Networking For Dummies

You have to consider a few disadvantages before you switch your phone service over to VoIP. Here are the most important ones:

• You must have a reliable broadband Internet connection. If your Internet connection goes down, so will your VoIP connection.

• The ATA requires electrical power to work. As a result, you can't use your VoIP phone during a power outage unless you connect it to an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS). In contrast, traditional telephones draw their power directly from the phone lines. That's why traditional phones continue to work even during power outages.

• VoIP isn't really mobile in the same sense as a cellphone. You probably need a cellphone, too.

• Calls to the 911 emergency system are problematic with VoIP services. The basic problem is that the 911 system is designed to contact local emergency dispatchers. Because VoIP services aren't tied to a particular location, you must notify your VoIP provider of your location for 911 to work. If you take your VoIP ATA with you on a trip and then forget to notify your provider of your new location before dialing 911, you're connected to emergency services in your hometown, not in your present location.