Category: Blog

Here’s a brief overview of how virtual local area networks work and why businesses need this type of network. Learn about the different types of VLAN and what options are available for those interested in VoIP.

The virtual LAN breaks up network traffic so that only the devices within the necessary virtual network receive it. This helps your IT infrastructure avoid network congestion.

What Do You Need to Set Up Virtual Local Networks?

With virtual local area networks, you don’t usually have to buy additional equipment. You can set up a VLAN with most existing switches, access points, and routers.

Virtual LANs operate at the link layer, Layer 2 switch. And they can be used as a single physical link or extended to multiple links by additional Layer 2 switches. You will also need Layer 3 switches for each individual virtual LAN. And you will use Ethernet cables to connect all these components to the router. Depending on your setup, you may even benefit from VLAN trunk links that carry more than one VLAN.

What Does a VLAN Do?

Medium-sized businesses and large enterprises use VLANs to partition, divide, and manage network traffic efficiently. For instance, a company can separate its sales department traffic from its human resources traffic by assigning different virtual networks for each.

Similarly, you can even arrange all voice traffic from deskphones or IP phones to fall within one network and other devices on another network. This allows you to maintain high voice call quality with little-to-no delay or lags.

This way, you reduce network congestion by efficiently managing and distributing network traffic. And this further helps improve network performance on a much larger scale.

Types of VLAN

Now, there are 5 main types of virtual local area networks. Here’s a quick overview of each type:

Default VLAN

Refers to the one network that a device’s ports belong to when switched on – especially with a new switch. The default is VLAN 1 for most switches. It is important to change this for security; however, note that you cannot rename or delete this virtual LAN.

Data VLAN

Divides the network into a group of users and a group of devices. Also known as user VLAN, this is only used for carrying user-generated data.

Voice VLAN

Configured to carry voice traffic, voice VLANs usually have high transmission priority over other types of traffic. This separate virtual local area network ensures VoIP call quality by preserving bandwidth reasonably.

Management VLAN

Equipped to manage infrastructure and access management capabilities of a switch like system monitoring, logging, and so on. This virtual local area network is also used to separate management traffic from other traffic and saves enough bandwidth for management even when general user traffic is high.

Native VLAN

Allocated to an 802.1Q trunk port, which places untagged traffic (traffic not tagged by any virtual local area network) within the native VLAN.

Using VoIP with VLAN

Since virtual LANs segment and separate traffic, VoIP users can benefit from separating data and voice traffic within one network. You can apply VoIP QoS or Quality of Service settings via VLAN tagging to provide special high priority to voice traffic.

Such segmentation also prevents VoIP devices from competing with traffic from other devices. This reduces overall delays and improves VoIP call quality. And you can quickly troubleshoot VoIP issues since that traffic is separated with virtual LANs.

Want to learn more about using VoIP with VLAN? Our tech experts at United World Telecom can help you identify the best VoIP solution for your business. Call us today or chat with us online to learn more! 

Voice over IP (VoIP) allows businesses to communicate with customers near and far with reliable voice quality through the internet. To understand how to get the best voice call quality from your VoIP phone system, you need to pay attention to voice codecs.

So, how do VoIP codecs support VoIP call quality?

In this guide, we will go over:

• What are VoIP Codecs?
• What Voice Codecs are used for VoIP?
• What is the Best Codec for VoIP?

Let’s dive in!

What is a VoIP Codec?

When placing calls with VoIP, the voice needs to be encoded and converted into data packets. During this process, data is compressed to increase transmission speed and improve caller experience with crystal-clear voice.

This is where codecs come in, as they help encode and decode voice.

Why are Codecs Important for Voice over IP?

VoIP codecs convert analog voice signals into digital data packets (compression) and then convert them back to voice at the destination (decompression).

Because of this crucial process, these codecs determine the quality of your VoIP calls. Specifically, they influence latency, packet loss, and other VoIP call issues that may occur when calls travel over the internet.

Users can adjust these voice codecs to meet different needs, such as improving voice quality or reducing bandwidth consumption. You can work with your VoIP provider to understand what codecs they use for their service and how that may impact your communication.

What Codecs are used for VoIP?

Here’s a list of common VoIP codecs:

What is the Best Codec for VoIP?

While there are a few different voice codecs available, you need to find the VoIP codec that works best for you.

