SD-WAN In the Know Part II: Why SD-WAN? How Secure is it?

June 19, 2018 by Ying-Hui Chen

Note: this is a two-part blog series. You can read SD-WAN In the Know Part I here.

In the previous post, we have learned the basics about SD-WAN. Today, we are going to learn more about why many multi-location businesses choose SD-WAN and how secure it is comparing to traditional WAN connectivity. Let’s get to it:

Why SD-WAN?

A short answer would be: SD-WAN can offer you a seamless, secure connectivity across your multiple communications platforms efficiently with lower costs.

Traditionally, when you have multiple branch offices connected to your headquarter, the traffic from each branch is pulled across the WAN links to your main site. This process is very inefficient and expensive. Now with SD-WAN, you have a direct Internet connectivity that gives you consistent performance to your applications at lower costs.

One of the biggest advantages of SD-WAN is that it can act like a sensor that provides intelligent path control to make smart real-time decisions to prioritize your tasks/ traffic and assign just the right amount of space for each task. (no waste at all!)

Better yet, This capability can be set at a single control center and then push out to all SD-WAN devices at the same time. This makes your network extremely efficient and it will highly improve your quality of service (QoS)! Learn more about QoS here.

How secure is SD-WAN?

Most SD-WAN solutions will be able to complement and supplement your existing security environment and protocols. This makes SD-WAN more reliable and secure than WAN connectivity.

Traditional WAN solution handles security through multiple appliances at each of your branch offices which makes it more time-consuming and difficult to manage. However, with SD-WAN solution, you will have the ability to define, monitor, and enforce network policies all from a single managed center.

The WAN connectivity is already in the past. If you have remote offices or branches but you are not using SD-WAN yet, you are really falling behind!

Interested in learning how your business can benefit from SD-WAN? Don’t hesitate to contact one of our VoIP experts at 1-800-398-8647!

How to Set Polycom VVX Series Volume to a Persistent Level?

June 18, 2018 by Ying-Hui Chen

Our tech support team at VoIP Supply offers great pre- and post-sales support plus provisioning, consultations, configuration, and installation help. We get a lot of VoIP hardware and software questions and would like to share the solutions with everyone.

In previous Mom’s calling Q&A series, we have discussed: What VoIP Headsets will work with Sangoma s500 and a mobile phone? Today, we have more new real questions and answers from VoIP users just like you.

How to Set Polycom VVX Series Volume to a Persistent Level?

Q: I have a customer with 30 locations stated that the ringer is not loud enough. Is there a solution to resolve this?

A: Polycom’s VVX receiver volume resets to a nominal level after each call. This is the VVX VoIP phones’ default setting. To make the receiver volume persist across calls after you the volume setting is changed, you would need to manually edit the tx and Rx gains in the phones.

Here’s how to:

<Volume voice.volume.persist.handset=”1″/>

0 is the default number, which automatically resets your phone to a nominal level after each call ends. If you change the number to 1, the volume for each call will be staying at the same level as the previous call.

STAY TUNED

Come back for more VoIP questions and answers next time! If you have VoIP questions to ask us, please submit a technical support ticket or contact our VoIP experts today at (866) 582-8591

Grandstream Released WP820 Portable WiFi VoIP Phone for Beta testing!

by Ying-Hui Chen

Grandstream recently announced the release of their upcoming WiFi VoIP phones for beta testing! This new WiFi phone supports 2 SIP accounts and features a built-in accelerometer, proximity sensor, panic button, and much more! Check out our WP820 webinar recap to learn more!

Unique Features:

Integrated dual-band 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi support
2 SIP accounts and 2 lines, and a 2.4” color LCD with real-time video streaming features
HD voice & dual MIC design with wide-band voice codecs such as Opus
Built-in accelerometer, proximity sensor, panic button, and push-to-talk features
Integrated Bluetooth for syncing headsets and mobile devices
Runs on AndroidTM 7.0 and supports custom Android apps

How to Avoid VoIP System Downtime during an Internet Outage

by Ying-Hui Chen

Last week, Comcast suffered a massive outage, affecting thousands of users across the USA including Pacific Northwest, California, Florida and more.

Many businesses were affected by this outage, unable to make or receive phone calls during peak business hours including some government agencies and emergency response teams. Many of these customers were using VoIP and only some had a failover plan. If you don’t have one, this is a post you’re going to want to read!

How Do I Avoid VoIP System Downtime during an Internet Outage?

One of the most important factors to consider when evaluating a VoIP system is whether your VoIP service provider offers call continuity and system redundancy. These features are made to ensure that no VoIP calls will be lost during an Internet outage. Your calls will be automatically forwarded to designated cell phone numbers or other mobile devices you prefer.

