Securing VoIP – Part 1 – An Introduction To VoIP

Voice over internet protocol is the current trend and technology that people find it easy and economical to use for communication between each other both for personal as well as  in corporate world. So what is VoIP exactly and what are the things that comprise a VoIP system and what are the pros and cons of it  forms the current discussion .

 

Voice Over Internet Protocol is nothing but the assembling of voice into IP data which can then be transported over an IP network to an addressable(IP address)destination.These are same as voice calls but are transported as data calls,unlike analog calls which are circuit switched these are packet switched.

 

A major implementation of VoIP is to bypass long distance calls by transporting calls over an IP network. VoIP allows communications on existing IP networks without adding additional lines or bandwidth. But VoIP is an emerging technology, and that means  unlike your standard phone service, it’s not exactly plug and play. Getting the most out of VoIP requires a little bit of homework, and in some cases some real technical help. There are two ways to talk using VoIP through a web interface that allows you to make calls from your computer (assuming you have a sound card) and using a VoIP phone or headset (devices that allow you to bypass your computer entirely and link directly to your Internet connection). The experience of using your computer to talk may feel foreign at first, but the experience of using a VoIP phone is quite similar to using a standard telephone.

 

With VoIP, you can check your voicemail on your computer and attach voicemail messages to e-mails. You can have your calls forwarded to you no matter where you are (assuming you have access to a computer and the Internet). VoIP also offers very comprehensive call handling options. Based on caller id, you can decide, in advance,to send calls from specific numbers to voicemail, to another line, etc. VoIP offers the kind of features that only internet can supply.Once voice is sampled and replaced by code the voice can then be formed into data and transported.Some of the codec standards used are G.711,G.723 AND G.729. IP uses many layers associated with the OSI model to form, control, administer, and transport data. Most VoIP calls use a recommended standard that covers voice, video and data over IP networks. This standard is called H.323, H.323 encompasses many sub-standards that control setup, signaling, transport and terminations, Other standards such as SIP(session initiation protocol ) and MGCP(media gateway control protocol) are also being developed but are not widely deployed.

 

VoIP Quality of Service (QoS) factors involve latency (delay), packet loss and jitter (deviation or displacement of data). VoIP can provide a better quality of service (QoS) over a private Intranet or a managed LAN. Multiple router hops , marginal bandwidth and security firewalls can destroy the QoS of a VoIP call. So in order to maintain high QoS, VoIP LAN management requires a Gatekeeper. Gatekeepers give voice packets a priority over data packets. This is needed because voice packets are not re-tried in the event of an error on a VoIP call. Gatekeepers perform admissions control (security), bandwidth control and call control signaling. One of the great advantages of using VoIP is that it’s an infinitely scalable technology. It can work just as well for one person as it can for a company with thousands of employees. The difference lies in how it’s implemented.

 

As the technology become more prevalent the cost will decrease and VoIP will prevail because of economic advantages and  due to its more efficient networking with voice and data. In the next blog post, we shall look into ways of securing VoIP.

 

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