That's only true if you want to use a certain implementation of VOIP. Implementations that ride over an internet connection using a PC (like Skype, Google Talk, and many others) don't need such a thing (or use something like a USB dongle).
I assume in this case you asked the question about replacing your standard phone line with a VOIP service? If you are getting your Internet service over cable, then you need some way of taking the phone traffic, digitzing it and converting it to TCP/IP packets and then doing the sending/receiving over the cable. The VOIP router would do that. --------------------------- Brian Weeden Technical Consultant Secure World Foundation <http://www.secureworldfoundtion.org> +1 (514) 466-2756 Canada +1 (202) 683-8534 US On Mon, Nov 17, 2008 at 6:42 PM, Winterlight <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>wrote: > My home, like most, has a phone network wired in that connects in a closed > circuit. That circuit then is connected to the land line provider, in my > case Quest. If you disconnect the four wires connecting the house's phone > network to Quest, then you have a closed network or circuit for your phone > system. > > I have been told that to use VOIP, one needs a special VOIP router that > connects to my Cableone co-axial cable and it then must be connected to the > base station of my phone system. Basically, this is an RJ11 cable from the > VOIP router to the phone base station. Why is it not possible to connect > the RJ11 phone connector directly to an open RJ11 jack in my home phone > network and have the existing phone system connected into this RJ11 closed > home phone network? > >
