As with any technology VOIP comes with its fair share of jargon. The guide below is to help explain what each of the VOIP terms mean in plain English
| ATA - Analog Telephone Adapter. |
A device that connects between an analog telephone and a RJ45 network port (which is connected to the internet), It allows you to use a standard phone to make and receive VoIP calls over the Internet. The sipura 2000 is a good example of a ATA |
| Broadband phone |
An IP phone plugs into a broadband Internet connection to make and receive VoIP calls over the Internet. |
| IP PBX - IP Private Branch Exchange |
A business telephone system that offers advanced phone features between VoIP and PSTN networks, such as music-on-hold, automatic call-routing, voicemail, and call transfer. |
| Internet phone |
An IP phone plugs into a broadband Internet connection to make and receive VoIP calls over the Internet. |
| IP phone |
An IP phone plugs into a broadband Internet connection to make and receive VoIP calls over the Internet. |
| PSTN - Public-Switched Telephone Network |
PSTN is a ciruit-switched network and is is what BT and other providers used to route calls made on normal landline phones |
| SIP - Session Initiation Protocol |
One of the newer, more common protocols used for VoIP |
| Softphone |
a "software" phone on a PC that can send and receive calls over the Internet. |
| VoIP - Voice over Internet Protocol |
the technology that allows you to make and receive phone calls and faxes over the Internet instead of through the telephone or mobile network. |
| VoIP Gateway |
The device that converts analog voice signals to digital IP packets for communication over an Ethernet (LAN or WAN) network |
| VSP |
VoIP Service Provider |
