Patent ID: 7729367

Claim:
A system for distinguishing voice communications in a data network, the system comprising: a network switch, the network switch identifying data packets as non-voice data packets or voice data packets, storing a non-voice assignment for non-voice data packets and a voice assignment for voice data packets, wherein the non-voice assignment indicates for a particular port a first virtual local area network identifier that identifies a first virtual local area network and the voice assignment indicates for the particular port a second virtual local area network identifier that identifies a second virtual local area network, receiving a request for assignment of a virtual local area network, and transmitting, in response to the request, the first virtual local area network identifier identifying the first virtual local area network associated with transmitting the non-voice data packets and the second virtual local area network identifier identifying the second virtual local area network associated with transmitting the voice data packets; and at least one telephony device connected to the network switch, the at least one telephony device receiving the first virtual local area network identifier and the second virtual local area network identifier from the network switch and in response to receiving the first virtual local area network identifier and the second local area network identifier, assigning the non-voice data packets to the first virtual local area network and assigning the voice data packets to the second virtual local area network.