So, which codec is better, G.711 or G.729?

This depends on your business’ bandwidth usage and capabilities, as well as call volumes. But the consensus is that the G.711 seems to offer the most reliable call quality. This codec provides uncompressed high voice quality, but also has high bandwidth usage.

G.729, on the other hand, is the low bandwidth alternative to G.711. However, it may only offer acceptable call quality.

So, it comes down to your specific business circumstances and resources. For these reasons, most VoIP providers accept G.711 and G.729.

Alternatively, G.722 also offers high voice quality, but not all VoIP providers accept this voice codec. So, make sure to ask.

Related: How Much Bandwidth is Needed for VoIP?

Choosing the Right Codec for Voice Calls

Since VoIP codecs need to compress and decompress audio traveling through your phone system, you and your provider must agree on the right codec. In other words, the codec you choose needs to support your team’s bandwidth usage as well as work effectively with your provider’s network.

This means you’ll need to speak with your desired provider to understand their requirements and evaluate that alongside your business.

United World Telecom supports the G.711 codec (both μ-law and A-law), and our call quality has an average MOS of 4.3.

Want to see if we’re a good fit for your business? Call us today at 1 (877) 898 8646 or chat with us online!

Here’s a brief overview of how local area networks work and why businesses need this type of network. Learn about the different types of LAN and what options are available for those interested in VoIP.

What is a Local Area Network (LAN)?

This type of network can serve 2-3 users in a home setting or hundreds of users in an office setting. You can set it up so that end nodes — such as computers and printers — can communicate and share information and resources within your IT infrastructure.

To set up LAN networking, you’ll need:

• Ethernet cables
• Layer 2 switches
• Layer 3 switches and routers (for larger network setups)
• Desired devices

What Does a LAN Do?

At its core, a local area network allows multiple devices to share a single internet connection.

And it helps users connect to different internal servers and websites. You can also connect to other LANs that reside within the same WAN. By doing this, your teams have access to all centralized applications, which is especially useful for storing business-critical data.

And since this network allows you to connect to different servers and devices (printers, computers, etc.), you can use it for sharing resources.

To enable these connections, you will need both Ethernet and WiFi.

LAN vs WAN vs VLAN

Local Area Network Architecture

Now, from an architecture point of view, you can have a peer-to-peer LAN or a client-server LAN.

Peer-to-Peer LAN — connects two devices using an Ethernet cable. These devices could be workstations, PCs, PC-to-printer, etc. This type of LAN does not have a central server, so each device is equally responsible for the functioning of the network. Devices share information through wired or wireless connections.

Client-Server LAN — connects multiple endpoints and servers to a LAN switch, which directs communication between these devices. The server manages storage, application and device access, and traffic while the client connects to the server through wired or wireless connections.

Types of LAN

That aside, there are 3 primary LAN types. Let’s look at them in detail:

Wired LANs

As the name suggests, a wired local area network uses “wires” such as Ethernet cables and switches to connect different devices, endpoints, and servers to the network. Wired LAN is the most common type used in most offices, since it is often very reliable and performs with speed. However, it is not the most flexible or portable network, making it hard to access from different locations and devices.

Wireless LANs (WLANs)

Wireless local area networks connect two or more devices using wireless connections (such as radio transmissions) within a limited area like a home, school, or office. WLAN uses the IEEE 802.11 specification to share data between different endpoints. WLANs offer more flexibility and cost savings since they don’t require extensive cabling and enable connectivity to different mobile devices like smartphones, tablets, etc.

Virtual LANs (VLANs)

VLANs break up a single switched network into a set of overlaid virtual networks. These networks have different functions and security networks. Large LANs at the enterprise level require multiple hardware and software to work optimally. If all these devices are connected to one local network, applications will experience network congestion and slow down.

This is where virtual LANs come in handy. It breaks up traffic so that it is only received by devices within a specific VLAN and not the entire network.

Using VoIP with LAN

You can use a LAN to connect your VoIP devices to your telecom provider using Ethernet infrastructure. This way, when you place a VoIP call, audio signals convert to data packets and travel from your internal network to your carrier’s VoIP network. It is then delivered to the destination and converted back to voice.

So, you will need a reliable local area network and a high-quality VoIP provider for VoIP calls to run efficiently.

