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What Is SIP and How Does It Work?

What SIP means, how it works, and why use it

By Nadeem Unuth Nadeem Unuth Freelance Contributor University of Mauritius Nadeem Unuth is a former freelance contributor to Lifewire who specializes in information and communication technology with a focus on VoIP. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on May 24, 2021 Reviewed by Michael Barton Heine Jr Reviewed by Michael Barton Heine Jr Michael Heine is a CompTIA-certified writer, editor, and Network Engineer with 25+ years' experience working in the television, defense, ISP, telecommunications, and education industries. lifewire's editorial guidelines Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email

In This Article

Expand Jump to a Section Why Use SIP How SIP Works What Is Required How About Skype and the Other VoIP Providers SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) is a protocol used in VoIP communications, allowing users to make voice and video calls, mostly for free.

Why Use SIP

SIP allows people around the world to communicate using their computers and mobile devices over the internet. It is an important part of Internet Telephony and allows you to harness the benefits of VoIP (voice over IP), providing a rich communication experience. The most interesting benefit of SIP is how it cuts down on communication costs. Calls (voice or video) between SIP users are free, worldwide. There are no boundaries and no restrictive laws or charges. Even the SIP apps and SIP addresses are obtained free. TwilightEye / Getty Images SIP as a protocol is also powerful and efficient. Many organizations use SIP for their internal and external communication, centered around a PBX.

How SIP Works

You get a SIP address, you get a SIP client on your computer or mobile device, plus whatever else is necessary (see the list below). Then you need to configure your SIP client. You'll also want to have your SIP credentials handy.

What Is Required

If you want to communicate through SIP, you need the following: A SIP address/account. This is obtained free from providers, and you can register online. Here are links to help you get a free SIP account. What is a SIP Address? Providers of Free SIP Addresses Registering for a SIP Address A SIP client. This is a program that you install on your computer or mobile device. It contains softphone functionality and some other features and provides an interface for you to communicate. There are different types of SIP clients. Among the most common are the applications offered free by VoIP service providers to use with their VoIP services. Some of them support SIP, but there are also clients that are built for SIP and do not depend on any service. You can use them with any SIP account and within a PBX environment. You can check out our list of the most popular free SIP clients on the market. An Internet connection. You'll need sufficient bandwidth for voice and video communication. Not much is required for voice communication, especially if you use enhanced codecs for low bandwidth consumption, but you need solid bandwidth for video communication. Hearing and talking devices. A headset, earpieces, a microphone, and a webcam for video communication are all acceptable. Buddies to talk to. Maybe this is the first item in the list that's checked. You may have buddies, but they need to use SIP too if you want the calls to be free. Share the SIP addresses just like you do phone numbers.

How About Skype and the Other VoIP Providers

SIP is one of the pillars of VoIP. But along with SIP, there are other signaling protocols used for voice and video communication on IP networks. For instance, Skype uses its own P2P architecture, as do some other service providers. Most VoIP service providers support SIP both in their services and the VoIP client apps they offer. There are so many SIP address providers and clients that Skype is not necessary for SIP communication. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire SIP Service Providers That Offer Free SIP Accounts What Is a SIP Address? How to Get Started With VoIP What Is Skype and How Does It Work? How to Turn Your iPod Touch Into a Phone EyeBeam Phone App Review Top Free SIP Apps for Your Computer How to Use Skype in Your Browser Best Free Internet Phone Calls Apps (October 2022) What Is Discord and How Does It Work? VoIP Apps for Free Calling on Mac What Is a Softphone? The 5 Best Apps to Make Free International Calls (2022) Make Free Calls on Your iPad Pros and Cons of Pidgin Instant Messenger Tango Review - Free Text, Voice and Video Calls Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies