What is Trunk? What Is Trunking?

This section informs you about what a trunk - the term used in IT technology - is, how can it be used in building up different communication systems, and in the case of using SIP trunk and SIP trunking, how can you expand the business opportunities with Internet Telephony. Those who intend to build up a professional communication system or modenise an old and obsolete one should read this page.

A trunk, similarly to the trunks of the trees in nature, is a line or link constructed to handle many signals simultaneously, and to connect major switching centers or nodes in a communication system, like the body of the trees connect the roots and the leaves. The data transmitted by trunks can be voice data, computer programs, images, video or control signals.

Figure 1 represents a sample communication system: there is a company where different mobile devices like smartphones, iPADs and computers are used for the communication with the customers and the business partners. The numerous lines are connected to the Ozeki Phone System server with a trunk line.

what is trunk
Figure 1 - What is Trunk?

Trunks are used to form networks, and to interconnect LANs (local area networks) to form WANs (wide area networks) or VLANs (virtual LANs). Trunk networks can be built up locally or through the Internet.

A trunk often consists of many wires or cables in order to maximise the available bandwidth and the number of channels, or it can also be a wireless link.

Trunking

The use and management of trunks is known as trunking. Trunking reduces the number of required physical paths (actually, the number of cables and wires) to the minimum.

Trunking makes ports (points where computers can connect to communication systems) capable to send and receive data to/from the networks where the computer is connected to. This is called "trunk port". In contrast to an "access port", trunk ports can connect the computer to any kind of networks, but the access ports can only connect to a network that was specified by the user before.

Where Is Trunking Used?

Trunking is a tool that can be used in building up local or wider communication systems for anybody who intends to use more than one phone - the best solution for companies that needs to manage several phone lines simultaneously. When trunks are built in an advanced system, more than one lines can be in use in the same time (so more than one flash lights are lit in the case of more calls, if the phone device is capable for handling this feature).

If a company intends to build up an Internet-based communication system, SIP trunking is a must.

SIP Trunk And SIP Trunking

SIP trunking (Session Initiation Protocol Trunking) helps enterprises to build up a communication system that works through the Internet. If an enterprise chooses this solution, it ensures better quality in communication than the conventional PSTN (Public Switch Telephone Network) systems. SIP trunks are given by the Internet providers: there is nothing else to do to achieve it but to order one.

After having the SIP trunk, you can make a more effective use of it if you choose Ozeki Phone System to work with: with an account in the Ozeki Phone System server, your business partners or customers can call you even from your homepage, making simple phone calls, audio or video calls, chat, or having conferences.

With Ozeki Phone System, you can build up a professional, high-technology communication system that is capable to manage the data transmission of numerous extensions within the company, capable to get in connection with anybody through the Internet, is accessible 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, and provides the highest quality that is possible in Internet telephony.

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