An IP phone, also known as a VoIP phone, is a telephone that uses voice over IP technologies for placing and transmitting telephone calls over an IP network, such as the Internet. This is in contrast to a standard phone that uses the traditional public switched telephone network (PSTN) . IP phones connect to the internet via a router and modem, and they convert voice into IP packets and vice versa. They can be simple software-based softphones or purpose-built hardware devices that appear much like an ordinary telephone or a cordless phone. Traditional PSTN phones can also be used as VoIP phones with analog telephone adapters (ATA) .
IP telephony refers to any phone system that uses an internet connection to send and receive voice data. Unlike a regular telephone that uses landlines to transmit analog signals, IP phones connect to the internet via a router and modem. IP telephony now offers HD voice quality, cheaper running costs, and advanced business phone features. IP phones include desk phones, cordless phones, and conference phones that resemble your everyday office phone, but use a different technology for powering calls. They work by reading an individual’s analogue voice signals and converting them into digital signals, which are then sent over to a broadline as data. IP phones use your existing internet connection, thus eliminating complex hardware and its expenses.
