Whether you’re preparing to deploy a new wireless network or upgrade an existing one, understanding wireless network design and deployment strategies is essential. In this article, we describe some strategies and best practices for getting the most out of your Wi-Fi network.

An enterprise network is not truly functional unless it is connected to the internet. The types of technologies that can be used for network edge connectivity can broadly be separated into two groups: commercial-grade and high-grade WAN connection technologies.

The distinction between the two has to do with available speeds, reliability, services, and cost. High-grade WAN connectivity technologies include Metro Ethernet and MPLS, while commercial-grade options include cable and xDSL.

In this article, we examine the commercial-grade WAN technologies (cable and xDSL), how they function, and their most typical implementation scenarios.

Product Review

The Snom M700 DECT base station is ideal for companies requiring wireless coverage across multiple floors or throughout large buildings. Extensible to more than 250 base stations per installation and up to 1,000 connected handsets, this wireless telephony solution can serve organizations of literally all sizes. Its powerful DECT signal can traverse floors and walls, so the sky is literally the limit on how high the system can go! We review the Snom M700 base station, the Snom M5 repeaters, and the compatible cordless handsets (M85, M65 and M25) in this article.

Knowledge is power! That’s why at TeleDynamics, not only do we offer exceptional products and white-glove customer service, but we also share principles pertaining to telecommunications technology with you to help equip you to offer the highest-quality service possible to your customers. In this article we explain the fundamentals of Wi-Fi, so you can have an in-depth understanding of the different deployment scenarios and options.

A firewall is a vital component of any enterprise network. But, it can also wreak havoc on the operation of VoIP implementations. In this article, we address the most common problems a firewall can introduce to an IP telephony network, as well as best practices for avoiding or remedying them.

Part 2 of 2

When it comes to VoIP signaling, SIP is by far the most widely-used protocol. But, there are other protocols, as well, and being familiar with them is helpful when establishing interoperability between systems or deploying specialized installations. In this article, we’ll discuss the H.323 protocol suite and the media gateway control protocol (MGCP), and look at applications for which they are best suited.

IP Telephony features are not always “plug-and-play.” Rather, they must be configured to function properly. This is equally true when dealing with quality of service (QoS) on a network that transmits both data and voice (i.e., a converged network).

Companies commonly find that when they install their VoIP system on a preexisting data network, it works great at first. Days or weeks later, however, users complain of poor voice quality and intermittent disconnections. The network has not changed, so what’s going on?

In this article, we’ll see why QoS is a fundamental part of your network design for voice, and examine five configurations that should always be employed to achieve high-quality voice on a converged network.

Your customer using a legacy phone system decides to switch to voice over internet protocol (VoIP). They install an IP PBX and buy some IP phones. Great, they’re all set, right? Wrong. Without configuring their data network for quality of service (QoS), they will experience a severe deterioration in voice quality and may regret making the decision to switch. Yes, the IP PBX and the IP endpoints will already be configured for QoS. But what about other parts of the network like the pre-existing routers, switches and firewall? All it takes is one missing link for the whole system to be compromised.

QoS is a big topic. In this article, we’ll look at two main approaches to QoS: IntServ and DiffServ, their strengths and limitations, and when to use which one.

Over the past few weeks we’ve looked at different ways to structure multisite VoIP deployments. The truth is, each business is unique and sometimes a customized architecture is needed. In this article we look at a hybrid solution. A hybrid call processing deployment allows you to craft a solution that is perfectly tailored to a specific customer’s needs.

Last week, we discussed centralized call processing and its benefits and potential pitfalls. In this article, we’ll examine another type of telephony infrastructure design for multisite enterprises: distributed call processing.