VOIP: The Applications and Benefits

Initially, VoIP’s biggest benefit was eliminating long distance charges and, in most cases, that advantage did not justify the expense of implementing it. But within last few years, many other applications have emerged, making VoIP much more practical. Similar to PDAs incorporating cell phones, the same concept is evolving with, a laptop and an individual’s desk phone."

VoIP was declared defunct just a few years ago, but within the last year, phone carriers have been scrambling to unleash aggressive VoIP strategies aimed at consumers and businesses. Among the biggies: Time Warner Cable, Cox Communications and Comcast.

Though no longer free as it was when it emerged in the 1990s, VoIP is still a bargain. For as little as $20 a month, it features unlimited local and long-distance dialing, voice mail and caller ID. Even with fees that low, analysts are predicting that VoIP will be a $4-billion market by 2007, topping $4 billion for VoIP equipment alone in 2006. Some four million VoIP subscribers are predicted within three years, a hefty increase over the 378,000 who signed up for VoIP in 2004.

Multi-location businesses, from trucking companies and call centers to banks and insurance agencies, will benefit the most from VoIP.

Different types of VoIP vary in name, according to the provider or company, but in layman’s terms they are service-driven, equipment-driven or a combination of the two.

The equipment-driven VoIP is the most proven type because, in this application, the switch is at the customer’s premise and remains part of a network that allows other locations on the network.

Following are the major applications and benefits of VoIP:

• Unified messaging: A voice mail message is sent to an email address that can be retrieved by sound from a PC, saved or distributed like email. The message also remains in the phone system so it can be retrieved via phone.

• Centralized voice mail: All remote locations on a network can access one centralized voice mail so that all features are redundant, and the cost is reduced because voice mail does not have to be routed through all remote sites.

• Fax messaging: Similar to centralized voice mail, a fax is delivered via email format.

• 4-digit dialing. Business associates in cities like Jackson and New York may communicate long distance by simply entering their extension number, as long as both parties are networked via VoIP.

• Soft client. The user becomes part of the primary phone system when away from the office as long as he is connected by VPN through a broadband connection.

• Call center access from remote site. Like the soft client, call center employees may gain immediate office access to the primary phone system.

VoIP and US State Regulations

VoIP is becoming increasingly available through cable, DSL providers and pure-plays. However, regulation and policy towards VoIP is lagging. In the US case this is exacerbated by the struggle for authority between the federal centre and the states.

The federal centre, represented by the FCC, narrowly favors light regulation of VoIP, but many states are still hostile to any diminution of their power to regulate telecoms operators within their territory.

Public Utilities Commission or PUCs argue that they, not the FCC, are in the best position to judge the level of competition in the voice market within their states and therefore should have the power to regulate VoIP on a state-by-state basis. The PUCs undoubtedly have a point - action may be needed to ensure that VoIP pure-plays are able to compete effectively with the actual owners of last-mile broadband infrastructure - Baby Bells and cable operators. The expansion of VoIP services by these players in 2005 will put greater pressure on pure-plays and it is expected that some start-ups will struggle to win customers. Ultimately, it is expected that the FCC will take a hands-off approach to VoIP regulation, but further legal wrangling between states, the federal centre and service providers is likely to ensue.

Under US and European telecoms law, providers of PSTN telephony must guarantee access to emergency services to all users (free of charge). However, not all VoIP providers, whether they offer a free PC-to-PC service, or more advanced VoIP service over a cable modem of DSL connection, are able to provide guaranteed access to end-users. Many of the leading VoIP providers do offer or are planning to offer E-911 services to end-users. Vonage already provides E-911 access to all its customers and Level 3 recently announced that it can now provide E-911-enabled VoIP to over 60m households throughout the US and will expand coverage in 2005. These and other operators view the provision of E-911 as necessary to public expectations of a telephony service and to drive uptake.

However, as mentioned above not all VoIP providers are able to offer E-911 access. This is the issue that the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (MPUC) has latched on to in its bid to overturn the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)’s ruling to exempt VoIP from state regulation. The MPUC has become the second state to appeal against the FCC’s decision to exempt VoIP from regulation by individual states. MPUC cites concern over whether VoIP providers are able to offer E-911 services to end-users.

MPUC and other PUCs will argue that the failure to regulate VoIP as a telephony service, and therefore not oblige VoIP providers to offer E-911 services, raises serious public safety questions. PUCs will, however, be just as concerned about a number of other issues, notably the impact of exempting VoIP providers from paying tax contributions to the universal services funds levied by states. VoIP providers, for their part, argue that excessive regulation of VoIP will stifle innovation in the VoIP market, competition in the voice market and, ultimately, end-user take-up. The clear message from VoIP pure-players such as Vonage is �leave well alone.

VOIP Broad Band Phones and web conferencing

Voice on Internet Protocol (VOIP) Phones are referred to as just Broad band Phones. The main function of a Broad Band phone using VOIP is to convert voice data (analog) into digital data for transmission over the Internet. They are connected to the high speed internet through computers to enable voice communication. By this innovation VOIP Broad Band Phones have turned internet into a carrier for free phone calls, by going around the normal phone companies.

