The Basics of Voip
Using the Internet to make cheap long-distance phone calls or to send data is one of the most exciting technological advances of recent times. VoIP solutions have revolutionized the world of telecommunication and the number of people who decide to replace their regular landlines with broadband phones is constantly on the increase. As any Internet telephony service provider can state, the main advantage of the VoIP technology is its cost-effectiveness. By using a broadband phone, you can talk long-distance for as long as you want with no additional fees. This is why both household users and companies decide to take up the offer of an Internet telephony service provider and switch from traditional landlines to softphones.
Many people are interested in finding out how VoIP actually works. Basic information about this technology can be found out from any Internet telephony service provider. The most important fact is that, thorough VoIP, analog signals are converted to digital data packets, which are then compressed to standard formats and sent over the Internet at high speed. On reaching the destination, the data goes through a reverse process of decompression and conversion to an analog signal, so that the person you called can clearly understand you. Complicated though it may seem, this is a real-time process, so there will be no delay between the two speakers. Any Internet telephony service provider can guarantee the quality and speed of the transmission.
The basic requirement for using a VoIP solution is a broadband Internet connection. Dial-up will not do with voice over IP because this type of connection is just too slow. Again the information can and will be supplied to you by an Internet telephony service provider who is not supposed only to offer confirmation, but also explain the reasons for this. Without high-speed Internet, the quality of calls will diminish significantly, as data packets will be lost on the way. PC-to-PC calls involve both VoIP technology users having broadband connections. However, the solutions offered by any Internet telephony service provider include the possibility to make PC to regular phone calls and, in this case, the person you are calling does not need to have a broadband telephone.
VoIP applications are usually offered for free by any Internet telephony service provider, so in case you decide to replace your regular landline phone with a softphone, all you need is a computer with a broadband connection and a headset with earphones and a microphone. Then, you can download the softphone application you choose and start making calls. PC-to-PC calls are free, which is probably the greatest advantage of the VoIP technology. Long-distance calls have always been expensive with regular telephony services, but by using Internet telephony you can talk anywhere in the world for as long as you wish with absolutely no charge.
By using VoIP applications, you can also make PC-to-phone calls. You must first buy credit from the Internet telephony service provider you choose and whose offer must include an option for prepaid phone calls. Although PC-to-phone calls are not free, the rates of any Internet telephony service provider are quite accessible. You can also use VoIP technology with your regular landline phone and in this case calls are not free. However, you will discover that the fees you must pay for your calls are generally lower than those of regular telephony services.
For those who travel a lot, there are now VoIP phones available, which have the advantage of giving their users the flexibility they require while also catering for their communication needs. Travelers can also use cell phones, but mobile telephony services are usually more expensive than the offer of any Internet telephony service provider. The only requirement is, again, broadband Internet, since VoIP technology can only work effectively with a high-speed connection. Once you connect your broadband phone, you will have not only the same features and services available, but also the same number you normally use.
VoIP phones are widely chosen by businessmen who have to travel a lot and need to stay in touch with their partners. The offer of an Internet telephony service provider usually includes call forwarding and messaging. By using a broadband phone traveling business people can work from anywhere in the world, while also being easily reachable by anyone who wishes to call them. Another option for travelers is a softphone application used with a laptop, from which they can make and receive phone calls. High quality, flexibility and cost-effectiveness are the major advantages of Internet telephony, which is why more and more people choose it over regular telephony services.
Netiron Mlx Fuels Foundry Vs. Cisco Battle
San Francisco, California January 30, 2007: With internet traffic increasing at unprecedented rates, service providers are ramping up their networks to support the bandwidth intensive applications of the ever-growing web. According to a recent Dell’Oro report, the worldwide market for service provider routers is projected to approach $9 billion by 2011. Targeted at Internet service providers (ISPs), cable network operators, as well as triple and quadruple play operators, Foundry Networks has made a power play for the metro network space with the NetIron MLX routers. Based on the flagship XMR series router, the MLX offers the highest 10GbE and GbE density available to address current and forthcoming service provider capacity requirements. With Foundry’s compelling price of only $600/Gigabit Ethernet (GigE) port, industry leader Cisco Systems is starting to take notice.
After more than four years in development, the Carrier Routing System, or CRS-1 was released by Cisco in 2004 at a development cost of $500M. However due to changes in the IOS (Internetwork Operating System) and cost of almost $450,000 upon release, it only offered a rare glimpse of light for competition in the metro network space. Not surprisingly, competitors Foundry and Juniper quickly jumped into the ring.
Built on newer chip technology and advanced processors, Foundry’s XMR series edge routers answered the demand for a comparable router that is almost 1/5th of the price. Released in 2006, the MXR 3200 and MLX-32 MPLS enabled routers were developed to
offer the highest 10GbE and GbE density and provide up to two billion packets per second (Bpps) of IP/MPLS routing in a 128-port system. These improvements targeted the Triple and Quadruple play service providers who host bandwidth intensive applications, such as video on-demand, broadcast television, and large scale Voice over IP (VoIP).
Just this month, semiconductor developer Cadence Design Systems announced they would be integrating the NetIron MLX as part of their new centralized data center network. With a price/performance level that rivals any router on the market, Foundry has raised the stakes in the competitive 10Gbe market. Rival Cisco has already started to position itself as a provider of a broad range of management solutions targeted towards the coveted triple-play sector. The release and initial positive market response to the MLX series will likely prove a challenge to Cisco’s previously uncontested dominance.
Voip Hardware – What’s The Best Choice?
When you use your computer, you are communicating on an IP network that is sending and receiving all Internet traffic. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) uses this same network to send its packets of voice data when you make a call from your computer to either another computer or a landline. The excitement over VoIP services is that you can use the Internet that you are already paying for to make free phone calls! Obviously, you need more than your computer to make these calls – VoIP hardware.
In order to use VoIP phone services you need to subscribe to a plan from a provider of VoIP hardware. What you pay depends on your choice of hardware:
* Computer-to-computer
* Computer-to-phone
* SIP-to-SIP (Session Internet Protocol)
This may sound confusing but once you understand the service you will find the choice relatively easy to make and your only decision will be the provider you offers you the best benefits for the least amount of money.
Computer-to-computer VoIP service is free. This is the most common form of VoIP and the one most of the public is most familiar. A provider of this service, Skype, both the caller and receiver need to be using their services. With a set of speakers, sound card, and a microphone (or USB phone) you can call anyone worldwide who is also using Skype; for free.
Computer-to-phone is the next step up and this is where the providers begin charging for services. This service is great for those of you who make several International calls. The primary difference with this service is that you can call the other party who has a regular landline and that party does not need to be using the same VoIP package as you.
SIP-to-SIP allows individuals to make phone calls to each other using a regular phone. The voice information changes from analog to digital and then sent in packets over the broadband network. If you use hardware phones for this service, the person you are calling needs to use the same hardware phones for the calls to be free. You can use your traditional phone if you purchase an adapter that connects your phone to the Internet.
There are different types of VoIP hardware to choose from and many of the phones look like traditional phones. They often come complete with everything they need to work the moment you connect them to the Internet. If you do not want to purchase a new phone, you can take advantage of the adapters that are available that transform your landline phone to a VoIP phone. Many providers of VoIP services offer the hardware free when you sign up for one their calling plans.
