If you are like me, you want to take your knowledge of all the major Cisco Certification areas to at least the Professional level. For those intimidated by the VoIP track, have I got great news. One of the greatest Cisco Press titles ever written (in my biased and humble opinion) is the Voice over IP First-Step by my good friend and colleague Kevin Wallace.
While I was re-reading this book recently, I decided I would provide students with my list of Active Reading questions I developed. I would recommend you feed these into your SuperMemo app, or use one of the many Flash Card makers on the Internet if you are interested in mastering this exciting track.
Here are my queries from Chapter 1 Touring the History Museum of Telephony. For many blog readers, you might want to just challenge yourself with how many of these you can get without research. Enjoy!
Questions Only
What does the acronym POTS stand for?
What is another term for a POTS telephone?
What does a telephone company’s CO stand for?
How many volts of power does the telephone company provide to a POTS phone using the wall jack?
What type of electrical current is used by the phone company to provide power to a POTS phone?
What phone jack is used in North America?
Of the six conductors in RJ-11, how many are actually used by a phone with a single line?
What are the two wires leaving your POTS phone called?
What is the POTS connection from your home to the local CO called?
In the POTS system, a connection from one phone switch to another phone switch in another CO is called what?
What does PSTN stand for?
What type of PSTN network typically includes local loop connections that provide a path for businesses and homes to connect back to the local CO?
What type of PSTN network typically interconnects local exchanges (for example, Class 5 offices) and tandem exchanges?
What type of PSTN network connects local exchanges with long-distance offices?
What does PBX stand for?
What is a telephone exchange that serves a business or office, as opposed to one that a common carrier or telephone company operates for many businesses or for the general public?
What is a multiline telephone system typically used in small office environments?
Name three types of phone call signaling.
Name three types of Supervisory Signaling.
What is Loop Start Signaling?
What is glare?
What is Ground Start Signaling?
What type of electrical current is used by Ringing?
What is Address Signaling?
What method of address signaling is used by a rotary phone?
What is a more efficient approach to address signaling when compared to pulse dialing?
Name four types of Information Signaling.
A Cisco Call Agent replaces many of the features of what traditional telephony device?
What VoIP device is used to forward calls between different types of networks?
The Cisco CallManager (CCM) is an example of what type of product?
What VoIP device can deny calls onto a WAN due to insufficient bandwidth?
What VoIP device is often used to assist with conference calling features?
What dedicated piece of computer circuitry is often used in an MCU?
How many channels are in a T1 line?
Questions and Answers
What does the acronym POTS stand for?
Plain Old Telephone Service
What is another term for a POTS telephone?
Analog Phone
What does a telephone company’s CO stand for?
Central Office
How many volts of power does the telephone company provide to a POTS phone using the wall jack?
-48
What type of electrical current is used by the phone company to provide power to a POTS phone?
DC (Direct Current)
What phone jack is used in North America?
RJ-11
Of the six conductors in RJ-11, how many are actually used by a phone with a single line?
Two
What are the two wires leaving your POTS phone called?
Tip and Ring
What is the POTS connection from your home to the local CO called?
Local Loop
In the POTS system, a connection from one phone switch to another phone switch in another CO is called what?
Interoffice trunk
What does PSTN stand for?
Public Switched Telephone Network
What type of PSTN network typically includes local loop connections that provide a path for businesses and homes to connect back to the local CO?
Local Network
What type of PSTN network typically interconnects local exchanges (for example, Class 5 offices) and tandem exchanges?
Exchange Area Network
What type of PSTN network connects local exchanges with long-distance offices?
Long-Haul Networks
What does PBX stand for?
Private Branch Exchange
What is a telephone exchange that serves a business or office, as opposed to one that a common carrier or telephone company operates for many businesses or for the general public?
PBX
What is a multiline telephone system typically used in small office environments?
Key System
Name three types of phone call signaling.
Supervisory, Address, and Information
Name three types of Supervisory Signaling.
Loop Start, Ground Start, and Ringing
What is Loop Start Signaling?
The switch at the CO seeing a home phone has gone off-hook thanks to the flow of current with the closing of the tip and ring circuit.
What is glare?
A situation where the trunk link is seized from both ends at the same time. In other words, you pick up the phone, and someone is already on the other end of the line.
What is Ground Start Signaling?
A modified form of Loop Start Signaling whereby there is current detection at both ends which is used to request and then confirm that the trunk is available before it is seized.
What type of electrical current is used by Ringing?
Alternating Current (AC)
What is Address Signaling?
This allows the phone to specify the “address” of the destination phone using dialed digits.
What method of address signaling is used by a rotary phone?
Pulse Dialing
What is a more efficient approach to address signaling when compared to pulse dialing?
Dual Tone Multifrequency (DMTF)
Name four types of Information Signaling.
Dial Tone, Ring Back, Busy Signal, Reorder Tone
A Cisco Call Agent replaces many of the features of what traditional telephony device?
PBX
What VoIP device is used to forward calls between different types of networks?
Gateway
The Cisco CallManager (CCM) is an example of what type of product?
Call Agent
What VoIP device can deny calls onto a WAN due to insufficient bandwidth?
Gatekeeper
What VoIP device is often used to assist with conference calling features?
