Hosted VoIP QoS

Summary:

What is Hosted VoIP QoS or for this article Business VoIP Quality of Service and why it’s important to have it configured for the best VoIP business voice experience.

Hosted VoIP QoS: What Is It?

Hosted VoIP QoS stands for ‘quality of service’ and refers to the priority your network gives to certain types of traffic. For Hosted Business Voice or VoIP this means the priority of voice data across your network. Since the user experience for both parties when conducting a call is very sensitive to latency (the delay or ‘lag’ between one side speaking and the other hearing), it becomes important that this latency is kept to a minimum. One method for preventing or minimizing such latency is to give voice data priority on the network, so that VoIP data packets are prioritized to the front of the line and handled ahead of other requests and packets.

How Can I Configure VoIP QoS?

Hosted VoIP VoIP QoS is a function handled by your network router and/or firewall. Most business grade routers offer QoS functionality.

If your router doesn’t offer QoS, then this is not something that you’ll be able to take advantage of, since it’s the intelligent routing built into the hardware that provides the routing rules needed.

The method of configuring QoS for your router will depend on its make and model. If needed, WAVE.BAND has worked on tons of routers and can help to configure VoIP QoS on your equipment.

For the modern workplace, QoS is even more essential because it allows for the prioritization of video data as well as voice data. Those using a unified communications platform like those offers WAVE.BAND, that include video will be able to configure their router to allow low-latency video conferencing for meetings for hybrid workers, remote workers and those working in the in office.

How Important Is it to have and configure QoS?

If you don’t have a router with QoS options, or if you neglect to configure it, it’s not the end of the world, there may be times when the quality isn’t great and if data packets start dropping the video or VoIP calls may become spotty or interrupted. That said however, VoIP technology and the faster internet speeds that carriers like WAVE.BAND provide can bridge the QoS gap. It is important to note that, the busier your network, the more likely you are to experience such problems. QoS was originally introduced as a means of dealing with packet loss and jitter, both issues which can result in a problematic caller experience. We’d therefore certainly recommend configuring VoIP QoS if your router allows for it and, if it does not, purchasing a business router that offers this functionality.

Conclusion

Business and residential networks are working harder than ever, especially with large numbers of hybrid and remote workers connecting to various video meetings that are bandwidth intensive. If your experience with current VoIP provider or service hasn’t met your expectations, it could be worth looking at the quality of your network hardware and how it is configured. If the quality hardware needed to support VoIP, along with every other demand your business places on its network every day, is not robust, you are likely to run into issues, the engineers at WAVE.BAND can assess and assist you if needed.

If you’re a small business that has recently switched to VoIP to handle the recent rise in remote and hybrid working, you may find your network struggling to deal with the new demand when staff return to the office. Quality Internet and network support is available from our team, including excellent business routers and network switches, VoIP phones and headsets and other IP related hardware.

WAVE.BAND, LLC

WAVEBAND is a full-service commercial telecommunications and IT services and support provider. We specialize in building customized communications solutions that strive for zero down-time, peak network performance, and optimized business productivity. 

Recognized as one of the fastest growing communications providers in the southwest, we provide high-speed internet and VoIP solutions to the San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, and Phoenix service areas. Our notable clients include Fox Studios, Santa Anita Racetrack, Raytheon, LPL Financial, Cutwater Spirits, Ballast Point, several major financial institutions, billion-dollar real estate companies, and many other Southern California companies.