Achieving Optimal Performance and Quality in LAN and WLAN for Mission-Critical Applications

Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) properties are vital for its reliability in mission-critical applications. This research aims to find network topology, call signalling and voice codecs property combinations that meet reliability targets of VoIP communication in a Small Office Home Office (SOHO) environment where network resources may be limited but reliable and secured operation is essential. Local Area Network (LAN) and Wireless LAN (WLAN) scenarios are evaluated using Quality of Service (QoS) and Mean Opinion Score (MOS) measurements to find which property combinations satisfy predefined classes; best quality and best performance. The research extended Roslin et al. [1] on LAN VoIP to WLANs, and validated Khiat et al. [2] s and Guy [3]’s work that argued SIP was effective in optimal set up. This research found that VoIP combinations offer some desirable characteristics, but at the cost of other properties required, leading to categorisation being based on the interpretation of the results, concluding that though, not ideal for mission-critical applications, combinations function well in replicating real-world scenarios. The analysis also established VoIP's scalability for application-based configurations, impact of VoIP’s modularity and ease of configuration in achieving user expectations. Further property testing can solidify VoIP’s capabilities to function for mission-critical environments.