The route you choose depends on your resources and network capabilities. Our tech experts at United World Telecom can help you identify the best VoIP solution for your business. Call us today or chat with us online to learn more!

If your business uses a VoIP phone system, but your customers or partners still use landline phones – how do you communicate with them? In this article, we will discuss how VoIP to PSTN calls connect and methods for establishing this connection. But first, let’s quickly recap the difference between these networks.

The Basics of VoIP to PSTN

The Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) uses circuit switching technology to transmit calls over physical phone lines and cables. And a central office (also known as a local or switching exchange) connects callers to a PSTN line and routes calls to their appropriate destination.

This process used to be done by hand, and calls needed a dedicated communication channel or circuit for the duration of the call. Now, the PSTN is mostly digital and uses automatic electronic switching – meaning multiple calls can share the same wire. But even though the PSTN has been digitized, it still uses physical cables to deliver calls internationally. This means more expenses related to maintenance and equipment for your business.

Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) uses packet-switching technology that transmits calls digitally through the internet. This technology converts voice data into digital packets and then delivers it to the recipient across an IP network.

Since these packets look for the most efficient routes, they may travel differently. Once these packets reach their destination, they reassemble into audio for a seamless transmission. Because this system uses the internet instead of physical lines, it is overall more affordable and increases your system’s functionality.

How Do VoIP and PSTN Networks Interact?

It’s clear that VoIP and PSTN operate differently. But for VoIP calls to reach traditional telephones, they must travel over the PSTN. So, how do these networks connect?

When you place a VoIP call to a PSTN line, the process begins the same as a VoIP to VoIP call. Your analog voice is converted into digital data packets. These packets travel to your VoIP provider and their carriers using the internet as a pathway. Alternatively, the packets may pass through your own media gateway if you establish your own VoIP to PSTN connection. More on that later.

At this point, either your provider or your own infrastructure (VoIP gateway, PBX, soft-switch) converts the voice data into the proper voice codec and format, if necessary. And this is also when the address translation process occurs. During this process, the IP address attached to the voice packets is rewritten into the receiver’s phone number. This way, your voice data can successfully travel over the PSTN and route to your desired destination.

From there, your call routes to the public switch telephone network, where it arrives at a central office. This switching exchange connects subscribers to a PSTN line. Once your call arrives here, the exchange recognizes the landline phone number and sends it to the precise location.

Note that while this process sounds drawn-out and complex, it happens so fast that your call experience is not disrupted.

Methods for Establishing a VoIP to PSTN Connection

Now, let’s look at the main two methods for connecting your business VoIP system to the PSTN:

Do It Yourself

If businesses want to establish a VoIP to PTSN connection, they can do this themselves. Whether you choose to implement your infrastructure on-premise or in the cloud, this method requires you to purchase the necessary hardware and software, including:

• VoIP architecture
• Telecom provider
• VoIP gateway, PBX, or softswitch
• SIP Trunks and so on.

On top of that, you’ll also need to invest in expert staff who specialize in telephony, VoIP, and computer networking. And your infrastructure will also need routine maintenance and upgrades – adding to the overall expense of this option. So, while it is possible to DIY a VoIP to PSTN connection, it is overall more costly and complicated than the alternative.

Get a VoIP Provider

Instead of dealing with the hassle and expense associated with configuring your own system, you can get a hosted VoIP provider. With this option, the provider handles the VoIP to PSTN connection on behalf of your business, saving you time, money, and frustration. Start by simply signing up with a reliable provider, logging in to your account, and making calls. There’s no additional equipment or setup required.

Importance of Including PSTN Within Your VoIP Infrastructure

Although VoIP is a popular communication method, fixed-lines and plain old telephone services are still in use today. This means your business may have to make outbound calls to landline numbers in order to reach certain customers, clients, prospects, suppliers, and so on.

VoIP calls made to other VoIP networks avoid the PSTN altogether. However, VoIP calls made to fixed-lines and POTS must travel over the PSTN. In other words, if you place a call to a residential or business landline, you’ll use the PSTN to establish a connection.

With a VoIP to PSTN connection, you’ll be able to expand your reach, target a broader consumer base, and grow globally.

Start with a Reliable VoIP Provider

Although VoIP networks are gradually replacing PSTN, it’s important to keep this connection in place until PSTN is entirely phased out. Otherwise, you’ll lose out on potential business opportunities and risk losing customers.

