Problem solve

Problem solve

Get help with specific problems with your technologies, process and projects.

• What is a concierge video service? Are white glove services the same?

  When it comes to video conferencing, what can you expect from a managed service provider offering white glove or concierge services? Find out here. Continue Reading

• How to get a Wireshark VoIP packet capture

  To see what is going across your network, you can use packet sniffing tool Wireshark to detect VoIP traffic. Learn to sniff your network in this tip. Continue Reading

• Wireshark packet capture filtering: How to parse your VoIP traffic

  Learn how to filter your Wireshark packet capture for VoIP-specific data to properly analyze your voice traffic. Continue Reading

• What are the advantages of SIP trunks versus analog circuits?

  SIP trunking is not perfect, but it has more options and features compared to what traditional phone companies offer, says UC expert Matt Brunk. Continue Reading

• What network changes support a unified communications infrastructure?

  Learn from our UC expert which three network upgrades will support your unified communications infrastructure the best. Continue Reading

• UCaaS ROI formula calculations and methodology

  Before you deploy unified communications, whether the service is in the cloud or not, you must calculate the ROI of your project.Continue Reading

• Virtualized session border controllers: Are there drawbacks?

  As more virtualized session border controllers are announced, it's helpful to understand the strengths and weaknesses of this delivery model.Continue Reading

• Does WebRTC support IPv6?

  Will WebRTC support session enablement in IPv6 environments? This article explains how this real-time communication protocol functions in v4 and v6.Continue Reading

• Is there a way to mix different unified communications solutions?

  It is possible to mix different unified communications solutions to fit your needs, says UC expert Jon Arnold.Continue Reading

• What is a call park phone feature and how does it work?

  UC expert, Matt Brunk, explains a call park phone feature, how it works and how it compares to a visual call park feature in this expert response.Continue Reading

• Calculating TCO of hosted unified communications solutions

  Learn what elements to account for when calculating the total cost of ownership (TCO) of your hosted unified communications solutions.Continue Reading

• Wireless voice over IP: What 802.11ac will do for VoIP

  Learn what promises IEEE 802.11ac Gigabit Wi-Fi standard will have on wireless VoIP in the enterprise.Continue Reading

• What are the different types of private branch exchange systems?

  The types of PBX systems available shifted after the advent of Internet Protocol, according to IP telephony expert Jon Arnold.Continue Reading

• Are there advantages to using the public switched telephone network?

  You may have to sacrifice some advantages of the public switched telephone network if you switch to VoIP, says telephony expert Jon Arnold.Continue Reading

• How can I easily switch between an external webcam and a built-in one?

  Video expert Steve Campbell answers a question about built-in and external webcams. Certain factors affect the quality of your experience, he says.Continue Reading

• Can I share my webcam with multiple programs simultaneously?

  There are a few ways you can share your webcam with multiple programs at once, but you have to beware of malware, says video expert Steve Campbell.Continue Reading

• How are softphones being used in the enterprise and beyond?

  Softphone bandwidth can be an issue while on the road, so how can network managers track softphone traffic and the user experience?Continue Reading

• Corporate collaboration: The essential ingredient to any UC strategy

  Enterprises are beginning to learn that the essential ingredient to any UC strategy is corporate collaboration. Learn to successfully integrate UC&C.Continue Reading

• Why is SIP trunking better than PRI and BRI?

  SIP trunking is preferable over PRI and BRI based on flexibility and cost benefits, says telephony expert Matt Brunk.Continue Reading

• When does it make sense to employ an external webcam?

  The decision of whether to use an external webcam depends on what you intend to use video conferencing for, says video expert Steve Campbell.Continue Reading

• Avoid unnecessary vendor upselling for unified communication solutions

  When purchasing your unified communication solutions, avoid unnecessary UC vendor upselling techniques that could cost you unwanted product features.Continue Reading

• Is the definition of social media part of UC?

  The definition of social media is in the beginning stages of becoming part of unified communications, says analyst Zeus Kerravala.Continue Reading

• How does VoIP performance differ over LAN, WAN and other networks?

