If you’re on the voice side of the telecommunications industry, it is inevitable that you will be dealing with data networking. As Voice over IP (VoIP) technologies are overtaking more traditional telephony systems such as ISDN and analog, the voice engineer is required to know data networking fundamentals in order to implement, maintain and troubleshoot modern voice systems.

Back in 1999, when VoIP was still in its infancy, Industry Expert Bruce Robertson told students in the Sheridan College Telecommunications Management post graduate program, “If you go into the telecom industry on the data side, you will probably stay on the data side for all of your career. If you go in on the voice side of things, you will inevitably become involved with the data side, as well.”

This statement has certainly borne true. So, if you’re an expert in ISDN, SS7 or other conventional telephony technologies, it’s essential to also be familiar with data networking fundamentals to remain competitive and relevant in the telecom industry. In this article we look at a nifty tool called a packet sniffer that can be used for troubleshooting many types of VoIP problems and should be in the toolbox of any telephone installer.

We speak a lot about unified communications and how network convergence allows it. Getting your customers migrated to VoIP is the first step to introducing them to unified communications (UC). Once that is established, they will be much more likely to embrace UC if you can show them the business problems it can help solve.

In this article, we look at some of the key drivers of demand for UC, which you can keep in mind when selling systems upgrades to your customers.

Product Review

In a competitive and fast-changing market, telephony solutions for any business must offer flexibility, the ability to scale, and the capability to adapt and expand to meet the needs of the client without breaking the bank. This is especially true of small to medium-sized businesses that don’t have the luxury of spending large sums of money for their communications system.

With these challenges in mind, VTech presents a new line of wireless telephony products that offer the ultimate package when it comes to scalability, modularity, and value for money in both the short and long term. The VDP650 series of base stations, repeaters, and wireless phones provides a complete solution for any SMB requiring employee mobility, without compromising on exceptional quality and an innovative feature set. This combination of mobility and quality make it ideal for companies whose employees need to roam within the workplace like hospitals, manufacturing plants, department stores or universities, to name a few.

The new line is composed of the VDP650 base station, the VDP651 wireless handset, the VDP658 wireless desk phone, and the VSP605 repeater. When employed together in a total wireless voice solution, these devices can fulfill the needs of almost any SMB.

Unlike conventional telephony infrastructure, which was developed and tailored to be used exclusively for voice, today’s telecom networks accommodate a multitude of different data traffic types, of which VoIP is just one of many. Because of this, it can be challenging to adapt a network to accommodate voice.

One of the most common challenges involves a technology called Network Address Translation (NAT), which for data networks has been a godsend, but if not configured carefully, could cause problems for voice applications. In particular, NAT is a common cause of one-way and no-way audio on VoIP calls.

In this article, we dive into how NAT can impair voice sessions, cite some common symptoms that indicate NAT may be at the root of your call audio problems, and address how to resolve the issues. 

By Phil Bowers, Senior Marketing Manager, Grandstream

A new trend is beginning to develop within the business communications industry. Being driven largely by enterprises looking to streamline internal networks by eliminating wiring, voice over Wi-Fi (VoWi-Fi) could be the next major advancement within the VoIP industry. It features the same exact backend hosted, cloud, or SIP trunk services as any wired voice-over-IP (VoIP) network, but with the connections being extended to endpoints through an immersive Wi-Fi network rather than an endless maze of Ethernet cabling.

Here at Grandstream, we are leading the Wi-Fi voice trend through a variety of initiatives and solutions designed to allow businesses to build powerful VoWi-Fi networks that increase productivity, streamline installation and management, and offer eco-friendly benefits. This article will introduce the Wi-Fi voice trend, cover the reasons many businesses are adopting Wi-Fi voice networks, combat a major Wi-Fi voice concern, and highlight the Wi-Fi voice solutions we offer at Grandstream.

Article contributed by Yeastar*

Thought you knew Yeastar's Cloud PBX well? We are sure there are some useful features you have yet to discover. Below are 10 sweet features of the Yeastar Cloud PBX that might not be on your radar. Learn more about Yeastar's Cloud PBX (and stay for lunch) next July 24 in Austin, Texas. Dealers who attend are eligible for three months of Free Yeastar Cloud PBX! Click here to register. 

Product Review

Netgear, a company with a heritage spanning over 22 years (an eternity in the telecom market), is steadily gaining prestige and recognition for the quality of its products and their attractive quality/price ratio (QPR). 

In this article we review Netgear's Insight Managed Gigabit Ethernet/10G SFP+ Smart Cloud Switches, which are incredibly feature-rich considering their affordable price point!

Product Review

Until recently, acquiring a video surveillance system for your home or business required recruiting expert personnel, specialized proprietary equipment and a hefty budget allocation. Only over the past few years have there been systems available on the market that are not only inexpensive, but configurable and installable by even the most modestly technologically adept individuals. 

Today, obtaining, installing and configuring a security system has become even easier with the introduction of Netgear’s Arlo video surveillance systems.

This week we focus on ADTRAN, a global provider of telecommunications networking equipment and internetworking products that has stood the test of time in a volatile and dynamic market by maintaining a solid level of market innovation and reliability. In this article we review ADTRAN’s network switches, routers and media gateways.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a field of information and communications technology (ICT) that has been increasing exponentially for the past few years, with the number of connected devices now exceeding the world’s human population.

But many IoT device users may not be aware of the inherent security risks of their internet-connected devices, according to a January 2018  study by the Cybersecurity Research Institute. According to the report, hackers have already proven themselves adept at discovering flaws in these devices and turning them into botnets (botnets are a collection of connected devices infected with malware and controlled without the owners' knowledge).

In this article, we review some of the vulnerabilities inherent in connected devices and steps you can take to secure your network and protect against hackers.