Placing VoIP calls to landline users is easy with the right provider. Over the course of 25 years, United World Telecom has established relationships with Tier-1 carriers and other telecom partners to deliver VoIP calls to the PSTN worldwide. Our service offers access to advanced communication features, a dedicated account manager, a 99.999% uptime guarantee, quick activation times, and 24/7 global customer support.

Ready to make VoIP to PSTN calls without any hassle? Speak with our dedicated telecom experts at +1 (561) 276-7156, or chat with us online today!

Technology is the backbone of the modern business landscape, supporting many levels of a business’ operations. And with a properly implemented IT infrastructure, your company can improve business functions, meet goals, and even increase revenue.

In this article, we’ll discuss IT infrastructure in detail, including:

• Definition & Components of an IT Infrastructure
• Types of IT infrastructure: Traditional vs Cloud-Based
• Who Manages IT Infrastructure?
• What an Optimal IT Infrastructure Looks Like
• Best Practices for IT Infrastructure Management (w/Expert Advice)

But before we get into it, let’s review its importance.

Defining IT Infrastructure and Its Importance

So, who manages IT infrastructure?

Managing business IT systems requires a specific set of skills. And these skills are often understood by technicians, project managers, directors, and others in the IT manager career path. These individuals understand how to set up different components and factor in the budget and business goals.

An optimized and well-managed IT infrastructure can help your business gain a competitive edge in the marketplace. And it can even determine if your business is successful or not. It also allows you:

• Gather data in real-time
• Improve communication
• Boost productivity
• Provide uninterrupted service to customers
• Meet performance goals
• Increase customer satisfaction
• Automate processes and much more.

On the other hand, an insufficient IT infrastructure integration can cause performance, connectivity, and security issues. This is why it pays to consider your business’ technology setup and how you can use it to improve your business functions.

Components of an IT Infrastructure

There are many ways to deploy and arrange the IT infrastructure components to meet your needs. To better understand what this entails, we’ll take a closer look at 5 standard components and examples.

1. Hardware

Hardware signifies all the physical equipment and devices that form your tangible infrastructure and support the basic functioning of your systems.

• Cabling and wires
• Desktop and laptop computers
• Desk phones
• Smartphones and tablets
• Internet hubs and routers
• Servers
• Data centers and so on.

2. Facilities

This component could also fall under the hardware category, as it is another tangible element of IT infrastructure. The facility component is the physical building itself that houses and maintains your equipment.

• Dedicated rooms
• Cooling systems (AC units, fans, etc.)
• Cabling within the building (FiberOptic or CAT 5/6/7)
• Power sources.

3. Network

The network element is vital for communication and connectivity between all components. It also consists of security methods like firewalls to keep your data safe.

• Switches
• Firewalls
• Internet hubs and routers
• Servers
• Data centers.

4. Software

Software refers to all the applications and programs that businesses use to organize, control, and maintain their internal and external processes. From systems like macOS Sonoma to project management tools, businesses rely on a variety of software to streamline their operations

• Operating systems (OS)
• Call center software
• Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
• Content Management Systems (CMS)
• Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
• Bookkeeping for small business
• Web servers
• Any other application or custom software that you use.

5. Communication Solutions

Communication is critical to your business’ operation and success. You need a communication stack — with both hardware and software — to connect with vendors, suppliers, trade links, and (most importantly) customers and prospects.

• IP-PBX
• Desk phones
• Softphones or web phones
• VoIP architecture and phone service
• Voice API
• Business phone numbers
• SIP Trunking.

Types of IT infrastructure: Traditional vs Cloud-Based

It’s important to note that there are different types of IT infrastructure. The primary two types are traditional and cloud-based frameworks. Let’s break these down.

Traditional Infrastructure

With a traditional setup, your business owns, controls, and maintains all the elements mentioned above. Typically, a traditional IT infrastructure resides at one location – usually on your business’ premises. This means your business has full authority over your data environment. So, you determine how you’ll manage the network, devices, storage, security threats, and so on.

The main drawback to this type of setup is cost. Since a traditional IT infrastructure consists mainly of hardware and software, it requires a lot of free space, power, and money to maintain. As your business grows, you’ll need to buy more devices to keep up with all the data you collect. And, you’ll have to hire more staff like system administrators to manage, monitor, and upgrade the system.

