How to Switch From a Landline to a VoIP Phone?

Most of us grow up using landlines, and so they seem second nature to us. But we’re almost always hit with a rock when we pause to reflect on the prices they can help pile up: typical costs are anywhere between $15 and $30 a month, whereas long-distance calling can mushroom up to $30 to $45 a month.

Add international calling to the mix, and you’ve got a monster of a problem on your hands. Then there are the additional costs: the taxes, the insurance and maintenance, the buying of different phones for different locations, so on and so forth.

The Compound Effect of Phone Bill Costs

Little by little, these costs keep piling up, and cause a big dent in your monthly expenditure.

But that’s one dent that can be undone with the help of VoIP—Voice Over Internet Protocols. True to its name, VoIP gives you internet protocol to make local, long-distance, and international calls for free or for negligible costs. 

And if you’re wondering how to make the switch from landline to VoIP, we’ve got you covered.

The Compound Effect of Phone Bill Costs

Little by little, these costs keep piling up, and cause a big dent in your monthly expenditure.

But that’s one dent that can be undone with the help of VoIP—Voice Over Internet Protocols. True to its name, VoIP gives you internet protocol to make local, long-distance, and international calls for free or for negligible costs.

And if you’re wondering how to make the switch from landline to VoIP, we’ve got you covered.

 Make Sure Your Internet Connection Is Fast and Workable

VoIP works through the internet, and thus, the quality of your calls will be directly related to the quality of your internet service. If yours is a snail-paced menace, we’d recommend switching to one with considerable broadband capacity.  

If you run a business, your broadband should be powerful enough to allow at least a third of your employees to use the VoIP phone system at the same time.

Choosing the Provider

This can be a tricky step, because there are way too many VoIP service providers out there. Some of the leading names include Ooma Office, 8x8, Ring Central, and Grasshopper. When selecting your VoIP service provider, you should consider the following factors:

- Pricing

- Features (especially if you run a business)

- Technical support

- Customer care (read the reviews to make sure you’ve got it right)

If you’re having difficulties in making this decision for yourself, try Top5 Business VoIP, a leading digital directory that includes all major VoIP service providers in its listings. You can read customer reviews, go through ratings, and find additional resources such as articles to help you along the way.

The Remaining Process

Once you’ve got the VoIP service provider sorted out, you’ve got most of the difficult steps out of the way. What follows is this:

- Getting necessary handsets: you may need a handset or a modem, depending on the features and VoIP type you’ve gone with

- Getting necessary network devices: depending on your firewall, you’ll have to purchase devices that prioritize VoIP data to ensure that calls are your main focus. This is to ensure that your hardware is compatible with VoIP

- Number porting: you can keep your existing number through number porting. This may take between minutes to weeks, but will prove beneficial for you in the end

- Reduce downtime on the day you’re switching over.