Nextiva is one of our most popular mobile-ready VoIP service providers. Let’s take a look at how it can help you reduce your VoIP System downtime to zero:

The Nextiva Clarity Dual WAN Failover

Nextiva Clarity is a dual WAN failover plan that allows you to route traffic through a backup internet connection when your primary internet connection is not available.

It enables your business or employees to access the system from any mobile devices whether your Internet connection works or not. (Yes – All call features will still be available on your mobile devices!)

The Nextiva App

The Nextiva App is the primary access point for business users to manage their unified communications solution. This single feature-rich application allows you to communicate via voice, video, and instant messaging right from your mobile device. You will be able to stay connected at all times, whether you are on the road or in an event of power or Internet outage!

Want to learn more about VoIP failover plans or Nextiva? Call one of our VoIP consultants at 1-800-398-8647 today!

4 Reasons Why You Should Let VoIP Supply Help Your Provisioning Needs

June 6, 2018 by Ying-Hui Chen

We all have a lot to do each day and programming your customers’ VoIP systems shouldn’t be your focus. Luckily, there’s a better solution: the provisioning service by VoIP Supply!

Check out the top four reasons why our customers choose to do programming and provisioning with the VoIP Supply provisioning team:

Why Provisioning VoIP Systems with VoIP Supply?

Reason 1: Let the experts do it right!

Each component in a VoIP system needs its own programming and little tweaks. The VoIP Supply provisioning team already has the knowledge and capability to do it efficiently for you. Why not let us do it right for you?

Our team configures the proper IP settings to match your network specifications, sets up your extension information, and makes sure the PBX is ready to connect to your phones. Your PBX will be ready to go right out of the box!

Reason 2: Focus on your core business

Time is money. Save your valuable time by having the experts at VoIP Supply configure for you, so you can focus what’s important, growing your business!

Reason 3: More than just PBX Provisioning

We don’t just do PBX provisioning, we also handle IP phone provisioning, system configuration, PCI Card provisioning, and more. From initial consultations to the final installation, you don’t need to worry about a thing. Just relax and let us do it for you.

Consultations: VoIP Supply Phone Support in 30 or 60 Minute Packages
VoIP Provisioning: VoIP Phone Provisioning, Remote Phone Provisioning, PBX Provisioning
Configuration: System Configuration, PCI Card Configuration, PCI Assembly
Installations: Site Survey, Cat5 Cable Runs, UPS/Phone/PBX Installation, Router and Wireless Access Point Configuration and Installation

See the full list of services here.

Reason 4: We are not going anywhere

Our VoIP Solution experts are able to pair you with an installation partner utilizing our network of integrator from our Community. We have a lot of resources to help you solve your problems. If you have any questions, our VoIP experts are just a phone call away to answer!

Ready to Start?

Our provisioning services are performed in our VoIP Provisioning Lab from 8 am to 5 pm EST. Fill out the form here with your project details and one of our VoIP consultants will contact you as soon as possible.

Is Google Hangouts Meet Compatible with Polycom and Cisco Phones?

by Ying-Hui Chen

Great news! Google today announced that their Hangouts Meet, a designated business video conferencing solution, will be compatible with Polycom and Cisco hardware in a few weeks.

These integrations will make it easier for businesses to use meeting solutions utilizing existing VoIP hardware they have.

“Nothing’s more frustrating than hosting a meeting and having trouble getting people to join because of issues with technology—it can interrupt workflows and slow down productivity,” Rany Ng, Google’s director of product management for G Suite

Additionally, Google also introduced its new third party integration with Google calendar. Now you can join some third party calls such as Webex right from Google Calendar with a simple click.

We are expecting to see more integrations and analytics updates from Google in a few months. Stay tuned!

Grandstream UCM6200 & GXP Phones Webinar Recap (Recording and Q&A)

June 5, 2018 by Ying-Hui Chen

Are you interested in the Grandstream UCM6200 or other versions of the UCM? These Grandstream IP PBX appliances offer secure and reliable service at an unprecedented price without any licensing fees, cost-per-feature or recurring fees. During our previous webinar with Grandstream, we received a lot of great questions about the UCM appliances and we want to share with all of you who may have the same questions!

Download the presentation slides here

Grandstream UCM6200 & GXP Phones Webinar Q&A

Question 1 Can an Avaya phone be configured to work with the UCMs?

Answer: All our devices are SIP-based devices so any devices that support the SIP protocol should work with the UCM. Some features might not work because they were designed to work with Grandstream devices only but in terms of the functionality, it should not be a problem.

Question 2 What about an Active Directory or some other directory client on the UCMs?

Answer: Yes, you can use the Active Directory on either the UCMs or on the GXP phones.

Question 3: How do we set up Affinity desktop client?

Answer: After downloading the application through the “Resources” section of any GXP phone’s product page on Grandstream.com, you can choose Simple, Advanced or Discovery setup mode. Each provide convenient configuration possibilities to any deployment.

