Verify that Quality of Service is Supported
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Step #5: Verify that quality of service (QOS) is supported
Verify that QOS is supported on all segments and devices over which
the VOIP traffic will travel. If latency, jitter and packet loss are
the most common ills that plague VOIP systems, QOS provisions are the
most effective vaccine. You should never rely on the accidental
fortuity of your network infrastructure to ensure timely and reliable
delivery of media packets.
Configuring network devices to prioritize RTP packets is like taking
out health insurance for your VOIP calls. To lay the groundwork for
VOIP, you must confirm that each network device is capable of
understanding and complying with QOS parameters in packet headers.
Without QOS, your VOIP packets are just "part of the crowd" on the
network. With QOS, they are given VIP transit authority from their
source to their destination and audio quality is safeguarded.
Conclusion
Only when all of these topics are addressed can the feasibility of
VOIP be assessed. The outcome of these analyses may indicate that
VOIP can be supported. However, the results may point to aspects
of the network that need to be modified before they will be truly ready
for VOIP.
While all of these steps might seem like a lot of work, they are the
only means to assure that your VOIP system will not be crippled by
adverse network characteristics. Once VOIP is deployed, periodic
network health checks should become a part of your routine. As the old
saying goes, the only constant is change for most network environments.
Consequently, you must constantly reassess your network's ability to
satisfactorily handle VOIP traffic and to successfully converge that
traffic with traditional data network functions.
Tim McCreery is President and CEO of WildPackets, Inc.
Tim has over 25 years of experience in the networking industry. Tim
co-founded WildPackets as AG Group in 1990. Tim's past positions
include Founder and President of Kinetics, Founder and CEO of
SilkStream Corporation, and VP of Marketing and Business Development at
Excelan, Inc. Tim has also been on the board of other startups,
including Clear Ink Corporation and Tut Systems. Tim is also President
of the Board of Youth Homes, Inc., a non-profit agency serving at-risk
foster care children in Contra Costa County, Calif.
Tim graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with
degrees in Mathematics, Computer Science and Psychology. Tim taught
undergraduate Computer Science at U.C. Berkeley while obtaining a
Master's degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences. He can
be reached at tim.mccreery@wildpackets.com.
Tim McCreery is President and CEO of WildPackets, Inc.
Tim has over 25 years of experience in the networking industry. Tim
co-founded WildPackets as AG Group in 1990. Tim's past positions
include Founder and President of Kinetics, Founder and CEO of
SilkStream Corporation, and VP of Marketing and Business Development at
Excelan, Inc. Tim has also been on the board of other startups,
including Clear Ink Corporation and Tut Systems. Tim is also President
of the Board of Youth Homes, Inc., a non-profit agency serving at-risk
foster care children in Contra Costa County, Calif.
Tim graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with
degrees in Mathematics, Computer Science and Psychology. Tim taught
undergraduate Computer Science at U.C. Berkeley while obtaining a
Master's degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences. He can
be reached at tim.mccreery@wildpackets.com. 
