Posted on Thu, Jan 19, 2012 @ 08:12 AM
Up to Two Hours of Free VoIP Troubleshooting with an Atris Engineer. More information below.
Static (or hissing, popping, echoes, skipping, etc.) on an IP phone or system has many causes and there really is no one solution that can instantaneously fix the majority of these issues. In many cases, people spend most of their time trying to isolate what the problem actually is (not counting the time that they are panicking!). Solutions are still relatively complicated in any VoIP network but at least you have a starting point when you know what you are dealing with.
Do you need more bandwidth? This is the first thought that everyone has - if you don't have enough internet capacity, the flow of the voice packets will be interrupted and you could hear chatter and static. And the answer is . . . maybe, but it depends (really, really, really). There are a lot of other factors involved such as do you have VoIP or SIP, do you have a dedicated circuit for voice (i.e., only voice calls are on that connection) or are your data/internet and voice connections separate, do you have dumb switches or managed switches, do you have a firewalls (and if you do, are the settings correct?), etc. Adding more bandwidth by itself RARELY fixes a static issue.
Could this be my VoIP carrier, my SIP provider, my internet service, or something else OUTSIDE of my system? Yes, yes, yes, and yes. Everything inside your system might be operating normally but the VoIP calls may be encountering interference outside of your offices. This is a frustrating situation because it requires you to simultaneously exclude your own network while having outside parties confirm the origination of the issue within their own platform (this is how the "it's not us, it must be you" starts).
Would a spike in traffic or excessive traffic on my network affect VoIP? Yes but again, don't jump to conclusions. If your organization experiences unusually large surges in data at specific times or only on some days, you may want to check if you have any business processes occuring at the same time. You can also ask check your network traffic to see if anyone (or maybe more than one) is downloading movies or streaming music. See if a pattern emerges and then, once identified, if you can have the traffic activity modified.
So the takeaway is that even if you've excluded many possibilities, this is not a 'deductive' thought process (i.e., "it's not an of these causes, so this other thing must be the problem"). When a particular cause is excluded, all it means is that one particular cause is not 'the' cause. And by the way, only exclude things when you are 100% sure they can be excluded - otherwise you'll create a 'busy' loop for yourself that just wastes your time and leads you down many false garden paths.
Atris will provide your organization with up to TWO HOURS of FREE TROUBLESHOOTING with an Atris VoIP engineer. We know how frustrated you are. Simply contact us at info@atris.biz or call our offices, provide some basic information about your systems and as much detail as you can about the problems you are experiencing (what it is, how it came about, when it occurs, any patterns, how your network is set up, who is your VoIP/telecom/internet provider and how are you receiving service, do you have VoIP or SIP, do you have separate voice and data networks, what are your internet speeds, etc.), and one of our network technicians will be happy to speak with you.
Posted on Mon, Jan 02, 2012 @ 12:58 PM
Traditional telephony has become very expensive in terms of maintenance, component replacement, and expansion costs and it lacks the capabilities that businesses simply must have in today's marketplace. No longer do nimble - or profitbale - organizations of any size have a 'phone guy' who comes by the office to repair a line or install a voicemail card in the phone system or update the music on hold.
With VoIP, all of this is done instantly and easily using a mouse to 'point-and-click' on different boxes to activate or deactivate different features. It also makes troubleshooting much faster and the organization more efficient.
VoIP may be worth considering:
- If you're planning on growing your company's revenues and you perceive communications as playing a significant role in increasing your productivity and reducing costs.
- Your company is likely to occupy new office space in the next 3-12 months.
- Expansion to additional locations is part of your strategic plan.
- Customers and clients are unable to reach associates immediately if there is an urgent need and you are interested in exploring other methods of having them stay connected with you and you with them.
- Messages left on your company voicemail system aren't being returned promptly and there is no workable solution to this issue at the present time.
- Your company employs at-home workers or would like to explore the advantages and opportunities of telecommuting.
- Telephone and/or voice automation aligns with your business priorities.
- Employees routinely ask for more capabilities than the current phone system can provide.
- Your company could benefit from having text messaging, teleconferencing, and videoconferencing available to workers.
- Present communications expenditures may be excessive and cost reduction is of interest.
The future of business communications is VoIP service and systems. Successful companies of all sizes now consider incorporating communications planning into their strategic vision a mission-critical task that must be a part of routine operations. By making innovative use of VoIP technology and efficiencies, your organization can maintain a significant competitive advantage 'moat' (to use Warren Buffet's term) for the long term.
