V O I P I N F O R M A T I O N
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C H A P T E R 5
Ch a p t e r 5 : Vo I P I n f o r m a t io n
VO I P I N F O R M A T I O N
ABOUT VOIP
VoIP-enabled TalkSwitch units route VoIP calls over the Internet or private IP network, and
other calls over the traditional telephone network.
VoIP-enabled TalkSwitch units uses the industry-standard Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) for
VoIP calls. In this guide the term SIP is often used in place of VoIP.
There are three ways to use VoIP. A system can use one, two or all three methods.
•
External IP extensions
•
TalkSwitch VoIP network
•
Service provider VoIP network
About SIP servers
A VoIP network requires a SIP server to manage calls across the network. The SIP server contains
registration information for all SIP devices in the network. When making a VoIP call, a device
will contact the SIP server to get contact information for the destination. The device will then
establish a connection with the destination. The SIP server is also involved with
call termination.
All VoIP-enabled TalkSwitch units have built-in SIP servers to manage a TalkSwitch VoIP
network, but you must designate only
one
TalkSwitch unit as the SIP server. TalkSwitch systems
at other locations are configured as SIP clients.
Note:
For VoIP calls made through a VoIP service provider, the service provider is the SIP server.
Selecting a location for the SIP server
Any VoIP-enabled TalkSwitch unit on the network can be designated as the SIP server.
To simplify network operation and reliability, we recommend you choose a location that has a
static, rather than a dynamic, public IP address. A static public IP address does not change,
providing a consistent connection address for each location to communicate with the SIP server.
See
Setting the public IP address
on page 221.
CONNECTING TO A NETWORK
Each location requires a high-speed connection to the Internet or private IP network that is
sufficient for VoIP calls. This is required for a location using an external IP extension,
TalkSwitch VoIP network, or service provider VoIP network.
