Voice over internet protocol real time protocol routing

1. A method comprising:

at a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) retail service provider system, in response to receiving call signaling data from an originating VoIP network endpoint requesting to initiate a VoIP call, selecting a call signaling and media proxy in a managed wholesale VoIP network through which to route media packets associated with the VoIP call;

performing VoIP routing in the managed wholesale VoIP network including forcing packets carrying media in a VoIP call through managed network elements of a specific Internet Protocol (IP) address with the selected call signaling and media proxy.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the packets originate in an originating VoIP network endpoint.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the packets comply with real time protocol (RTP).

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein forcing comprises receiving call signaling information from an originating VoIP network endpoint.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein forcing further comprises relaying the call signaling information through the call signaling proxy to a destination VoIP network element.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein forcing further comprises directing the originating VoIP network endpoint to use the selected media proxy.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein forcing further comprises streaming the packets to a media proxy in a selected media proxy server.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein forcing further comprises replacing an Internet Protocol address of the selected media proxy and the call signaling proxy with an address of a next hop in the network.

9. The method of claim 4 , wherein replacing comprises using Network Address Translation (NAT).

10. The method of claim 4 , wherein the next hop comprises a terminating VoIP network endpoint.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selected media proxy includes a list of static virtual Internet Protocol addresses that represent media network endpoints, gateways and other media proxies.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selected media proxy includes a list of dynamic virtual IP addresses that represent media network endpoints, gateways and other media proxies.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein Network Address Translation (NAT) hides the terminating VoIP network endpoint from a call originator.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein Network Address Translation (NAT) hides an originating VoIP network endpoint address from a terminating VoIP network endpoint address.

15. The method of claim 4 , wherein relaying comprises selecting call signaling and media proxy servers that provide a predetermined quality of service.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting comprises testing a quality of a network connection from the originating VoIP network endpoint point of presence (POP) to each of the call signaling and media proxy servers.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein testing comprises using a series of pings to determine a closest call signaling and media proxy server.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein testing comprises using trace routes to determine a closest call signaling and media proxy server.

19. A method comprising:

receiving call signaling information from an originating Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) endpoint; relaying the call signaling information to a destination VoIP endpoint; directing the originating VoIP endpoint to use a real time protocol (RTP) media proxy within a managed wholesale VoIP network through which to route a stream of media; and receiving the stream of media to the RTP media proxy from the originating VoIP endpoint.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein directing comprises: determining an address of the destination VoIP endpoint; and obtaining virtual addresses from the RTP media proxy.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the virtual addresses represent media endpoints, gateways, PC clients, application servers and other media proxies.

22. A method for controlling RTP routing comprising:

sending call signaling information from an originating VoIP endpoint to a call signaling proxy within a managed wholesale VoIP network;

relaying the call signaling information from the call signaling proxy to a destination VoIP endpoint; and

sending a stream of media from the originating VoIP endpoint to a RTP media proxy within the managed wholesale VoIP network.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the RTP media proxy comprises virtual IP addresses of media endpoints, media gateways and other RTP media proxies.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein the RTP media proxy comprises dynamic IP addresses of media endpoints, media gateways and other RTP media proxies.

25. The method of claim 22 wherein the RTP media proxy comprises static IP addresses of media endpoints, media gateways and other RTP media proxies.

26. The method of claim 22 further comprising replacing an IP address of the call signaling proxy and the RIP media proxy with an IF address of a next hop endpoint.

27. The method of claim 24 wherein replacing comprises network address translation (NAT).

28. A computer program stored on a computer-readable mechanism, the computer program comprising instructions that cause a computer to:

select a closest call signaling and media proxy in a managed wholesale VoIP network through which to route packets carrying media in a VoIP call; and

force the packets carrying media in a VoIP call through managed network elements of a specific Internet Protocol (IP) address with a call signaling and selected RTP media proxy of the managed wholesale VoIP network.

29. A computer program stored on a computer-readable medium, the computer program comprising instructions that cause a computer to: receive call signaling information from an originating Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) endpoint; relay the call signaling information to a destination VoIP endpoint; direct the originating VoIP endpoint to use a RTP media proxy within a managed wholesale VoIP network; and receive a stream of media to the RTP media proxy within the managed wholesale VoIP network from the originating VoIP endpoint.