voip vs. your isp

[me-5yx05kfkO/aqeI1yJSURBw at public.gmane.org (Matthew Gillen)]

Jack Coats wrote:
> ...  Unless you can get a IP provider that focuses on 
> low latency connectivity or you manage your own network end to end, it 
> is almost impossible to guarantee any kind of high quality VOIP service.
> 
> It doesn't have to be that way.  But from experience, most IP providers 
> do not give priority to VOIP flagged packets, so even flagging them is a 
> waste of time.  And if even one of the routers 'accidentally drops' the 
> flag, all bets are off.
> 
> If industry starts recognizing the priority flags for VOIP or other 
> truly time sensitive packets, there are people/companies that will turn 
> it on for all their packets, making it a moot point again.

The article I mentioned wasn't even complaining about not giving VoIP high
priority.  Apparently the mechanism Comshaft uses to implement their
congestion-control unduly hurts VoIP, since it starts adding delays to packets
from "heavy users" (ie makes them lower-priority than "normal" packets).

The problem is that /their/ voice service of course isn't subject this
de-prioritorization.  So you're sort of railroaded into their service.

Matt