Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) sends voice calls across IP networks instead of traditional telephone lines. It enables flexible calling from desk phones, softphones, mobile devices, and unified communications platforms.
Core VoIP Components
- Endpoints: IP phones, softphones, and conference devices.
- Call control: manages registration, dialing, and call routing.
- Media: carries the audio stream between participants.
- Network services: DNS, DHCP, VLANs, and quality of service support reliable calls.
Improve Call Quality
Prioritise voice traffic, keep latency and packet loss low, use a dedicated voice VLAN where appropriate, and ensure enough bandwidth for expected call volume.
For software-based calling, see our Softphone guide.