Abstract: A network performance monitor and an associated method for monitoring the perceived transmission quality of a packetized multimedia signal encoded by a first codec are provided. The monitor includes a packet processor for performing real time direct counting of received and lost packets in the burst and gap states in the packet stream carrying the multimedia signal. A data processor is provided for determining packet loss distribution parameters using the burst and gap packet counters provided by the packet processor. In one aspect of the invention, the data processor is operative to compute an effective equipment impairment factor from the packet loss distribution parameters for a reference codec having known transmission impairments associated therewith, for assessing the network contribution to the perceived transmission quality of the multimedia signal.

Abstract: A computer program product being embodied on a computer readable medium for using voice data traffic to reproduce a user experience for facilitating troubleshooting at least one of a plurality of VoIP stations, the computer program product including computer-executable instructions for: retrieving packets of the voice data traffic associated with the at least one of the VoIP stations; identifying time stamps associated with the retrieved packets; determining an amount of jitter associated with each of the retrieved packets at least partially dependently upon the identified time stamps; determining whether each of the retrieved packets will fit into a jitter buffer at least partially dependently upon the determined amounts of jitter; dropping select ones of the retrieved packets dependently upon the determining whether each of the retrieved packets will fit into the jitter buffer; and, filling a buffer with at least select ones of the retrieved data packets not dropped.

Abstract: A computer program product being embodied on a computer readable medium for facilitating troubleshooting a VoIP session associated with at least one VoIP station using network traffic data, the computer program product including computer-executable instructions for: identifying data packets of the network traffic data indicative of VoIP signaling information or voice communications; determining if the identified packets are associated with the at least one VoIP station; determining whether a quality of the VoIP session was acceptable substantially simultaneously with the VoIP session; and, at least temporarily storing at least a portion of the identified packets determined to be associated with the at least one VoIP station when the VoIP session is determined to of an unacceptable quality.