VoIP Glossary

ADSL

Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line: high speed Internet delivered over the telephone network.

ATA

Analogue terminal adapter used to connect a conventional fixed or cordless phone to a VoIP account.

Bit Rate

The speed at which data moves across the Internet; also used as a measure of the speed of an Internet connection (usually in kilobits or megabits per second).

Broadband

The generic term for high speed Internet,over cable or ADSL.

Cable modem

The equipment needed to connect a PC or network to the Internet, via a cable company's service.

Call features

Extras on top of a basic phone line, such as call diversion, call forwarding and call waiting.

Ethernet

The standard used for almost all office networks, and the networking system build in to most PCs and routers.

IP phone

A handset designed specifically for use with IP voice networks, especially VoIP.

IP

The Internet Protocol: the standard that underpins all services on the Net.

Router

A piece of networking hardware that "steers" data across a network or across the Internet. You need a router to share an Internet connection between multiple devices.

SIP

Session initiation protocol: The Internet protocol used by most VoIP services.

Softphone

A computer application that provides telephony functions, usually used together with a headset.

Switch

The equipment used by a phone company to connect calls between its subscribers; also the equipment used by businesses to connect their internal extensions and outside lines (the latter is also known as a PBX, or private branch exchange).

Voicemail

An automated system that answers calls when the subscriber is unable to answer or on another call.

WiFi

Wireless Fidelity: networking based on the 802.11 b or g standards, that works without cables.

WiMax

Short for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, this is a wireless standard that will deliver Internet connections at higher speeds, and over longer distances, than WiFi.