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Phone numbers and IP addresses

In an Voice over IP system, how is a phone number is translated into an IP address and vice-versa?

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Actually, the phone number is not translated. It is encapsulated into an IP packet, transported across the network using the TCP/IP protocol and then de-encapsulated at the PBX. Your IP Phone works just like a PC. It has a LAN card with a MAC address and an IP address. It communicates to the PBX via the IP protocol. Therefore, the PBX no longer tracks phone numbers to physical devices.

The benefit is that a phone can be easily relocated to any functioning port without re-punching the line or changing the PBX port setting. Essentially, you can move phones from port to port like a PC, because the PBX no longer looks for the phone number at a physical location, it searches for the phone's IP address across the network.

This was first published in January 2002

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