Can I Use a VoIP Phone on a Landline?

The technologies of both a VoIP phone and a landline phone system are significantly different. Most people have switched to VoIP phones because they offer many advantages. But, others are still confused because they have landline phone systems and are not ready to give up on them. They are either habituated or have solid reasons not to switch.

There is good news if you are one from the other category of people who wish to use VoIP phones but do not give up landline phone systems. Now, you can use a VoIP phone on a landline. Before we explain how to do it, we would like to mention the technologies of these phone systems.

Landline phone system

It converts voice signals into electrical signals. Later, the landline phone system changes the electrical signals over a network of connected phone lines, marking around the globe. There is no internet used for the functioning of the landline phone system, unlike a VoIP phone.

VoIP phone

It converts voice signals into small chunks of digital data on VoIP servers. For every chunk, there is a particular address of its destination. The only thing is that a high-speed internet connection is needed for the functioning of a VoIP phone. The high-speed internet connection helps the data to travel and reassemble into voice data by the other party on the call.

A VoIP phone particularly works with a VoIP system so it doesn’t need any hardware or particular adapter to start calling using it. To use a VoIP phone, it’s either connected to the Wi-fi or plugged into an Ethernet port using hard wires.

The steps to use a VoIP phone are very simple:

• Complete the online account setup procedure
• Choose a VoIP phone
• Plug the phone with an adapter into your internet connection
• You are ready to use

How can you use a VoIP phone on a landline?

To use a VoIP phone on a landline, you need two devices; an Analog Telephone Adapter or ATA and a broadband internet connection. You should link them with modular jacks, which are a tiny box that connects 1-2 phone wires. You will find a box affixed by the telephone company. At the entry point of this box, you will find the end of the phone wires. Through this box, the landline connection links to the server.

The process of converting landline phone system to VoIP

• As a security measure, you should disconnect your office or home from the public switched telephone network (PSTN) company service. It will prevent ATA from blowing out because of the power from the landline cable. When disconnecting, you will find two wires: one going into your telephone and another going outside the Telephone provider’s network. You have to delink the wire that is going outside.
• To confirm that the PSTN service is completely disconnected, you should check the telephone.
• Before converting the landline system into a VoIP phone, make sure the VoIP is working properly.
• Now, it’s time to connect or convert. You should use the isolated internal phone circuit. With the help of an RJ-11 connector, you should link the ATA to the modular jack in the telephone circuit. After connecting, you should check the tone on the phone. If you listen to the tone, it means the connection or the conversion is done.

How does a VoIP phone work on a landline phone system?

A VoIP phone is a versatile option in the communication system. It helps the users route and switch calls to any device, be it a mobile phone or a traditional landline phone. The working of the VoIP phone on the landline phone system is very simple.

You should plug the VoIP interface into the Ethernet cable and not into a landline. If your house or office was wired for a landline phone system that you have disconnected now, you can wire them to the output of the VoIP box. This means you can use the existing landline phones, faxes, and answering machines through the VoIP box.

The reasons to use a VoIP phone on the landline phone system are the upfront connection charges and old-day contracts of the latter option. VoIP telephone service is affordable as it charges a flat price for long-distance and local calling, unlike variable-rate calling on the landline phone system. The charges of the landline system also depend on the number of calls you make.

What should you choose based on the cost and features?

Compared to traditional landline phone service and leading mobile plans, VoIP phone service is less expensive. Many reports suggest that a VoIP phone is 40-80% cheaper than other options. So, if you are looking for an affordable communication system for your home or office, choose VoIP service.

Talking about features, the VoIP phone offers flexibility, speed, and scalability. It’s the way to break the bond of traditional telephony. As it lets the users harness the power of the internet, it carries off the limitations of the outdated substructure without the need for a special router or any extensive hardware. The VoIP phone system is easy and quicker to set up as well as the process in every scenario.

The VoIP system becomes more feasible due to cloud-based connections. It doesn’t bind you to any physical workstation or handset, increasing the call for remote work. So, the VoIP phone system is cheap but full of beneficial features.