Cloud-Based Infrastructure

Instead of purchasing physical hardware for an in-house setup, you can rent or outsource your IT infrastructure via a cloud computing provider.

In other words, the provider hosts and maintains the IT components (like servers, data storage, applications, etc.) on their premises. Then, the provider delivers these services to your business using the internet.

This means you can access your cloud-based IT infrastructure from any IP-enabled device or location. And you don’t have to deal with the hassle or expense of maintaining, monitoring, and upgrading the infrastructure.

Over the last couple of years, more and more businesses are choosing to migrate to a cloud-based infrastructure. This is because of its affordability, flexibility, scalability, and automation capabilities.

What Does an Optimal IT Infrastructure Look Like?

As mentioned earlier, an IT infrastructure that isn’t fully optimized or well-managed can lead to connectivity, performance, and security issues. So, you may be wondering what an ideal infrastructure looks like.

Typically, an optimal IT infrastructure includes the following:

1. High-availability infrastructure – offers your business high uptime with little-to-no downtime. You can reduce system outages as well as interruptions to service and business continuity.

2. Bandwidth management – allows you to prioritize internet traffic as needed, using Quality of Service (QoS) settings to provide specific traffic (like VoIP calls) with a certain amount of bandwidth.

3. High-performance storage systems – enable you to save, backup, and recover (if necessary) large amounts of data.

4. Security measures – help protect your business from breaches, data leaks, and attacks like Denial of Service (DoS). This capability should also include systems that manage who can access information and resources as well as have password security and other security measures in place.

5. Low-latency networks – produce minimal delays in data processing, allowing for real-time data availability and access.

6. Failover and Disaster Recovery Plans – keep your business operating or help it recover quickly in the event of an outage, attack, or other crises.

How you deploy IT infrastructure depends on your business size, industry, goals, and specific needs. But at a basic level, these 6 elements help create a fully optimized infrastructure.

Best Practices for IT Infrastructure Management

IT infrastructure management is complex and multidimensional. It covers everything from implementation to continuous maintenance. And this is true not only for the IT hardware but all IT components, including the facility and software.

With that being said, IT infrastructure management is, well, manageable – especially with industry knowledge and best practices in mind. So, we spoke with our team to bring you expert advice and best practices.

1. Thorough Documentation and Organization is Key

A good deal of IT industry leaders and businesses think documentation is lacking in most IT departments.

Gregory Porras, Senior VoIP Engineer at United World Telecom, shares this sentiment and suggests cataloging equipment by recording the serial number, make, model, login information, and its function in your organization. He also recommends labeling all your equipment (including things like cables) with essential information, such as what it does and where it goes.

This practice is great for onboarding new team members and getting them up to speed quickly on your business’ specific IT infrastructure. It’s also helpful for troubleshooting, routine maintenance, and keeping track of your equipment’s lifespan.

2. Make Sure Your Infrastructure Supports Your Vision

When building infrastructure, it’s important to consider what services you envision using on a daily basis. Alain Rodriguez, Tech Support Manager, says: Make sure your IT infrastructure can support the sophisticated solutions you want.

For instance, VoIP and SIP trunking require a consistent internet connection to function properly. So, for these solutions to work effectively and deliver the best call quality, you have to evaluate your IT infrastructure by asking:

• Do you have a sufficient amount of bandwidth to power these solutions?
• Is your IP address static or dynamic?
• How is your team organized (are they located at one office, fully remote, or spread across multiple global locations?)
• Does your team have standardized equipment? Or all different types of devices and applications? And do all team members have access to the same quality level of internet?
• Are you using standard PBX solutions, an open-source one, or a softphone to complete business tasks?

All of these questions and factors will help you set up a VoIP environment that works best with your current setup and infrastructure.

3. Invest in the Right Technology and Consider the Cloud

After evaluating what solutions your IT infrastructure can handle, invest in the right technology (equipment and services) for your business’ specific needs. There is no “one size fits all” when purchasing tech for your business. In fact, it will vary depending on your company’s size, goals, budget, resources, and day-to-day processes.

Since technology is constantly progressing, you want to make sure you’re not using outdated applications and devices. By using the latest technology, you can easily keep up with your competitors, increase your productivity, and deliver optimum services to customers.

