I have been using yahoo messenger to cheaply communicate however I have become tired of it. I wanted to experience free high quality calls without being tied up to a computer.

I was able to setup one back home in the Philippines and one here in New Zealand: so I and my family back home are now enjoying unlimited free calls anytime. I would like to share how to make your own.

Step 1. You need to have a broadband internet connection with a spare LAN port - this is where you will connect your internet phone device.

Step 2. You will need to buy a VOIP adapter (just google for it, or you could find cheap ones on ebay, trademe.co.nz, or sulit.com.ph). OR can use your Nokia phone if it has an internet capability. I use my Nokia E63 via a wireless LAN connection.

Step 3. You need to set up your voip account. I have tried one provider and I am very satisfied with their service. It's free and calling from voip to voip phone is free. http://www.callcentric.com/?aid=63700

Step 4. Setup your equipment according to the recommended settings of your voip provider. You might not find settings for your nokia phone but can always google callcentric setting for you device. (Please watch out for my blog on nokia settings)

Step 5. Make a test call... Congratulations!

Making calls to lot of destinations is also very affordable, as low as $0.018 per minute calls to mobile/ ordinary telephone in the US, Canada, New Zealand and many more. Of course voip to voip call is free.

As i mentioned I use my Nokia phone for internet calls. It is so convenient to use. I have preset it to get online when I get home. It automatically registers and connects via my WLAN at home and start receiving and making calls. So convenient. It's like using a normal telephone/mobile but through the internet. Call quality is better than international calls thru commercial telcos.

Only a few people know about this. That's why telco companies keep on growing.

I hope you learned something from me. For additional instructions, just let me know.