Three reasons why you are going to love VoIP

VoIP, or Voice over Internet Protocol, is rapidly becoming a top choice for people wishing to avoid costly telephone service. Why? The system works by allowing you to make phone calls using a computer network, such as your Internet provider. The way it works is similar to email; most providers offer unlimited long-distance calling for a low monthly fee or for a low per-minute rate. Where long-distance...

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VoIP - What is the Problem?

E. B. Randall

In the beginning, when the Internet Protocol was first designed, no one was thinking about the possibilities of sending audio and video. Real time communication was not an issue.

Perhaps the greatest single problem is that the Internet Protocol (the IP part of VoIP - Voice over Internet Protocol) wasn't designed to ensure that the packets are delivered in the correct order. When information is transmitted using IP, the data is broken up into information packets, each of which is sent separately. The correct sequence of packets is part of the information in each packet, but nothing specifically exists to make sure that the packets are delivered, and, therefore, received in the proper order.

Now this isn't usually a significant issue for web pages, email, etc. Why? Because these aren't real-time applications. Audio and video however, especially live audio and live video are definitely real-time applications. For a real time conversation to work, the packets have to arrive - pretty much in order and also within certain time limits.

The first, and one of the major challenges then, is to restructure incoming packets into the correct order and to somehow cope with lost and/or trashed packets. Face it, the internet does not provide a quality of service guarantee. If enough packets are lost, an audio or video stream rapidly turns into a useless mess. While packets can be resent - the standard way lost/trashed packets are dealt with - real time communication means that you just can't wait around forever. After a certain time, it's simply too late to maintain a coherent stream.

What we've seen over the last few years is a gradual and now nearly explosive growth in the use of VoIP, and streaming audio and video. The reason is decline of dial-up and the growth of ISDN, DSL, ADSL, cable and other high speed, high bandwidth access modes. Bandwidth is the answer to most of the problems posed by IP. End-to-end high speed links can ensure high quality sound. The sole remaining problem is latency.

For most this is not an issue when they have high speed internet access, however, it can become a problem with satellite links or any other system where unusually long distances and many hops are involved.

On private networks, there is rarely a problem using VoIP and many companies with internal networks (such as telcos and power companies) use VoIP to communicate within their organizational network structure.

However, when the available end-to-end bandwidth is less than 256 Kbps, a good VoIP system will require mechanisms to overcome fragmentation of the data stream.

Security is an issue everywhere on the internet and what this means is that VoIP also needs to deal with firewalls and NATs (Network Address Translation). While some systems can do NAT and firewall traversal on their own, others require the use of SBCs (Session Border Controllers) to manage the traversal.

One major, though non-technical, challenge to VoIP, comes from traditional telephone service providers who are being by-passed by consumers who love the extremely low (or zero) long-distance charges they can get by using VoIP. Exactly how this works out over the long run will be fascinating to watch. In the meantime, VoIP services are continually being improved and extended. Enjoy them.

About the author:
For more on VoIP, conference calling, web conferencing and more visit http://www.AltaGlobal.com. Find more on wireless and cellular subjects at http://www.AltaGlobal.org. For networking and security check

Review On Choosing The Best Voip Service Provider for Your Business

Making phone calls applying a broadband Internet connection, known as VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), is becoming so popular with corporations of each size. The prospect of paying a flat fee for unlimited long-distance phone calls is attractive to each company that has struggled to balance the want to conduct business phone calls with the cost of those calls. Many companies are finding that installation of VoIP phones is simpler than traditional Private Branch eXchange (PBX) systems, since the desk sets can share the Ethernet cables already in place for the desktop computers. Now, I m going...

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The latest information and news on VoIP:

Google
VoIP is hurting BTC (The Nassau Guardian)
A new report is again indicating that The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) is being devalued due to illegal competition from long distance companies offering Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP).
Polycom launches SoundPoint IP 430 VoIP phone (CIOL)
NEW DELHI:Polycom, Inc., provider of unified collaborative communications solutions, has added the SoundPoint IP 430 phone to its SIP based voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) desktop phones portfolio. The newly launched phone is a two-line phone with a full-duplex speakerphone and graphical LCD.
Samsung SGH-P200 GSM/VOIP Hybrid Phone Sighted at FCC (AnandTech)
Cellular and VOIP services all in one handheld...
Consumers to flock to VoIP (theRegister via Yahoo! UK & Ireland News)
The traditional home phone number could become a thing of the past as more and more people opt for fixed-mobile services and VoIP. That's according to ...
VoIP Will Kill Off Traditional Landlines In Europe: Report (Small Biz Pipeline)
VoIP will kill off the use of traditional landlines in Europe, due to the appeal of new fixed-mobile telephone services, says two new reports by JupiterResearch.
X-Lite SIP VoIP Softphone Download (DesignTechnica)
Today's daily download is X-Lite SIP VoIP Softphone. Users who subscribe to a VoIP or Broadband service will be able to use this description.
Ennovative Commerce Solutions Installs VoIP from TelCove (CommsDesign)
JACKSONVILLE, Fla., June 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Ennovative Commerce Solutions, a Jacksonville-based developer of enterprise-class marketing and sales solutions, has installed a new, company-wide VoIP solution from TelCove, a leading provider of business critical telecommunications services to enterprise customers and carriers.
Consumers to flock to VoIP (The Register)
All change The traditional home phone number could become a thing of the past as more and more people opt for fixed-mobile services and VoIP.?
Tiscali unveils VoIP service (The Register)
VoIPtastic Tiscali - which recently clocked up one million broadband lines in the UK - has unveiled details of a new VoIP service.?
Fusion Softphone Turns Computer into VoIP Telephone (IT Observer)
Fusion Telecommunications International has announced that it has completed the first version of its proprietary computer-based efonica telephone, or 'softphone,' a software application that transforms a personal computer into a VoIP telephone. Concurrent with the launch of Fusion?s new, efonica-branded VoIP services later this month, customers will be able to download a beta version of the

Learn About Broadband Phone Service (VoIP) And It's Benefits

Broadband phone service uses your broadband Internet connection to transmit voice signals via IP networks. This technology is commonly referred to as VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) or IP Telephony. Broadband phone service converts voice signals to digital packets which are routed to their destination and reconverted at the receiving end. Broadband phone service appears, to the user, to operate very much like the traditional telephone networks. You can use an ATA (analogue telephone adapter) that connects to a router or modem or an IP phone that connects directly to a router or modem. The...

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