VOIP Broad Band phones are a product of revolutionary technology which can change the entire way people speak to each other around the world. There are a few VOIP service providers who are growing by the day now, and major phone companies are busy setting up shop in various markets around the world with different calling plans with free VOIP Broad Band phones bundled in. FCC and other regulatory bodies all over the world are fervently busy investigating and predicting the ramifications and future risks in usage of VOIP Broad Band phones and their prevention.

We will look into the basic technology of VOIP Broad Band phones working and it’s potential in replacing the traditional phone systems.

The most intriguing feature of VOIP Broad Band phones is that they look just like their predecessors with cradle, buttons and handsets. A normal telephone is connected to wall socket using a RJ-11 connector, whereas VOIP Broad Band phones are connected to your computer or router using a RJ-45 connector. All VOIP Broad Band phones come with preloaded software to handle any IP calls. Technology is already moving towards Wi-Fi VIOP Broad Band phones which can used to make calls from any Wi-Fi hotspot. Are you thinking of replacing your cellular phone???

In addition to usage of VIOP Broad Band phones, VOIP can also use ATA sets i.e. simple telephone like boxes that connect to your computer and convert your analog voice data into digital signals. VOIP also connects computer to computer calls where you do not need any extra hardware apart from a standard computer system with headphone and internet connection. Except for what you pay for your internet connection, there is no extra cost involved in both these options. VOIP Broad Band phones are dedicated instruments used only for making calls over VOIP.

If you want to have a go at VOIP Broad Band phones features, you can sample the free versions on the internet to check out connectivity and sound quality. Once place I can suggest is the latest version of Yahoo Messenger Version 7.0 which is Voice enabled. You can make computer to computer calls using yahoo messenger. It is very easy to implement, just try it out. One other place you could take a look at is www.skype.com. VOIP Broad Band phones are certainly here to stay despite the internet sops and other devices available.

If you are a long distance caller you could be involuntarily making VOIP calls without using a VOIP Broad Band phones and at normal cost. Most phone companies around the world are trying to reduce their bandwidth by routing a few thousand calls through circuit switches onto an IP gateway. On the receiving end, they just reverse the process, somewhat similar to multiplexing.

Given sometime all the current phone technology involving circuit switched networks will be replaced by packet switching technology. VOIP technology is efficient on financial and infrastructure needs, it costs less and takes lesser infrastructure and is more efficient. VOIP Broad Band phones have made their way into most corporate houses; it is only a matter of time before they barge into our homes.

More than 5 million households will be using VOIP Broad Band phones by the end of 2006 says the Forrester Research Group. One cannot escape the VOIP Broad Band phones as a means of communication.

VOIP Broad Band phones score on the basis of cost and flexibility. It can be said that they are free to use, unless you use your broadband connection only for your VIOP Broad Band phones. You can virtually call from anywhere in the world where u can access a broadband internet connection. You can carry your VOIP Broad Band phones anywhere on use your laptop to make PC to PC calls.

VOIP companies are offering rate plans similar to cellular phones for customers who want only VOIP Broad Band phones. They vary anywhere from $30 to $80 per month. They are also offering a lot of freebies including free VOIP Broad Band phones to go with them which make these rates further economical.

Can Network Infrastructure Cope VOIP Adoption?
VoIP technology is more efficient by combining data and voice transmissions into one system that is connected to the Internet. VoIP service is currently free from most, if not all, state and federal taxes and tariffs that are typically imposed on POTS (plain old telephone service) providers.

This means that VoIP service is anywhere from 10 percent to 30 percent less expensive than traditional POTS service.

But the underline fact is that the VoIP infrastructure must be strong enough to support the seamless movement of data packets.

With the POTS, data transmission via facsimile is unidirectional rather than bidirectional or multidirectional. This means that, while someone is sending, the other side is locked up and cannot transmit, resulting in slower data transmission or no transmission, since data re-routing is not automatically available as in the Internet context. Voice transmissions through POTS are bidirectional, but the routing of the traditional telephone call is static or fixed, preventing automatic rerouting if a particular pathway is blocked. Moreover, POTS does not allow for simultaneous transfer of data with voice transmission.

As with any new telecommunications technology, government regulation always becomes a question, especially when the telecommunications technology involves the Internet. Indeed, the courts, Congress, the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) are still hashing out jurisdictional issues in the regulation of VoIP.

As a practical matter, VoIP technology continues to develop rapidly. For instance, the development of the Internet has long contained a promise of video phones being available. With the implementation of VoIP technology, video telephone calls are now a reality within the grasp of businesses and consumers alike. Video phone units that require broadband access and constitute a form of VoIP are available from $ 269 per unit to as much as $ 599 a unit, depending on the features and specifications of the particular user. The only drawback with these systems, at the moment, is that the units work only with each other and one brand’s phones are not yet designed to integrate with another brand of video phone. So at least in the short-term, businesses are required to buy multiple units for branch offices, or individual consumers are required to buy sufficient units for family members, who are spread out among vast distances.

