Free Web Tool Tests VOIP Viability

Brix Networks has launched a Web site where users can test whether their Internet connection is likely to support good-quality voice over IP.

The site, TestYourVOIP.com, lets users check whether latency, jitter, and packet loss fall within the range that will support VoIP well, according to the announcement at the VON 2004 conference in Santa Clara, California this week.

The site enables users to figure out whether their current Internet connection is good enough to support an add-on VOIP service such as that offered by Vonage. It can also be used by customers of managed IP voice services. By running the Test Your VOIP check, customers can find out whether they are getting the level of service they are paying for. Use of the site is free.

Pitch for More Gear

Brix says the test allows customers to determine before spending any money how good voice quality is likely to be on a broadband Internet connection. Brix is hoping that giving customers this tool will encourage service providers to buy Brix gear that measures how well applications are treated on networks. Providers can then assure themselves and their customers that the service quality they buy is actually delivered.

Users logging on to Test Your VOIP download a Java applet that simulates a test phone call to Brix gear in Boston and San Jose that measures the quality of the simulated calls and generates a report that grades the mean opinion score for the call. MOS is a metric of how good a voice call sounds.

A full Brix system consists of agents deployed throughout networks and appliances called Verifiers that measure application performance between agents and Verifiers.