If you opt for on-premise solutions, frequent upgrades and updates are more involved and expensive. As a result, more and more businesses are moving to the cloud.

With cloud-based services, upgrades are as simple as clicking “update” on your device or, at times, occur automatically. Additionally, your remote and international teams can access cloud-based solutions from any location or device – making it easy to connect your widespread teams.

4. Build Your Infrastructure’s Geo-Redundancy with Backup Practices

Your business may experience prolonged system downtime during an outage or a crisis – especially if you don’t prepare.

Gregory Porras suggests backing up your IT infrastructure as soon as your system is online. He says you can build your geo-redundancy by spreading your servers across multiple locations or data centers. And adds that you should consider storing applications and equipment on-site and rotating them offsite.

Doing this can help with load-balancing so that no one server bears the burden of all your network traffic. This means if one server fails, your backups take on the traffic and distribute it – so you maintain your business continuity in case of a crisis.

Greg also recommends making sure your backups are always online and regularly testing them for potential emergency scenarios. This helps ensure that the backup will work when you need it most and helps you practice for emergency situations.

5. Develop IT Management Policies and Regularly Update Them

Policies help your business define clear guidelines for integrating, using, and managing your IT infrastructure. This includes policies on IT security, responsible use of data, business continuity, and more. With strong policies in place, your business can navigate crisis situations and unprecedented events with consistency, effectiveness, and efficiency.

As your IT environment grows, it’s important to update your IT policies to reflect these changes. This way, your guidelines are always accurate and ready to go when you need to reference them.

Here’s examples of some IT policies you should consider implementing:

• Scheduled downtime and system maintenance policies
• Risk assessment or vulnerability management policies
• Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies
• Network and VoIP security policies

Dependable Communication Solutions for your IT Infrastructure

With a well-organized and maintained IT infrastructure, your business can limit downtime, offer better customer service, boost productivity, and maximize your revenue. To get started, you need top-tier components – including a high-quality communication solution.

United World Telecom provides enterprise-grade cloud communication services from more than 160 countries worldwide. We’ve established long-term relationships with reliable Tier-1 carriers across the globe to deliver users with high-quality voice services.

To learn more about our reliable service and if we are the right communication provider for you, speak with our dedicated telecom experts at +1 (561) 276-7156 or chat with us online today!

Traditional legacy phone systems are becoming a thing of the past. An estimated 30-60% of businesses have already switched to VoIP.

VoIP phone service gives your business advanced phone system features without complicated maintenance. Businesses that switch to VoIP can benefit from improved reliability and considerable reductions in telecom costs.

As VoIP phone systems become more prevalent, businesses need employees who can set up and maintain these systems. Depending on the size of your organization, you might assign these responsibilities to a VoIP engineer or a network engineer.

But what’s the difference between a network engineer and a VoIP engineer? And which one does your business need?

Difference Between a VoIP Engineer and Network Engineer

Network engineering covers many different fields.

In its broadest sense, a network engineer is a technology professional who plans, implements, and oversees the IT networks that support a company. Network engineers are responsible for the company’s data, voice, video, and much more.

Network engineering is very general, and the role tends to include VoIP as an afterthought.

On the other hand, VoIP engineers are completely specialized in voice technologies like voice over IP, SIP, TCP/IP, QoS, H.323, WebRTC, etc.

What Does a VoIP Engineer Do?

VoIP engineers manage the telecommunications infrastructure, systems, and related software for a company or other organization. And they typically come from computer science backgrounds and have certifications like dCAP, CCNP, and ACIS.

Their job is to ensure that VoIP hardware and systems are functioning properly. They might also be tasked with the installation and customization of a phone system. If something goes wrong with the phones, VoIP engineers are tasked with troubleshooting these issues.

They tend to be the go-to point of contact to interact with telecom vendors for support, escalating issues, etc.

On top of this, VoIP engineers also oversee the performance of voice systems and conduct traffic analysis and capacity planning. And they have a strong understanding of various telephony protocols and the latest voice technologies.

VoIP engineers should have a strong mastery of call center concepts like auto-attendant, call routing, hunt groups, etc.

As they advance in their career path, VoIP engineers could become network architects or IT managers down the line.

