- A software-based SIP phone allows you to make and receive calls using either your computer microphone and speakers, or an attached headset. The software is loaded onto your computer and can be accessed in the same way as any other software on the computer. This software is also needed for some of the VoIP handsets to function.
- A USB phone connects directly into the USB port of a computer. Used in conjunction with SIP/VoIP phone software, it is used in the same way as a normal phone, with the user dialing a number or accessing a username. In reality it is not much more than a microphone and speaker, however, the phones' appearance makes them more attractive for the user than a headset.
- Hardware-based SIP phones behave and look the same as a normal phone. The major difference is that the phone is connected directly to the data network. The phones are designed with an integrated mini-hub. This allows them to share the same network connection as the computer, without the need for an extra network point.
- You can also use your current phone with a VoIP phone system by plugging it into an ATA adapter. The adapter is connected to an Ethernet network jack and will make your analog phone appear to the VoIP system as a regular SIP/VoIP phone.
- VoIP software is now available to be installed on certain mobile phones. The smart phones are essentially computers in their own right, and thus this is the same as a software-based SIP phone. The calls are made via Wi-Fi or across the mobile data connection.
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