Posted on Tue, Dec 13, 2011 @ 12:04 PM
You hear static, crackling, hissing, or popping on your VoIP or IP phone. Maybe some other background noise is preventing you from hearing the person you are talking to without seemingly random - or at least unpredictable - breaks in the conversation. It is driving you insane and hurting your business but you don't want to call your carrier, internet provider, IT, or telecom person because they'll also drive you crazy (most likely by saying "it's not me"). Besides, you've got a business to run and work to do and you don't really have any time to dedicate to this.
The problem may be with your handset or the cord from the handset to the phone itself (no matter the brand - NEC, Polycom, etc). To see if this is the case, you'll need to replace the handset and cord from your phone with the handset and cord from another phone. First, disconnect the cord from the back of your phone and place that handset and cord aside. Go to another phone in the office, disconnect the cord from the back of that phone, and bring both the handset and cord from that phone over to your phone. Connect the new cord to your telephone and place the handset in the cradle. Now, make a few calls. If your calls are clear, you've likely identified and solved the problem.
To confirm that your original handset and/or cord was the cause, connect the original handset and cord to the phone on the other side of the room and make some calls. If you hear the static or crackling, you've found and fixed the issue. And if you really are into this, you can use the same "exclusion" process to see if the problem is with the handset itself or with cord by swapping the handsets and then cords to see which one causes your phone calls to become inaudible.
Don't forget to order a new handset and/or cord!
And if you want an answer to any other VoIP troublshooting question, send me an email at info@atris.biz - messages with the most information generally result in a more accurate response!
Posted on Mon, Dec 05, 2011 @ 02:27 PM
You have a situation. Your VoIP (or IP) phone doesn't work and you're not exactly sure what to do. Mostly you don't want to damage the phone, your internet connection, or anything else but you'd like to start receiving and placing phone calls again without having to contact your IT department, submit a repair request, or contact an outside vendor.
99% of IP phone problems can be fixed by following these 3 easy steps. Step 1 resolves the issue 98% of the time.
1. Reboot the phone. You can accomplish this by picking the phone up, turning it over, and disconnecting the Cat 5 (computer) cable and the power supply (if your phone has one - it may get its power through the Cat 5 cable). If you're not sure which cable is what, disconnect all of them. Make sure you note which cable or cord goes to which port/jack so you reconnect everything correctly. Wait 30 seconds and plug everything back in. The phone should restart and, once it has completed the reboot process, try making and receiving calls.
2. Check to make sure your IP phone has an internet signal. The easiest way to do this is to disconnect the Cat. 5 cable going into the back of the phone (i.e., this is the cable coming from the wall) from the back of the phone and then connecting that into a internet device such as a laptop. You're trying to confirm that an internet signal is present. Make sure the laptop is off when you connect it to the cable and then turn it on and let it power up. Once the laptop has booted up, check to see if you can get to the internet and surf some pages.
3. Replace your Cat 5 cable. Although this is rare, cables do go bad. Disconnect the existing cable from both the back of the IP phone and the wall and put it aside. Connect a new cable to the wall and then to the correct port on the back of the phone. If you have power through the Cat 5 cable (POE or Power over Ethernet), your phone will automatically reboot, If not, disconnect the phone from its power source, wait 30 seconds, and reconnect to the power.
Your IP phone should now work. If not, the issue most likely does not lie with the phone itself and it's a good time to contact your telecom/IT professionals.
Posted on Tue, Nov 22, 2011 @ 09:29 AM
Business communications vendors and manufacturers are trying to get new business with an old sales technique - stripping out all of the (mostly needed) licensing in order to present the customer with a very low initial price with great sex appeal that blows every other solution out of the water. The sales person is counting on the buyer being so in love with the price that critical features and functionality are overlooked and it's not until much later that the buyer realizes he doesn' have what he needs - like hunt groups, remote voicemail, call transfer, call hold, call forward, music on hold, etc without paying a SUBSTANTIAL additional annual fee for that appropropriate license. Remember, once you sign the contract, it's too late.
And when you add up all of those licenses - POW! You'll be unhappy, frustrated, feeling like you've been duped and you'll have to write a much bigger check than you were lead to believe!
To put this another way, if you were buying a car and you told the car sales person you were very interested in a low price as well as quality, he'd strip out the stero and IPod system, give you cloth seats and not leather, stick shift, the cheapest inteterior possible, etc. and say - "Look, what a great car!" Once you bought the car, you'd say "wait, there's no radio" and the salesman would respond "You didn't say you wanted a radio - that'll be $550."
