An Introduction to the Basics of Voice Over Internet Protocol

8/14/2019 An Introduction to the Basics of Voice Over Internet Protocol

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An introduVoice o


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IntroductionYou may have heard of VoIPthat its the future of telephone servic

and that you can save a lot of money using it. But what exactly is it?

Very simply, VoIP, or Voice over Internet Protocol, is the technologyallows us to have phone service over the Internet.

VoIP may be a new term for you, but the technology isnt new.

The telephone companies, who use what is referred to as the public

switched telephone network (PSTN), have been employing VoIP

technology for years. Yet today, VoIP is becoming a viable solution

for mainstream consumersboth businesses and individuals.


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So why would you want it? The most obvi

as a bridge between your Internet connect

phone service without requiring an accoun

with VoIPs unique pricing model, means th

calling expenses dramatically.

Saving money is one good reason to use Vo

same features that youd get with tradition

can both increase productivity and create a

workforce. VoIP allows for real-time collabo

conference calls or check the availability of

improve customer service by allowing you t


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But VoIP is an emerging technology, and that means that unlike your standard ph

service, its not exactly plug and play. Getting the most out of VoIP requires a litt

of homework, and in some cases some real technical help. This guide will cover t

basics of VoIP and help you decide if and how VoIP could fit into your workplace.


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Table of contentsThe basics ............................................. 9

1. How does VoIP work? ............... ............ 9

2. Four ways to implement VoIP ....... 13

3. The equipmentwhat you

need to get started .............................18

VoIP and your business ...................23

1. VoIP vs. traditional phone

service .........................................................23

2. Which VoIP is right for me? ............. 26


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1The basics


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How does VoIP work?VoIP works by taking analog signals and converting them to digital d

that can be sent over a networkthe Internet in most cases, but als

any private network. It requires that you have a broadband networkconnection, the necessary items to create that broadband connectio

a broadband modem, your computer, a router, etc.and a device to

convert the data. Well cover VoIP equipment in more detail in the

next section.


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At the highest level, there are two ways to

that allows you to make calls from your co

and using a VoIP phone or headset (device

entirely and link directly to your Internet c

computer to talk may feel foreign at first,

quite similar to using a standard telephone

phone service with your digital life.


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Internet


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Internet

Voice/

Cable/DSLmodem

With VoIP, you can check your voicemail on

messages to e-mails. You can have your ca

are (assuming you have access to a compu

comprehensive call handling options. Based

to send calls from specific numbers to voic

kind of features that only the Internet can


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Four ways to implement VoIP

One of the great advantages of using VoIP is that its an infinitely scalable

technology. It can work just as well for one person as it can for a company w

thousands of employees. The difference lies in how its implemented. The tab

the next two pages identifies the four most common ways of implementing V


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Implementation How it works

Computer-to-computer

Some service providand install on your cas a phone. You needor microphone set ucomputer to anothemany cases, you candownloaded the sam

Service provider:individual

VoIP service providetraditional phone sehave all of the usualcall waiting, etc.plucalls. With VoIP, youadvanced voicemail your computer and f


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Who its for Level of effort Cost

Best for 15 person small businesses.Computer-to-computer VoIP is also agreat option for personal use.

Very easy.Less than 1 hour to get started.

$0 (or closeto it)

Best for 15 person businesses. Plansusually include an ATA (analog phoneadaptor) and/or VoIP hardphone.

Easy.Less than one day to getstarted (once the equipmentis purchased or arrives fromservice provider).

$15$25 pmonth


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Implementation How it works

Service provider:small business

VoIP service providemuch like the plans obusiness features like

Custom VoIP Custom VoIP solutionknowledgeable, in-hoas a VoIP vendor or cThey work the same they require a broadbphone service and yosolution you can incobe available otherwis


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Who its for Level of effort Cost

Best for 1030 person businesses.Basic equipment is usually included.Youll also have the option to buyadditional, upgraded equipment to usewith your plan.

Moderate.May take up to one week toget all users connected to

system and up to speed (oncethe equipment is purchased orarrives from service provider).

$15$25per month

Best for larger businesses. These arecustom-designed solutions and involvea larger investment in VoIP equipmentand infrastructure.

Challenging.Depending on the complexity ofyour custom solution, can takeweeks.

$5,000+


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Device Description

ATA An ATA (analog telephone adconverts analog signals to dconnect a standard phone tofor use with VoIP. ATAs are VoIP gateways.

Soft phone

A soft phone is actually a soyou install on your computer

interface. In order to use a sheadset and/or microphone.

