Patent ID: 8660016

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for testing a VoIP network wherein a call session between a caller and a callee is begun using a first CODEC, the method comprising the steps of: generating a first instrumented test stream at a first call manager server at a first location; transmitting the instrumented test stream from the first call manager server location to a second call manager server at a second location on the VoIP network without use of a dedicated test channel; receiving the transmitted instrumented test stream at the second call manager server at the second location; retransmitting from the second location the received instrumented test stream to the first location without use of a dedicated test channel; and determining diagnostic information about the VoIP network based on a comparison of the first instrumented test stream by the first call manager server with the retransmitted instrumented test stream including determining whether the retransmitted instrumented test stream is identical to the first instrumented test stream and routing a VOIP call based on the diagnostic information; and dynamically switching from the first CODEC to a second CODEC for communications between the first call manager server and the second call manager server while continuing communication with the caller and callee using the first CODEC, based upon the diagnostic information about the VOIP network in response to at least one of the first and second call manager servers determining that performance can be enhanced by switching to the second CODEC.