You've seen the ads, and now you too, want to go wireless with a VoIP service. You have done your homework and are convinced that not only will VoIP save you money, but also the added features are just what you need for your small business as well as your residence. Here are some tips to help you set up your VoIP service.

1. Choose your Service Provider

First, you will need to decide what type of VoIP service you will require. VoIP comes in plans for Residential Users, Small Business Offices; Medium sized businesses, Business-to-Business service providers and International VoIP. The best way to begin is by choosing your needs, and then compare different plans. A good idea is to make a list of all of your requirements in a VoIP plan. This will help you determine which plan is right for you. Some service providers will meet the needs of a small business under their residential plans, while others will have services designed specifically for the small home business. Residential service providers typically include a phone adapter for use with the VoIP service. The Phone adapter allows you to use your house phones with VoIP.

A Small business Service provider may also include an adapter box that will connect from your phone to your Internet connection. Some of the benefits included with small business service providers include integrating E-Mail, fax, and your unlimited local and long distance calling.

For larger businesses, you can choose a provider that will allow a larger network of users. This includes multi-line systems.

Business-to-Business services include Call Centers, Video training, and web enabled conferencing applications.

2. Purchase Needed VoIP Equipment

Many service providers will provide you with various equipment that you need such as phone adapters and software. If you need any additional items, you can contact your provider and see if they have them available. You must have high speed Internet before you can use VoIP. There are a limited amount of providers that will run on dial up, but don't trust it. You need a High Speed Internet connection to run all of your applications and to provide high quality audio and video capabilities.

3. Choose Your Phone Number

With VoIP you have the option of selecting your phone number. In some cases, you can keep your current phone number. You will have to check with your VoIP provider and see what their options are. However, many service providers do provide the option of selecting your own area code. Some companies even have the choice of selecting area codes worldwide. This is a wonderful option for those who would like to choose an area code located where their family and friends are. For your unlimited calling plan, you can call your friends and family any time. But for those who are not on VoIP, they will thank you for giving them the option of calling you on local rates.

4. Pick Your Features

You will be amazed at how many features come with your VoIP service. This includes Voicemail, Caller ID, Three way calling, Call Block and a host of others. You will need to check with your service provider to review all of the features available with your plan. One of the benefits of using VoIP is that you can set up your phone features through the Internet, as well as monitor them.

For small businesses that have mobile employees, this is a fantastic option. By using VoIP, they can answer their business calls, wherever they are, as well as answer voicemails through their personal E-mail accounts or though various web based applications.

5. Enjoy the Flexibility of VoIP

Last but not least, once you have your VoIP services ready to go, enjoy the unlimited freedom that you will experience. Whether in your residence, small business, or for business to business calls, VoIP will allow you greater choices, enhanced services, and discount rates. Your call quality will be top of the line, and you will enjoy being able to talk for unlimited minutes worldwide. When you compare service plans and providers, be sure to choose the one that best fits your needs.

About the author:

Michael Plante operates a free articles site, http://go-article.com Offering a wide range of subjects and categories, this site offers thousands of quality articles. If you are looking for information, check out http://go-article.com.