What Does a Network Engineer Do?

The main responsibility of a network engineer is to set up and maintain IT networks within an organization. Their focus is on network engineering for data communications.

Some of their certifications might include CCNA, CCIE, and CompTIA Network+. These are very general networking certifications with an overall, rather than specialized, focus.

As a result, their voice and VoIP expertise might not be as robust. Their knowledge might be very generic and fail to account for real-world scenarios.

Network engineers tend to learn VoIP through on-the-job training. So, if you task a network engineer with setting up your VoIP network, you might require costly post-install corrections, edits, and re-work down the line.

There are many fields within computer networking. Network engineers know the fundamentals, but they can’t compete with voice engineers in their specialized understanding of VoIP.

Which One Do You Need?

It’s not really one versus the other. When maintaining mission-critical communications, it’s not as simple as choosing a VoIP engineer or a network engineer.

In reality, there should be a collaboration between both roles.

The short answer: It depends on your company’s size

Small businesses, without many users, can afford to split the roles of a network professional between voice and other networking duties.

Medium to large-sized businesses, however, tend to have dedicated phone shops. These employees usually spend their days reading SIP messages and tracking down error codes. Meanwhile, the network shops focus on other computer networking tasks.

In larger organizations, network engineers don’t need to concern themselves with the intricacies of VoIP and its associated protocols.

Here’s an example:

Network specialists tend to understand basic concepts like call flows and telephony at a very high level. But, they’re not always up to date with the feature sets and behaviors that PBX systems have evolved to do.

For example, for incoming calls, a business might want to ring a group of agents 4 times, then ring a manager twice, then forward calls to a voicemail, while generating a waiting signal to the group of agents.

VoIP engineers are able to talk with end-users to understand what those end-users really need and then communicate those requirements to technical staff.

How Can We Help?

A typical ITSP will divide VoIP and networking roles into different departments. They have network specialists and VoIP specialists, and everyone likely has an understanding of voice and networking.

If you don’t want to handle the intricacies of VoIP engineering or network engineering, let us do the work for you. We can deliver a fully-hosted VoIP solution that requires very little maintenance from your end.

If you want to learn more, give us a call or chat with one of our VoIP specialists 24/7.

Here’s a brief overview of how wide area networks (WANs) work and why businesses need this type of network. Learn about the different types of WAN and what options are available for those interested in VoIP.

What is a Wide Area Network (WAN)?

This network allows devices – particularly computers – to connect and communicate with other devices. And since it connects these devices from around the world, WAN is not tied to a single location. A wide area network could be spread over cities, states, or countries and are either private or public.

WAN is one of the four types of computer networks, namely:

• Local Area Network (LAN) / Virtual LAN (VLAN)
• Personal Area Network (PAN)
• Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
• Wide Area Network (WAN)

Among these, WANs are the largest and most expansive forms of computer networks out there. And, the internet — a type of WAN — is considered the largest wide area network in the world.

What Does a WAN Do?

Wide area networks have both everyday purposes and business purposes. Over the course of their development, they have become a vital part of how we communicate with each other. People rely on such a network to talk with others, bank, shop, access databases, and more.

As mentioned above, wide area networks connect multiple devices from different locations and share information. For example, your network could connect multiple smaller local area networks (LANs) through various ISPs. Or, it could connect your main office to small regional offices through cloud-based services and WAN telecommunications, such as:

• Conference and business calls
• Emails and chat
• Data sharing
• Dedicated server networks, and more.

Because of this, WANs are important for global businesses. Without WAN connections, businesses would be restricted to specific geographic areas. This means they wouldn’t have access to the required IT infrastructure to grow beyond local areas and into different cities and countries.

Wide area networks help businesses expand globally while keeping teams and customers well-connected.

Common Types of WAN

What type of wide-area network you need depends on the data or services your users interact with daily. You can then build a WAN that meets your needs, helps teams communicate, and keeps information and data safe.

Generally speaking, there are two broad categories: switched WAN and point-to-point WAN. Let’s briefly look at them:

Switched WAN

Multiple LANs are connected through a shared network infrastructure. A central switching exchange determines how to distribute resources across network locations and appliances. This network uses an asynchronous transfer mode or ATM network and is best for large, distributed environments.

