Abstract: A switching apparatus for switching packetized voice traffic between a plurality of communication devices, the switching apparatus comprises a multi-layer switch, a plurality of communication ports, control means and ingress processing means, said packetized voice traffic comprises call control packets and medium packets which are exchanged between the communication devices via said communication ports, wherein medium packet traffic from a first communication device to a second communication device is split into a first call segment and a second call segment, the first call segment originates from said first communication devices and terminates at said switching apparatus, the second call segment originates from said switching apparatus and terminates at said second communication device, each medium packet from said first communication device is processed by said ingress processing means of said switching apparatus before onward transmission to said second communication device.

Abstract: An admission scheme is provided for selective admission of voice data packets to a voice network from a communication network having data and voice packets. The scheme can be implemented using a device such as a network switch. According to the admission scheme, the MAC address of a device is acquired and stored upon admission of the device to the voice network. The source MAC address of data packets is checked before the packets are admitted from the communication network to the voice network. A packet is admitted to the voice network only if the MAC address is registered with the voice network.

Abstract: A switching apparatus for switching packetized voice traffic between a plurality of communication devices, the switching apparatus comprises a multi-layer switch, a plurality of communication ports, control means and ingress processing means, said packetized voice traffic comprises call control packets and medium packets which are exchanged between the communication devices via said communication ports, wherein medium packet traffic from a first communication device to a second communication device is split into a first call segment and a second call segment, the first call segment originates from said first communication devices and terminates at said switching apparatus, the second call segment originates from said switching apparatus and terminates at said second communication device, each medium packet from said first communication device is processed by said ingress processing means of said switching apparatus before onward transmission to said second communication device.

Abstract: An admission scheme for a communication network comprising the step of:—a) acquiring and storing the MAC address of a device on admitting the device to the communication network, b) checking the source MAC address of a data packet before said data packet is admitted into the communication network, and c) admitting a data packet into the communication network only if the MAC address is registered with the communication network.