Since the media hype engine for VoIP is turned up pretty high, I'm not going to spend any time repeating the pitches that you probably know by heart for considering VoIP. Instead, I'll give you a few reasons below for not using VoIP.

Not the only way to lower long distance costs

Since long distance telephone service is available in so many other ways for very little money, if saving money on your long distance bills is your only justification for using VoIP, you may want to reconsider. I use a 3.5 cents / minute AT&T card from Sam's Club that suits my usage just fine and don't have to worry about lugging a VoIP adapter with me on business trips. Most cell phone plans bundle in more nationwide minutes that you can eat in a month, too.

Of course the tipping point in this equation is constantly changing, with the going monthly rate for an all-you-can-eat US and Canada plan from Vonage and AT&T at $25 as I write this in October 2004. If you do a lot of international calling, be sure to check your prospective providers' rates because these calls may not be included in the basic monthly rate.

911 service gotchas

Whether or how well 911 emergency services work depends mostly on your VoIP service provider. So be sure you understand whether 911 services will work and whether there is an extra charge for them before you sign up. (This

• 4 – Is VoIP for me?
  

  1. 1 – Introduction
  2. 2 – VoIP Basics
  3. 3 – VoIP Elements
  4. 4 – Is VoIP for me?
  5. 5 – Consumer VoIP - Types of Service
  6. 6 – Consumer VoIP - Connection alternatives
  7. 7 – Consumer VoIP's Dirty Little Secret
  8. 8 – Summary
  9. 9 –
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