Product Review

Topics: VoIP, Grandstream, Product Review, Gateway

Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) has become the de-facto standard protocol for voice-over-IP (VoIP) phone systems. What does it do and why has it won out over other protocols? We address these questions and more in this article.

Topics: VoIP, SIP

How to troubleshoot problems arising from blocked ports, ACLs, firewalls, NAT, and more

For networking professionals, one of the most difficult things to deal with is troubleshooting VoIP issues, because the troubleshooting process for VoIP is not always intuitive. Answers to the questions, “What could be wrong?” and “What should I check first?” are not always readily apparent.

To aid your troubleshooting and allow you to take some meaningful actions before reaching out to your telco or vendor help desk, we’ve listed the most common VoIP problems you may face, as well as their causes and solutions. 

Topics: VoIP, Troubleshooting

How you connect to the internet will impact your VoIP phone system

Because SIP trunks leverage the WAN technology used to connect to the internet, it is imperative to understand how the choice of WAN technology will impact the functionality of the SIP trunk. There are different ways to connect to the internet, and each has implications for voice traffic.

In this article, we discuss the main considerations to take into account when choosing between MPLS, metro Ethernet, LTE and SD-WAN.

Topics: Business Telephone System, VoIP, SIP, Network Design

If you have customers that have not yet migrated to VoIP and are thinking about making the switch, this would be a great time to do it. According to the FCC, VoIP telephone subscriptions in the U.S. have been growing at a compound annual growth rate of 10% since 2013, and retail switch access has been declining by 11% annually during the same period. At that rate, VoIP subscribers now outnumber switched access customers, and ISDN connections are quickly sliding into obsolescence. SIP trunking is becoming the standard for PSTN connectivity.

To ensure a smooth transition, start by helping your customers answer these four basic questions to set them up for success.

Topics: IP PBX, Business Telephone System, VoIP, Trends, Business Continuity, Business Strategy

Advances in technology in the office environment often move both quickly and slowly

Topics: VoIP, SIP, DECT, Conferencing, Product Review

Back in May we reviewed Yealink’s innovative T5 smart media phones. Now, Yealink has introduced the Version 40 firmware upgrade for these phones, adding to an already impressive arsenal of features and functionalities.

Topics: VoIP, SIP, Yealink, Firmware Upgrades, Videoconferencing, Android, Product Review

Almost 90% of businesses in the United States have fewer than 20 employees, according to the United States Census Bureau. To get VoIP service, companies of this size typically use a hosted VoIP service rather than having an on-premise IP PBX. With Epygi Technologies, however, the on-premise solution becomes cost-effective, even for a micro-business with a single employee. How does Epygi do it? We had a chance to ask Mario Cuello, CEO of Epygi Technologies, about what makes them unique in their ability to deliver robust, feature-rich systems at such accessible prices.

Topics: IP PBX, Business Telephone System, VoIP, Product Review

Review of the EdgeMarc 2900a and 2900e Enterprise Session Border Controllers

Update: Since this article was published, in 2018, Edgewater Networks was acquired by Ribbon Communications.

Edgewater Networks has added to its line of enterprise session border controllers (eSBCs) with its EdgeMarc 2900A and 2900E models. These are designed to enable enterprises and service providers to future-proof their SIP trunking and Unified Communications (UC) deployments. With built-in mechanisms for both QoS and security, they provide intelligent mechanisms allowing for both hosted PBX services as well as SIP trunking applications.

They have several features that differ from other EdgeMarc SBCs.

Topics: QoS, VoIP, SIP, Peripherals, Network Security, Network Design, Product Review

If you weren’t able to attend Channel Partners Evolution last week in Austin, fear not: here are our top takeways from the event.

 

Topics: VoIP, Trends, Network Security, Cloud, Events