Understanding FXO Port Role In Modern VoIP Telecommunciations

FXO, or Foreign Exchange Office, is a port commonly found on fax machines and telephones. This port enables the telephone to receive service through the telephone company’s center office. FXS is the counterpart to the FXO. The FXS is the port found in the wall that receives the phone wire from the FXO. If you are a VoIP server user, you may not be interested in this old technology used only for landlines. However, you may find this information valuable if it can be used in conjunction with your VoIP service. This post will highlight a little known FXO secret that may be of interest to you.

FXO

As explained above, an FXO is the port that receives signals on a traditional phone. The signals are received from a telephone company’s central office. Typically, one would have to pay quite a bit of money to enjoy the high-quality unified communications services provided by traditional phone service companies. However, if you are using a VoIP service on your computer, you may be able to utilize the FXO port in another way. Read on to uncover hidden uses for the FXO port on your phone.

FXS

The FXS port is not actually on the phone itself. This port does the opposite of an FXO. Whereas FXO ports receive the signal from a telephone company, FXS ports allow the signal to be sent. It is important to note this distinction, as the two have completely different purposes. However, the digital divide is clear when it comes to communication. More people use VoIP than POTS in today’s age. When using a VoIP network, you will not need the FXS port at all. For all intents and purposes, you will only need to know about the FXO port on a telephone in order to utilize the secret below.

How Do The Two Work?

You may be wondering how the FXO and FXS connection works. Calls are able to be made thanks to a telecommunication line that stretches from an FXO port to an FXS port, not unlike teraflop in a gaming system. It is as simple as that. During a call, your phone receives a signal from your telephone company via the FXS wall port. The signal then gets transmitted to the FXO port on your device. This is how telephone connections work.

Tip To Differentiate

If you are still sort lost and wondering “what is the difference between FXO and FXS?”, there is one helpful way to remember it that you may appreciate. FXS stands for Foreign Exchange Station, so try to associate station with workstation, which is where you would use a telephone or fax machine – which is the FXS side of things. FXO, as mentioned above, stands for Foreign Exchange Office. Try to associate office with something that connects you with something else – just as FXO ports are used to connect to a telephone system or a public telephone switch referred to as PSTN.  These associations should help you to remember the differences between FXO and FXS, but they certainly will not help you learn PHP for beginners, unfortunately.

FXO Use With VoIP

This is the reason why you should care about the FXO port on your old telephone. There are currently items for sale online that allow you to utilize your landline phone service within the VoIP network. These devices are referred to as media gateways or VoIP gateways. Typically, media gateways have at least one FXO port and one ethernet port. You may be curious about how this works. Conduct research in order to learn the logistics and legality. If you would like to use these devices, there are several websites available for you to purchase such a device. Conducting a quick Google search will allow you to find them. Try searching “media gateways + VoIP.” These media gateways are important to take note of, they could make your life easier and save you money, unlike webtv.

Cisco VoIP

If you are planning to utilize Cisco offerings for your VoIP service, you can learn more about their particular FXO voice interface cards, which is incredibly helpful. The Cisco website offers a guide to understanding Forex Exchange Office, or FXO voice interface cards. You can learn about the components used in specific products that help the sound of your closest friends and family come through your on ear headphones. In addition, you can even view features and configuration information for whatever product numbers you are interested in. This is a huge advantage available to both Cisco users and those interested in Cisco VoIP services.

FXO and FXS ports are used within Plain Old Telephone Services, or POTS. However, if you use an internet-based VoIP, you may also benefit from learning about these ports. Devices for sale online, called media gateways, allow you to utilize your POTS in conjunction with your best VoIP service. FXO ports are found on these devices, but FXS ports are not. Conduct further research to gain in-depth knowledge of how this works. If you have a need for such a device, a quick Google search will help you find marketplaces where they are available for purchase. FXO ports may seem like outdated technology for non-POTS users. Consult this article to find a valuable new use for FXO.

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