The equipmentwhat you need

Any use of VoIP will require that you have

Internet connection. Heres a quick look at

equipment that might also be a part of yo


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Device Description Price rang

When youre ready to buy your equipment, youll be able to find it both online and

in many large electronics stores.

IP phone An IP phone, or hard phone, is a self-contained pieceof equipment (that looks like a regular phone) that cancommunicate directly via your Internet connection.Phones dont have to be routed through your

computer or an ATA, and dont require any software.

$80$400

Wi-Fi/WLANphone

Like IP phones, Wi-Fi/WLAN phones dont require acomputer or ATA to use VoIP. They link directly toyour IP Internet connection. Unlike IP phones, theyrewireless and connect to the Internet via a wirelessbase station.

$200$500


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Heres what VoIP devices look li

Analog telep

Soft phone

Wireless headset


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2VoIP and your busines


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VoIP and your businessVoIP vs. traditional phone service

Heres a look at how VoIP solutions compare with traditional PSTN phon

and some tips to ease the transition.


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VoIPSetup costs

Setup costs depend entirely on your VoIPimplementation. Computer-to-computer Vis free, while there is a considerable initiainvestment when switching to a custom Vsystem.

Operating costs This is where VoIP often shines. Once yois implemented, cost savings can be subs

Equipment Equipment is usually included when you swith a service provider. Custom VoIP soluthough, require a considerable investmenequipment.

Mobil ity Because VoIP runs on your Internet connit travels with you. Just as you would accee-mail remotely, you can access your VoIservice allowing for total mobility.


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Features VoIP has all of the features of PSTN plus additionalfeatures made possible by using the Internet asits backbone: enhanced call handling, linking ofvoicemail and e-mail, etc.

PSTN offers the standweve come to expect

Reliability VoIP runs on your network and requires power.To ensure reliability you must take the rightprecautions.

PSTN is very reliable.

Security VoIP is l ike the rest of your network. Its protectiondepends on the steps you take to make it secure.

It actually takes moreVoIP security than it dPSTN call.

Scalability Adding to your existing VoIP system is simply amatter of buying new equipment and upgradingyour network when necessary.

Scaling a traditional pinvolves more heavy lwork, etc.

VoIP PSTN


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Which VoIP is right for me?

Choosing the right VoIP solution for your

business can be challenging. Answering these

questions will help you through the evaluation

process:

1. How many people will your VoIP

implementation need to service?

With VoIP, numbers count. If youre just

looking to service a couple of people, you

might opt for a computer-to-computer VoIP

solution, or an individual plan from a VoIP

service provider. For small companies with

2.


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full-blown custom VoIP solutions, while they

ultimately offer substantial savings, can cost

thousands of dollars up-front. So deciding on

your budget is an important part of determin-

ing which VoIP solution is best for you.

3. Can your existing network handle the voice

traffic you plan to have?

Remember, the voice data (or packets) will

travel over your existing network just as other

data does, like e-mail and large file transfer,

and it will require bandwidth. If you want

to serve more users than your network can

handle, youll need to upgra

expense youre unprepared

to scale back your VoIP imp

opt for a smaller plan servic

4. Do you have an in-house can help implement and m

system?

If you do, youre one step c

good candidate for a custom

dont, you may want to opt

other solutions.


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5. Will you have a power backup plan?

Remember, unlike traditional phone service,

VoIP relies on power. If the power goes

out, so does your phone service. For very

small businesses, you may be able to get by

with cell service during infrequent poweroutages. But for larger groups, its critical

that you have a backup source of power. If

youre not prepared to make that investment,

consider switching only a small portion of

your business over to VoIP with a computer-

to-computer solution or an individual service

provider plan.

6.


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Preparing for VoIP

3


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Preparing for VoIPYou dont have to dive headlong into VoIP. You can try it out and decide

right thing for your company by moving just one part of your business to

Choose a part of your business that would really benefit from VoIP but t

that the teams experience and needs wouldnt apply to other groups. A

good choice, especially if they travel a lot.


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Starting smallthe VoIP test drive

Implement a computer-to-computer VoIP solution for

that group and then see how it goes. Are they using it

as much as you expected? Is it increasing productivity?

Have you saved on long-distance calling? The test drive

gives you the chance to see what works and what

doesnt before you make the real investment of moving

your whole company. You may even find that a small,

computer-to-computer solution serves all of your needs.

Or you might discover that you want something closer to

traditional phone service, in which case consider starting

small wit

are affor

with you

in scaling

The serv

comes wexisting p

support y


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VoIP and Intel technology platforms

VoIP can be a great money saver, but the choice of

computers is criticalwhether your employees are using

VoIP on notebooks or desktop computers.

