Q: Why should I use a VoIP Phone System?
A: With VoIP you can:
- Avoid buying an expensive phone system
- Have phone extensions in multiple locations
- Make calls between remote offices without cost
- Have inbound numbers in different area codes - be local in yellow pages but a single office
- Have a flexible voicemail system with SMS and Email
- Have unlimited capacity for calls - grow quickly
- Get detailed call statistics
- Ring different phones in your office at different times of day
Q: Do I have to have broadband to use it?
A: Yes, ISDN and dialup modem users may find the sound quality is much more variable.
On an ADSL line with 256k upstream, you can get 3 to 4 concurrent calls. When using our service in a busy office of upto 10 people, customers typically dedicate one broadband service to their phone provision.
Q: What about call quality?
A: With an ADSL connection, the call quality is usually good
If customers have sufficient bandwidth to operate the service correctly, they will experience excellent call quality. A good rule of thumb is that you can have 4 concurrent calls per broadband line.
When installing a VoIP system, you should check to see how much bandwidth is available on your Internet service. You should note that, with ADSL, the circuit speed is asymmetric, which means that whilst you may have two megabits (or similar) going down stream (from the Internet to you), you typically get much less going upstream (from you to the Internet).
If you have a large office in an area that is served well by broadband services then you might consider a symmetrical Internet service, such as a leased line or SDSL, which can be very cost effective in metropolitan areas.
Q: How reliable is the equipment?
A: There are a number of factors that affect reliability
1. The service providers server equipment. Typically, VoIP servers are in their first or second generation of development and are not yet as mature as the more traditional telephony infrastructure; therefore, as with all computers, they are liable to develop problems on odd occasions. The service providers are keen to ensure that reliability is a key objective and many have intelligent monitoring and "instant reboot" systems, so that if anything does go wrong, it is automatically detected and fixed within a few seconds, thus helping to ensure the minimum of down time.
2. The telephones themselves. Most VoIP phones have been developed by new manufacturers and the phones themselves can contain problems such as bugs and audio issues. However, as the market matures and VoIP phones are deployed in tens of thousands of units, so the manufacturers who produce good quality VoIP phones are gaining an increasing market share, with the result that these problems are increasingly rare.
3. The Internet connection itself can cause a problem. For example, if it goes down you may lose your VoIP phone connection. As discussed previously, it is important to ensure you have a back-up (e.g. can your service provider divert inbound calls to your mobile phone) and sufficient bandwidth to ensure good quality of service.
Q: Can I use my existing numbers?
A: Yes, probably if you are within the Greater London area
If this doesn't apply to you then you can apply for a new number in your area to which you could redirect your existing number. You can use your existing number as your caller id to be displayed when making outgoing calls.
Q: What type of number can I have?
A: There is lots of choice here
You can have any geographically located number with area code beginning 01 or 02. If you want to choose your own memorable number you might be charged a small premium otherwise you will be provided with a number in your chosen area. You can also have 0845 and 0800 numbers.
Q: How many numbers will I need?
A: That depends....
...on how many calls you expect to have at anyone time and whether you want DDI in which case it's one per person. A single number gives you 2 calls, one inbound and one outbound and can have up to 10 internal extentions.
Q: Can I redirect to another phone number or Voicemail?
A: Yes. You will probably have to pay the cost of diverting (which is usually a standard outgoing call).
Q: Will my VoIP phone work if the power fails?
A: No
Ordinary phones do not need a separate power connection, but as VoIP relies on your internet connection, if your broadband router has no power, your phone won't work either.
Q: Are there any phone numbers that VoIP phones can't call?
A: You can phone most phone numbers, apart from premium numbers
The big exception is the emergency services. You can't call 999 on a VoIP phone at present, so in an emergency you would need to also have a mobile or landline.
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