Companies are changing their traditional landlines to virtual phone systems for good reason. VoIP systems require a smaller initial investment, are cheaper overall, and come packed with useful features that improve the professionalism of any customer service team. Virtual phone systems convert analog sound waves into digital signals for transmission over the internet. In other words, employees need only a computer to make calls, eliminating the need for desk phones. However, there are many ways to set up a VoIP system, and just as many aspects to consider when building such a system for a company. Wi-Fi is one approach, and although it provides higher mobility compared to other methods, a few things need to be considered to guarantee excellent call quality.
How to set up a VoIP for your business
Setting up a VoIP system is child’s play – employees just need to have access to the internet and install the softphone software on their devices. However, companies that have a considerable number of employees or want to continue using desk phones have to follow a different route to maintain call quality.
The very first thing organizations need to consider when getting a VoIP system is their internet connection speed. Most providers have a dedicated page allowing prospects to test their connections to see if they’re fast enough to support a VoIP system. Passing this test is imperative to have crystal-clear calls without stutter or lag.
VoIP dedicated routers
Getting a VoIP-dedicated router is also essential, since these routers are more intelligent when allocating internet bandwidth. Conventional routers don’t understand when internet traffic is being used to make a phone call, and won’t prioritize it. As a result, if an employee is making a call while another is downloading a file, the former may experience difficulties when talking to their customer. VoIP-dedicated routers solve this problem by giving priority to calls. Of course, companies will also have to connect their PBX server to the same router to handle internal calls.
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If your company already has a traditional phone system in place, there’s a high probability that it won’t want to discard all those desk phones. Fortunately, there are adapters on the market that enable traditional phones to work over a VoIP system. Analog terminal adapters have both a phone jack and an ethernet jack. By connecting the phone to the adapter and the adapter to the router, landline phones get connected to the VoIP provider and will work without problems.
Setting up IP phones
IP phones are specially built for VoIP systems. Instead of a phone jack, they already incorporate an ethernet jack that can be directly connected to the internet router.
Why you should set up VoIP over wireless
Nowadays, it’s hard to imagine our lives without Wi-Fi. The days where we could only connect to the internet through an ethernet cable are long gone, and companies know well how mobility is imperative to improve workflow. After all, why should our phones be accessible only from our desks? Regardless of whether employees use the softphone app on their devices or on actual Wi-Fi desk phones, there are many benefits to running calls over wireless.
Mobility
The main reason to opt for a wireless VoIP system setup is employee mobility. Staff can be performing other tasks while still speaking with a colleague or customer. Let’s say a customer service agent is on a call with a customer, and they need to run over to the printer to get an important document to close the customer’s order. With a wireless connection, they can do so without asking the client to wait a few minutes and kill the call flow.
Fewer costs
Having a wired system comes with many costs. If you have a system that doesn’t require wires, installation, equipment, and maintenance expenses decrease significantly.
Streamlined work environment
The lack of wires also improves the work environment. VoIP systems set up over Wi-Fi don’t require dozens of connection cables everywhere. This makes the workplace tidier and less confusing, boosting overall productivity.
Two things to keep in mind when setting up VoIP over Wi-Fi
There are some downsides to setting up a VoIP over a wireless connection, though using Wi-Fi comes with more benefits than these drawbacks, which can be overcome by implementing the correct measures.
Wi-Fi connections are less secure
Telephone calls made over a wireless connection are transmitted through airwaves instead of cables, and are therefore easier to intercept. For this reason, it’s essential to ensure that the Wi-Fi network has been properly secured with authentication and encryption. VPNs are an excellent option since they provide end-to-end encryption, even when using public Wi-Fi. It’s essential that the VPN provider is capable of offering decent speeds to ensure high-quality calls, though.
Call quality degradation
It’s no surprise that internet connections are weaker when connected over wireless instead of ethernet cables. Running a VoIP system over Wi-Fi can degrade call quality since it requires an excellent connection throughout the entire call. For this reason, companies should invest in routers with strong Wi-Fi capabilities and ensure there’s a strong Wi-Fi signal throughout their facilities.
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