VoIP Equipment Guide

No specialized gadgets are required to place VoIP calls, but investing in some quality equipment can certainly elevate your user experience. Want to hear the best news? You don’t need to buy all the latest hardware on the market to make a difference.

This guide is designed to walk you through the most value-for-money options businesses opt in for to support their needs. So let’s dive right in!

Types of VoIP Equipment for Business

When you’re integrating VoIP into your day-to-day business communication, you need to keep two things in mind. Firstly, it should be easy and convenient to take and make calls. Secondly, exceptional call quality is key for smooth conversion of leads into sales.

Below you can find equipment designed to help you achieve both and maximize your business potential:

1. PBX

A PBX, or Private Branch Exchange, is a phone system used by businesses and organizations to route calls internally. The PBX handles all of the calls made within the organization, as well as any incoming or outgoing calls to external numbers. PBX systems can either be on-premise or cloud-based. On-premise PBX systems are installed and managed in the office while cloud-based PBX systems are hosted off-site by a third-party provider.

2. VoIP Phones

VoIP phones are designed to make and receive calls over the internet, rather than a traditional phone line.

Hardphones

Even though VoIP hardphones resemble the same gadgets we’ve been using for decades (including keypad, handset and display screen), they offer a lot more flexibility. Most come built-in with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections, as well as call queues, call forwarding and call holding features. These can be either cordless or wired, depending on your own preference.

Softphones

Softphone, on the other hand, is a program-run software that can be installed and used on laptops, tablets and even smartphones. Softphones generally can be used from anywhere with a broadband connection. It provides a perfect setup especially for those businesses that have their employees working away from the office a lot. They also tend to be more affordable than hardphones as they require no maintenance and installation costs.

3. VoIP Routers

When you make a VoIP call, your voice is converted into digital signals. These signals are then broken down and packetized into little chunks of data that contain information about its source and destination. This is where the routers come in. Their job is to forward packets to their correct destination over the internet.

The router uses a list of all the destinations it can reach, called a routing table, to determine its best route. The router then forwards the packets to the next stop on their journey, and by forwarding packets to their respective destinations, the two-way communication is enabled.

There are two main types of routers you should consider for your business:

• Hardware router – can either be wired using Ethernet cables to connect to devices or wireless when they use radio signals.
• Software router – a program that can be installed on any computer to route communication between different devices. These are very versatile and can be customized to meet your exact needs.

Needless to say, both router types have their pros and cons. Hardware routers are typically more expensive, but they offer better performance and stability. Software routers are usually less expensive, but they also have the tendency to be less reliable. Both of them also have firewall features that protect the network from outside threats making them an essential part of your VoIP equipment.

4. VoIP Headsets

You can also make calls using a headset instead of a phone. An earpiece with a microphone near your mouth are the two essential parts. You can simply plug them into your computer’s sound card and enable hands-free calling, which can be useful especially if you are taking notes or multitasking while on the phone. Plus, most modern headphones feature noise-canceling and echo reduction technology to improve the quality of your calls, so you can really kill two birds with one stone.

Generally, there are two popular types: wired and Bluetooth.

Wired

These headsets offer limited flexibility since the agent is still tied to a desk. However, when it comes down to the sound quality and connection reliability – it is often difficult to outmatch them. Plus, since these are always plugged in, there’s no need to worry about the battery dying halfway through the call!

Bluetooth Headset

A Bluetooth headset connects wirelessly to your device using Bluetooth technology. They’re more expensive than USB headsets but they offer more mobility since you’re not stuck in front of your computer.

Apart from the wired USB or wireless Bluetooth types, headsets can also be monaural, binaural, or convertible.

• Monaural Headsets – a single-ear headphones that allow you to hear the caller in one ear and your surroundings through the other. They’re very lightweight and comfortable to wear for long periods.
• Binaural Headsets – a two-ear headsets that offer better sound quality since they block out ambient noise. They’re a bit more expensive than monaural headphones but are worth the investment if you’re looking for clear audio quality.
• Convertible Headsets – these can be worn as either monaural or binaural headsets. They’re a great option if you need the flexibility to switch between the two depending on your needs.

VoIP Equipment For Home Office Employees

If you work from home, in addition to VoIP equipment suggested earlier, you must make sure that you always have a dependable phone line. You might not want the hassle (and expense) of maintaining two separate phone services, so here are other equipment that can help you to convert

1. Analog Telephone Adapter (ATA)

This piece of equipment is used to connect a regular telephone to a VoIP network. It converts the analog signals of your regular phone into digital signals that can be transmitted over the internet.

2. Ethernet Cable

This is a cable that’s used to connect IP phones to the internet and it’s important to use the right type of Ethernet cable to avoid signal interference. The Power over Ethernet Injector (PoE) can be used to provide power to the Ethernet cable.

3. Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS)

The UPS provides backup power to all equipment in case of a power outage. This is useful in areas where power outages are common.

The Most Common VoIP Hardware Brands

There are many brands on the market, but some of the most popular names on the market include:

Yealink

Yealink was founded back in 2001, and over the years it has asserted itself as a global provider of UC and collaboration solutions. Yealink is used in over 100 countries and includes a comprehensive range of devices that can fit the needs of small and large companies equally well.

Snom

Snom offers reliable VoIP equipment at an affordable price. This includes hardware products such as desk phones, wireless phones, audio conference devices, headsets, amongst other accessories. The company takes pride in equipping their products with the latest technologies to ensure high-end experience for their end-users.

Fanvil

Fanvil has been around since 2002 and has secured itself a spot as one of the leading VoIP equipment providers. These are generally cost-effective products that provide ultimate value for money to the enterprise customers, even though these remain accessible for any level user.

Final Words

Investing in VoIP equipment can help improve productivity, making it easier to communicate with colleagues and clients. Plus, everyone on the call will without a doubt appreciate elevated sound quality and a variety of additional features. To find out more, head over to VoIP-info.org and check out more blog posts to further advance your business communication.