By Sharla Sikes
We just looked into some of the VoIP analysis tools that are available based on Network World’s comparison.
But how’d they come up with their results?
Putting each system through the technological equivalent of a wringer, Network World subjected each tool to environments it may not ever see in real life.
The two-month test used a test bed composed of four IP PBX systems. The systems were EADS Telecom’s Nexspan L system, which uses a proprietary, stimulus-based VoIP call-control protocol;Â Mitel Networks’ SX-200 ICP, which uses a proprietary message-based protocol called MINET for call control; NEC’s Univerge 7000, which uses both a proprietary stimulus-based call-control protocol called PROTIMS and also supports Session Initiation Protocol-based endpoints via a separate SIP controller; and PingTel’s SIPxchange, which is based fully and exclusively on standard SIP VoIP call control.
Network World designed the test bed with two subnets to represent a main and branch location, connected with Cisco routers and Extreme Networks switches. A PacketStorm Communications Hurricane IP Network Emulator was used to simulate a WAN connection, which allowed Network World to insert things like latency, jitter and packet loss into the test. More on the test bed is here.
Such intensive testing is a valuable resource for the VoIP industry, and a boon for network administration professionals. While it shouldn’t be taken as the Gospel truth, I am more impressed in Network World’s testing process than I am, say, Consumer Reports’ rating system for cars and trucks. When I see their ratings, I usually end up shaking my head in disgust.
All of these testing tools have merit, however they are very expensive and out of the reach of normal people. I’d like to point your attention to a VoIP monitoring service called VoIP Spear (www.voipspear.com). It’s a service that monitors your Internet connection 24×7x365 and shows you how good your VoIP quality is.
VoIP Spear measures your packet loss, latency, and jitter and uses this information to calculate a MOS score between 1 (very poor) and 5 (excellent). You can view your MOS score through charts that show your historical VoIP quality.
Best of all, VoIP Spear is free for personal use and very affordable for commercial use.