 |
| Basic Telephony Concepts |
| 1.
What is an analog telephone line? |
| 2.
What is a digital telephone line? |
| 3.
What is a VoIP line? |
| 4
What is the demarcation point? |
| 5.
What is a PBX? |
| 6.
What kinds of phones can I add to my phone system? |
| 6a.
What is Power over Ethernet (PoE)? |
| 7.
Voicemail systems |
| 8.
Remote
telecommuting |
| 9.
Surge Protection |
| |
| Portions of the network outside of
your business |
| A. The Public Switched
Telephone Network (PSTN) |
| |
The public switched
telephone network (PSTN) is the network of the world's public
circuit-switched telephone networks. It consists of telephone lines,
fiberoptic cables, microwave transmission links, cellular networks,
communications satellites, and undersea telephone cables all
inter-connected by switching centers which allows any telephone in the
world to communicate with any other. Originally a network of fixed-line
analog telephone systems, the PSTN is now almost entirely digital in its
core and includes mobile as well as fixed telephones. |
|
| B. The Telephone Company
Central Office (CO) |
| |
The Central Office (CO)
refers to your telephone service provider's physical building that
houses telephone switches used to connect calls in your area. |
|
| C. The Local Loop |
| |
The Local Loop refers to the
wired connection from your demarcation point to the telephone service
provider's network. This connection usually runs from your
building to the service provider's Central Office. |
|
| |