Be careful! This is technique is employed by many telecom vendors. Generally, you want to get an apples-to-apples comparison as best you can. Be sure to ask the following questions and any others you can think of:
1. What features am I receiving?
2. Are all of these features covered by a license or are they native to the system's capabilities?
3. If they are covered by a license, how much is each license and for what period of time is the license active?
4. How much does it cost to renew a license? How often do I have to renew? What happens if I don't renew?
5. Provide a laundry list of all features and functionality that requires a license and the amount of that license?
6. Do the servers require a license and, if so, how much and for how long?
7. Are the servers proprietary (i.e., they only play friendly with this system and it's family of companents)? (RED FLAG IF YES)
8. Do the IP phones require a license and, if so, how much and for how long? Is this in addition to the price of the IP phone itself? How much is the IP phone by itself? How much is the IP phone will all of the licensing and installation?
9. Are the IP phones themselves proprietary? That is, will they work with this IP system (or its family of components) only but not with devices made by other manufacturers? (RED FLAG IF YES)
10. How much bandwidth do these IP phones require? What is the size (kbps) of an average voice call on an IP phone on this system?
11. If I want to add one seat (one person with a phone and internet with avaerage capabilities) and integrate that seat into my system, how much does it COST (ALL IN) FOR THAT ONE PERSON? You need to know this so you can plan for the future growth of the company.
12. Will I still require two sets of cabling to each work station, two switches, and two separate voice and data connections?
Be SURE to get all of this IN WRITING or you may be end up paying for things like a second line per phone (each second line has a $35/month/year license fee), adding a $185/year 4-person hunt group when you are only bringing on one new employee, and having to pay extra for remote call forwardring, etc, etc, etc.
Wherever you are located in the United States, contact Atris for a free 60-minute no pressure evaluation of your current communications system. We'd be pleased to talk to you for up to one hour at no charge about possible communications solutions for your business even if the best choice for you is not Atris. Get the process started - click here and send us a quick message by completing the short form to the right on our Contact Us page.
Thanks - we look forward to hearing from you!
Posted on Sun, Nov 13, 2011 @ 08:31 PM
Businesses that lease space in a commercial property with an "Onsite" VoIP communications platform can immediately realize numerous advantages over conventional buildings that don't offer this type of amenity. Consider the 6 Reasons below. Generally speaking, tenants in these buildings immediately reduce their Total Cost to Lease (TCL) by at least $1.00/square foot (and sometimes substantially more) by not having to 'go it alone' or hire a consultant like they would have to do otherwise.
1. Having an "Onsite" VoIP phone system in your building means not having to buy one. Why lower your CAPEX (capital expenses) when you can make them disappear altogether? Save thousands or possibly tens of thousands of dollars simply by moving in to a building with an onsite VoIP platform and avoid the upfront expense of an IP phone system.
2. Fortune 100 Technology for All Building Tenants. Tenants of all sizes (from a single person start-up to an organization with thousands of employees spread across multiple sites to anywhere in between) can access the full menu of features and capabilities. Multi-layered auto attendant, voicemail-to-email, Outlook integration including click-to-dial, complete call control (inbound/outbound), call recording, IM/chat, etc. are just some of the available features.
3. Separate internet connections such as a T1, DSL, or cable are not required and = lower monthly OPEX (operational expenses). Because the connectivity is already on the premises, companies don't need to manage this part of their business which allows them to focus on more important things. Like say generating revenue.
4. Lower monthly OPEX even more with VoIP service. This is the benefit that all businesses want to access. Unlimited local and long distance calling within the continental U.S. Exceptionally competitive international rates everywhere else. What's not to like?
5. Flexibility - only pay for what you need when you need it. Why pay for telecom and data that you're not using right now? Add capability as you go and on demand. Keep costs low when you don't.
6. One vendor for all of your communications. Enjoy the peace of mind that having a single end-to-end point of contact for all phone and internet can bring to your daily operations. Little else is as frustrating as having a communications issue and having this vendor point a finger at that one. As one customer recently said, having 'one throat-to-choke' lightens the load on their IT people who already have heavy demands on their time.
Atris is the industry leader in "onsite VoIP" commercial building communications. Since 2003 our patented technology has been helping tenants achieve their business goals and owners and brokers increase building occupancy rates in all types of market.
