| Summary: | VoIP is a rapidly emerging Internet service. It is expected that by 2004 10% of all voice calls in North America will be VoIP calls. Performance metrics and measuring methodology need to be developed so that the performance of the service can be assessed. From the customer's perspective, the service needs to be evaluated against the level of service achievable with conventional telephone networks. From a service providers' perspective, the performance of VoIP service needs to be evaluated for the purpose of network planning and eventually billing. This thesis studies the performance of VoIP systems. Metrics for measuring the performance of VoIP systems, drawn from a combination of conventional telephone system performance metrics and Internet performance metrics, are presented. Methodologies for measuring the performance of VoIP systems, as well as expected and measured VoIP performance measurements are also developed. Simulation is a useful tool for planning a network and gauging its performance. This thesis develops VoIP speaker activity models that can be used in a network simulator for these purposes. Based on the measured values of the VoIP performance metrics, it will be shown that the current Internet infrastructure is not able to deliver toll quality voice service. uture architectures that may enable toll quality voice on the Internet conclude this thesis.
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