  Environment affects VoIP performance, so it's important to consider how VoIP best fits in your environment is important, our UC strategies expert explains.Continue Reading

• Session border control: The good, the bad, the ugly

  Session border controllers do well in securing VoIP connections, but enterprises should carefully analyze whether they should manage those borders.Continue Reading

• What is the SVC Codec and how is it used?

  The SVC codec is an extension to the H.264 standard for video encoding used by many equipment manufacturers, explains our video conferencing expert.Continue Reading

• Can keeping traffic on separate VLANs counter VoIP security risks?

  Although keeping data and VoIP traffic on separate VLANs can counter VoIP security risks, it can be a tough sell, says VoIP expert Matt Brunk.Continue Reading

• What does it mean when people refer to 'cloud UC?'

  Understanding "cloud UC" stems from having a solid understanding of each term individually before tackling them together, our telecom expert explains.Continue Reading

• 10 questions to ask your potential collaboration vendors

  Having a hard time deciding between collaboration vendors? Ask them these 10 questions to help you choose the right service for your business.Continue Reading

• Business collaboration benefits: Assessing the technology

  There are many business collaboration benefits. This guide highlights a business case for using collaboration services in your enterprise.Continue Reading

• Three drivers suggest need for flexible UC reference architecture

  New video, voice and cloud influences are pointing to the need for a new UC reference architecture that is flexible enough to meet different business needs and strategies.Continue Reading

• Adding up the real costs of so-called 'free' Microsoft Lync

  Using Microsoft Lync as a corporate UC system is cheap -- free, even, right? While Lync licenses are free, installing Lync may cost more than you’ve bargained for.Continue Reading

• Video conferencing security: Keeping private meetings private

  Common approaches to building a formidable video conferencing security architecture include encryption, presence and identity management and acceptable use policies.Continue Reading

• Understanding the real meaning of pervasive video

  Pervasive video and ubiquitous video conferencing are not interchangeable terms. Knowing the real meaning of pervasive video may change the standard approach to video deployment.Continue Reading

• Federated identity management key to SaaS office and cloud-based UC

  Federated identity management addresses the security risks associated with identity management while providing users SSO to multiple cloud-based UC services and SaaS office apps.Continue Reading

• Top 5 trends in enterprise IP telephony

  What comes after full-scale IP telephony deployment? There are five important trends shaping the future of enterprise IP telephony.Continue Reading

• Integrating video and unified communications: Video as a core UC tool

  The prevalence of video products at this year's Enterprise Connect shows that integrating video and unified communications has become a key focus of providers in the UC market.Continue Reading

• Making sense of unified communications and collaboration tools

  Shopping unified communications and collaboration tools is demanding since collaboration tools and packages vary across vendors. This tip provides an overview of UC collaboration tools from top vendors, like Microsoft, IBM and Avaya, and will help ...Continue Reading

• Configuring VoIP for an office using a VSAT Internet connection

  UC expert Matt Brunk offers recommendations for a reader considering VoIP over a VSAT Internet connection in his office. His first tip: Ask yourself why you really want to do it.Continue Reading

• How to handle softphones when keeping voice and data on separate VLANs

  Unified communications expert Matt Brunk answers a reader's follow-up question about handling softphones when you've decided to split voice and data traffic on two separate VLANs.Continue Reading

• The truth about five nines availability in unified communications networks

  Five nines availability is attainable with traditional telecommunications networks, but is it attainable with a unified communications network? This tip explains how to calculate availability and how it relates to unified communications software and...Continue Reading

• Integrating video conferencing with unified communications

  Integrating video conferencing with unified communications enables users to initiate video connections through presence, much like they do with instant messaging. This tip explains how to integrate video with unified communications with examples ...Continue Reading

• Unified communications etiquette guide: What to know, what to avoid

  As enterprises adopt unified communications, they should focus on helping users adhere to rules of unified communications etiquette to ease their transition into regular UC use, improve user experience and increase employee uptake.Continue Reading

• Video conferencing MCU location is important

  The location of video conferencing MCUs (multipoint conference units) makes a difference in your video conferencing deployment, affecting the number of users supported and ability to scale in the future. Learn why the WAN core is a good spot for the...Continue Reading

• Is it possible to connect the IP PBX to a wireless connection?

