Can I Keep my Current Telephone Numbers?

Many people having switched their service to VoIP, are deciding to port their existing numbers to their VoIP Service Provider. Businesses, who are dependant on keeping their same numbers which their customers already know, are also deciding to port their numbers. Local Number Portability (LNP) allows US telephone customers to retain their telephone numbers and move them to other local service providers in most cases. In almost all cases, numbers can be ported, or transferred to your new VoIP Service Provider. This includes toll free numbers. This process can take anywhere from just a few days, up to four weeks. If you would like to keep all or some of your current phone numbers, you will need to install an interface card in your Asterisk based IP PBX system that can handle your incoming POTS lines, and route them to your new phones. The alternative is to just keep all or some portion of your current phone lines and phones intact.

What is a Softphone?

A softphone is the general term used to describe a VoIP phone connection where software that is installed, is used to create a phone connection on a computer. The PC acts as the phone with a virtual phone displayed on the screen. A head set is generally needed for good conversations, one with both a microphone and head speakers. Although softphones are liked and used by many people, they have not as of yet taken off in the business environment, which still prefer more traditional phones.

How Much Bandwidth do I Need to Handle VoIP Calls?

Depending on the Codec used (for compression), you will generally need at least 92 Kbps for each phone call. This includes both download and upload speed. Since upload speeds are typically much less than download speeds available from your local cable or dsl provider, you should look for upload speeds that run from 512 Kbps to 768 Kbps. These speeds would enable you to have 3 or 4 calls going at the same time with no loss of voice quality. Higher compression codecs could allow for 7-10 concurrent calls runnning at the same speed.

Will 911 Work With VoIP?

In short...Yes. Emergency 911 services should be part of your VoIP providers features. Recent FCC rulings have required VoIP providers to supply E911 numbers and service. You may want to contact your provider and ask about their particular service have them check your address for E911 service. In addition, your provider should have services to update your location changes. If you use multiple providers, you can get away with just having an E911 service on your primary, local outgoing service providers plan. There is a small monthly charge from the provider when E911 is active on one of your outbound routes.

Can I Have Multiple Phone Numbers With VoIP?

You certainly can... and that's the beauty of VoIP. In most cases, one inbound DID (direct inward dialing) number provides you with 2 channels of incoming service. This means, you have the ability to receive 2 phone calls on that one number. If you would like to have the ability to receive more phone calls on a single number, simply add more channels to that same number. Adding extra numbers, or DID's is a drop in the bucket. The addition of channels and DIDs is very inexpensive in the VoIP world. Extra channels can run as little as $1.00 per month. Try that with Ma Bell!

What is a Virtual Number?

A virtual number is a phone number that will ring in on the actual primary number's line. This phone number can be obtained for almost any area code available. This can benefit callers, who by dialing a local number to them, connect with your primary number without having to incur long distance charges. Use a virtual number to allow family members to call you from another state, or get a virtual number in a location where you do a fair amount of business. Virtual numbers, under the right circumstance,s can be less costly for a business than a toll free number. Many businesses have a combination of both toll free and virtual numbers.

If I Lose Power, Can I Still Make Phone Calls With VoIP?

Loosing power can cause your Internet connection to go down. If this happens you will not be able to make calls unless you are equipped with a back up UPS (uninterruptable power supply), which could power the connection for a limited short duration. Using a UPS to power your modem and VoIP ATA should allow an Internet connection to be maintained for a short duration and should suffice for short local outages. For larger outages the loss of Internet may be more problematic, as for instance a cable company depends on amplifiers to power some of their equipment. If those amplifiers loose power then their system will go down in that area, including both TV and Internet. Consider keeping one POTS (plain old telephone system) line if your business has to have an available phone line 100% of the time. Of course, there's always your cell phone as a backup too.