Finding the right VoIP provider
The key things to look out for/consider in selecting a VoIP provider are:
Price/cost – whilst a very important factor to businesses, price should never be the sole driver. Today’s competitive marketplace means that price differences are mexico telegram getting smaller anyway. Rather than pure cost, it is value for money that should be the focus.
Service – clearly you will require a high quality and reliable service.
Customer support – your provider should have a knowledgeable customer service team that is available 24/7.
Extra features – many providers include features such as call forwarding, conference calling, and caller ID at no extra cost.
Once you have chosen a provider, one of the first steps is to prepare your network so that it’s ready for the new system. The following steps are important:
1.
It’s vital to allocate the correct amount of bandwidth to VoIP to ensure optimal results are obtained. This means understanding what bandwidth you need. Requirements depend mostly on the number of VoIP clients (phones), together with the number of concurrent calls you want to be able to make. You can determine your bandwidth by running tests on a website such as Speedtest.
When it comes to connection – DSL is a thing of the past. A fibre T1 line or a coax cable connection is significantly faster. The faster the internet connection used with a VoIP system, the better the call quality will be.
Today’s most commonly offered internet speed options for business are 75, 100, and 150Mbps. 75Mbps should be adequate for businesses requiring 20 connections or less. For businesses with more than 20 connections, choosing 150Mbps will give greater reliability as well as reducing the burden of the VoIP service on the network infrastructure.
2. Assess your network infrastructure/look to replace outdated equipment
To guarantee the optimal results from VoIP, you will need more than just fast internet access; your core network infrastructure is also important. Outdated network infrastructures are one of the main barriers to VoIP success.
If some of your equipment is ageing, it may well be worth looking at upgrading the parts of the infrastructure that are key to the network performance, such as the routing and switching equipment. If you do decide to replace any equipment, it is worth paying for decent branded products for reliability, longevity and to ensure good call quality. Network segmentation originates at the router, so it is worth investing in a high-quality router with QoS features.