If you’re familiar with Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), you’ve probably heard how it’s cost effective, how it’s feature-rich, and how it enables you to both streamline communications and enhance customer interactions. While those are all excellent benefits, none of them help you if you can’t hear the other person. Making sure you can actually speak to the person on the other end of the line is the foundation of any voice communication, so that has to be secured before your business can benefit from all the other advantages VoIP offers.
In this article, we’ll go over some tips to help you always get clear and efficient calls through your VoIP solution.
Invest in better internet
The foundation of any reliable VoIP solution is fast, high-quality internet. Ensure that your organization has a robust and stable internet connection with sufficient bandwidth to handle all your VoIP traffic. Consider upgrading to a business-grade internet service provider (ISP) that offers dedicated bandwidth, low latency, and uptime guarantees in their service level agreements (SLAs). Remember to do your research, shop around, and get recommendations from IT professionals and industry peers you trust.
Choose the right VoIP provider
Selecting the right VoIP provider is just as critical to achieving clear and reliable calls as getting the right ISP. Look for a provider with a positive and consistent track record by checking reviews, testimonials, and recommendations from respected IT experts.
When making a selection, you need to consider various factors, such as the quality of a provider’s network infrastructure, their number of data centers, and integrated redundancy measures to ensure high availability and resilience. Additionally, look for advanced features such as high-definition voice, echo cancellation, and other tools to enhance call quality.
Optimize network configuration
If VoIP handles a vital function in your workplace, then it should be appropriately prioritized in your IT infrastructure. Optimize your network configuration to prioritize VoIP traffic and minimize potential sources of interference or congestion. Your IT department or IT services provider can configure settings on your routers and switches to accomplish this. You can also have them implement network segmentation to separate voice and data traffic to further reduce network congestion.
Invest in robust and compatible hardware
Ultimately, your meticulously configured software still needs something physical to carry the signal and make it audible. Ensure that your VoIP phones, headsets, and other hardware devices are properly configured and fully compatible with your VoIP systems. Also, ensure your network utilizes high-quality Ethernet cables and Power over Ethernet (PoE) switches to ensure reliable power and connectivity for any devices you use your VoIP solution with. If calls are integral to your business processes, consider procuring a VoIP-optimized router or gateway to prioritize VoIP traffic and optimize call quality at the hardware level.
Observe and report
While obtaining and configuring the requisite infrastructure is vital to VoIP quality, you also need to maintain your VoIP systems. Use VoIP monitoring tools to track key performance metrics, including call quality scores, call duration, and call completion rates. Analyze call logs and quality reports to identify recurring issues, diagnose root causes, and implement corrective actions if necessary. You can also get data through the traditional way by asking employees and customers who use your VoIP system about their experiences and what could be improved.
Don’t be afraid to call the experts
In addition to the methods disclosed above, it’s a worthwhile investment to bring on expert VoIP consultants. They have the experience, expertise, and tools to address VoIP issues, ensuring call quality. VoIP providers and technicians can advise you on network configuration, hardware selection, and VoIP system evaluation.
If you’re in DC, Maryland, Virginia, or North Carolina, contact outsourceIT. We’re a leading IT services provider with decades of experience in VoIP and all other fields of business technology.