Another recent development concerns the adapter technology for linking or connecting a telephone device to a computer device for sending and receiving VoIP. Two leaders in home networking equipment, Netgear and Linksys (a division of Cisco Systems), recently announced plans to build phone jacks into wired and wireless equipment. The jacks are designed to provide an instant link to the commercial VoIP network developed by Vonage. Furthermore, there are additional products from these companies that allow home system broadband routers to work with the VoIP phone jacks so that multiple computers within the home can participate and enjoy VoIP phone calls with a wireless configuration. Thus, one broadband connection can be shared by all PCs within a household for VoIP usage.

On the negative side, the advent of VoIP technology also means introducing new risks to the user. These risks include the interception of VoIP communications through industrial espionage or the theft of trade secrets transmitted over VoIP. Indeed, as companies seek to implement VoIP as part of wireless networks, the threat to interception by third parties other than law enforcement is very real. Developing proper network security protocols and a strong infrastructure network is a constant problem given the plethora of circumvention efforts by programming experts.

Audible spam over VoIP presents another problem. Because VoIP systems are grounded in the TCP/IP protocol of the Internet, the ability to design software programs that make multiple phone calls with pre-programmed announcements and unsolicited sales offers already looms on the horizon and threatens to be as ubiquitous and pervasive as visual SPAM on a computer screen. The development of VoIP SPAM filters and other related software protection products will no doubt follow. VoIP also creates an opportunity for designers of viruses to infect computer systems. Therefore, antivirus software will have to address this threat.

VoIP and Bandwidth

VoIP is dependent on a certain amount of bandwidth and it is only due to the widespread acceptance of broadband modems that (useable) VoIP is potential. So - what exactly is bandwidth and how else does it affect VoIP? Bandwidth refers to the total of digital information that may be transmitted in a certain time period. Internet connections are usually measured in KiloBits Per Second (kbps). Your connection can be rated at 128/512 kbps. This means that the upload stream (leaving your computer) has a utmost bandwidth of 128 kbps and download stream (coming to the computer) has a utmost bandwidth of 512 kbps. To give you an idea of what that means in real-world terms consider the size of a web page which is made up of a couple paragraphs of text and a few illustrations. The size of this web page will be around 3,000 bytes or 24,000 bits. At a download speed of 512 kbps this page can be viewed in 0.05 seconds - almost instantaneously. Wait a minute (you may be saying) - web pages don't load that fast on my computer. You won't email your utmost transfer speeds for a few of reasons. Most important there is latency - the delay induced by the physical limitations of every piece of hardware the data is passed through. Latency is introduced through the transmission medium, a routers that determine the path the data may require, and storage when the data eventually reaches your computer. More delays are driven by pathway congestion, error checking, transmission negotiations and extra data which is sent with the web page to determine the type of data being sent and its origin and destination. What this means for VoIP is that enough bandwidth must be supplied to allow for the transmission of the actual voice data in real time as well as more bandwidth for the overhead required for any data transmission. The actual amount of voice data depends on the codec (enCOder/DECoder) utilized to compress the data, and this can range anywhere from 16 - 64 kbps. More overhead totals about 10 - 24 kbps for a total load of about 26 - 88 kbps. Once it comes to VoIP it is wise to err on the side of caution - it is better to consider that you will require 88 kbps. That translates into an Internet connection that can cover at least 128 kbps on the upload side. More bandwidth might allow others in the household to surf the net or download files while you are talking on the phone. In case you wish to apply conference calls potentially more bandwidth may be needed. There is there are no easy rule for determining the amount of bandwidth that a particular household will need. Count on 128 kbps as a minimum but consider going up to the maximum available if you have many computers and additional gear attached to the Internet. Note that these rate are for uploads - the download speeds are normally quite a bit faster and present no condition for VoIP.

VoIP: Is It Secure?

VoIP quality and reliability problems have largely been overcome, but security remains a real issue. As the Internet has shown, a flexible, open, digital communications platform attracts parasites.

It's only a matter of time before we see voice spam on VoIP systems, along with viruses, worms, and security breaches. Any business looking at VoIP systems should carefully assess its security needs and ensure that vendors can meet them. It should look at securing its VoIP infrastructure the same way it secures its intranet, e-mail system, and corporate databases.

There is no technical reason why VoIP systems can't be as good as, and probably better than, conventional phone systems in these areas. Skype, for example, encrypts every call end to end, providing more privacy than any traditional phone company. The potential security threats to VoIP are real but are no more worrisome than the security issues that are an accepted part of using the Internet in business. Companies simply need to appreciate that VoIP makes their phone systems part of the IT infrastructure, rather than a black box they trust a phone company to secure and manage.

Though VoIP's biggest payoffs will accrue to those who deploy it strategically, there are several approaches for test-driving the technology without betting the farm.

Follow the upgrade cycle. Many companies are deploying VoIP today because their phone systems are becoming obsolete. Companies should therefore look at their upgrade plans as opportunities to move toward VoIP. But this evaluation shouldn’t be limited to a review of communications systems. Planned upgrades to the corporate data network and computer hardware also provide an opportunity to introduce VoIP. Some firms will find themselves deploying the technology first through their customer relationship management systems. Others will introduce it as a tool for supply chain management, to make it easier for supply chain partners to communicate. Others will deploy VoIP as a feature of the corporate help desk so that computer support calls can be handled more efficiently. These deployments may be more tactical than strategic, but that shouldn't delay the initial activity.

