Some of the challenges of VoIP include things like packet loss, latency, jitter … it’s impact on a VoIP call is the difference between usable and not usable voice.
Packet loss is quite typical in all applications of network design. If a data packet is getting sent from point A to point B and the packet gets lost, then the receiving end will request a retransmition of the packet (the protocol that controls packet retransmission is known as TCP – or transport control protocol). There is, of course, no point in retransmitting a lost packet in the voice world. A lost packet in the voice world is useless – by the time the packets get retransmitted in the voice world, the conversation has moved on. A lost packet means a dead spot in the conversation. So, instead of hearing: “Hello Mark. It’s a beautiful sunny day here”, which is what the sender is saying, the recipient of this (where a packet might have been lost) will hear: “Hello Mark. It’s a (dead air) here”.
I will continue the discussion in future BLOG postings about how to mitigate against packet loss and what you might consider doing about it.
Jeff, digitcom.ca
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi! I like your srticle and I would like very much to read some more information on this issue. Will you post some more?
Yes, I will post more articles on packet loss … over the next few weeks.
Jeff
Nice blog! Keep up the good work.