VoIP (Voice-over-Internet Protocol) has replaced traditional phone lines in nearly 40% of small businesses, saving significantly on domestic and international calls while increasing productivity.
Suppose you’re one of them or just thinking about incorporating VoIP into your company. In that case, you’re probably already aware that VoIP uses data packets to transmit voice calls over the internet digitally.
Make the most of your VoIP system by making sure it is fully provisioned.
That is precisely what this checklist will teach you. We’ll talk about how to optimize your VoIP system to avoid network issues and fluctuations.
Let’s start by deciding which devices we want to optimize. Market Business Times
Choose Your Calling Devices
Let’s start by determining which devices you and your employees use to make VoIP calls before discussing how to fix hardware and network issues.
You can either place dedicated VoIP phones on employees’ desks or install VoIP-specific software on their computers to make direct calls. You can also install a VoIP calling function on their smartphones for more flexibility, which can benefit remote workers or help you provide 24/7 customer service.
First, figure out which devices you use, which will serve as the foundation for your future network needs.
Ethernet Cables of Superior Quality
Yes, VoIP is popular for reducing wiring costs, but some devices still require Ethernet cables to connect to the internet. To upgrade your VoIP services, you’ll need high-quality Ethernet cables. Not all Ethernet cables, however, provide seamless networking.
Cat 6 cables, for example, are popular for VoIP because they support 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) with a bandwidth of 250 MHz over a distance of up to 328 feet. If you can’t afford Cat 6, Cat 5e cables are a good alternative; they support 100 MHz bandwidth.
Invest In Power-over-Ethernet (PoE)
PoE (Power-over-Ethernet) provides power to a device over the same wires used for data or voice transmission. It provides PoE-enabled devices, such as VoIP, with efficient power. It’s extremely simple to use and secure.
PoE cables are one of the simplest ways to ensure that all of your VoIP devices receive adequate power. These draw the necessary power from the Internet to keep your VoIP network’s power supply balanced. Many businesses use PoE to power IP cameras, wireless access points, LED lights, and other devices that require both data and power.
VLAN Allows You to Control VoIP Traffic
On a VoIP network, multiple services running at the same time may affect the performance of different communication methods, such as video conferencing, which requires more bandwidth. With a virtual local area network, you can separate data and voice traffic for the best quality of service (QoS) (VLAN).
VLANs prioritize data traffic from data-sensitive applications to prevent network delays, improve performance, and maintain QoS. They also keep VoIP devices from interfering with other network traffic, making it easier to troubleshoot VoIP problems. You won’t have to worry about lag, glitches, or dropped calls with VLANs.
Configuration of the VoIP Firewall
Since the Internet is at the heart of the VoIP system, it’s vulnerable to cyber-attacks, malicious viruses, worms, and other denial-of-service (DoS) attacks.
Your VoIP service provider‘s networks are undoubtedly secure, but there’s no harm in taking extra precautions to keep attackers out.
The VoIP firewall configuration protects your VoIP phone system, allowing you to reach a significant user and data security milestone.
The VoIP firewall monitors traffic at layers three and four to scan it. This means it looks into packets and packet segments sent over the network. This enables the VoIP firewall to block threats while maintaining high levels of security for high traffic volumes.
Examine Your Router’s Capabilities
What is your router’s capacity? How many megabits per second (Mbps) can your router handle without crashing?
In a nutshell, your VoIP network is responsible for both voice and video data, which require different amounts of Mb / second.
Assume that one in every five people makes a 1-megabit-per-second voice call and one in every seven makes a 100-megabit-per-second video conference call. Multiply the number of voice and video callers by a minimum of 5 Mbps, and then multiply that number again. That’s the minimum amount of Mbps your router needs to handle traffic without causing problems.
VPNs Assess Security Levels
Last but not least, the “Session-Initiated Protocol (SIP)” transport mechanism used by VoIP is still vulnerable to various security issues. SIP can be secured technically by encrypting the stream and routing it through a VPN (Virtual Private Network). However, this is only for a single call. What about making multiple calls at once?
That is something that your service provider is responsible for. Discuss how the vendor can provide an adequate security solution for the VoIP traffic you receive. You and the service provider must work together to ensure that encryption measures do not degrade call quality.
A VoIP network needs proper connections, enough bandwidth, and the right network equipment to perform at its best. It may appear to be too much trouble at times. Still, when you consider the cost savings and flexibility you will achieve after implementing VoIP, such difficulties will appear to be well worth your investment.
So, if you’re thinking about migrating to VoIP, give Aavaz PBX a call.
Aavaz is a one-stop-shop for all of your telephony requirements. Businesses of all sizes can use Avaaz to switch from traditional phone systems to cost-effective cloud-based VoIP phone systems.
Aavaz FreePBX offers fully customizable integrated communication and collaboration solutions that will not only help your company survive but thrive.
