VOIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol and refers to the voice
traffic transmitted digitally over the internet. Essentially, telephone
calls can be made over the internet instead of through regular lan
lines.
The benefit in VOIP is that using it is much faster and cheaper than
transmitting calls via the dated analog phone system. In fact, with
just an internet connection, one can make free telephone calls and
end contracts with a telephone provider altogether.
One very common use for this technology is for tech support. Often
times, when you call a company’s 800 number, your call is redirected
to a call center overseas. VOIP makes it possible for company’s
to support their products 24/7.
A couple things are needed to make VOIP work. First and most importantly,
you need a phone system capable of this. Most phone systems made in
the last five years have this ability either built in or through a
simple upgrade. Some phone system providers, such as Cisco and Nortel,
use this technology exclusively.
Second, you need an internet connection. Any high speed connection
will work. However, due to jitter, you should have
a dedicated digital line, such as a T-1 or higher.
Because VOIP is a new technology, telephone companies have found themselves
scrambling to compete in a changing market.
Jitter
Jitter is the flickering within a high-frequency Virtual Private Network
that causes delayed data delivery. Jitter can be caused by time intervals,
network traffic or route alterations, and because, as the name implies,
jitter flickers or shakes, it is a huge nuisance.
Most computer users have seen jitter to some degree or another; flickering
monitors or poor audio are often caused by jitter (which can also happen
as a result of faulty hardware in a PC).
One of the best descriptions of jitter is that it is an “interruption.” Simply
stated, jitter is an interruption or pause in the pulses that transmit
data over a network.
In summation, jitter can:
Make a PC monitor flicker
- Affect a PC’s audio reception
- Be responsible for lost data
