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Teracom Tutorial: VoIP System Components
3.03 VoIP System Components
 
 
 
Terminals
IP phones, soft phones
Ethernet LAN
In-building wiring, switches
Gatekeeper
Call manager functions
In gatekeeper or application server
Router
Gateway to PSTN
Media and signaling conversion
Connection to Internet and/or IP VPN
Let’s not forget the firewall…
 
A VoIP system includes the following basic elements: terminals, which can include IP phones and software applications running on computers; the LAN infrastructure, consisting of wiring and switches; a gatekeeper which manages the terminals in a zone, providing address resolution, registration, authentication and regulating admission to the VoIP system; optional call manager software applications running on the gatekeeper or on a standalone platform; a router, which connects LAN segments together and to WAN circuits; gateways to perform format conversions between the VoIP world and the PSTN; and optional connections to the PSTN, the Internet and to managed IP WAN services or IP VPN services. A firewall is needed when connecting to the Internet.
 
Source: Teracom Course 301 Voice over IP, slide 3.03
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