How to Make Free International Calls From Your Computer

Did you know that it’s possible to make free international calls from your computer? That’s right – as long as you have an internet connection and the right hardware on your computer, it is really easy to make totally free international long distance calls.
You can now talk to your friends and relatives overseas for free using some simple software available on the internet. You should have a broadband internet connection for the best call quality, but it is possible to make calls over a dial up connection.

Here’s how to make free international calls over the internet:
First of all, make sure your computer has a sound card with a speaker and microphone jack. Look at the back of your PC and see where your speakers are connected; this is your sound card. A sound card usually has three small “holes” that are usually color coded light blue, light green and/or light pink. If you look carefully you might see symbols next to each hole indicating a microphone and speakers. Most computers that are under 5 years old will have a sound card. If you have speakers connected, purchase a computer microphone and connect it to the microphone jack on your sound card. If you don’t have speakers, or want to have better sound quality, purchase a computer headset with microphone and connect it to the appropriate jacks on your sound card.
Download free internet phone software from the VoIP provider of your choice. VoIP stands for “Voice Over Internet Protocol”, which is the method for making phone calls over the internet.
Popular VoIP internet phone service providers are Skype, Gizmo, Net2Phone and WebPhone. It doesn’t matter which one you use – the important thing is that everyone you talk with uses the same VoIP provider.
Install the software and register for a free account. Remember the user name you choose, as this is how the people you call will know you.
Start the software and follow the instructions to configure your equipment and make a free test call to make sure everything is set up correctly.
When your equipment and software is set up and the test call is fine, email your friends and family and ask them to do the same thing you did – get a headset or
microphone and speakers, go to the VoIP provider’s website to download and install the software, set up a free account and make a test call.
Share your VoIP internet phone service user name with everyone you want to make calls with. Everyone should enter each other’s user names into the VoIP software’s “contacts” list. This is how you will “dial” and connect with your international friends and family.
Email your friends and/or family and decide on a time to talk. Make sure both parties are online, and that everyone has their internet phone service software
running.
Make your international call by clicking on the person’s user name within your contact list and then clicking the “dial” icon within the program. You will hear a ringing sound on your side, and the other party will hear the ringing also. They may also see a message on their computer screen telling them that you are trying to call.
When the person you are calling clicks on the “answer” icon on his/her internet phone service software, you will be connected. You can then talk to each other over the internet for free.
When done talking, simply click the “hang up” icon on the VoIP software.
This type of VoIP internet phone service is called “softphone” because it requires a computer and software to make phone calls over the internet. Calls between
users of the same VoIP service provider (i.e. Skype, Net2Phone, Gizmo, etc…) are always free, so it’s easy to keep in touch with international friends and relatives.
If desired, you can hook up an inexpensive webcam and make free international video phone calls too!

Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Debbie_Jacobsen

How to Call With a Cellular Phone Over the Internet

I have not used traditional phone lines anymore for some years; I use the Internet to call my friends. It's easy and the sound quality is really good. The VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) service is offered by many providers around the globe and is easy to install on each PC.
Now VoIP also works with cellular phones. A free software tool makes it possible. To call over the Internet is as easy as sending an instant message. To use this service simply download a plug-in and install it.
The plug-in works on N95 N80 E61i E65 The phone calls will be routed over the Internet, and this will save you much money not only on your international calls but also on roaming fees.
These are the features: Web based account management Call forwarding Free voice mail Unlimited free calls Yahoo! Messenger, AIM, Windows Live Messenger, Google Talk. Free calls to land lines and cellular phones using a All Calls Free Plan. Unlimited free calls to users in the same network An additional service (for a small fee) lets you receive unlimited incoming calls (Call Ins) and you never miss an incoming Internet call; you can set up call forwarding and you can have those calls forwarded to your mobile phone. The service lets you call any user or SIP telephone number on the providers network for free. Since anyone can join it using their PC or phone, simply invite your friends to call them for free over the Internet via VoIP! The small software tool is easy to install and to configure and offers a fully integrated VoIP solution.
In depth, step-by-step instructions with screen shots are available for this small applet. Jim FrancistoVoip ProvidersCell Phone Lookup

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5 Reasons to Try Verizon FIOS Phone Service

Have you ever thought about switching to VOIP phone service from regular phone service? There are a lot of benefits that come with using a high quality digital VOIP service. Verizon FiOS, the first fiber optic digital VOIP service is one of the best VOIP phone services on the market because of the unique fiber optic cable network that Verizon is creating. If you're thinking about trying Verizon FIOS phone service but you haven't made the jump to trying it yet here are five reasons why you should give Verizon FiOS phone service a try:
1. Better Clarity
One of the biggest reasons that people avoid trying VOIP phone systems is the quality of the calls. People don't want to switch to a VOIP phone service if their calls will sound bad. And some VOIP phone services don't have a very strong network which causes a lot of dropped calls and a lot of poor quality connections. But Verizon FiOS phone service is 100% digital and all the calls go through fiber optic cables that act like firehoses pumping information. Verizon FiOS can handle a lot more data, meaning that all the calls you make will be extremely clear.

2. Less Interruption
VOIP phone services like the Verizon FiOS phone service depend on an Internet connection to make calls. And sometimes, your Internet connection can be slow or the Internet Service Provider can't handle a lot of user traffic which results in your calls getting dropped or noise interruptions while on the call. Verizon FiOS'
powerful Internet connection means that you don't have to worry about service interruptions or dropped calls.

3. Better Price
Most of the Verizon FiOS phone service plans are flat rate. For one low price you can make all the local calls and long distance calls that you want. If you want to add on international calls to your plan, there are many packages you can choose from to get a flat rate or discounted rate. If you want just the basic minimum of phone service you can switch to a low rate per minute plan. Regardless of which plan you choose you will be surprised at how much money switching to a VOIP phone service like Verizon's can save you.