Point-to-Point WAN

Two LANs or end nodes are connected through a dedicated and secure line. You can connect each end node to other devices to create a LAN. Enterprises often use this type of network for secure and customized network performance. This network uses the point-to-point tunneling protocol (PPTP) and is best for organizations with two high-priority locations.

Under point-to-point, there are five types of wide-area networks:

Dedicated Internet Access (DIA) — a WAN environment that offers the same upload and download speed and guaranteed bandwidth.

Broadband Internet — a consumer-grade environment that offers asymmetrical connections. More affordable than DIA, but does not guarantee reliability.

Voice over LTE (VoLTE) — a metered environment that uses 4G or 5G technology to enable connectivity, even in remote locations.

Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) Networks — the oldest type of WAN that helps extend the existing LAN environment with site-to-site leased lines.

Software-Defined Services (SD-WAN) — the newest type of WAN that uses a software platform to manage the network infrastructure.

Using VoIP with WAN

Since WAN builds interconnections between local and remote locations, you can use it to effectively operate your VoIP phone system.

You can use a site-to-site VPN where traffic runs over a public internet connection while still protected by strong encryption methods. Another option is to work with a private network of ISPs to connect these locations. This lets you employ various features such as VoIP QoS protection and guaranteed bandwidth. Alternatively, you can even use VoIP through a SIP trunk where you plug your SIP credentials into your existing internet network.

The route you choose depends on your resources and network capabilities. Our tech experts at United World Telecom can help you identify the best VoIP solution for your business. Call us today or chat with us online to learn more!

When looking for a new business phone service, it is important to understand who offers the service and how to choose the right voice service provider.

Here’s a brief overview of an ITSP and how they provide cloud telephony services.

Understanding Internet Telephony Service Provider (ITSP)

ITSPs bring IP telephony capabilities to businesses and households. You can use an internet telephony service provider to set up your business cloud phone system by adding voice and other communication functionality. ITSPs are also known as voice service providers (VSPs).

What is an ITSP?

An internet telephony service provider (ITSP) is a supplier of cloud-based telecommunications services. In other words, they use voice over internet protocol (VoIP) to enable users to make and receive calls through their internet connection.

ITSPs do this by providing internet directly to users or other wholesale internet suppliers. Their service is based on local telephones and VoIP functionality. And so, the internet connection is set up using IP phones, softphones, or a PBX system using SIP trunks.

What Does an ITSP Do?

In short, an internet telephony service provider connects you to the internet.

They use a local telephone connection attached to an analog adapter. This link is responsible for connecting to local providers through dial-up connections. To establish this connection, you will need an IP phone or a PBX system and IP protocols.

Common internet protocols used by an ITSP include:

• Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) — Internet signaling protocol used to initiate, maintain, and terminate real-time voice and video communication
• H.323 Protocol — Recommended protocol for voice, video, and data conferencing over packet-based networks
• Media Gateway Control Protocol (MGCP) — Signaling and call control communications protocol
• MeGaCo/H.248 Protocol — Used for communications between the media gateway controller (MGC) and the media gateway (MGW)

How to Choose the Right ITSP

So, how do you decide which internet telephone service provider to use? This depends on what you need from the service.

1. Determine business communication needs

First, identify what is lacking in your business phone system. Why do you want to take it to the cloud? What are you expecting from this new service provider? What communication issues would you like to fix? Next, consider what solutions can help you improve your phone service.

2. Research providers and their offerings

Look at what top voice services providers are offering. Does their service come with a suite of communication features you can benefit from? Do they include features or solutions you need? See how different providers package their offerings and how many of those features you require.

3. Compare prices and reviews

Next, review prices and customer testimonials. Does your potential provider offer multiple plans or payment options? What all comes included in a plan, and what is extra? Do they charge for setup, installation, or cancellation fees? Then consider what current customers say and review case studies demonstrating how the service is used.

Once you’ve reviewed your needs and what ITSPs offer, you can go ahead and contact your preferred provider.

Related: Migrating from ISDN to SIP

Getting Voice Phone Services with United World Telecom

United World Telecom is a VoIP service provider and can help you build a business phone system that meets your communication needs. Please browse through our features and review our pricing. To get started, you need to purchase a virtual phone number and then set up your cloud phone system from there.

Want to learn more about our IP telephony solutions? Call us at 1 (877) 898 8646 or chat online!