Voice over Internet protocol evolved over years with the huge demand for users to use the low cost internet to transport voice cheaply. Today, the protocol has become a technological advancement that revolutionizes the way we make long distance calls for business and personal use. VoIP protocol converts regular analog audio signals into digital data for transportation over the Internet.

 

Implementations Of VoIP Protocol

 

VoIP systems turn regular speech into digital sound, compresses it, and then turning it into small “packets” that can be sent to its correct destination. The drawback here is that the more people using the same network, the more likely it becomes that the packets will get backed up, lost or dropped during conversation.

 

Today, VoIP is implemented in 3 different types of service that are in use at this time: the VoIP Adapter (know also as Analog Telephone Adapter, ATA) the IP phones and the VoIP softphone for computer and mobile.

 

Hardware Implementations

 

Both ATA and IP phones are hardware implementation of VoIP protocol. ATA is the most common, converting regular analog telephone signals to digital. The basic expense with the ATA is the unit itself and software, which sometimes comes pre-packed with the ATA. Installation is no more difficult than plug the phone cable in to the right spot and away you go.

 

IP phones look like a normal regular phone except that it cannot be connected to the telephone network as it does not have the normal RJ11 connector. It comes with an Ethernet RJ45 connector for connection to an internet router. Most hard and software come installed already in these phones which makes them even simpler to install than the ATA type phones. And, if you have a Wi-Fi enabled IP phone, you can make a call easily from any “hot spot.”

 

VoIP Softphone

 

Finally, the VoIP softphone for computer and mobile is the software implementation of VoIP protocol. It is probably also the easiest way of using this technology as it requires no external equipment. To enable telecommunication, it requires a mouth piece and ear piece (microphone and speakers) that is now standard accessories for most computers. Many newer computers would have both of these items integrated into them.

 

With more mobile phones going more intelligent with more functionality, many VoIP users prefer to download the softphone into their mobile. This would allow their hand phone to be connected both on a cellular GSM network and a WiFi internet network. Making cheap calls over VoIP network is just by pressing the hand phone buttons, exactly the same as the normal GSM calls.

 

Moving Into VoIP

 

Voice over Internet Protocol may not completely eliminate other forms of communication, but may lower some of the long distance costs for many struggling families and small businesses. VoIP still works with the more traditional PSTN, and calls can be made that are VoIP to VoIP or VoIP to PSTN or reversed.

 

For those who are wondering what the applications of such protocol is, consider this, as more and more of these VoIP protocols are deployed, less and less people will have to pay long distance phone bills. This will drastically bring down the telecommunication costs for business as well as individuals.