4. Included Features
With traditional phone service you end up paying extra for things like call waiting, voicemail, caller ID and other features that many people want to have. When you switch to a VOIP phone service like Verizon FiOS, most if not all of the features that you really want to have are included in your monthly flat rate. You won't get nickel and dimed with a VOIP phone service.

5. Better International Call Rates
If you do need to make international calls that are not covered in your flat rate plan, you'll find that Verizon FiOS international calling rates to many countries are below the cost of traditional phone companies. Plus you won't have to pay an additional long distance fee or any of the other extra fees that traditional phone companies tack onto international calls. Russell Blanc manages an online resource about broadband and Verizon Fios.

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How to Make Free Internet Phone Calls From Your Computer

If you have a computer, a headset, and an internet connection, you can make free PC to PC phone calls to anyone in the world! The only catch is that the person you are calling must also have an active account with the same VoIP service provider, and must be online to get the call. With any VoIP service, "in-network" calling (all
callers subscribing to the same carrier) is always free, but most providers require that you pay a small monthly fee which allows you to make "out-of-network" calls as well. Since this article is about making totally FREE internet phone calls, only the VoIP providers that offer 100% free calling will be mentioned.
There are several internet phone service providers that offer PC based phone calling, but only a few do not require a monthly service fee when you register. Because the PC to PC calling service is free, you may have to put up with ads on your dial pad or be limited to a certain call length, but for a free long distance call this is probably acceptable to most people. If you want to make calls to a landline phone, you can do so by paying a low cost per minute (much less than traditional long distance).
So here's how to make free PC to PC phone calls:
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Choose a provider, then download and install their free softare (the software is a "dial pad" that you use to make calls).Register and get an account (you need to have a valid email address).Make sure the people you want to call install the software and register with the same VoIP provider.Enter your friends usernames into your contact list, and ask that they do the same (this allows you to see that they are online and able to accept calls).Plug your headset (with microphone) into the appropriate in/out audio jacks on your computer (or USB port if applicable). Click on your contact and make a call - that's all there is to it!
Since PC to PC calling uses a technology similar to instant messaging, most VoIP provider's software allows you to text message the person you are talking to. Conference calling is also possible - just click on another active user and they can join in the call!
As of this writing, here are some VoIP providers I found that offer free PC to PC internet phone calls with no monthly fees. Because services can change from time to time, make sure you agree with the terms and conditions before creating an account. Skype is the largest and most well known provider with over 190 million downloads to date.
* http://www.skype.com/
* www.google.com/talk
* www.earthlink.net/software/nmfree/onlinecalling
* http://www.voipbuster.com/
* http://www.inphonex.com/
* www.pc-telephone.com/free-phone.htm
As with any software, your computer must meet certain requirements in order for the installation to succeed. As a general rule, your computer should have at minimum a 400 MHz processor, 10 MB of free disk space and 128 MB of RAM. You also need a sound card, and either a headset with microphone or speakers and a microphone. Of course, you need an internet connection as well. Software is available for PC, Mac and Linux platforms. Skype has software for Pocket PC as well.
PC based VoIP will work fine over a dial up connection of at least 33.6 Kbps, but be sure to close all email applications and don't do any web surfing while talking because these processes will degrade performance. For the absolute best internet phone calling experience, broadband is the way to go.
Free software-based PC to PC internet phone service is a great way to "test the waters" if you are interested in trying VoIP before jumping into a paid service. It's also perfect if you're on a tight budget and want to make some
free long distance calls. Anyone in the world can use VoIP as long as they have an internet connection; just make sure all your friends and relatives use the same
carrier if you want to keep the calls free.
This type of VoIP service is not compatible with 911, so it should not be used as your one and only phone. If you want save a lot of money on your phone bill and use VoIP as your primary phone, consider subscribing to a hardware-based VoIP carrier like Packet8, Vonage, Lingo or Voip.net.
© Copyright 2005, Debbie Jacobsen. All rights reserved.
This article may be used without special permission as
long as it remains intact, including live links.

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Make Free Phone Calls Online

Wouldn't it be great if you could make free phone calls?
If you haven't heard already, Skype is the VOIP program to have. It's all the talk at the moment. Skype is a free VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) program that allows you to make free phone call to other Skype users for free. You'd think there'd be a cost to such a program, but not this one. This is excellent for making international phone calls because on a standard telephone line company, rates are expensive.
Another great feature Skype offers is the ability to make video calls which is an attractive feature. So then, how come everyone hasn't made the move to Skype and ditched their phone company? This is where Skypes' freebie run comes to a dead stop. To make phone calls to any landline or mobile, a cost is incurred from transfering the VOIP data to a standard phoneline gateway. While rates are reasonable, its nothing to brag about. But if your buddies have Skype on their computer, you can still benefit. If you've built an effiecent PC, you could let it run all day to make and recieve phone calls. See Green IT: How to Cut your Power Bill.
There are many other feature to explore on Skype, I'd suggest you check it out. There are many other programs out there, but none of them touch Skype because it has been constantly improved by user feedback. You can download it from the Skype website:
http://www.skype.com/download/
http://www.pctutorialsonline.net/ is a site dedicated to improving your PC. John is the founder and administrator of the site. Currently, John is studying for his Bachelor of Technology (Computer Studies) and is planning for a career in the IT industry. His vast studies and general interest in computers have given him a wide range of knowledge about troubleshooting computer problems. His spare time involves building and repairing PC's of all sorts for clients. John can be contacted via pctutorials@live.com

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