Adapter

The Vortel adapter is a small device connected on the one side to a router and on the other side to a regular (analogue) phone.

Bandwidth

The capacity of your Internet connection to send and receive data.  Bandwidth is usually measured in bits per second (abbreviated bit/s or bps).

Dashboard

The Vortel dashboard is the first screen you will see when you login to your web account.  It contains useful information relating to your Vortel account – for example, a list of calls you placed and received, your voice mails, your numbers, etc.  You can access the Vortel dashboard anywhere you can access the Internet.

Firewall

A firewall is a system for protecting your home or office network from third party attacks.  Vortel’s service will work with most firewall configurations.  If you encounter problems using the Vortel service behind a firewall, please contact our suppor team or refer to the firewall information in our FAQs.

Virtual numbers

One of the benefits of IP-based telephony is the ability to link multiple telephone numbers with your account.  Since Germany is our home base, we will first offer German numbers. Later on we will add numbers from other countries, including countries in Europe and overseas.  All of these numbers will ring on the phone or phones you connect to your Vortel adapter.  Not only that – if you take your adapter to another place or another country, all of your virtual numbers will ring there as well.

IP Telephony or Internet Telephony

IP or Internet telephony utilizes the Internet (or any other network using the Internet Protocol) to transmit phone calls.  Traditionally, IP or “packet-switched” networks were used only for data (and not voice and fax) communications.  Circuit-switched networks were dedicated to voice and fax communications.  Unlike circuit-switched technology, which reserves an entire communications channel for each call or fax, packet-switched networks transmit packets over multiple connections, thereby being a more efficient (and resilient) network than circuit-switched networks.
But the value of IP telephony is not only its efficiency.  Unlike circuit-switched telephony, IP telephony is one of many IP-based applications.  It can therefore be integrated with other applications and services, generating new and exciting possibilities for communication services.  The Vortel dashboard is one such example:  integrating Web-based services with an IP phone application creates a dashboard that can be accessed anywhere there is Web access and that can give the user control and visibility over numerous phone and voice mail functions.  Click here for more information on the Vortel dashboard.

Internet Service Provider (ISP)

An Internet Service Provider or ISP is the company that provides you with access to the Internet. This can either be a narrowband connection (your basic dialup connection) or a broadband connection with faster speeds to and from the Internet.  IP telephony works best with a broadband connection, either over DSL or cable modem.
Unlike some other providers of IP telephony, Vortel is not an ISP.  We believe that providing a telephony and communications service is fundamentally different from delivering fast pipes to the Internet.  The latter has become a commodity.  The former is just beginning its potential to revolutionize the way we communicate.  Given the different network infrastructures in different countries, ISPs tend to be focused on the country they operate in.  Vortel believes in an international approach, where customers can communicate with Vortel wherever they are and in the language they choose.

Router

A router is a networking device used to connect multiple devices to a shared network or Internet connection.  A router is required for the Vortel adapter and phone service to work.  If you do not have a router, please check with your Internet Service Provider or purchase one at an electronics retailer (standard routers cost as little as under 30 Euro).
A router connects your DSL or cable modem to your computers and the Vortel adapter.  Some routers include a wireless capability allowing you to connect computers to the router and the Internet without the use of any wires. (However, there will always be a wired Ethernet connection between your router and your DSL or cable modem.)

Voice over IP (VoIP)

Same meaning as IP telephony.