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Building a Better Voice & Data Network
~ CONVERGENCE TECHNOLOGY~

Network Infrastructure

Building a Network to work with faster pc's, servers and deliver on time connectivity can be a daunting challenge. There are many aspects of a network that must be considered. Departments and regions, to backbone segments, wireless and guest access, and making it all secure. A switch may work for many basic networks, but lacks any control that will keep network traffic in it's proper place. To design a complex network you need managed switches, or a lot of switches and routes/firewalls to keep segments separated.

Converged Network

In a network design, we mostly think of data. However, VoIP adds a twist that realistically changes the design of a network to a voice network that data rides on. Over the years, most businesses would build their infrastructure to provide separate voice and data connections to each user. Typically a CAT 5 data and CAT 3 voice cabling. The obvious issue is that with VoIP, you're using 1 cable for both, thus merging the voice and data traffic. In unmanaged networks, there is no control to which type of packet traverses the LAN. The inherent mode that data operates is going to spell trouble for voice traffic unless there is a mechanism to control the converged traffic. Managed switches and routers are what do that, along with some method to identify or differentiate the voice packets from data packets where then, the switches and routers know what to prioritize.

VPN

VPN remote phones are a great success for those that need a phone at home or small office remote locations. Could even be used on the road, where you spend a week at a client and need quick access to workers and them to you. The benefits are nice, however, the problem is often there are no guarantees for reliable connections and voice quality can be unacceptable. These issues are inherent with non-managed connections. With a managed connection, you will have a much greater chance that the VPN phone will work satisfactory.