Monday, October 30, 2006
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)
VoIP converts the voice signal from your telephone into a digital signal that travels over the Internet. If you are calling a regular phone number, the signal is then converted back at the other end. VoIP can allow you to make a call directly from a computer, a special VoIP phone, or a traditional phone using an adapter. In addition, new wireless "hot spots" in public locations such as airports, parks, and cafes, allow you to connect to the Internet, and may enable you to use VoIP service wirelessly. If you make a call using a phone with an adapter, you'll be able to dial just as you always have, and the service provider may also provide a dial tone. If your service assigns you a regular phone number, then a person can call you from his or her regular phone without using special equipment.
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
VoIP: How To Get Free Access
VoIP is the technology used behind combining Instant Messaging and voice. Many companies are now incorporating free VoIP with their Instant Messaging programs. All that is required is that both parties (or more than two) are using the same program. For instance, the new Yahoo Messenger (actually called Yahoo Messenger with Voice) will let you call your buddies
VoIP is the technology used behind combining Instant Messaging and voice. Many companies are now incorporating free VoIP with their Instant Messaging programs. All that is required is that both parties (or more than two) are using the same program. For instance, the new Yahoo Messenger (actually called Yahoo Messenger with Voice) will let you call your buddies.
VoIP is the technology used behind combining Instant Messaging and voice. Many companies are now incorporating free VoIP with their Instant Messaging programs. All that is required is that both parties (or more than two) are using the same program. For instance, the new Yahoo Messenger (actually called Yahoo Messenger with Voice) will let you call your buddies.
Monday, August 14, 2006
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
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
Friday, August 11, 2006
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.
