If you are not familiar with Voice Over IP services or VoIP, you will be very soon. This web-based service is quickly taking over as old modes of telephony become extinct. Switching to VoIP means more than just keeping up with the trends. It could mean priming your network for the radically digital future.
There are nearly 6 billion devices included now in the world’s ‘Internet of Things’ (from heart monitors to home security systems). All of these devices play a key role in our lives but they also cause a strain on networks. With VoIP being delivered over the internet, it becomes imperative that the network it is connected to is safe, strong and able to withstand the impending strain. The resilience of a network is dependent on many factors.
In order to understand what a network requires to be resilient, it is important to point out the difference between resilience and redundancy. Redundancy refers to a way of ensuring network availability in case an incident occurs or a device fails. Duplicating the network’s physical equipment such as routers and cables achieves redundancy. But in order for the network to be resilient, it must be able to recover quickly and maintain a normal level of service when faced with a disruption.
It is particularly important to keep network resilience in mind when using VoIP telephony as a disturbance could drastically affect voice quality and lead to bad reception. Get your network up to speed for a VoIP system by examining the following factors.
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Your Type of Internet Connection
- Make sure that your connection is strong and has a high upload speed. You may consider upgrading if you’re currently operating with only a basic connection.
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Your Projected Growth
- Consider where your company will potentially be in the coming years. If you plan on rapid growth, it makes sense to allow for your network to handle many users. If you’re not planning to expand any time soon, then keeping your number of users small is your best option. It is important to note that the amount of users in your network (whether in-office or remote) can impact your bandwidth requirements.
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Ports Per User
- This metric will determine the type of phones you will need. There are benefits to having both one port and two or more ports, but the latter often offers more clear-cut reliability.
Once you have strengthened your network, you’re ready to explore your options with a VoIP system!