  IP telephony expert Jon Arnold uses an inquiry about IP PBXs and wireless networks to discuss the value of extending the LAN to mobile devices through fixed-mobile convergence.Continue Reading

• Securing high-definition video conferencing and telepresence calls

  Unified communications expert Matt Brunk discusses out-of-the-box video conferencing and telepresence security, means of improving protection, how to test solutions and more.Continue Reading

• The value of toll bypass in the enterprise

  IP telephony expert Jon Arnold explains the value of toll bypass in an IP telephony setup, detailing why enterprises should consider it as an option while tempering cost-savings expectations.Continue Reading

• Secure video conferencing: Traversing the firewall

  Providing secure video conferencing means overcoming the inherent design differences between video conferencing and firewalls. Discover the pros and cons of using a direct Internet connection, configuring a DMZ, or deploying traversal servers and ...Continue Reading

• IP telephony QoS: VoIP traffic management and prioritization

  When conventional solutions don't improve IP telephony QoS issues, VoIP traffic management can help. Learn how to prioritize VoIP traffic, address voice delay and provide Class of Service-based routing.Continue Reading

• A step-by-step guide to identifying and resolving background noise and echo

  Matt Brunk provides a detailed, step-by-step strategy to accurately identify, address and resolve voice background noise and echo problemsContinue Reading

• When SIP trunks fail: Disaster recovery for SIP trunking

  When your SIP trunks fail, do you have a disaster recovery plan for SIP trunking to support troubleshooting and resolution of SIP trunk failures, or are you solely dependent on what the carriers and/or ITSPs tell you?Continue Reading

• How to configure SIP trunks for the enterprise

  Configuring SIP trunks requires careful planning and pre-deployment network assessment and analysis. Learn how to configure SIP trunks properly, reliably and securely in this excerpt of a chapter from SIP Trunking.Continue Reading

• What are the benefits and limitations of IP phones and digital phones?

  Our IP telephony expert details the differences between IP phones and digital phones, identifying their unique capabilities and noting the tasks for which each are best suited.Continue Reading

• Protect your UC services against eavesdropping and security attacks

  With the right access, anyone can observe or adjust your unified communications services. Learn how to ward off unauthorized modification and eavesdropping attacks in this chapter from Seven Deadliest Unified Communications Attacks.Continue Reading

• When it comes to PBX systems, how would you compare IP EPABX to digital EPABX?

  Learn the differences between IP and digital PBX systems, as well as which type of system would make more sense for a small office of 30 employees in India.Continue Reading

• Legacy devices and analog telephone lines still useful, despite VoIP

  Supporting legacy devices and analog telephone lines will be part of your due diligence well into the foreseeable future despite the high rate of VoIP and IP telephony deployments. Find out which legacy interfaces you can expect to use in the future...Continue Reading

• What is the difference between E&M and junction lines, and do you have any advice on how to check fa

  Learn about E&M lines and how to check faults in them.Continue Reading

• How can MPLS help in VoIP implementation between a parent company and its branch offices?

  Find out how MPLS helps in VoIP implementation between a parent company and its branch offices.Continue Reading

• Mobile IP networks: An overview

  With more people in the workforce moving mobile, thanks to road warriors and telecommuters, the demand for mobile IP is growing. In this chapter excerpt from "Wireless Networking Complete," you'll learn about mobile IP networks, from protocols to ...Continue Reading

• Implementing a mobile unified communications (UC) solution

  Mobile unified communications (UC) can provide many major benefits to an organization. In this tip, you will learn about the major strategies available to implement a mobile UC solution and fixed mobile convergence (FMC).Continue Reading

• The benefits of mobile unified communications

  With its cost efficiency and portability, mobile unified communications (UC) is an attractive option for companies looking to update their UC capabilities. Learn about the benefits of mobile UC, including the applications and the technology behind ...Continue Reading

• Fixed mobile convergence technology fundamentals

  Fixed mobile convergence (FMC) systems based on VoIP service build on convergence technology fundamentals to enable fully converged IP communications. This chapter will review FMC systems technology and discuss real-life deployments.Continue Reading

• Identifying issues in a multi-site Cisco UC deployment

  Deploying Cisco Unified Communications Manager between multiple sites requires an appropriate dial plan, appropriate bandwidth, a quality of service (QoS) implementation and a design that can survive IP WAN failures. This chapter will explain the ...Continue Reading

• How do I choose between PBXs, hybrid VoIP systems and TDM?

