IP Telephony features are not always “plug-and-play.” Rather, they must be configured to function properly. This is equally true when dealing with quality of service (QoS) on a network that transmits both data and voice (i.e., a converged network).

Companies commonly find that when they install their VoIP system on a preexisting data network, it works great at first. Days or weeks later, however, users complain of poor voice quality and intermittent disconnections. The network has not changed, so what’s going on?

In this article, we’ll see why QoS is a fundamental part of your network design for voice, and examine five configurations that should always be employed to achieve high-quality voice on a converged network.

Product Review

Thanks to VoIP technology, it’s the software, not the hardware, that takes a starring role in a business telephony system. And the sophistication of the software can turn even an entry-level endpoint into a full-service telephony device with the robust feature set that in the past was only available on more expensive phones. For micro- and small businesses that want high-end functionality on an entry-level endpoint with a small price tag, Grandstream has you covered with the GXP1610 and GXP1615 1-line IP phones.

Product Review

Since launching its GWN7610 Wi-Fi access point in 2016, Grandstream has grown its GWN Series to include a range of access points plus a Gigabit VPN router to offer a complete wired and Wi-Fi solution. In addition to the GWN7610 enterprise access point (“AP”) we reviewed in 2016, Grandstream has since launched the GWN7600 mid-range AP, the GWN7600LR outdoor long-range Wi-Fi AP, and the FWN7000 enterprise multi-WAN Gigabit VPN router. We take a look at the full series in this article.

Your customer using a legacy phone system decides to switch to voice over internet protocol (VoIP). They install an IP PBX and buy some IP phones. Great, they’re all set, right? Wrong. Without configuring their data network for quality of service (QoS), they will experience a severe deterioration in voice quality and may regret making the decision to switch. Yes, the IP PBX and the IP endpoints will already be configured for QoS. But what about other parts of the network like the pre-existing routers, switches and firewall? All it takes is one missing link for the whole system to be compromised.

QoS is a big topic. In this article, we’ll look at two main approaches to QoS: IntServ and DiffServ, their strengths and limitations, and when to use which one.

Over the past few weeks we’ve looked at different ways to structure multisite VoIP deployments. The truth is, each business is unique and sometimes a customized architecture is needed. In this article we look at a hybrid solution. A hybrid call processing deployment allows you to craft a solution that is perfectly tailored to a specific customer’s needs.

Last week, we discussed centralized call processing and its benefits and potential pitfalls. In this article, we’ll examine another type of telephony infrastructure design for multisite enterprises: distributed call processing.

Enterprises with multiple sites have a variety of options when it comes to their IP telephony infrastructure. Which setup will best meet their needs depends on the answers to questions such as:

• Where should the call processing take place?
• Where should calls to the PSTN exit the network?
• Where should incoming calls connect to the corporate network?

These decisions depend on the nature of the underlying network infrastructure that will carry the IP telephony services, as well as other considerations such as the location of the remote sites, the dial plan, and cost.

In this article, we discuss the centralized call processing model and how to avoid common complications with its deployment.

Product Review

Last week, Yealink launched the W53P DECT IP phone package and the WF50 Wi-Fi dongle for IP phones. These products further enrich Yealink’s suite of wireless enterprise solutions. We take a look at both of these products in this article.

Implementing telephony solutions in an enterprise environment can be daunting. The level of difficulty and complexity usually escalates with the number of end users. Implementing a telephony solution in a multisite environment takes the complexity to a different level altogether.

In this article we offer up some tips for streamlining the implementation of a multisite VoIP deployment so the company can derive the maximum benefit from the solution.

The world is changing. Businesses are moving from a workforce that is chained to a desk for eight hours a day, five days a week to a more flexible employment model. This flexibility means that much of a company’s workforce may be spread throughout a city or even throughout the planet at any given time. Although this has been shown to improve employee productivity, certain tasks are more efficient when accomplished face to face.

This phenomenon has caused videoconferencing to go from nice to have to essential in businesses of all sizes.

To meet the needs of a dispersed workforce, Yealink has developed one of the most flexible, cost-effective and feature-rich set of solutions on the market. This article reviews Yealink’s videoconferencing systems, including its innovative cloud-based VCMS platform.