Voice Over IP Crash Course

Book excerpt: Publisher's Note: Products purchased from Third Party sellers are not guaranteed by the publisher for quality, authenticity, or access to any online entitlements included with the product. A Thorough Introduction to Voice Over IP Get a solid foundation in VoIP technologies, solutions, and protocols and determine if and when it’s time to introduce VoIP into your network architecture. This essential guide offers complete technology coverage, while discussing the business, strategic, and competitive implications of VoIP deployment in corporations. The challenges faced by service providers as they evolve to an IP infrastructure while continuing to operate the PSTN are also examined. Practical Migration Strategies Based on a real-world VoIP implementation case study, Voice Over IP Crash Course explains how to perform a functional audit of your pre-existing network to assess its capabilities and deficiencies. Then, you’ll find out what it takes to migrate from a PSTN-based environment to a converged IP architecture. Details on hardware and software management, quality of service, backups, and security are also included. If you are considering implementing VoIP, read this book first. Full coverage of VoIP, including: The PSTN * The Challenge of QoS * Enterprise Service Models * Voice Digitization Techniques * The So-Called “Legacy PSTN” * The Evolution to VoIP * The Economic Promise of Converged Network Architectures * High-level Issues and Trends * Changes in the Enterprise Model that Make VoIP Desirable * IP and Wireless * Overview of TCP/IP and Related Protocols * Switching vs. Routing and Layer 2/Layer 3 Conundrum * VoIP Standards * VoIP Networks * IP Protocols vs. PSTN * Network Components * Interworking between SS7 and IP-based Protocols ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Steven Shepard is a professional writer and educator specializing in international telecommunications. He is the author of Telecom Crash Course and Optical Networking Crash Course.