  To determine the best telephone system for your company, expert Matt Brunk suggests devising a UC strategy.Continue Reading

• Are unified messaging and instant messaging the same thing? How are they distinguished from one anot

  Learn the differences between unified messaging (UM) and instant messaging (IM) from UC expert Tony Bradley.Continue Reading

• Cisco Voice over IP: Routing calls over analog voice ports

  This chapter introduces basic configuration of analog and digital voice ports and demonstrates how to fine-tune voice ports with port-specific configurations. Upon completing this chapter, you will be able to configure voice interfaces on Cisco ...Continue Reading

• Security in a SIP network: Identifying network attacks

  Learn about security in a SIP network and find out how an organization can protect itself from SIP-based VoIP and network attacks. This chapter details the different types of SIP attacks and discusses various security measures and solutions to ...Continue Reading

• SIP network security measures

  Learn about specific security measures that can protect your oganization in the event of a SIP-based network attack. This chapter details the different types of SIP attacks and discusses various security measures and solutions to protect your ...Continue Reading

• What makes a UC system?

  Confused about what makes up a unified communications (UC) system? You're not alone! The answer can depend on whom you ask. It's universally accepted that presence is the cornerstone of UC. But understanding the difference between UC and the ...Continue Reading

• VoIP service selection: MPLS, VPLS or Metro Ethernet?

  Creating secure, reliable VoIP connections over a multi-site enterprise network requires knowledge of your specific infrastructure. Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS), Virtual Private LAN Service (VPLS) and Metropolitan Ethernet (Metro Ethernet) ...Continue Reading

• Presence: SIMPLE versus XMPP

  SIMPLE and XMPP are the two main presence-associated standards. Learn about these standards and how to leverage them to your advantage.Continue Reading

• Cisco Unified Communications Manager Architecture

  Understanding the role that Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM) plays in a converged network from various IT perspectives is necessary for a successful installation and configuration. This chapter describes the architecture, hardware and ...Continue Reading

• Intro to SIP packet routing: Using the SIP route header and via header

  In the last of a series of three tips introducing the basics of the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), Brien Posey discusses the four types of headers SIP employs to ensure that information packets travel the correct path when communicating between ...Continue Reading

• An introduction to SIP verbs: Register, subscribe, invite

  Part 2 of a three part series on the Session Initiation Protocol, this article discusses commonly used SIP codes and response verbs, and explains basic SIP operation.Continue Reading

• An introduction to SIP and SIP functions

  The Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) is the primary protocol that's used by most VoIP and unified communications (UC) products. This is part 1 of a three-part series that will explain how SIP works.Continue Reading

• What's the difference between collaboration and web conferencing?

  Although the terms "collaboration" and "web conferencing" are similar, there are subtle differences in their meanings that can better help you understand what they are and what they do.Continue Reading

• How should we go about creating a plan for unified communications within our organization?

  Once you understand the needs of your customer, selecting the right unified communications platform for your business will be easier and less risky.Continue Reading

• Voice and Video Conferencing Fundamentals

  As audio and video conferencing move rapidly into the mainstream, customers and end users are demanding unprecedented performance, reliability, scalability, and security. In Voice and Video Conferencing Fundamentals, three leading experts ...Continue Reading

• Understanding presence technology

  Presence technology is an integral part of unified communications, making it possible to locate and identify a device or user wherever it might be. Learn why presence is important.Continue Reading

• IPTV Crash Course: Chapter 3: The Technology of IP Networks

  Chapter 3 of "IPTV Crash Course" by Joseph Weber and Tom Newberry presents an overview of IP suite data transmission basics and advanced protocols that IPTV utilizes in creating a television service supported by the Internet.Continue Reading

• Open source PBX: Risk or value?

  Open source IP PBX systems like Asterisk have benefits and risks. Learn what they are and assess your readiness for the IP PBX implementation in this tip from Gary Audin.Continue Reading

• What can a VoIP phone do that a landline phone cannot?

  This expert response outlines the basic differences between a VoIP phone and a POTS phone.Continue Reading

• What is the difference between a VoIP client and an IMS client?