A VoIP analog to VisiCalc and ICQ is Skype, the free VoIP software. Though it’s used principally by individuals looking to save on their long-distance bills, half of Skypeusers say they have used the service for business communications. Managers should welcome employees; experimentation with Skypeand similar VoIP software packages. The VoIP killer app in an organization may be one that the CIO doesn’t anticipate but that an employee devises out of personal necessity. By observing users who bring in VoIP through the back door, often on their personal PCs, managers may gain insights into how the company can use the technology and the cost/benefit equation for bringing VoIP through the front door.

Of course, companies shouldn't ignore the security issues that any software on the corporate network can create. The beauty of software like Skype is that it operates through the public Internet without requiring access behind the corporate firewall, obviating many security concerns.

Is VoIP Good For The Home?

There is no doubt that you have heard about VoIP by now. It's made headlines and is plastered everywhere both in online and TV advertisements. Just in case you haven't caught on to the hype yet, VoIP is the abbreviated term for Voice over Internet Protocol. Voice over Internet Protocol is basically the ability to communicate on a phone over your Internet connection.

With VoIP, the promise is the ability to make local and global long distance calls at a significantly lower rate than over a plain old telephone line through your local carrier. The VoIP trend has caught on and large enterprises all over the globe are adopting this new technology to reduce their cost of business communications which may include fax, conference calling, along with streaming video applications. VoIP has been around for some time, but it has only been until recently that it has finally matured to the stage worthy of replacing everyday phone use.

At the household level, it is certain by now that you are compelled to embrace this technology somewhat, but are not sure how to go about it or even if this technology has any real benefit for your family. You are probably wondering, "How much? How difficult? Is it necessary?" This article hopefully will clear up a few unanswered questions you may have regarding this technology and maybe even excite you enough to go on out and get VoIP hooked up in your own home.

First off, you must have an Internet connection. No, not your 56k dial up connection, but an actual high speed Internet connection. This can be cable, satellite, or DSL Internet, but you will need high speed Internet for VoIP to function properly and become your new calling station. Dialup just doesn't have the capacity or speed to transfer voice digitally without significant quality loss. A company named SpeakEasy has recently come out with a new DSL product that requires no current phone line for high speed Internet if DSL is your current favorite of broadband services and if you are planning on replacing your current phone service with VoIP.

Secondly you will need what is called a gateway. The gateway is connected between your computer and Ethernet modem. The VoIP gateway is where your phone line will be plugged into. Gateways enable freedom from possible computer problems that can shut down calling capabilities or deteriorate voice quality. Computer crashes, slow memory, and many other computer problems that plague us in everyday life, you do not want to plague your ability to make phone calls.

Gateways are specifically designed for VoIP phones but adapters are available for current phones should you not want to buy a brand new phone. VoIP providers usually have the adapters available for sale so you don't have to shop around for one yourself. Before you write off buying a new phone however, video phones are the newest product line and it won't be long before this trend explodes. You may want to get your video phone so you aren't left out of exciting face to face conversations with friends and relatives when they get theirs. Packet8 VoIP has a good video phone sold separately with their services.

The services included with VoIP usually include all the convenient bells and whistles your current phone service provides including your own local VoIP telephone number, call waiting, voice messaging, 3 way calling, and more.

There are some important things to remember with VoIP before you go diving in to this feature rich voice technology. You should check with your VoIP provider for local 911 emergency coverage. Some VoIP providers charge extra on a monthly basis for both 911 and 411 access so make sure you know how much it is going to cost you before committing to a calling contract.

One last important thing to remember is that your gateway is reliant on electricity to function. This means power outages will put your phone line out of service, but then isn't your phone already only functional with electricity these days?

This article was written by Aaron Siegel of TopSavings.Net which provides consultive services for communications at the residential level all the way up to government.

Services available at the website include VoIP (Including Packet8), Internet Access (Including SpeakEasy), Long Distance, Local Phone Services, Cellular services, and more. Broadband PhonWiretapping VoIP?

VoIP has no wires. It isn’t connected to the Public Safety Answering Point System (911) and a local operator using switchboard technology can’t trace it. It is a completely different infrastructure than PSTN- the Public Switched Telephone Network. Yet, the FCC and the FBI would like to apply the same rules to VoIP as it does to every other telephone service.

What would Alexander Graham Bell say? The monopoly is over for the telephone industry- so I thought- yet it appears that there is still a monopoly on the infrastructure of what condones a telephone system.

VoIP is Voice over Internet Protocol. It is not the same technology in any way, shape, or form as your local telephone service. Using your Internet High Speed connection and transmitting audio in the form of “packets” over your IP to another computer, VoIP user, or a standard telephone on the PSTN network conduct it.

VoIP technology has existed for some time, but is now being recognized by the mainstream as a viable alternative to standard telephone service. You may wonder why some would even want to leave behind the telephones our Great-Grandparents knew and loved and opt for these wireless replacements, yet the reasons and facts are clearly visible.

VoIP offers many benefits, features, and cost savings that are not offered with standard telephone service. For instance, Voice Mail, Call Forwarding, Call Waiting, Three Way Calling, and Call Transfer, are often included in your basic VoIP package at no additional cost. Users also appreciate the flexibility and freedom offered with using your Internet connection to not only handle your telephone needs, but your E-mail needs, Video and Web cam needs and Web application needs as well. VoIP can offer this integration and it has proved extremely beneficial to small business owners. All of these benefits have contributed to the rise and popularity of VoIP services.

