What Is VoIP?

VoIP stands for Voice-Over-Internet Protocol. VoIP uses internet protocol technology to transmit voice calls over the internet. Let’s take a look at the key components behind VoIP technology.

1. Codec:

A codec-decoder transmits analog signals into digital data and vice versa. It compresses and decompresses the voice data for effective transmission over IP networks.

2. IP Network:

VoIP utilizes an IP network, whether internet-based or private, for transmitting voice data packets. These networks can be wired or wireless and span local or global distances.

3. VoIP Gateways:

A VoIP gateway makes the conversion of voice signals between the internet and traditional analog lines easier. Which facilitates the connection between VoIP networks and the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) for communicating with non-VoIP devices.

VoIP has enormous potential for reducing communications costs and making those communications more effective. We further proceed with VoIP phones, SIP, and everything you need to know about VoIP.

How Do VoIP And VoIP Phones Work?

VoIP functions by digitizing analog signals into digital data packets and sending those packets through IP networks, such as the Internet. Let’s have a look at its process.

1. Analog-to-digital conversion: When you speak through a VoIP phone, your voice is captured and converted into analog electrical signals. The signal is digitized using an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), which then samples the analog signals at regular intervals and converts them into a digital format of the voice as a series of binary numbers.

2. Packetization: The digital voice data is then converted into small data packets like real-time transport protocol (RTP). Each packet contains voice data with information such as source and destination IP addresses.

3. IP network transmission: The voice packets are transmitted through IP networks, such as the internet or local IP networks. They are sent through routers and switches to deliver the packets to their destinations.

4. Digital-to-analog conversion: As the voice packets reach their destination, the so-called receiver, the digital voice packets are converted into analog audio signals using a digital-to-analog converter (DAC).

5. Voice playback: The VoIP phone’s speaker or headset then plays the amplified analog audio signals, enabling the receiver to hear the caller’s voice.

The entire process of VoIP phones, starting from the caller speaking until the voice reaches its desired receiver, such as conversion, packetization, transmissions, routing, and playback, happens in real-time over IP networks.