Network services such as voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), unified communications (UC), video conferencing, and collaboration systems are fundamentally dependent on the quality and robustness of the underlying network infrastructure. When deploying an enterprise network, it is crucial to implement sound network design principles to guarantee optimal performance, reliability, and scalability.

Various aspects of enterprise network design work together to achieve high levels of network performance. This article focuses specifically on quality of service (QoS) and some best practices associated with it.

DHCP is best known as the protocol that automatically assigns IP addresses to hosts that connect to a network. It is one of those protocols that we don’t often think about because it functions in the background — users are completely oblivious to its operation, just enjoying its convenience and flexibility.

However, DHCP is about more than automatic address allocation, especially for VoIP and UC devices such as IP phones and video terminals. In this article, we explore the operation of DHCP and the specialized options it provides for VoIP and UC applications, some of which you might not know about!

Grandstream’s latest GCC Series of unified communications (UC) and networking convergence solutions offers a range of devices that deliver services, network connectivity, and security features all within one compact and cost-effective unit.

In this article, we review these devices and the capabilities they offer small to medium-sized businesses.

Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) is the successor to the well-established IPv4 network layer protocol. It is slowly but surely gaining ground worldwide on both internal corporate enterprise networks and on the internet at large.

But what does this mean for real-time audio and video communications applications such as VoIP and unified communications (UC)? How are VoIP and UC leveraging IPv6, and are there any issues that network admins must be aware of in this process? In this article, we answer these questions by examining the benefits and challenges of deploying such applications over an IPv6 network.

By leveraging multicast, organizations can optimize network bandwidth usage and support a larger number of concurrent users in video conferencing, multimedia broadcasting, and other similar scenarios. This makes multicast a key component of UC and VoIP solutions, offering a more efficient and cost-effective way to manage communications at scale.

In this article, we examine multicast communications in the context of networking, how it compares with unicast and broadcast communication, and practical steps for leveraging it on your network.

By Brian Van Meter at Grandstream

Grandstream's portfolio of networking devices has grown rapidly over the past few years. This trend will only continue with our introduction of more switches, routers, and Wi-Fi access points.

While our Wi-Fi access points have built-in controllers that can be used to manage a deployment of APs, a more robust platform solution for configuration, management, and troubleshooting of network infrastructure is often a better choice.

Grandstream's GWN.Cloud and Grandstream Manager are just this. GWN.Cloud and GWN Manager are free, enterprise-grade management platforms for Grandstream access points, routers, and switches. Thanks to streamlined monitoring and maintenance, managing a network or several networks across multiple locations has never been easier.

Within this blog post, we'll be providing an introduction to GWN.Cloud and GWN Manager and how to use them. By reading it, you'll learn about:

1. The features and capabilities of the GWN management platforms
2. How to add and configure devices with GWN.Cloud and GWN Manager
3. The steps to configure your network settings and options

Grandstream recently announced a pair of new FXO gateways, the HT841 and HT881, that allow small to medium-sized businesses to deploy VoIP services easily and quickly in an environment where analog telephony is still prevalent.

In this article, we review these new devices and discuss some of the use cases that these devices were designed to serve.

The network edge is the portion of an enterprise network that interfaces with the public internet via an internet service provider (ISP). Various security measures are typically applied at this network location to protect internal network infrastructure and assets from potential external malicious attacks. 

These measures may introduce challenges to the mobile workforce, especially when the unified communications (UC) and VoIP services those individuals leverage exist within the physical enterprise network.

This article examines some of the most common network edge issues that may present challenges to a mobile workforce and some strategies to alleviate them.

Networks continuously change, and new approaches to security are constantly emerging. One particularly noteworthy approach to network security that has been increasing in adoption over the past couple of years is the zero trust security model.

In this article, we examine what zero trust is, how companies could deploy it over the next few years, and its impact on unified communications applications such as voice, video and collaboration.

Product Review

Grandstream is well known for its groundbreaking IP phones, but its innovation extends into other areas, including network infrastructure equipment and components. The new GWN7800 series of fully managed network switches is a prime example of the company’s leadership in this area.

This article showcases these switches and some advanced capabilities that allow network administrators to maintain comprehensive network control and security.