  SearchVoIP.com expert Carrie Higbie answers a user submitted question about the differences between VoIP and IMS clients.Continue Reading

• VoIP security -- Free IP telephony fuzzing tools

  Protect your organization's VoIP security with free VoIP security tools designed to test IP telephony vulnerability.Continue Reading

• Routing basics -- What VoIP managers need to know

  Voice over IP (VoIP) requires that an organization's voice staff understand many of the fundamentals of data networking. Routing is an essential data networking function that also applies to VoIP. In this tip, learn more about the routers and ...Continue Reading

• VoIP traffic: Five steps to prepare your network

  VoIP traffic is much more sensitive to latency, jitter and packet loss than most network applications. It is crucial that you ensure that your network is ready to handle this new demand.Continue Reading

• How silence suppression saves WAN bandwidth

  Silence suppression, or voice activation detection (VAD), technology is used to save WAN bandwidth used by VoIP traffic, while comfort noise generation (CNG) counteracts negative affects on VoIP speech quality.Continue Reading

• IP PBX: Ten reasons to switch

  Should you throw out the old PBX and replace it with a new IP PBX? This tip from WindowsNetworking.com provides ten compelling reasons to do so, along with a brief explanation of what an IP PBX is, how it works in a computer network and how it ...Continue Reading

• VoIP bandwidth: Calculate consumption

  The bandwidth needed for VoIP transmission depends on compression technology, packet overhead and the network protocol used. In this tip, learn how to calculate how much bandwidth your VoIP implementation will need.Continue Reading

• What is an E&M line? What is the difference between a 2 wire and 4 wire E&M?

  What is an E&M line? What is the difference between a 2 wire and 4 wire E&M?Continue Reading

• VoIP bandwidth -- Rightsize your WAN for voice traffic

  Up-front rightsizing and WAN bandwidth capacity planning are critical aspects of VoIP, and should be done prior to deploying an MPLS network or implementing VoIP.Continue Reading

• How voice compression saves bandwidth

  Compression of voice traffic can save bandwidth on your IP network, but can cost quality or cause delays. Learn more about the CODECs or standards for voice compression -- and their effect on call quality -- in this tip.Continue Reading

• What's in a VoIP packet -- An introduction to bandwidth for VoIP

  Learn what makes up a VoIP packet, how headers work, what protocols transport voice traffic over the Internet and how this traffic uses network bandwidth.Continue Reading

• VoIP management tools: Calculating ROI

  Before purchasing management tools for VoIP, you may need to calculate the return on investment (ROI) to justify the cost of those tools. In this tip, Gary Audin explains how to calculate ROI and provides specific checklists for calculating the ROI ...Continue Reading

• VoIP maintenance: Creating a schedule for patches and upgrades

  VoIP systems fall under the same type of maintenance guidelines as other networking equipment. In this tip, learn guidelines and best practices for scheduling your VoIP systems maintenance.Continue Reading

• What is the difference between VoIP, CTI and IP telephony?

  What is the difference between VoIP, CTI (Computer Telephony Integration) and IP telephony?Continue Reading

• Does Spanning Tree Protocol have an adverse effect on VoIP?

  Do you know if Spanning Tree has an adverse effect upon VoIP? If so, what is the best way to provide LAN-based switch redundancy to VoIP gateways?Continue Reading

• Why you need to learn VoIP for your Cisco certification

  Because of the increasing importance of VoIP and Cisco's growing emphasis on it, the networking giant has increased the significance of VoIP in its certification exams. In this tip, David Davis looks at the VoIP focus in popular Cisco certifications...Continue Reading

• What is the difference between VoIP and VoFR?

  What is the difference between VoIP and VoFR?Continue Reading

• VoIP traffic encryption tools

  Securing VoIP traffic remains one of the biggest obstacles to its mainstream enterprise use. VoIP traffic tends to be unencrypted, but that doesn't mean that it has to be. In this tip, Brien Posey explores various options for VoIP encryption, ...Continue Reading

• How do we fix 'echo', 'static' and background noise on our new VoIP system?

  Our organization has just implemented a VoIP system on 40 - 50 test phones. However, our users have been complaining of echo, static and amplified background noise during phone usage. The noise can only be heard on our end. Can you please give some...Continue Reading