However, this technology is not without its flaws. For instance, there is a big problem with the integration of VoIP technology and the Emergency 911 system. The Emergency system has been developing for many years, based upon the PSTN networks. Everyone knows that in case of an emergency, they can call 911 and help will be on the way. Yet, not was the case with many of VoIP’S early customers. Unfortunately, due to the fact that VoIP is wireless, 911 had no way of tracing VoIP calls. The US government’s response to the issue seems short of shutting down VoIP in favor of landlines. However, the FCC ruled that customers will be required to sign a statement that they acknowledge that their 911 services may be impaired due to VoIP. VoIP providers have responded by incorporating Enhanced 911 services and for allowing users to call and register their personal information with 911. Yet the fact remains, that a 911 operator cannot trace the VoIP call back to the location of the user.

Time will tell where the Emergency debate will end up. But for now, it is recommended that VoIP users maintain a landline phone or cell phone solely for the ability to have direct access to 911 if needed.

Now, 911 isn’t the only problem that Uncle Sam has with VoIP. He is also upset that he can’t “tap in” and listen in on potentially dangerous calls. How do you wiretap the wireless? Well, VoIP is the same technology, Packet Switching, which is used by E-mails, gamers who are communicating, Instant Messaging services and Video Email programs. To tap the phone line seems a little contradictory, since there isn’t a phone line, but we all understand that Uncle Sam must do what he must do.

Where these rulings will take the nature of VoIP is anyone’s guess and only the future will tell for sure. Yet we can rest assured that while VoIP continues to gather strength and become a formidable force in the telecommunications arena, that products will change, services will be enhanced, and many of the issues will be addressed and resolved.

Until then, remember to work with your service provider, register with 911, enjoy your VoIP service, and don’t take advantage of your VoIP provider by conducting illicit activities because you think they can not be traced.

Phone System vs. The VoIP System

Here's how a typical telephone call works: Circuit Switching
Existing phone systems are driven by a very reliable but somewhat inefficient method for connecting calls called circuit switching.

Circuit switching is a very basic concept that has been used by telephone networks for more than 100 years. When a call is made between two parties, the connection is maintained for the duration of the call. Because you are connecting two points in both directions, the connection is called a circuit. This is the foundation of the Public Switched Telephone Network(PSTN).

1. You pick up the receiver and listen for a dial tone. This lets you know that you have a connection to the local office of your telephone carrier.
2. You dial the number of the party you wish to talk to.
3. The call is routed through the switch at your local carrier to the party you are calling.
4. A connection is made between your telephone and the other party's line using several interconnected switches along the way.
5. The phone at the other end rings, and someone answers the call.
6. The connection opens the circuit.
7. You talk for a period of time and then hang up the receiver.
8. When you hang up, the circuit is closed, freeing your line and all the lines in between.

Let's say that you talk for 10 minutes. During this time, the circuit is continuously open between the two phones. In the early phone system, up until 1960 or so, every call had to have a dedicated wire stretching from one end of the call to the other for the duration of the call. So if you were in New York and you wanted to call Los Angeles, the switches between New York and Los Angeles would connect pieces of copper wire all the way across the United States. You would use all those pieces of wire just for your call for the full 10 minutes. You paid a lot for the call, because you actually owned a 3,000-mile-long copper wire for 10 minutes.

Telephone conversations over today's traditional phone network are somewhat more efficient and they cost a lot less. Your voice is digitized, and your voice along with thousands of others can be combined onto a single fiber optic cable for much of the journey (there's still a dedicated piece of copper wire going into your house, though). These calls are transmitted at a fixed rate of 64 kilobits per second (Kbps) in each direction, for a total transmission rate of 128 Kbps. Since there are 8 kilobits (Kb) in a kilobyte (KB), this translates to a transmission of 16 KB each second the circuit is open, and 960 KB every minute it's open. So in a 10-minute conversation, the total transmission is 9,600 KB, which is roughly equal to 10 megabytes (check out How Bits and Bytes Work to learn about these conversions). If you look at a typical phone conversation, much of this transmitted data is wasted.

While you are talking, the other party is listening, which means that only half of the connection is in use at any given time. Based on that, we can surmise that we could cut the file in half, down to about 4.7 MB, for efficiency. Plus, a significant amount of the time in most conversations is dead air -- for seconds at a time, neither party is talking. If we could remove these silent intervals, the file would be even smaller. Then, instead of sending a continuous stream of bytes (both silent and noisy), what if we sent just the packets of noisy bytes when you created them? That is the basis of a packet-switched phone network, the alternative to circuit switching.

Packet Switching
Data networks do not use circuit switching. Your Internet connection would be a lot slower if it maintained a constant connection to the Web page you were viewing at any given time. Instead, data networks simply send and retrieve data as you need it. And, instead of routing the data over a dedicated line, the data packets flow through a chaotic network along thousands of possible paths. This is called packet switching.

