The Router/Nat/Firewall - Talkswitch 48-CA User Manual

2.6.2

The Router/NAT/Firewall

In a typical small office environment, there are several computers connected to an
Ethernet switch which is sometimes integrated into a router. A router handles the
connection between 2 or more IP networks. Routers spend all their time looking at the
destination IP addresses of the packets passing through and routing them accordingly.
In a network that shares both data and voice, it is critical that the voice traffic has
priority over the data packets. Some routers support Quality of Service (QoS)
functionality for such purposes. These routers are typically identified as devices that
support QoS, VoIP or prioritization. One such inexpensive router for the small office
market is the Linksys BEFSR81. It can be configured to provide prioritization of the
voice traffic on the broadband connection to ensure that voice traffic gets through. It
also supports DHCP, UPnP and VPN Pass Through.
TalkSwitch uses UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) to automatically configure port
forwarding VoIP ports, and receive updates whenever the WAN IP address changes so
that it can properly update SIP messages.
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