Flowroute takes a unique approach to deliver call audio: Direct Media. Direct Media allows us to offer on-demand capacity rather than limiting the number of simultaneous calls that can be made on a Flowroute account. We can offer this unlimited capacity by eliminating the need to proxy call audio between your system and the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN).
Direct Media facilitates the audio (RTP media) on your calls being delivered directly from your equipment to a peering network’s media gateway on the PSTN. Our peering networks’ media gateways offer massive amounts of bandwidth; using Direct Media for your calls eliminates a potential point of failure or latency in your audio stream. Direct Media allows us to offer competitive rates and great domestic and international connections for all of our customers, regardless of geographic location.
| Important: It's important to keep Direct Media in mind when configuring your SIP device's local network, as the only call data that passes through our servers directly is your SIP signaling traffic – mere kilobits of data that allow us to connect your call to a media gateway delivering the highest call quality available. |
To optimize your call audio, Firewall Policies, NAT Configuration (Port Forwarding), and Quality of Service (QoS) settings should allow and prioritize call audio (RTP media via UDP transport) from any source IP over your system's public media port range.
| NOTE: If you've used other VoIP Providers in the past that don't have Direct Media network architecture, you may find that you need new network settings when transitioning to Flowroute. |