While circuit switching keeps the connection open and constant, packet switching opens a brief connection -- just long enough to send a small chunk of data, called a packet, from one system to another. It works like this:

• The sending computer chops data into small packets, with an address on each one telling the network devices where to send them.

• Inside of each packet is a payload. The payload is a piece of the e-mail, a music file or whatever type of file is being transmitted inside the packet.

• The sending computer sends the packet to a nearby router and forgets about it. The nearby router send the packet to another router that is closer to the recipient computer. That router sends the packet along to another, even closer router, and so on.

• When the receiving computer finally gets the packets (which may have all taken completely different paths to get there), it uses instructions contained within the packets to reassemble the data into its original state.

Packet switching is very efficient. It lets the network route the packets along the least congested and cheapest lines. It also frees up the two computers communicating with each other so that they can accept information from other computers, as well.

Introduction of VoIP W orks

If you've never heard of VoIP, get ready to change the way you think about long-distance phone calls. VoIP, or Voice over Internet Protocol, is a method for taking analog audio signals, like the kind you hear when you talk on the phone, and turning them into digital data that can be transmitted over the Internet.

How is this useful? VoIP can turn a standard Internet connection into a way to place free phone calls. The practical upshot of this is that by using some of the free VoIP software that is available to make Internet phone calls, you are bypassing the phone company (and its charges) entirely.

VoIP is a revolutionary technology that has the potential to completely rework the world's phone systems. VoIP providers like Vonage have already been around for a little while and are growing steadily. Major carriers like AT&T are already setting up VoIP calling plans in several markets around the United States, and the FCC is looking seriously at the potential ramifications of VoIP service.

Above all else, VoIP is basically a clever "reinvention of the wheel." In this article, we'll explore the principles behind VoIP, its applications and the potential of this emerging technology, which will more than likely one day replace the traditional phone system entire

The interesting thing about VoIP is that there is not just one way to place a call. There are three different "flavors" of VoIP service in common use today:

• ATA - The simplest and most common way is through the use of a device called an ATA (analog telephone adaptor). The ATA allows you to connect a standard phone to your computer or your Internet connection for use with VoIP. The ATA is an analog-to-digital converter. It takes the analog signal from your traditional phone and converts it into digital data for transmission over the Internet. Providers like Vonage and AT&T CallVantage are bundling ATAs free with their service. You simply crack the ATA out of the box, plug the cable from your phone that would normally go in the wall socket into the ATA, and you're ready to make VoIP calls. Some ATAs may ship with additional software that is loaded onto the host computer to configure it; but in any case, it is a very straightforward setup.

• IP Phones - These specialized phones look just like normal phones with a handset, cradle and buttons. But instead of having the standard RJ-11 phone connectors, IP phones have an RJ-45 Ethernet connector. IP phones connect directly to your router and have all the hardware and software necessary right onboard to handle the IP call. Soon, Wi-Fi IP phones will be available, allowing subscribing callers to make VoIP calls from any Wi-Fi hot spot.

• Computer-to-computer - This is certainly the easiest way to use VoIP. You don't even have to pay for long-distance calls. There are several companies offering free or very low-cost software that you can use for this type of VoIP. All you need is the software, a microphone, speakers, a sound card and an Internet connection, preferably a fast one like you would get through a cable or DSL modem. Except for your normal monthly ISP fee, there is usually no charge for computer-to-computer calls, no matter the distance.

If you're interested in trying VoIP, then you should check out some of the free VoIP software available on the Internet. You should be able to download and set it up in about three to five minutes. Get a friend to download the software, too, and you can start tinkering with VoIP to get a feel for how it works.

But chances are good you are already making VoIP calls any time you place a long-distance call. Phone companies use VoIP to streamline their networks. By routing thousands of phone calls through a circuit switch and into an IP gateway, they can seriously reduce the bandwidth they're using for the long haul. Once the call is received by a gateway on the other side of the call, it is decompressed, reassembled and routed to a local circuit switch.

Although it will take some time, you can be sure that eventually all of the current circuit-switched networks will be replaced with packet-switching technology (more on packet switching and circuit switching later). IP telephony just makes sense, in terms of both economics and infrastructure requirements. More and more businesses are installing VoIP systems, and the technology will continue to grow in popularity as it makes its way into our homes.

The Forrester Research Group predicts that nearly 5 million U.S. households will have VoIP phone service by the end of 2006. Perhaps the biggest draws to VoIP for the home users that are making the switch are price and flexibility.

With VoIP, you can make a call from anywhere you have broadband connectivity. Since the IP phones or ATAs broadcast their info over the Internet, they can be administered by the provider anywhere there is a connection. So business travelers can take their phones or ATAs with them on trips and always have access to their home phone. Another alternative is the softphone. A softphone is client software that loads the VoIP service onto your desktop or laptop. The Vonage softphone has an interface on your screen that looks like a traditional telephone. As long as you have a headset/microphone, you can place calls from your laptop anywhere in the broadband-connected world.

Most VoIP companies are offering minute-rate plans structured like cell phone bills for as little as $30 per month. On the higher end, some offer unlimited plans for $79. With the elimination of unregulated charges and the suite of free features that are included with these plans, it can be quite a savings.

