WAN-BASED VOICE GATEWAY

In one embodiment of the invention, an apparatus is provided for establishing a communication session between first and second terminals in communication over a plurality of networks that employ differing transmission standards. The plurality of networks are selected from among a circuit switched network (e.g., a telephony network), a connectionless packet switched network (e .g., the Internet) and a connection-oriented packet switched network (e.g., an ATM or frame relay network). The apparatus includes a call set-up translator for transl ating among call set-up protocols associated with the circuit switched network, the connectionless packet switched network and the connection-oriented packet switch ed network. An encoding format translator is provided for translating among encodin g protocols associated with the circuit switched network, the connectionless packe t switched network and the connection-oriented packet switched network. Also provided is an address database for storing a plurality of addresses in differen t formats for each registered terminal, which includes the first and second terminals. The apparatus also includes a session manager for storing control information relati ng to the first and second terminals. The control information includes an identificati on of the first and second terminals that participate in the communication session.