Smart solutions to VoIP questions
What is RTP pass-through mode in Asterisk? The speech for VoIP calls uses RTP (Real Time Protocol) to get from one end to the other and it is compressed using one of the many speech compression codecs available. Commonly used codecs include G.711 and G.729. When you call someone through an Asterisk PBX, there will be … Read more
In a Nutshell: The benefits of upgrading to an Asterisk based IP-PBX
Overview What’s the disaster we are trying to avoid? The assumed scenario is this: Some kind of centralised VoIP service is being offered to a number of users; the service operates on servers located at a data centre or office and the users each have a SIP client device, such as an IP phone, that … Read more
The SIP SUBSCRIBE/NOTIFY mechanism – what it is and how it works The SIP protocol includes a standardised mechanism to allow any SIP client (an IP phone being an example of a SIP client) to monitor the state of another device. Details are provided in the SIP protocol document RFC 3265. Basically, it works like … Read more
VoIP Service Providers – the core services on offer Business and home users all have to choose from roughly the same pool of companies providing VoIP services, but the things that they are looking for may not completely overlap. Let’s consider a few of the more important services provided. Cheap calls Why use VoIP? Answer … Read more
A first look at the SIP.CONF file It is assumed here that your IP phones all use the SIP protocol to register, make and receive calls. Before an IP phone can connect to Asterisk and operate as an extension, it is necessary to configure user account details on the Asterisk server. The configuration file of … Read more
Devices communicate data to other devices on the Internet using certain recognised protocols that involve routing and transmission of packets of data to a remote device identified by an IP addresses. The most widely used protocols on the Internet are TCP and UDP. The differences between these two protocols are of a highly technical nature … Read more
What is NAT? NAT stands for Network Address Translation. Many devices sold as Firewalls or Routers are actually combined Firewall, Router and NAT device in one box. NAT is the mechanism that allows you to have many PC’s on your LAN all connected to the Internet through a single external IP address. When one of … Read more
How can you make calls for free with VoIP? The cost of a telephone call Just in case you are wondering, you can’t buy a VoIP phone, plug it in, set it up and start calling any number you like for free. It is not that simple – in fact, when you start looking into … Read more
What are SIP Domains? SIP requests delivered to a Proxy server or other SIP device must contain details of valid destinations and end-points that are to be reached or which are to receive responses. The address of a SIP device is generally referred to as its URI (Uniform Resource Identifier) – it has to uniquely … Read more