Computer Phone: Telephone Adapter VoIP
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One way to use VoIP is by using an analog telephone adapter (ATA) that can be purchased independently or provided by the VoIP company. This adapter transforms analog phone signals to digital ones ready for transmission across the Internet.
ATA-based VoIP services differ from softphones in the sense that the former deals mainly with hardware, while the latter is all about software. In adapter-based VoIP, regular landline phones are plugged into the ATA, which sort of turns these phones into "VoIP-ready" devices.
The "flow" of the telephone signal within ATA-based VoIP begins at the regular phone unit. The signal goes into the adapter, wherein it becomes digital. The signal is then transmitted across the Internet, ending up either on another regular phone or a softphone (a computer).
One advantage of adapter-based VoIP is that you can bring the telephone adapter anywhere. As long as there is a good Internet connection at the place where you are going, chances are you’ll be able to use VoIP. Also, with telephone adapters, you don’t have to turn on your computer to avail yourself of VoIP (unlike in softphones).
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