2.1 Compare and contrast various devices, their features, and their appropriate placement on the network.

Question 1

A company implements a new Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone system with networked VoIP endpoints at some office desks as a pilot program. The other employees will still be working with analog phone services. How would a network administrator connect this new VoIP system with the existing analog phone system?

Voice gateway

VoIP PBX

Cable modem

Legacy PBX

Answer 1

A voice gateway is a means of translating between a VoIP system and legacy voice equipment and networks. This gateway can include an integrated VoIP PBX feature as well.

A legacy Private Branch Exchange (PBX) system is based on the traditional telephone network and provides switch services for analog voice.

A VoIP PBX by itself provides digital switching of the VoIP system that includes its VoIP endpoints. The VoIP PBX must connect to a voice or VoIP gateway to connect back to the external voice provider, especially an analog service.

A cable modem is a device with RJ-45 ports that connect to the local network, while the coax port connects to the service provider network.