In This Topic
^ Seeing what makes up a call
^ Separating the fact from fiction
^ Gathering the hardware you need
^ Sending non-voice transmissions
^ Migrating phone numbers or getting new ones
^Voice over Internet Protocol (or VoIP, as it’s more commonly known) is
truly a disruptive technology, bringing in new possibilities while departing from traditional telephony in structure. It packetizes normal voice phone calls and transmits them over the Internet, using the same sort of path on which you send and receive e-mail and Instant Messages, or surf the Web. VoIP has changed how network technicians, engineers, and programmers view telecommunications, how it’s transmitted, where it can be delivered, and the lack of flexibility in traditional telephony. It empowers small business to build its own phone systems by using open source software, giving it the power to add features, use multiple carriers to save money, and turn to troubleshooting tools previously reserved only for carriers.
While the technology has evolved, the market has responded. Years after VoIP was rolled out within the networks of long-distance carriers in America, it has gained a foothold in the telecommunications market, but it remains an enigma to many. Many people still hold on to their pre-conceived notions of what VoIP is and how it works.
This topic explains the basics of VoIP, and it also covers what hardware you need to use it, the challenges of the technology, and some of the added hurdles that it creates.
