Voip system in a small office

[simpson93]

Hi all, trying to get my head around how voip systems work in an office.

From what I gather for install it's just router to switch to patch panel to rj45 just like any other internet point. Is that right, am Imissing anything?


I would also also like to know I there's any special requirements do you need a special sw to config? and how do you find the number for the phone?


Cheers all

 

[MisterE]

As usual the answer is "it all depends", both on the reason for asking the question and the situation you have in mind.

So a few questions /comments for clarification :-

Is the VOIP Service delivered from outside from a Service Provider (over the internet, normally using the SIP protocol) or internal from a telephone switch / exchange on the data network?

If it's a small office (with little data traffic on the network) the VOIP telephone is just another device on the network and you can get away with any decent fast ethernet or gigabit switch.

For example, I use www.voipfone.co.uk for a business line where the service is over the internet, with the link between the VOIP service and the "normal" phone system (and number) is provided by them, with an "adapter" plugged into my router and a "normal" analogue phone plugged into the adaptor. I could use a VOIP handset plugged straight into network which doesn't need adapter. This works very well.

Larger offices, with a lot of data traffic would have their network switches configured to give priority to the voice traffic and may do their own telephone to VOIP conversion on their telephone switches (PBX).

In both cases a licensed telecoms operator has to be involved to provide the numbers.

Does that make sense?

 

[simpson93]

reson for asking is I'm about to do a data install on a small office up2 patch panel but am interested in how the rest of it all goes together.

in a previous install I did alongside a friend extra cat6's had to be pulled to outside (guessing this would be what you mean by internally).

 

[MisterE]

In that case, from a data cable installation point of view you'll need to know the total number of devices computers, telephones and network printers etc. so that you can install the required number of data outlets.

If the broadband and router are in the data cabinet you won't need data points for those but
some VOIP phones have network switches built in so that they don't need a dedicated data point (the computer is daisy chained from the phone) but I'd put one for each device while you're at it.

Unfortunately there are too many permutations to describe all the possible options, to understand the particular system you're involved with it's best to ask the designer of the solution (probably the salesman for their supplier!)