More and more individuals and companies are using services that allow them to fax by internet. At the same time there are more and more such service providers online and it is becoming somewhat difficult to figure out which one to chose.
Below are considerations to take into account when selecting a 'fax by internet' service:
Your Geographic Location
Some fax by internet providers offer services in the US only. Others offer their services in a limited number of countries. Make sure the provider you choose can give you a number in the location you need.
Reliability and Quality
How reliable is the service provider? Ask others and find out if they are happy with the service. Look in online forums as well. Check if the provider has an uptime guarantee. This is very important as you don't want the service to be down when you are receiving a fax by internet. Likewise, you want to make sure the faxes you are sending and receiving are of high quality so that nobody has any problems reading them.
Price
What is the monthly price? How many pages are you allowed to send and receive for that price? How much will each page cost if you exceed this number? Note that the monthly price will probably not include unlimited faxing.
Plans available
Look at the different plans and figure out what your needs are. Do you need only to receive faxes or also to send them out? How many faxes do you expect to send per month? Based on these questions you can select a package that is right for you.
Trial period
Most companies will allow you to fax by internet for free for a trial period. Make sure you get such a plan so that you can easily switch to another provider if you are not satisfied.
How the faxes are viewed
Would you like to view them on your browser, or would you like to receive them in your mailbox? Maybe you'd like both options.
Types of numbers available
What type of number do you need? A regular local number? Do you need a toll-free number? Make sure you can get the service you need.
Availability of Voice Service
Do you also need a voice service? Do you want people to be able to talk to you at this number? Do you need voicemail? If so, make sure you get a provider that offers this in additional to their fax service.
With a bit of research you can easily figure out which provider will allow you the best experience when you fax by internet. Once you start using such a service you will realize how great this kind of service is. Just imagine - no more technical issues with fax machines not working properly, no more running out of paper, and no more busy signals. I'm sure you'll be so happy you will never look back!
Fax by Internet
Visit http://www.quick-fax.com/reviews/ to see which provider is best for your needs.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sara_Young
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Your Internet Phone Service Provider - Offering Real Security?
When choosing an Internet phone service provider. You should be aware that there are some issues to ask about.
If you're an individual, your first question may be about security, i.e., keeping other people from eavesdropping on your conversations. Ask your Internet phone service provider if they offer any kind of voice security using encryption or separate data routes. For example, it's possible to break your conversation into multiple pieces and send it out over multiple pathways. The person you are calling will not notice any difference; but anyone try to eavesdrop will only get part of the conversation at any given time. Problem solved.
Eavesdropping isn't the only security issue to be concerned with. Remember, you're using an Internet infrastructure to send and receive calls. So you are more vulnerable to the sorts of attacks that your PC can be a target for. Fact is, viruses and spyware can disrupt your phone service just as easily as they can disrupt your local area network. So if you're using your broadband Internet connection for Internet phone service, data files coming across the line should be checked for viruses. And you should make sure you use a firewall as well.
If you're in business and you're using your Internet phone service to discuss private business information, you need to be on guard. Ask your Internet phone service provider what they can offer you in the way of security against some of the following risks.
One common way that Internet communications are disrupted is through what is called the Denial of Service (DoS) attack. A hacker or intruder can crash your phone system by bombarding it with a nearly infinite number of information requests in a very short time. Make sure your Internet phone service provider can protect you adequately against this possibility.
Eavesdropping is another very real risk with Internet phone service users. An intruder could record phone calls that you make. They could restructure your voice, data and create conversations that never occurred. But the damage from eavesdropping can include nonvoice communications, too. Hackers have an infinite number of ways to get information that you're sending over the Internet such as sensitive business files.
Viruses and spyware can be sent with voice data. And although this hasn't happened on a widespread basis yet, it is possible that your system can be compromised or brought down. VoIP can also be subject to message-spam in much the same way that fax machines are targets for spam-faxes.
And while we're talking about hackers, be aware that they can access information like phone numbers and user identities from your network. Imagine what could happen: a hacker could make phone calls using your identity.
There are solutions to these problems. Earlier, I mentioned in encryption. This uses a technology very similar to what is used when credit card information is sent over a secure data connection. Another method of protecting voice conversations is to send the data separate from other Internet traffic using what is called a virtual Local Area Network (VLAN). The voice quality is not the greatest, but the security is much better.
Conclusion
I hope this gives you enough information to begin to make an informed decision about Internet phone service in your home or your business.
Ara Rubyan is not a part of the VoIP industry, nor does he sell VoIP services, nor does he pretend to be a guru of any kind. Instead, he is like you: a consumer, a business owner, and someone who has been researching the industry so that he could make an informed decision about the best VoIP service for his needs. Now, he's put all his research (so far) in one convenient location and he's sharing it with you, no strings attached.
For more info on Internet phone service providers, visit Ara Rubyan's VoIP Solution.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ara_Rubyan
If you're an individual, your first question may be about security, i.e., keeping other people from eavesdropping on your conversations. Ask your Internet phone service provider if they offer any kind of voice security using encryption or separate data routes. For example, it's possible to break your conversation into multiple pieces and send it out over multiple pathways. The person you are calling will not notice any difference; but anyone try to eavesdrop will only get part of the conversation at any given time. Problem solved.
Eavesdropping isn't the only security issue to be concerned with. Remember, you're using an Internet infrastructure to send and receive calls. So you are more vulnerable to the sorts of attacks that your PC can be a target for. Fact is, viruses and spyware can disrupt your phone service just as easily as they can disrupt your local area network. So if you're using your broadband Internet connection for Internet phone service, data files coming across the line should be checked for viruses. And you should make sure you use a firewall as well.
If you're in business and you're using your Internet phone service to discuss private business information, you need to be on guard. Ask your Internet phone service provider what they can offer you in the way of security against some of the following risks.
One common way that Internet communications are disrupted is through what is called the Denial of Service (DoS) attack. A hacker or intruder can crash your phone system by bombarding it with a nearly infinite number of information requests in a very short time. Make sure your Internet phone service provider can protect you adequately against this possibility.
Eavesdropping is another very real risk with Internet phone service users. An intruder could record phone calls that you make. They could restructure your voice, data and create conversations that never occurred. But the damage from eavesdropping can include nonvoice communications, too. Hackers have an infinite number of ways to get information that you're sending over the Internet such as sensitive business files.
Viruses and spyware can be sent with voice data. And although this hasn't happened on a widespread basis yet, it is possible that your system can be compromised or brought down. VoIP can also be subject to message-spam in much the same way that fax machines are targets for spam-faxes.
And while we're talking about hackers, be aware that they can access information like phone numbers and user identities from your network. Imagine what could happen: a hacker could make phone calls using your identity.
There are solutions to these problems. Earlier, I mentioned in encryption. This uses a technology very similar to what is used when credit card information is sent over a secure data connection. Another method of protecting voice conversations is to send the data separate from other Internet traffic using what is called a virtual Local Area Network (VLAN). The voice quality is not the greatest, but the security is much better.
Conclusion
I hope this gives you enough information to begin to make an informed decision about Internet phone service in your home or your business.
Ara Rubyan is not a part of the VoIP industry, nor does he sell VoIP services, nor does he pretend to be a guru of any kind. Instead, he is like you: a consumer, a business owner, and someone who has been researching the industry so that he could make an informed decision about the best VoIP service for his needs. Now, he's put all his research (so far) in one convenient location and he's sharing it with you, no strings attached.
For more info on Internet phone service providers, visit Ara Rubyan's VoIP Solution.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ara_Rubyan
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)