[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/univista.com\/posts\/the-ping-voip-best-practices\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/univista.com\/posts\/the-ping-voip-best-practices\/","headline":"The Ping: VoIP Best Practices","name":"The Ping: VoIP Best Practices","description":"ShareTweet So, now that you\u2019ve made the decision to switch to VoIP, you\u2019ll need to compare the details of your current phone configuration with the new phone configuration.\u00a0 Here are a few of the key issues to address with your vendor: Connection Type While a coax connection has always been the less expensive route, fiber […]","datePublished":"2018-08-24","dateModified":"2018-08-24","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/univista.com\/posts\/author\/corie-bogan\/#Person","name":"Corie Bogan","url":"https:\/\/univista.com\/posts\/author\/corie-bogan\/","identifier":5,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1cc33ae534ef31a23f9281fa0d638eb45e31ff2282dc8fabaf8cec72af5f1961?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1cc33ae534ef31a23f9281fa0d638eb45e31ff2282dc8fabaf8cec72af5f1961?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"UniVista","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/univista.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Univista-Logo-e1522352689794.png","url":"https:\/\/univista.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Univista-Logo-e1522352689794.png","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/univista.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Canned-Phone.jpg","url":"https:\/\/univista.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Canned-Phone.jpg","height":1280,"width":1920},"url":"https:\/\/univista.com\/posts\/the-ping-voip-best-practices\/","about":["business management","cloud","compliance","network","planning","The Ping"],"wordCount":670,"articleBody":"ShareTweet                                        So, now that you\u2019ve made the decision to switch to VoIP, you\u2019ll need to compare the details of your current phone configuration with the new phone configuration.\u00a0 Here are a few of the key issues to address with your vendor:Connection TypeWhile a coax connection has always been the less expensive route, fiber has come a long way in lowering its costs. If you\u2019re in the Central Texas area, coax connections have become saturated.\u00a0 The more Austin grows, the more businesses are adding Internet.\u00a0 That amount continues to be shared across the city, but with more and more users.\u00a0 Since this is NOT a dedicated (to you) connection, this can cause Internet traffic to slow and potentially make your VoIP connection less clear. With hosted VoIP, you will want your connection to your host smooth and fast.\u00a0 Remember, hosted providers can boast about their connection and multisite locations as a sellingpoint, but it is only as fast and as efficient as the connection YOU are using to get there!NetworkIs your equipment VoIP ready and able to manage the additional traffic?\u00a0 Sounds simple enough, right?\u00a0 However, there are still a lot of questions that you need to have answers for: \tDo you have managed switches or unmanaged switches? \tIs your switch PoE (power over Ethernet)? \tSome VoIP desk phones require PoE, while some allow you the option to use a power brick. \tPro \u2013 A few power bricks may be cheaper than replacing a switch. \tCon \u2013 Power bricks take away from your already limited amount of wall outlets and add cable clutter. \tDo you have VLANs in place? \tThink of VLANs (or Virtual LANs) like the new toll lanes on MoPac.\u00a0 Both Southbound and Northbound have multiple lane types, allowing us to travel either in a regular lane or the dedicated toll lane.\u00a0 Now consider the toll lane as being only for voice traffic and the regular lanes are for data traffic.\u00a0 Congestion in the \u201cdata lanes\u201d won\u2019t affect the dedicated \u201cvoice lane.\u201d\u00a0 They are separated by the type of information passed along, and the best practice is to use separate VLANs for your voice and data traffic.Hosted or On PremisesThere are many factors to consider when deciding between hosted VoIP and on-premises equipment which we get more in depth with on our previous blog post, The Ping: Cloud VS On Premises. If you keep your VoIP on premises you have more direct control of your setup, but it comes with a larger up-front cost. Going to the Cloud allows you stay up-to-date with software updates and upgrades, but has a month-to-month continuous cost.Session Border ControllerAn SBC, or Session Border Controller, was designed to create a more solid connection between you and your secondary location. It is carrier agnostic, meaning it doesn\u2019t care if one site uses AT&T Fiber and another uses Grande Fiber.\u00a0 A SBC is considered a best practice in businesses that have multiple sites.\u00a0 An SBC essentially works to keep connections active as to create a more stable connection between two callers.\u00a0 Some hosted providers should offer this.\u00a0 If they do not, a great question to pose would be to determine how they can maintain an SLA (service level agreement), which is their commitment in regards to quality, availability, and responsibilities between their service and you.ReviewTo summarize, it\u2019s important to evaluate your environment and make plans that will provide the best VoIP experience possible.\u00a0 It can be frustrating and distracting to hear echoes, fluctuating volume, and choppy noises on phone calls.\u00a0 Computers benefit from buffering and read-ahead to smooth out flaky or high-latency connections, but this isn\u2019t an option for real-time telephone communication.\u00a0 By looking carefully at your network and planning appropriately, however, you can take advantage of the many features of VoIP without any of the potential headaches.\u00a0 If you have any questions, contact your UniVista Account Manager today! Your UniVista Team*Celebrating 20 Years of Customer Satisfaction*ShareTweet                                        "},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Posts","item":"https:\/\/univista.com\/posts\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The Ping: VoIP Best Practices","item":"https:\/\/univista.com\/posts\/the-ping-voip-best-practices\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]