What Is VoIP?

Voice Over Internet Protocol (also referred to as Internet Telephony or IP Telephony) is the transportation of telephone calls over the Internet, connected either via an Internet Adapter that connects your telephone and/or fax to your high speed Internet modem, or by a IP telephone handset which you purchase that is especially designed to work over the Internet, or by multimedia PCs using PC-to-PC, or PC-to-phone software like our PC soft dialler

How Does It Work?

VoIP converts your analogue phone conversation into packets of digital data that are sent across the Internet (just like email or a web page), and then reassembles them into sound at the other end for a crisp, clear telephone experience.

Does It Save Me Money?

Yes. PC-to-PC software solutions are usually free because they function much like an Instant Messenger application by connecting you to other users of the software, and never terminate calls beyond the Internet, although they do charge for calls that are made to regular phones. When you call a regular telephone number, although much of the call still travels over the Internet there remains a connection to the regular telephone network to complete the call at the other end, and since the telephone carriers charge the VoIP Service Providers for this, they have to charge you too. The good news is that since most of your call still travels across the Internet, these calling rates are either much lower on a per-minute basis. Through Compucall’s VoIP service bills are viewable online, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Simply credit your account, select call features you require and make calls at low, low rates.

How Good Is The Call Quality?

Technology advances in IP telephony transportation have made Internet calling almost as good, if not better than normal telephone connections. This is mostly true for high speed Broadband connections, however call quality can be affected when your voice data travels through busy internet routes over long distances. To ensure the best call quality for our customers we only work with Tier 1 carriers with dedicated fiber routes for telephone calls around the world.

Can I use High Speed Or Dial Up Connections?

We recommend that you only use VoIP services if you have a high speed Broadband Internet connection since the quality of the calls is only as good as your connection speed and the routing that takes place once your data is on the Internet. Tests of VoIP using dial up services have produced dropped calls, call lagging, jitter, echo and other call quality issues.

(click here to test your connection for VOIP support) 

Does VoIP Replace My Telephone Line?

It can, but we recommend that you keep your telephone landline service if you are lucky enough to have one, because if you lose power to your computer or your Internet connection goes down you can fail over to the landline connection if you need to. By retaining your landline connection you also keep the same telephone number and depending on the bundled telephone and internet package you have you can still make use of any free calls you currently receive as part of your package. It’s better to look upon VoIP as an alternative if you cannot get a landline, or a way to reduce your long distance telephone charges as well as utilising many of the new advanced features that are available through this technology.

What Do I Need To Make It Work?

There are several configurations for VoIP, and all require you to have an account with a VoIP Service Provider like compucall;

• Computer-to-computer. If you only want to make calls from your PC to another PC (these are free regardless of where you are calling including international destinations) then you can download free software (Softphone) to do this from our website. Add a telephone headset and/or speakers and a microphone and you are ready to go. you could even couple up a bluetooth headset to your PC for true mobility.

• Computer-to-phone. These services work just like the PC-to-PC but also allow you to call any number in the world, usually for a per-minute fee that is much lower than traditional calling fees.
• Phone-to-phone. Compucall offer a ‘traditional style’ VoIP telephone service with a local telephone number and online billing service. Our call rates are the lowest available and start from 1.75 cents per minute to over 40 country destinations around the world. We offer a Pay As You Go service and a flat rate calling plan, which includes FREE CALL MINUTES TO LANDLINES IN OVER 40 COUNTRIES AROUND THE GLOBE EVERY MONTH. You will need an Analogue Telephone Adapter (ATA) that connects your home phone to your high speed modem and then onto the Internet. We supply a range of adapters and all-in-one devises, including telephone handsets, but you can use any standard phone including popular cordless handsets for convenience.

What Advanced Features Does VoIP Offer?

Apart from saving you money, the best reason for using VoIP is the host of new services that are available. These include:

• Add any number of new inbound numbers to your account from other geographic locations, allowing you to create a ‘virtual presence’ in other cities,    or provide a local calling number to family members.
• Bills are viewable online, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
• Receive voicemail messages to your email inbox.
• Pick up messages by dialling in from any location, mobile phone or landline.
• Never miss a call by diverting calls to any phone including mobiles
• Geographic mobility.

If you use an Internet Adapter you can take it on trips and use it wherever there is a high speed Internet connection.

What Are The Limitations Of VoIP?

Very few VoIP services presently offer seamless connections to emergency services – another reason for keeping your PSTN landline for the hopefully rare occasion that you will need it. The quality of your call is only as good as your Internet connection, but for most Broadband high speed Internet connections this is not a major issue. If you have a home alarm system it is advisable to keep your regular phone service in case there is a power failure. You can also purchase a Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS battery backup) if you want your VoIP phone to keep working during power outages. If you are using a PC software solution alone, your VoIP service will not work if your computer fails or you are re-booting it. VoIP software also shares CPU space with other software that you are running, which sometimes has a noticeable effect on voice quality and can cause ‘call lag’. Switch to hardware-based VoIP services for highest voice quality. The biggest potential problems for VoIP are caused by bandwidth hungry peer-to-peer programs running somewhere on the network (or your desktop), Compucall recommends hardware devises with in built Quality of Service software to help overcome this problem.

How Do I Know If I have a VoIP Phone Call?

Your telephone handset will ring like any other call,  if you are using a PC based dialler you will also get a notification on your screen depending on how you have configured it.

Can I Use My Computer While Making/Receiving Calls?

Yes, Compucalls Voip service works independently from your computer, just like a traditional phone service, so you can use your computer for all normal activities including browsing the Internet.

Does My Computer Need To Be Turned On?

Not if you use a hardware ATA  but your Internet connection needs to be working.

Can I Transfer My Telephone Number?

Yes. If you already have a VoIP (virtual telephone number) you can port this to any service provider you wish; you own the telephone number and it is part of your identity. Equally, if you wish to port your existing landline number to our service we can also help. One of the major benefits of this is being able to take the same landline telephone number with you when you move, even if that move is abroad, then all your family and friends can keep in contact using the same number they have always used to call you. For further details call us on 968 970 666 before cancelling your existing telephone service.


Can I send SMS text through Compucall?

Yes, we recognise that people want use text to communicate, in fact number of text sent each day now outnumbers the number of calls made. You can send sms straight from your web interface.



To what countries can I send SMS?

You may send SMS to most International mobile networks.

How much will I be charged for an SMS and how do I pay for charges?

Compucall charges 10 euro cents per SMS and charges are deducted from your account credit.