Upgrade to the most advanced communications in the industry and never pay for a penny for the system. Contact Atris today at info@Atris.biz for your free "onsite" VoIP platform evaluation or complete this form.
Posted on Sun, Nov 06, 2011 @ 09:58 AM
Echoes, hollowness, dropped calls, static, hissing, and popping are just a short list of problems that companies can experience if they don't have enough bandwidth when moving to VoIP. Other factors also can affect available and required bandwidth and should be considered during this time. So what does this mean? Let's answer the bandwidth question first.
One VoIP phone call looked at in insolation - which almost never occurs (more on this below) - is about 50 kilobytes per second or kbps. The call itself can actually range from less than 40 kbps up to 200+ kbps depending on the type of IP system you have, the VoIP carrier that you are using, whether you have VoIP or SIP technology, any QOS (Quality of Sevice) parameters that are in place, etc. Confusing, I know.
The simple math . . . is that a single T1 provides users with about 1500 kilobytes per second of bandwidth (also known as megabytes per second or mbps). Divide 1500 kbps by 50 kbps and that means one T1 should be able to handle 30 VoIP calls, right? No. And this is where businesses can quickly make a costly, lengthy, and troublesome mistake.
The real math is . . . other factors can impact bandwidth and should always part of your overall communications strategy. They are numerous and can affect your capabilities, requirements, or both and can be difficult to identify once the process has begun. Some examples are:
- Your VoIP calls are actually closer to 200 Kbps in size instead of 50 kbps (as they are with one major VoIP provider). Your internet connection can now only handle 7 VoIP calls when you had planned on 30.
- An employee streams music or downloads a movie during the business day, maxing out your capacity and leaving little bandwidth for your VoIP phone calls. Clients report choppiness and stuttering and work flow suffers.
- Videoconferencing and conference calls are a part of your day-to-day activities and were not factored in to your bandwidth needs
This is the point where companies usually end up scrambling to buy additional bandwidth which negates most if not all of their expected VoIP savings. In fact, they may end up spending much more than originally planned. Adding bandwidth may also add to the complexity of their communications (not to mention bring another vendor into the equation - which creates its own issues) and unfortunately probably not address the actual issue that is causing their difficulties.
Consider an end-to-end single internet and telephone service provider. Having one "throat-to-choke" for all of your organization's communications - including internet service, phone service, the telephone handset itself, wiring, adding or removing users, routing calls, system changes, etc. - can add substantially to the bottom line. Advanced VoIP technologies such as SIP can also be part of an effective solution.
Posted on Tue, Nov 01, 2011 @ 12:20 PM
To survive in today's every-changing business environment, it is imperative for businesses to adopt the latest innovations in communications technology such as VoIP and SIP. Is it time to replace/upgrade your existing phone system? Which solution will best fit your requirements and business processes? Assess your needs by asking the following questions:
- Is your existing phone system becoming technically obsolete? Check the compatibility and interoperability of your phone system with existing upgraded IT/networking equipment. If you have two separate connections for phone and internet, this is a good indicator.
- Does your phone system have scalability features? Are you able to add more extensions/users? Scalability is an important features, particularly for a business with substantial growth plans. Companies planning to expand should not be limited by their phone system.
- Is your phone system able to effectively handle the increasing number of incoming and outgoing calls? Check for network congestion. Increases in call volume are normal for a growing business and the phone system should be well-equipped to handle the boost in traffic.
- Does your phone system support VoIP and SIP telephony? Transporting your voice calls among branches via an existing IP network already in use for email and data transfer can provide your company with significant savings on inter-branch telephone costs. Additional cost savings are available with SIP.
- Does your phone system have a multi-office support feature? If you plan to open new sites at multiple locations, your telecom capabilities should be able to manage and remotely administer extensions at those offices - or home-based offices - as easily as if they were onsite.
- Does your phone system allow your mobile work force stay connected and accessible? For your front-end sales executive and other staff members who are on the move most of the time, enhanced connectivity is a requisite operational feature.
For more information on Atris and our state-of-the-art enterprise communications solutions, please contact us at info@atris.biz or call (800) 724-3384.
Posted on Thu, Oct 27, 2011 @ 05:02 AM
Even though telecommunications has moved irrevocably to a new universe of virtualization, many people still think of a phone line as the same thing as a phone number. In other words, if I want a phone number, I need to have a phone line - and vice versa. And while this can be true, it doesn't have to be . . . which is all part of the range of flexibility of VoIP and where it parts ways with old world phone systems.
