The Real-time Transport Protocol ( RTP) is used to efficiently transmit the encoded audio and video between the call participants once a SIP call session is established. It is the signaling protocol that allows your softphone to establish, manage, and terminate a call connection with another softphone or SIP device. Session Initiation Protocol ( SIP) enables multimedia sessions like voice calls between two or more participants over IP networks. When you make a call with the softphone app, your voice is picked up by your device’s microphone and encoded into digital data packets suitable for transmission over the internet based on audio codecs like G.711, G.729, or Opus.Īt the receiving end, the softphone decodes the packets back into audio signals so that the recipient can hear your voice. You will be assigned credentials like username, password, domain, etc. To use a softphone, you need to first create an account with a VoIP phone service provider, the IP PBX system of your company, or a free calling platform that supports SIP protocol. Leading softphone apps like Zoiper, Bria, and Jitsi replicate standard phone features plus additional functionalities via an easy user interface. The softphone application installed on your PC, smartphone, or tablet allows you to access the VoIP service provider’s phone network to place and receive calls. Standard protocols like SIP, RTP, SRTP, etc. With VoIP, your voice is converted into digital data packets that traverse the internet to reach the other person. It is the technology that allows voice calls to be made over an IP network like the Internet instead of traditional phone lines. VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. Here is a more detailed overview of the core concepts of how a softphone works: 1.
How Does a VoIP Softphone Work?Ī softphone works just like a regular telephone but instead of a public switched telephone network (PSTN), it utilizes the internet and VoIP technology to transmit calls. This comprehensive guide will help you understand what a softphone is, how it works, its key features and benefits explained in detail, potential drawbacks to consider, and tips for choosing the right VoIP softphone provider for your business and the best VoIP providers having the best softphone systems. VoIP softphones provide an alternative to traditional landline phones and bring several benefits such as reduced costs, enhanced features, and improved mobility. A VoIP softphone is a software application that allows you to make phone calls over the Internet using Voice over Internet Protocol ( VoIP) technology.