The equipment you need for VoIP can be very cheap or quite expensive depending on your needs. If you go for PC-to-PC communication, the only thing you will need as equipment besides your computer will be a hearing and speaking device - a headset or microphone and speakers.
Some softphone applications do allow you to make and receive calls using your mobile phone, thus eliminating the need for headsets and other equipment of the like. You either install their softphone client on your mobile phone (e.g. PeerMe) or use their web interface for the dialing (e.g. Jajah).
For hardware-based VoIP, you will need solid material. And this costs money, but not always, as we will see below. What you will need is an ATA (phone adapter) and a phone set. The phone set can be any of the traditional phones you use with PSTN. Now there are special phones for VoIP with special features, called IP phones. These do not require having an ATA, because they have the functionality included. IP phones are quite expensive and are mostly used by businesses.
Many hardware-based VoIP services provided for free hardware (an ATA) for free for the duration of the service. This helps you not only in saving money, but also on compatibility with the servie used and on allowing you the possibility of trying a service without investing. Read more:
- Common VoIP Hardware Devices
- IP Phones - Special Phones for VoIP
- Vendor-Provided Equipment
- Features of IP Phones
- VoIP Equipment and Solution Vendors
A service is worth mentioning here: ooma. It provides you completely free unlimited service provided you buy the accompanying hardware.