Business users on the move can collaborate more effec-

tively with Intel Centrino Duo mobile technology-based

laptops. Enhanced acce

roaming capabilities del

(QoS), and our new dua

greater connectivity op

mance overall, and grea

For employees using Vo

dual-core processing pe

Processor enables high

heavy multi-tasking sys

Desktop and notebook

High Definition (HD) Au


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Intel mob

also offe

plus whe

business

enabled wIntel Cen

possible f

computin

For more

technolog

Security and performance

At the heart of Intel Centrino Duo mobile technology

is the Intel Core Duo processora CPU, or central

processing unit, with two complete execution cores.

These two cores share the same housing, but can

operate independently of one another. That allows

your computer to deliver better performance while

balancing power requirements.


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Going custom? How to find the right VoIPvendor

Youve come to the conclusion that you do, in fact, need

a custom VoIP solution. So, what next? Developing an

RFP for the project is a project unto itself, but it doesnt

have to be mysterious. Here is a list of the key points to

address with any potential vendor:

1. What services do they offer?

2. How well do they understand your needs?

3. Do they have any relevant experience that is directly

applicable to your needs? Ask for case studies of

projects like yours.

4. Do they have a spec

providers, or are the

5. Do they have refere

6. Can their system int

network and commu

7. Can they build a solu

equipment or can th

equipment and give

8. What sort of suppor

they available all day

costs associated wit

9. And, finally, what wiand maintenance?


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Common VoIP questions and answers

1. Whats the quality like?

The sound quality, in many cases, is better than

it is with PSTN. VoIP allows you to hear the full

spectrum of sound, making it easier, for example,to distinguish a c from a d. But it does depend on

your implementation. After all, the quality of your

call is really a bandwidth issue, and if you have ample

bandwidth or are managing bandwidth correctly, your

call quality will be good.

2. Will it slow down my network?

Only if your network isnt robust enough to handle

voice

before

netwo

speed

introd

3. Is VoI

VoIP i

calls, b

data, i

other

to tak

system


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4. Are there interoperability issues? In other words,

will my various pieces of equipment work

together or could they be incompatible?

As VoIP matures, there are fewer and fewer

interoperability issues. SIP, or session initiation

protocol, is emerging as a favorite standardsupported by VoIP and as the technology matures,

more equipment is SIP-compatible. Check with your IT

consultant if you decide to develop a custom solution.

5. What about 911?

Dialing 911 wont au

service providers are

automatically, but if

(and thats somethin

have to program youequipment to treat 9

6. What if we lose pow

If you lose power an

on a backup power s

will go down. Thats

critical for VoIP succ


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Looking for more information? Heres a good resource

for more in-depth consideration:

www.intel.com/go/voip.


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Key terms

AnalogThe technology used to transmit radio and TV

signals.

ATA (analog telephone adaptor)A device that

converts analog signals to digital data, sometimesreferred to as a VoIP gateway.

BandwidthThis refers to the quantity of data that can

be sent over a network during a set period of time.

CPU (central processing unit) Often called the

brains of the computer, this is where your computer

does most of its work.

IP phoneAlso called

piece of equipment tha

and connects directly to

bypassing your comput

PSTN (public switched

system that standard p

QoS (Quality of Servic

give voice data precede

good calling experience

SIP (session initiation

standard.


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Soft phonea software application that you install on

your computer to create a VoIP user interface.

Wi-Fi/WLAN phoneLike an IP phone, but wireless.

VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)the technology

that allows phone service over the Internet byconverting analog data into digital data.


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1 Intel High Definiti915 or 910 Expresand the necessary

depending on the c Intel Active Manag

hardware and softconnection. Check

Copyright 2006 IIntel. Leap ahead., Pentium and the PCorporation or its s

* Other names and bowners.

0206/ESW/STR/PP/

+ System performance, battery life, high-definition quality and functionality,and wireless performance and functionality will vary depending on your specificoperating system, hardware, and software configurations. References to

enhanced performance as measured by SYSMark* 2004, PCMark* 2005, and3DMark* 2005 refer to comparisons with previous generation Intel Centrinomobile technology platforms. References to improved battery life as measuredby MobileMark* 2005, if applicable, refer to previous generation Intel Centrinomobile technology platforms. Wireless connectivity and some features mayrequire you to purchase additional software, services, or external hardware.Availability of public wireless LAN access points is limited, wireless functionalitymay vary by country, and some hotspots may not support Linux-based IntelCentrino mobile technology systems. See www.intel.com/products/centrino/more_info for more information.

An Introduction to the Basics of Voice Over Internet Protocol

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