So how are things different with VoIP and SIP? Keep in mind that this is just a basic outline because many other items should be considered (user friendliness for both the administator and the user; license fees - some companies will charge you an annual licenese fee for EACH voicemail box, or adding an extension, or changing a hunt group, or many other things); hardware (excercise good judgment if you need more than a server and phones); and there is much more). But let's open up the possibilities on this subject!
1. Phones. Generally speaking, think of an IP phone as a small computer that can make and receive voice calls. One device can receive as many simultaneous calls as it can be designed to handle (usually no more than 6 because people simply don't have a need for it - call center applications are another topic). Importantly, you need to choose a phone that does NOT have proprietary code on it - otherwise you will be locked into that system forever (i.e., the phones will ONLY work with a particular system because their PROPRIETARY code is designed for this - my suggestions is to use open standards phones that are compatible with many systems so you don't accidentally limit your company's options). Get this in writing - a salesman will tell you anything. Test the phone AND the desktop software with the person who will actually be using it (an IP system isn't an IP system if it doesn't have desktop software). The user may find it difficult to use with your business processes and you may uncover things you weren't previosuly looking for (ex. the desktop software was so cumbersome for one office that they had to buy TWO monitors for heavy phone users in the office - one for the usual computer work, the other for the desktop software - and they found this out AFTER the purchase).
2. Phone Lines. There is no longer a "one phone line, one phone number" situation (unless you are a single-person office - and even that isn't always true). And for the most part, in the IP world the term "phone line" is obsolete because your computer network will take their place. Another way to think about this is that you can have as many phone lines as you want and they can ring at any location and in any order anywhere and all of this is through a single internet connection. When reviewing the capabilities of IP systems, be sure to check for any fees associated with additional "call appearances".
3. Phone Numbers. Telephone numbers are extensions from an IP system. What does that mean? They can exist anywhere, even without a device (callers can call a system, hear a phone ring, and leave a voicemail which can be retrieved by the owner later). Telephone numbers can also be moved around from phone to phone and device to device. If you add an employee, simply connect the phone and add the number. If you have a new employee at an existing phone simply change the extension at that phone. And you can have multiple telephone numbers ring on multiple devices! The IP world is so cool for productivity.
Seems easy enough. So what could go wrong? Well, you probably see many things that could go wrong if you don't have an expert involved. What if a phone number is ringing to the wrong phone? What if the incoming caller can't hear the person they are calling? What if the phones are ringing in the wrong order or there is a delay between when a call is transferred and then the first ring is heard (callers tend to hang up after a few seconds)?
Call or email Atris and a VoIP expert will answer your questions - info@atris.biz or (800) 724-3384.
Posted on Sun, Oct 16, 2011 @ 01:04 PM
This is probably one of the most misunderstood topics on the planet, even within the communications industry. It's important because companies end up not knowing what they have, not knowing what they need (or if they need something else), and losing sight of the ROI benefits of VoIP because they get tied up in the technology instead. Don't get tied up in the technology! Let's put this into lay person terms, keep it brief, and make it relevant. Here's what you need to know.
1. A T1 is a communications line that can carry either your telephone calls, your internet, or possibly both. A voice T1 or PRI is for your telephone calls. A T1 for your internet is called an internet T1, data T1, or just T1.
2. A voice T1 has 24 "channels" that can be used for 24 simultaneous phone calls. A phone call is counted as either one incoming call or one outgoing call but the total can't exceed 24. The cost of a voice T1 can vary wildly form market to market and carrier to carrier. Importantly, your business DOES NOT NEED a voice T1 (or phone lines) if you have a VoIP system because your calls then travel over an internet connection. Yes, this is first level of cost savings available . . . and there's more!
3. An internet T1 brings internet to your office. When business people say their office has a T1, this is generally the T1 they are referring to. So what is the speed of an internet T1? 1.54 megabits of data per second (or mbps). And whether your T1 runs over copper, fiber, cable, Cat 5, Cat 6 or whatever has no impact on anything else - you're still getting 1.54 megabits per second. So don't buy the hype!
So the next question is then how much bandwidth do you need?
To learn more about T1s and how they work with VoIP phones and service, bandwidth needs, and SIP (which is REALLY advanced VoIP and can dramatically improve your organization's day-to-day operations), contact the business communications experts at Atris (www.Atris.biz) or schedule a no-cost, no-obligation consultation today:
