Voice over IP uses your regular touchtone phone and an adaptor to convert your voice into a data transmission. These data packets travel through the Internet and are re-assembled on the other end as voice, similar to how digital cell phones work.

You can use a regular touchtone phone or a special internet phone. Your phone is hooked up to an Analog Terminal Adapter (ATA), then into your high speed modem.

Voice over IP uses the ATA device to transfer the analog signal to digital. Many voice over providers will provide you the ATA when you sign up, while others will require you purchase it. If you purchase an Internet phone (such as Grandstream), the ATA is built into the phone.

Because your calls travel over the Internet, most providers allow you to take the ATA with you and use your phone anywhere you have a high speed Internet connection.

For example, you live in Montana and travel to New York. You can hook up your ATA in New York and make and receive calls just as if you were at home or the office.