What Is a VoIP Gateway?
Traditionally, both in households and businesses, telephones have commonly relied on telephone lines, and many people continue to use them to this day.
On the other hand, in recent times, a calling technology utilizing internet connections, known as “VoIP” (Voice over Internet Protocol), has emerged and become widespread.
However, there is no compatibility between the communication through these telephone lines and the communication through internet connections.
To enable these different types of calls to communicate with each other, a device known as a VoIP gateway is used to connect the telephone line network and the internet network.
Uses of VoIP Gateway
VoIP, which dramatically reduces communication costs compared to traditional telephone lines, requires VoIP-specific PBX (Private Branch Exchange) and phones. However, many companies already use PBX and phones for telephone lines, and replacing them all would incur significant expenses.
Therefore, by placing a VoIP gateway between the internet connection and the PBX or phones for telephone lines, existing PBX and phones can be used for VoIP without replacing them. This allows the utilization of cost-effective communication lines without replacing existing facilities.
It is also possible to make calls through ISDN lines from IP phones connected to the internal LAN via the VoIP Gateway.
Principles of VoIP Gateway
When a call is initiated from a general telephone connected to a telephone line, the telephone first converts the voice into an electrical signal. If the recipient is using a VoIP phone, the VoIP gateway is connected, and this electrical signal is converted into IP packets. The IP packets are then restored to voice by the recipient’s telephone, allowing them to hear the conversation.
Conversely, when making a call from a VoIP phone, a similar process is carried out in reverse, enabling it to be heard on a general telephone.