SIP Address

**esl** · 03-07-2008 08:36 PM

Would someone mind giving me plain, simple, and to the point description of what the significance of a SIP address is and/or what it does? Thanks!

**VOIPoBrandon** · 03-07-2008 09:13 PM

SIP (Session Initiation Protocol), commonly found on port 5060 udp/tcp.

Now you ask what the significance is of a SIP address, the answer is simple, you can essentially call from SIP to SIP, for the costs of bandwidth and cpu cycles. Many softphones will give you a SIP address you can be contacted at, i.e. sip:johndoe@hostname.com:5060, inwhich our system will let you forward to that SIP address much like a normal telephone number.

So just think of it as another method of connecting a call between users.
________
Ford ka

**VOIPoTim** · 03-07-2008 09:16 PM

In a way it's kind of like an email address.

You know how in my post on HG forums, I said in some cases we can route the call completely over the internet and avoid paying the traditional telcos for the call going on their network? That's basically how we do it...convert the number to a SIP address.

Say you have a friend with software that lets them call SIP address (it's the gold standard protocol for VoIP). If they have your SIP address, they could call you directly using it instead of your phone number.

So if they were in Japan and they wanted to call your US VOIPo number, they would likely pay their phone company international charges to call you since it's in the US. If they have your SIP address and use something to call it directly, the call is directly between you two bypassing the entire phone network and associated fees

**esl** · 03-07-2008 09:20 PM

Thank you both for the detailed explanations.

How would you call an SIP address directly though? Software on your computer, or settings on a VoIP modem?

**VOIPoTim** · 03-07-2008 09:29 PM

Software. There are alot of free software packages out there.

X-Lite, SJPhone, Gizmo

**esl** · 03-07-2008 09:29 PM

Originally Posted by VOIPoTim

Software. There are alot of free software packages out there.

X-Lite, SJPhone, Gizmo

Okay. Thank you.

**VOIPoTim** · 03-07-2008 09:29 PM

I don't get into a lot of the technical stuff, so maybe someone else here has some more suggestions for software, etc

**NY Tel Guy** · 03-07-2008 09:51 PM

Originally Posted by esl

Thank you both for the detailed explanations.

How would you call an SIP address directly though? Software on your computer, or settings on a VoIP modem?

With a Sip-py cup silly!

**Montano** · 03-08-2008 01:00 PM

Originally Posted by esl

Thank you both for the detailed explanations.

How would you call an SIP address directly though? Software on your computer, or settings on a VoIP modem?

Just set up a speed dial number on your TA (assuming is has speed dial), then you call call a SIP address with the push of a couple buttons on your phone.