Believe
it or not, understanding how
VoIP (Voice over IP) works isn’t that complex. Put simply,
VoIP simply converts
your voice into data signals and sends them over a data network. The
detail and
complexity comes with the countless methods of how this is done. There
are an
endless number of technologies that convert voice into data signals
(SkypeTM,
IP PBX, SIP phones, ATA’s, soft phones…) and there
are dozens of different types
of data networks (ADSL, SHDSL, cable, fibre, wireless, microwave, etc).
And
each type of technology and network can provide different features and
benefits. Probably
the best way to begin to
understand how VoIP works is to use a diagram. Below is a simple
example of a
small office with three IP phones, a Convergetel DSL connection and a
Convergetel VoIP call plan. The IP phones connect to Convergetel over
our DSL
network. Every few minutes the IP phones register with us (to what is
known as
a SIP Server) to let us know that the IP phones are available to make
or
receive a phone call. Then when a call is made in either direction, the
conversation travels via the Convergetel SIP server to whoever you are
talking
with. And at the same time, you can use the DSL connection to access
the
internet on your computers. The basics are no more
complex than that! Of course you could use different devices instead of
IP
phones, such as an IP PBX to give you more functionality, or an ATA if
you want
to continue to use your PABX. And instead of DSL you could use another
type of
broadband. VoIP is flexible!
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