Most VoIP companies provide the features that normal phone companies charge extra for when they are added to your service plan. VoIP includes:

• Caller ID
• Call waiting
• Call transfer
• Repeat dial
• Return call
• Three-way calling

There are also advanced call-filtering options available from some carriers. These features use caller ID information to allow you make a choice about how calls from a particular number are handled. You can:

• Forward the call to a particular number
• Send the call directly to voicemail
• Give the caller a busy signal
• Play a "not-in-service" message
• Send the caller to a funny rejection hotline

With many VoIP services, you can also check voicemail via the Web or attach messages to an e-mail that is sent to your computer or handheld. Not all VoIP services offer all of the features above. Prices and services vary, so if you're interested, it's best to do a little shopping.

Now that we've looked at VoIP in a general sense, let's look more closely at the components that make the system work. In order to understand how VoIP really works and why it's an improvement over the traditional phone system, it helps to first understand how a traditional phone system works.

VoIP in the Enterprise

H.323 and Alternatives

Of the dozens of VoIP products available now, only a handful support any standards-based implementation. The only standard with any notable presence is the ITU-T's Recommendation H.323, a version of the H.320 Multimedia-over-ISDN standard optimized for packet-based networks such as TCP/IP. Although H.323 is not specific to IP (it could also be used with IPX or AppleTalk), it relies on some IETF technologies--most notably RTP (Real Time Protocol) and RTCP (Real Time Control Protocol), which were developed within the IETF's Multimedia Working Group.

This ambivalence toward IP has created some sticky points of operation. For example, the call-setup negotiation routines in H.323 dictate that the end-point systems allocate random port numbers for the RTCP control channel and RTP data channel. While this allows for considerable portability across different kinds of packet-based networks, it makes implementing H.323 across an IP firewall very difficult. Rather than using a well-known port for all voice traffic, every H.323 node on the network must be able to listen for and send on any port number above 1,024. This is an impossible request for most corporate networks; no organization will open its entire corporate network to all UDP and TCP traffic.

You can work around this, of course. The easiest solution is to contain all H.323 traffic within a specific region of your network. If you filter traffic between your corporate backbone and your branch-office networks, you will need to keep the H.323 traffic contained within those sites and rely on voice trunks for any interconnection services. Another option is to use a firewall that is H.323-aware; such products are becoming widely available.

Another VoIP standard in the works is SIP (Session Initialization Protocol). It is currently under development within the IETF's Multimedia Working Group, with a particular focus on IP implementation. SIP offers many of the same architectural features of H.323, but relies on IP-specific technologies, such as DNS, as well. It also incorporates the concept of fixed port numbers for all devices and allows the use of proxy servers, both of which ease firewall implementation concerns.

Another standard making the rounds at the IETF is SGCP (Simple Gateway Control Protocol), which was developed by Bellcore. SGCP introduces a new call-management tier known as the Call Agent, which off-loads much of the signaling intelligence from the end node. This makes it a good fit for traditional telephone handsets. SGCP also promises to reduce the delays associated with H.323's use of signaling translators and TCP/IP.

Finally, at press time, IPDC (Internet Protocol Device Control) was announced. Developed by Level 3 and friends, IPDC is intended for use between centralized switches and IP-based gateways, providing integration and management on a very large scale.

SIP, SGCP and IPDC are in draft form and a long way from implementation. Until then, limit your purchases to products that support H.323. Although only a small percentage of vendors support H.323, it's your only guarantee of interoperability. No matter what else a vendor tells you, if a product doesn't support H.323, tell the rep to come back when it does.