Multipoint Control Unit (MCU)
What dedicated piece of computer circuitry is often used in an MCU?
Digital Signal Processors (DSP)
How many channels are in a T1 line?
24
While I was re-reading this book recently, I decided I would provide students with my list of Active Reading questions I developed. I would recommend you feed these into your SuperMemo app, or use one of the many Flash Card makers on the Internet if you are interested in mastering this exciting track.
Here are my queries from Chapter 1 Touring the History Museum of Telephony. For many blog readers, you might want to just challenge yourself with how many of these you can get without research. Enjoy!
POTS - But Nothing to Do With Marijuana
What does the acronym POTS stand for?
What is another term for a POTS telephone?
What does a telephone company’s CO stand for?
How many volts of power does the telephone company provide to a POTS phone using the wall jack?
What type of electrical current is used by the phone company to provide power to a POTS phone?
What phone jack is used in North America?
Of the six conductors in RJ-11, how many are actually used by a phone with a single line?
What are the two wires leaving your POTS phone called?
What is the POTS connection from your home to the local CO called?
In the POTS system, a connection from one phone switch to another phone switch in another CO is called what?
What does PSTN stand for?
What type of PSTN network typically includes local loop connections that provide a path for businesses and homes to connect back to the local CO?
What type of PSTN network typically interconnects local exchanges (for example, Class 5 offices) and tandem exchanges?
What type of PSTN network connects local exchanges with long-distance offices?
What does PBX stand for?
What is a telephone exchange that serves a business or office, as opposed to one that a common carrier or telephone company operates for many businesses or for the general public?
What is a multiline telephone system typically used in small office environments?
Name three types of phone call signaling.
Name three types of Supervisory Signaling.
What is Loop Start Signaling?
What is glare?
What is Ground Start Signaling?
What type of electrical current is used by Ringing?
What is Address Signaling?
What method of address signaling is used by a rotary phone?
What is a more efficient approach to address signaling when compared to pulse dialing?
Name four types of Information Signaling.
A Cisco Call Agent replaces many of the features of what traditional telephony device?
What VoIP device is used to forward calls between different types of networks?
The Cisco CallManager (CCM) is an example of what type of product?
What VoIP device can deny calls onto a WAN due to insufficient bandwidth?
What VoIP device is often used to assist with conference calling features?
What dedicated piece of computer circuitry is often used in an MCU?
How many channels are in a T1 line?
Questions and Answers
What does the acronym POTS stand for?
Plain Old Telephone Service
What is another term for a POTS telephone?
Analog Phone
What does a telephone company’s CO stand for?
Central Office
How many volts of power does the telephone company provide to a POTS phone using the wall jack?
-48
What type of electrical current is used by the phone company to provide power to a POTS phone?
DC (Direct Current)
What phone jack is used in North America?
RJ-11
Of the six conductors in RJ-11, how many are actually used by a phone with a single line?
Two
What are the two wires leaving your POTS phone called?
Tip and Ring
What is the POTS connection from your home to the local CO called?
Local Loop
In the POTS system, a connection from one phone switch to another phone switch in another CO is called what?
Interoffice trunk
What does PSTN stand for?
Public Switched Telephone Network
What type of PSTN network typically includes local loop connections that provide a path for businesses and homes to connect back to the local CO?
Local Network
What type of PSTN network typically interconnects local exchanges (for example, Class 5 offices) and tandem exchanges?
Exchange Area Network
What type of PSTN network connects local exchanges with long-distance offices?
Long-Haul Networks
What does PBX stand for?
Private Branch Exchange
What is a telephone exchange that serves a business or office, as opposed to one that a common carrier or telephone company operates for many businesses or for the general public?
PBX
What is a multiline telephone system typically used in small office environments?
Key System
Name three types of phone call signaling.
Supervisory, Address, and Information
Name three types of Supervisory Signaling.
Loop Start, Ground Start, and Ringing
What is Loop Start Signaling?
The switch at the CO seeing a home phone has gone off-hook thanks to the flow of current with the closing of the tip and ring circuit.
What is glare?
A situation where the trunk link is seized from both ends at the same time. In other words, you pick up the phone, and someone is already on the other end of the line.
What is Ground Start Signaling?
A modified form of Loop Start Signaling whereby there is current detection at both ends which is used to request and then confirm that the trunk is available before it is seized.
What type of electrical current is used by Ringing?
Alternating Current (AC)
What is Address Signaling?
This allows the phone to specify the “address” of the destination phone using dialed digits.
What method of address signaling is used by a rotary phone?
Pulse Dialing
What is a more efficient approach to address signaling when compared to pulse dialing?
Dual Tone Multifrequency (DMTF)
Name four types of Information Signaling.
Dial Tone, Ring Back, Busy Signal, Reorder Tone
A Cisco Call Agent replaces many of the features of what traditional telephony device?
PBX
What VoIP device is used to forward calls between different types of networks?
Gateway
The Cisco CallManager (CCM) is an example of what type of product?
Call Agent
What VoIP device can deny calls onto a WAN due to insufficient bandwidth?
Gatekeeper
What VoIP device is often used to assist with conference calling features?
Multipoint Control Unit (MCU)
What dedicated piece of computer circuitry is often used in an MCU?
Digital Signal Processors (DSP)
How many channels are in a T1 line?
24
