Problems Faced When Using Very Fast VoIP

There are still a few wrinkles which need to be worked out in VoIP mainly because it's a relatively new technology and the standards for its operation haven't been set yet. Businesses and retail users have very different patterns of VoIP implementation and the problems faced by the two are different. In this article, we look at some of the common issues faced by both.

Bandwidth
Most individual home users have more than enough bandwidth to be able to handle the VoIP traffic. Even so, they need to be careful when downloading large files as this can compress the available space for VoIP to a trickle. The real problems come when working with businesses who have multiple IP phones because it's so easy to over stress the system. Bandwidth denial must be the first problem you check for.

It's advisable to manage VoIP traffic using network tools such as a Virtual LAN or VLAN and implement QoS parameters such as jitter, packet loss, and latency. Certain hardware such as Cisco's will help you do this automatically.

Configuration problems
For home users, this is the most common headache. Because VoIP isn't "built in" to the infrastructure, we have to do a bit of setting up ourselves and depending on your Internet configuration, firewall and operating system, many things can go wrong. Ports for example have to be opened up depending on what provider you're using. Without this, your firewall won't know what the traffic is and may block it.

When you're using an SIP proxy, you have to be sure you've entered the IP address or the server name correctly. Every SIP client for example has a configuration setting where this has to be entered and since there are so many clients, so many providers, so many mobile phones and operating systems, there's no single way to inform users how to do this.

Power Issues
One often overlooked drawback of VoIP is that it's entirely dependent on your Internet connection. When your power shuts down for example, your VoIP system goes down too. Most power outages are only for a few minutes and if you're a business you surely have a good UPS system in place, but for home users it means being unable to contact anyone in an emergency if the lights are out.

In spite of these issues, VoIP is fast gaining acceptance and standardization is also taking place across the board. In the foreseeable future, VoIP will be just as widespread as the PSTN phone system currently is, leading to a cheaper and more flexible communication regime for all of us.