VoIP Requirements List

What is VoIP?

VoIP (Voice over IP, or Voice over Internet Protocol) allows users to make and receive phone calls from their computer, or VoIP phone, using a reliable broadband Internet connection. This technology is different from traditional telephony technology, which utilizes conventional telephones and lines, and has become extremely popular owing to significantly cheaper calls and the vast improvements in audio quality.

VoIP requirements list:

For the best call experience always strive to use the highest quality equipment available. You will need a computer equipped with a broadband Internet connection, PC speakers, and a microphone. For convenience, and to further enhance call quality, a headset with built-in microphone is highly recommended. You can of course have a VoIP phone where all this is included.

Functionality of VoIP

VoIP is a lot more flexible than traditional networks and the following voip requirements list displays some of those attributes:

- Ability to execute more than one call over the same connection
- PSTN features such as call forwarding, automatic redial, and caller ID
- Security easier to implement - Secure Real-time Transport Protocol
- VoIP can work from anywhere with a stable Internet connection
- Integration of video, data file exchange, and audio conferencing

VoIP Mobile Phones & VoIP Hand held Devices

A growing number of mobile phone manufacturers, such as oscoda voip phone systems, have branched into VoIP technology. Early models capable of delivering mobile VoIP include the NEC N900iL, the Nokia E60, and the Nokia E61. As a result VoIP acronyms such as MoIP and MVoip (Mobile VoIP) have sprung up.

Many hand held Devices are also capable of handling VoIP services by way of Wi-Fi technology.

VoIP Reliability

The bottom line is, VoIP is not as reliable as conventional telephone systems, in that power failure generally means modems and routers go down and thus the broadband connection with the ISP (Internet Service Provider) is lost adding to the voip requirements list. Even if you have a generator in your home, the broadband carrier itself may go down. Traditional PSTN networks have back-up generators and/or battery banks that kick in as soon as the power goes out. They have matured over generations and are extremely reliable.

VoIP Quality of Service

A bad quality, and/or congested, broadband connection will more than likely lose IP packets between VoIP users at a point in the network resulting in voice drop-out or hefty delays. Long distances may also play a part in this, but particularly interworking between end points; the latter of which means browser activity or file transfers etc. A decent VoIP Quality of Service protection will ensure the voice is carried with minimal packetized loss while interworking is going on.

VoIP Emergency calls

Emergency calls originating from VoIP systems cannot easily be routed to a nearby call centre, and may even be routed to the wrong department. In addition Internet Protocol makes it difficult to locate network users geographically. As a result, VoIP providers make it clear that emergency calls should not be made.

VoIP Security

Another one for the voip requirements list; although security is easier to implement on VoIP phones, most consumer VoIP solutions do not yet support encryption. Therefore, it is fairly easy to eavesdrop VoIP calls (VoIP Sniffing). Patented audio codecs and compression offer a certain level of security, although encryption and cryptographic authentication is the only sure way to go. Unfortunately, this will not be an option for most VoIP users. SRTP and the newer ZRTP protocol are available on Analog Telephone Adapters (ATAs) and some softphones (VoIP phones). Skype uses encryption as opposed to SRTP.

Those on a VPN (virtual private network) - essentially a communications network tunneled through another network - can apply IPSec encryption to the digitized voice stream.

VoIP Pre-Paid Phone Cards

VoIP is especially useful for travelers on low budgets, as well as migrant workers and expats, where high roaming charges or lack of fixed lines make VoIP an attractive option for calling home. Pre-paid VoIP phone cards can be used on normal phones and in Internet cafes with phone services.

VoIP DID (Direct Inward Dialing)

Many providers have the option of allocating customers a DID number, which enables users to also receive calls direct from regular phones through VoIP. Skype have this option, Skype In. Access numbers are similar to DID but the caller will need to input the extension number of the VoIP user.

VoIP Caller ID

Originally, when VoIP first came about, if you were to call a standard PSTN number the recipient would just see a random set of digits. Now, however, most VoIP providers offer full Caller ID with name on outgoing calls. Some providers even allow users to spoof the Caller ID information, to make it look like the caller were calling from elsewhere. While useful in the business sense, VoIP Caller ID manipulation can also be abused.

Additional voip requirements list