This article talks about why network optimization is important for VOIP success.
In the early stages of VoIP, most companies would set up two networks in order to ensure good voice quality with one network dedicated to voice, and the other for data. This is no longer needed due to the fact that most modern firewalls are now capable of prioritizing voice traffic and ensuring that other activities do not compromise the amount of bandwidth needed for good voice quality. Most companies today handle voice and data in a single network.
The task of handling voice and data in one network while reserving the necessary bandwidth for voice is what we refer to as network optimization. Another term used is Quality of Service (QoS). Network optimization is critical in a VoIP deployment in order to avoid the risk of having a single program or application using too much bandwidth. For example, people in an office that might be completing heavy downloads, streaming videos, updating applications, etc., can potentially jeopardize call quality on the VoIP network as these occupy most of the available bandwidth when the network has not been optimized.
When coming to GreenLink, we make sure to offer clear and direct guidelines to your IT resources or MSP so they can prioritize voice traffic over data. This way, every time someone is on the phone, they will be using dedicated bandwidth.
When a network is not optimized, there could be periods of jitter, latency, the phone sounds muffled or underwater.
After the network has been optimized ask your IT department to test out your network, looking for:
- Bandwidth distribution
- Network speed
- Quality of audio
- Voice priority over data
Testing your connection and network is the most basic and efficient way to determine what the quality of your VoIP system will be. If you are experiencing packet loss, a jittery signal, slow connection, or low download, and upload speed, is best to know beforehand.
Important!
-Make sure that your company network was optimized using a corporate-grade firewall.
-For employees working remotely, keep in mind that they will not be a part of this optimized network. Their quality will depend on what is happening at the local home network and will be affected by activities such as video, music streaming, online gaming, downloads, and another activity.
If the network is optimized and you still are experiencing quality issues.
- Open a service ticket with our customer support team by emailing help@greenlinknetworks.com and include a call sample. For information on what a call sample is go to the article: What is a call sample?
- Our customer support team might need to escalate to your IT company and have them look at some of the following areas:
- Has the network been optimized?
- Are backups running during the day?
- Is the internet connection reliable?
- Are you getting the amount of bandwidth that you are supposed to?
For more information, questions or to request our Network Optimization Guide click here!