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Don’t let VoIP ruin your reputation – do it right!

TrainingVoIP

Quality of Service

Quality of Service (QoS) is a concept that proposes that some network services deserve better bandwidth, lower latency, fewer errors, and stability than others. These differences in network services become apparent when you compare data traffic and traffic produced between two recipients using VoIP. When data traffic passes through the network, it either succeeds or fails (and can be re-sent). However, when VoIP traffic passes through the network, it is carrying data that comes from human speech and the integrity of this speech must be preserved.

Users have a very low tolerance for poor quality phone calls and dropped audio. Real-time applications such as voice and video are more susceptible to customer complaints than any other traffic. It is essential that QoS is correctly implemented in conjunction with a VoIP telephony solution.

It is rarely practical to install dedicated network infrastructure for VoIP except perhaps in the smallest of networks – i.e. an 8-port PoE switch. Even so, VoIP must be prioritised if the Internet link is shared.

Basic Recommendations (for SME networks)

  • Use good quality, fully-managed PoE switches
  • Implement VLANs, e.g. Voice, Data, Video (IP CCTV or IPTV)
    • Some switches include pre-configured Voice VLANs with low latency.
  • Use Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP) to automatically configure VoIP phones with VLAN and QoS.
  • Classify local traffic not already handled by LLDP (i.e traffic from IP-PBX or VoIP Gateway)
  • Classify incoming VoIP traffic from any upstream service providers and prioritise it.
  • Avoid daisy-chaining PCs into VoIP phones if possible; if you must:
    • Use phones with Gigabit network ports.
    • Ensure that the phone ‘data’ port has the appropriate QoS setting (phone provisioning)
  • Implement traffic shaping (bandwidth management) on the Internet router/firewall.
  • Contact us if you have more complex requirements and we will help you.

How can EFL help?

Electronic Frontier Ltd (EFL) is a value-added distributor specialising in converged IP solutions.
We can help you create a complete & fully supported VoIP solution (with QoS!) by recommending products from our interop-tested portfolio.

Benefit from a single point of contact for supply & support.
We represent, amongst others:

3CX | beroNet | Mediatrix | Patton | snom | Yealink | ZyXEL

Contact Us

Did you know we also supply IP CCTV solutions?

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From product guidance and project quotes to technical fault resolution, our dedicated UK support and sales teams are just a phone call away.

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Compliance with the UK WEEE Regulations:

Electronic Frontier Limited is classed as a producer with respect to EEE for “users other than private households” under The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2013.

Regulation 12 places an obligation on Electronic Frontier Limited to finance the costs of treatment, and environmentally sound disposal of waste electronic equipment (WEEE) from our customers where that WEEE:

  1. (I)

    Is composed of equipment sold to our customers before 13th August 2005 and that is being replaced by products from Electronic Frontier Limited of the same type or that perform the same function.

  2. (II)

    Is composed of Electronic Frontier Limited supplied equipment purchased by our customers after 13th August 2005.

Where Electronic Frontier Limited is responsible for WEEE under the scenario above, it is the responsibility of the customer to deliver the WEEE in question to Electronic Frontier Limited’s chosen recycling facility or designated address, after which point, we will accept any further treatment or recycling costs.

To arrange a delivery of WEEE, please contact Electronic Frontier Limited operations@elecfron.com to allow us to ensure that the correct procedures can be applied.

  • Include contact information and details such as purchase dates, serial numbers, device models and EFL invoice number.

For clarity, where customers wish to dispose of WEEE that is:

  • composed of equipment purchased before 13th August 2005 but that is not being replaced by equipment of the same type or that performs the same function then the customer retains responsibility for disposal under The Environmental Protection (Duty of Care) Regulations 1991.
  • composed of equipment purchased after 13th August 2005, then the original producer of the equipment retains responsibility for treatment and environmentally sound disposal – subject to the provision that this responsibility has not been passed on to the customer through any contractual terms of the original purchase contract