VoIP-What It Is, Why You Should Consider It And The Future
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Packets of information that you access from the internet, including voice, are transmitted through routers to your computer where the packets are then reassembled into whole data. VoIP transfers voice information from one computer to another using soft switches which determine the end point of the data on each end. Similar to how a telephone works when you dial a phone number, VoIP uses IP addresses as endpoint signals. The data is then transferred between the two endpoints as phone service. The advantages of VoIP, using packet switching technology is that it consumes less transmission time than a circuit-switched network would use. It allows for multiple phone calls to utilize the same transmission time, therefore being a more effective use of transmission time and speed. The phone calls are placed on analog phones that are connected to the internet. When you pick up the receiver, the dial tone you hear signals that you have a connection to the internet. You place your phone call, the information of the number you are calling is stored temporarily as digital data. The soft switch then processes the phone call, ensuring it is in valid format, converting the phone number to an IP address and connects the two end points, your phone to the phone you are calling. Your connection is established similar to the way you view a webpage, a dual connection-one to send information (talk to the person you are calling) and one to receive information (to hear what the other person is saying). The internet connection is terminated when you hang up the phone. The disadvantage of VoIP is simply reliability. At this time, protocols to connect two phones using the internet have a larger margin of error and results in more down time for your phone. To be blunt, you have no dial tone and can not place or receive phone calls through VoIP. Another reliability issue is the inability for VoIP to transmit location data for phone calls placed to emergency 911. Over your household phone, 911 operators can retrieve your location if you are unable to speak and can still send help. The VoIP industry has yet to figure out a way to transmit location data in the packets of information. Your regular, household telephone uses power that is provided from the phone line. In the event of a power outage, phones that do not require land power (such as cordless phones), will still work. VoIP is dependant on land power, if there is no power, you have no phone. Another disadvantage of VoIP is that other home equipment that uses your standard household telephone line can not connect over VoIP. Equipment such as pay-per-view satellite, satellite dishes and digital video recorders that require the use of your phone line to update, subscribe and/or operate properly will not work with a VoIP system. The internet can be unreliable, information can be distorted across an internet connection and also transmit worms and viruses. These are all issues that are being addressed in VoIP protocol. Computers can be fickle creatures as well. Because you are relying on your computer processor, your computer processor speed and the other programs you may be running can interfere with the quality of your call, or cause your system to crash, thusly ending your phone conversation. Coder-decoders, commonly known as codec’s, are used to handle VoIP so the switches know where to connect to and send the information. Similar to routers passing your packets of information from one to another to send information to and from your computer via an internet connection, codec’s use soft switches to convey your packets until it finds a switch that can connect your call. The future of VoIP is very bright. With companies working diligently to overcome the issues that VoIP faces, as these roadblocks are over come, VoIP will become more and more popular within the average home. Once the majority of the VoIP road blocks are surpassed and information can freely be exchanged from one computer to another, transferring similar data with indefinite reliability that a standard house telephone transmits, VoIP will wiggle its way into our every day lives. It proposes to be an affordable alternative to home phones with increasingly smaller costs for long distance phone calls. As with regular phones, the further your call needs to travel, and the more switches your information needs to encounter before a connection can be established, the higher the price. However, because VoIP can use less time and space to transmit your call, intensive broadband connections can handle millions of minutes of calls, translating into better deals and less expensive long distance phone calls. If you are considering VoIP, you need to make sure your internet connection can handle VoIP. Call your internet service provider to find out how to test your line, or if it is already known whether your connection can handle VoIP. There are many companies that offer VoIP now, but I wouldn’t throw away your home phone quite yet. As with all technology, within a very short period of time, new technology will arise that will combat the current disadvantages of VoIP. About the Author
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