A SIP trunk is a Voice over IP (VoIP) connection that uses SIP to connect telephony equipment (e.g., PBXes) to the publicly switched telephone network (PSTN). SIP trunks ride over a broadband data connection and can be over-the-top, meaning companies can buy SIP trunks and broadband services from different providers or can be part of a bundled voice/data offering so providers can tweak the pipe to ensure consistent quality of service.

Voice over IP and SIP have evolved over the course of the last 10 years to the point that they have become a viable substitute for traditional business voice services. In fact, the vast majority of Fortune 1000 companies have been using this technology for nearly 10 years. Millions of smaller businesses have also transitioned to SIP in the last 2-3 years.

Since SIP Trunks utilize your existing broadband connection (whether it's cable, DSL or T1), the quality and reliability of the service are dependent upon the quality and the reliability of your broadband connection. Not all broadband connections are the same. Clearfly sets some minimum requirements in order for a customer to qualify for the service and provides you with an easy-to-use tool (available here) to assess whether or not your broadband connection meets these quality requirements.

Assuming your broadband's reliability and quality meet the requirements, you can determine how much bandwidth your SIP trunks will require here.

FAQ

• How does secure store-and-forward differ from traditional fax service?
   
• How do I connect my fax ATA to Clearfly's service?
   
• How do I reset my ATA to factory defaults?
   
• How can I tell what IP address my ATA is using?
   
• I don't have DHCP on my network. How can I configure a static IP address on the ATA?
   
• My ATA is declining DHCP offers. Any ideas?
   
• Can I use the LAN port on my ATA?
   
• I already have an ATA. Can't I just connect it to your service?
   
• What happens if my fax machine is busy?
   
• Why doesn't my fax machine ring when I call my fax number?
   
• Why can't I call my desk/cell/etc phone from my fax machine?
   
• Can I plug a credit card machine, postage meter or modem into my fax ATA?
   
• Can I dial 911 from my fax ATA?
   
• I can receive faxes but receive an error when I try to send. What gives?
   
• What's the maximum number of fax pages I can send?
   
• What types of attachments are supported when I send a fax from an email account?
   
• If I enable a password on my fax-to-email account, what kind of encryption is used?
   
• I'm getting a lot of junk faxes. Is there a way to block them?
   
• Is Clearfly's fax service HIPAA compliant?
   
• Are there any restrictions on how many simultaneous faxes I can send?
   
• Are color faxes supported?