When shopping for VoIP services and equipment, you will often see references to H.323 and SIP. These are the two most common protocols used for handling VoIP calls, but there are also many others. When shopping for VoIP services and equipment, you will often see references to H.323 and SIP. These are the two most common protocols used for handling VoIP calls, but there are also many others.

What Is a Protocol?

When we speak of protocols, we are referring to a set of rules that must be followed in order to allow two or more communication devices to 'talk' to each other. In the Internet and computer worlds, there are many different protocols which have been established.

The Internet has protocols for various purposes depending on the type of data that is being transmitted and its relative importance. Protocols can be layered