Voip Article

All the explanation you needed on voip. Look no further for that matter on voip. This article has all the points imaginable on voip for you to read through. VoIP vs. Analog Failure is the stepping stone to success. So if you do fail to understand this article on voip, don�t fret. Read it again a few times, and you are sure to finally get its meaning. Many people today prefer VoIP to Analog phones. Analog or traditional phones are losing the battle against VoIP when it comes to cost effectiveness, standards, quality, and ease of use. VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol and VoIP is the technology that transmits voice as packet files over the Internet. This is known as the Packet Switching Network. Standard Analog phones use the Circuit Switching Network and the entire landline Analog telephone system is referred to as the Public Switched Telephone Network. We have also translated parts of this composition into French and Spanish to facilitate easier understanding of voip. In this way, more people will get to understand the composition. The main difference between Packet Switching and Circuit Switching, is that Packet Switching uses (data) or Packets and sends them over the Internet while Circuit Switching is accomplished by using electrical circuits to make a telephone connection. Circuit Switching is like the old switchboard operators, wearing headsets frantically trying to connect the right caller with the receiver. Packet Switching is used to transfer data all across the Internet- it is used for E-mail. Many people are choosing VoIP over Analog because of the many benefits that it offers. The calling features that usually come with your Analog service for a fee are often included for free with your VoIP service. These include features such as Call Waiting, Call Forwarding, Call Block, Three-Way- Calling, Voice Mail, * 69 and more. Another benefit to VoIP services include the fact that many providers will let you keep your existing phone number, or allow you to select a new area code. Selecting a new area code has great appeal to many people. For instance, a customer can select an area code for the same town where most of his friends or family live. By choosing this area code, not only is he still getting a great deal with his VoIP services, but also now his family and friends will save money whenever they call. For them, it will be a local and not a long distance call. We have actually followed a certain pattern while writing on voip. We have used simple words and sentences to facilitate easy understanding for the reader. VoIP is also preferred by many businesses as their method of telecommunications. Businesses prefer the flexibility, freedom, and cost effectiveness offered by VoIP as compared to Analog service providers. Businesses today depend upon telecommunications. Whether it is Internet, E-mail, Customer Service through telephone, online web applications, and E-mail, or whatever your IT business needs may be, VoIP offers to handle all of your needs with one application. Additionally, this reduces cost and increases productivity. VoIP also has combined with software applications that are perfect for many business needs. Software such as accounting programs, Email, and PC based applications help to save money by combining services. Writing on voip proved to be a gamble to us. This is because there simply seemed to be nothing to write about in the beginning of writing. It was only in the process of writing did we get more and more to write on voip. Sometimes, what we hear about voip can prove to be rather hilarious and illogical. This is why we have introduced this side of voip to you. Interesting is what we had aimed to make this article on voip. It is up to you to decide if we have succeeded in our mission! voip is the substance of this composition. Without voip, there would not have been much to write and think about over here! The reduction in long distance charges is another great advantage for switching to VoIP for business needs. By combining data, video, and audio needs, companies save on bandwidth usage, which ultimately leads to financial savings. Businesses are also opting for VoIP in their Call Centers. VoIP is slowly becoming the standard choice for Call Centers. VoIP offers some major benefits for Call Centers such as flexibility, cost efficiency, and enhanced customer service applications. For instance, in the past, a Call Center needed to be a stabilized facility equipped with many phone lines used by people who would physically be located in the Call Center. By using VoIP for your Call Center, not only is your main location easily relocated as your business expands, but you can hire employees virtually world wide. Larger companies take advantage of VoIP Call Centers by outsourcing work overseas where they can hire employees for less. The Integration of data, audio, and web-based features is another reason why businesses are opting for VoIP. Customer service calls are handled more efficiently with the integration of these three components. Not only are calls transferred more proficiently, but also greater care can be given to customers when Call Centers use integrated software platforms. More Call Centers are taking advantage of the opportunity to hire employees world wide through VoIP services. Employees may work in different time zones, giving greater customer service benefits year round, and hiring home based employees is another way businesses are choosing to save money. VoIP provides solutions for businesses that Analog just simply does not address. Most people prefer VoIP over Analog, and the future points to the fact that VoIP will only increase in popularity. The end. Hope this article on voip provided you with substantial information about it.

VoIP: The Voice Quality

Once a portion of a voice conversation is encoded and put into an IP packet, there isn’t much that can degrade it - unless the packet doesn’t make it to where it’s going or gets delayed appreciably en route. Either of these can occur when there’s congestion on the IP network
Once a portion of a voice conversation is encoded and put into an IP packet, there isn’t much that can degrade it - unless the packet doesn’t make it to where it’s going or gets delayed appreciably en route. Either of these can occur when there’s congestion on the IP network.

Virtually all VoIP products use the User Datagram Protocol (UDP) and the Real-Time Protocol (RTP), over IP. This means that voice-containing packets that are lost aren’t retransmitted, whereas most IP "data" packets use the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), which detects and arranges for retransmission of lost packets.

Still, the various algorithms and protocols used for VoIP react differently to delays and dropped packets. Some VoIP decoding methods will drop any voice packet (a packet containing a voice sample) that is out of sequence or more than, say, 200 ms old. Others have user-settable queues - called "jitter buffers" - that determine how many voice packets/samples will be assembled and how long they’ll be held before being dropped.

Once packets are dropped, different systems have different ways of compensating for the "hole" that is created in the voice stream. Some decoding algorithms will interpolate and create samples to fill these holes; others do nothing, and the missing packets produce interruptions and noise at the receiver’s end. We have found that products vary considerably in the voice quality they deliver under adverse network conditions (typified by heavy congestion).

Since it’s not practical for everyone to build their own test lab and put all the potential products through their paces over both well-behaved and congested IP networks, here are two helpful rules of thumb regarding the characteristics of VOIP products:

• Gateway products that require the least amount of IP network bandwidth per active voice conversation tend to survive better - that is, their voice quality degrades less - as network conditions get worse.

• VoIP products that use smaller IP packets to carry their voice samples survive much better as network congestion gets worse. The smallest voice-containing packet sizes are in the 70-80-byte range; the biggest are 250-300 bytes per voice-containing packet.

Users should be able to query vendors about both of these metrics, and then do their own side-by-side comparison. In comparing voice-over-IP equipment, remember that some (but not all) products offer access to a large number of operational parameters you can tweak to fine-tune voice quality.

In the PSTN, optimum volume levels are well understood. There are generally accepted norms for the relative strength of a voice signal referenced to power (usually measured in dBm, or decibels referenced to a milliwatt), and referenced to background noise (dBrn, or decibels referenced to noise).

However, standards for mapping these norms onto voice-over-IP communications haven’t yet been fully worked out. As a result, some products deliver a voice signal of more-than-sufficient strength (amplitude) but, due to a particular PC’s microphone and speaker, it may simply be too much volume. In this case, the voice quality may sound terrible, because it is set just a little too loud