Thursday, January 20, 2011

My first steps to getting SIP experience

By Yukko Ahalo


The first time I came across VOIP six years ago, I dealt with cards. I used to make phone calls to Russia and Germany, the connection was disappointing, the voice sounded unrealistic and I could hear constant screeching noises. That was worse than I expected.

A lot of water has passed under the bridge since that time. Channels have become wider. I tried using Skype and that appeared to be pleasing but certain Skype's disadvantages, however, made me realize the need of an alternative.

Skype has some drawbacks: 1. No alternative clients are provided in case the protocol is closed; 2. A p2p-based protocol, which means you could have outside traffic: if you pay your provider on the consumed traffic basis, that outside traffic might prove a quite a burden for your finances; 3. Skype charges more than these of SIP operators for stationary and mobile phone calls; 4. All the Skype's solutions as regards integration in the existing PBX have been lacking the necessary functions and haven't been very easy-to-use, on the other hand, it's not particularly convenient to use a separate mobile phone or computer for Skype's sake alone.

SIP is a substitute to Skype. SIP means Session Initiation Protocol. It is not a VOIP service but an option to control the data transmission sessions. Type of transmitted data is determined by a separate SDP (Session Description Protocol). It works together with SIP. Further information can be accessed, for example, at Wikipedia.

I haven't thought over all the hardware options, but they're aplenty. Software solutions enabling one to use SIP are quite as diverse as the hardware ones.

All the modern IP-PBX systems are SIP-compatible. Using SIP such giants as Cisco make their own versions for big corporations and intermediate firms.

I opted for my provided rather quickly. So I opted for UcallWeconn, as it comes up with just the service level one might expect to be provided with. UcallWeconn gives a common client an opportunity to prepay the services with VISA, while companies are offered to make a contract, sign the SLA and pay the services on a bank-basis.

Another argument in favor of this specific provider is that it copes surprisingly well with providing the services for home Internet users, which suggests that they access the Internet via a domestic router in the function of NAT.




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