Of course, the first thing you’ve got to have is a computer.   Most Internet telephony is predicated on IBM-compatible computers, but check here for information on Mac-compatible computers:  http://www.macwindows.com/MSProxy.html

Your computer must have a soundcard and speakers, though many prefer plugging in a headset.  Without a headset, you may encounter echoing or feedback. 

Your computer must have a good-quality microphone, or your headset may have one instead. 

You’ll need an Internet connection – the faster the better.  Don’t even bother trying Internet telephony unless you have a 28.8 connection, and 56K is remarkably better. 

And, finally, you’ll need a telephony program.  NetMeeting by Microsoft is by far one of the most popular and is fairly easy to use, but there are many up-and-comer’s that might have features that appeal to you more.  Try www.Cnet.com   for reviews and tutorials on installing and using various programs. 

More Advanced Considerations

If your sole purpose in exploring Internet telephony is to make long distance telephone calls for free, then you’ll probably be satisfied with either NetMeeting or one of its peers.  These programs can be just fine for personal use, but are full of problems for professional use.  Even if both the caller and the receiver are on T1 lines, the transmission can be inconsistent, not ideal for a professional encounter. 

There are new hybrid models coming on-line now that mitigate this situation, while still allowing the leveraging of the PC or desktop with telephony.  One recent addition has great promise: eDial (www.edial.com).   The premise here is dialing through your computer and its attendant contact program but the calls are received on regular, old-fashioned telephones, for the most part.  eDial uses the Internet to dial the phone and keeps all your phone numbers and contact information in a single location on your computer or your PDA. It even works with your existing MicroSoft Outlook address book. Simply open your address book, click on the person you want, and eDial connects you. 

Of course, you pay for the enhanced features, unlike some telephony programs, but for business applications, it may well be worth it. 

Four Ways to Telephony

It’s apparent that there is not a one-size-fits-all approach to telephony.  After all there is: 

 - computer to computer
 - computer to telephone
 - telephone to telepone
 - and telephony “appliances,” - which allow you to place Internet phone calls without owning a computer.