For more information about Grandstream Affinity, download the Grandstream Affinity brochure and the User Guide here! Or call our VoIP Specialists at 1-800-398-8647.

Question 4: Does Grandstream have training available in South Africa?

Answer: Not that I am aware of. You can reach out to our help desk and select the region when you open a ticket in the system and we will get back to you with a more accurate answer.

Question 5: The Grandstream 6510 UCM had a USB port, do other UCM models have that too?

Answer: That is correct! All the UCM models come with a SD card port for external storage and a USB port that you can use.

Question 6: Is there a Cloud version of the UCM6200?

AnswerNot as of right now, all the UCMs are IP PBX appliances, not in the cloud yet.

More Questions? Contact our VoIP Solutions Consultant, Joe Shanahan, at 716-531-4316 or [email protected]!

Sangoma Vega 3000G is a finalist for Channel Product of the Year (Hardware) 2018

by Ying-Hui Chen

Sangoma Technologies, a trusted leader in delivering scalable VoIP telephony systems, announced that their Vega 3000G gateway is a finalist for Channel Product of the Year (Hardware) at the Comms Business Awards on June 21st.

This award is for hardware products sold into the ICT Channel during 2017. Judges will be looking out for innovation and disruptive products which have brought a new dynamic to specific market segments.

Sangoma Vega 3000G is a 24 FXS port analog gateway with SIP support and is scalable for large deployments. This device offers voice, fax and modem support. Learn more here!

Up to 24 VoIP channels
QoS statistics reporting
SIP to SIP call routing
Emergency call routing
USB 2.0 for extra storage
Low-density PSTN gateway

Are you using Sangoma Vega 3000G? What’s your experience? Leave a comment to share with us!

Which Spectralink Phones work with the Avaya IP Office PBX?

June 4, 2018 by Ying-Hui Chen

Are you using Avaya IP Office PBX and wondering what VoIP phones are compatible with it? As you may know, Avaya is very proprietary and doesn’t support many 3rd party IP Phones; however, there are some exceptions!

If you are looking to upgrade your WiFi phones, some Spectralink handsets are compatible with Avaya’s PBX. However, you will still need a 3rd party SIP license from Avaya for the handsets to act as an endpoint off the PBX.

Here are some tested handsets to get you started but we recommend you contact our VoIP experts at 1-800-398-8647 to make sure they work with your version of Avaya PBX:

Spectralink PIVOT 8744 Series Handsets

Key Features:

Dual mode high-resolution camera
Touchscreen with a full keyboard
Reliable voice quality over Wi-Fi
Open Standards for integration across call control, WiFi networks, and applications

Spectralink 8440 Series Handsets

Spectralink 8440 Series Handsets has been tested on the Avaya IP Office 500v2 software version 9.0.

Key Features:

WiFi compatibility with VIEW Approved WiFi Access Points.
2.2 inch color LCD display, 240×320 resolution
Dedicated Push-to-Talk
Four (4) Context Sensitive Softkeys

Do you have more questions about the VoIP Phones compatibility? Call one of our VoIP consultants at 1-800-398-8647 to get your questions answered.

The Sangoma FreePBX Bundle 1-Year Licenses are Available now!

by Ying-Hui Chen

Are the 25-year FreePBX licenses too long for your business? If yes, then you are in luck! Today Sangoma released their new 1-year licenses for your FreePBX bundles. Now you can enjoy all the same benefits and add-on modules as the original FreePBX bundles, only this time, with a shorter time of commitment!

What FreePBX Bundle 1-Year Licenses are Available?

There are four new 1-year license FreePBX bundles available. One of them will be perfectly tailored for your type and size of business. With an array of options for add-ons, you are able to create a powerful PBX that allows your business to perform at the top tier of its potential. Plus, our dedicated VoIP experts are here to help you make that happen! Check out the available 1-year license bundles:

Sangoma FreePBX Starter Bundle

Sangoma FreePBX Advanced Bundle

Sangoma FreePBX Call-Center Bundle

Sangoma FreePBX Everything Bundle

Not sure which bundle is your magic solution? Read our blog to find out: Sangoma FreePBX Bundles Comparison – Choose a Right Solution. Or simply raise your phone to call our VoIP experts at 1-800-398-8647 and let us pick the ideal bundle for you!

SD-WAN In the Know Part II: Why SD-WAN? How Secure is it?

Why SD-WAN?

How secure is SD-WAN?

How to Set Polycom VVX Series Volume to a Persistent Level?

How to Set Polycom VVX Series Volume to a Persistent Level?

Grandstream Released WP820 Portable WiFi VoIP Phone for Beta testing!

How to Avoid VoIP System Downtime during an Internet Outage

How Do I Avoid VoIP System Downtime during an Internet Outage?

The Nextiva Clarity Dual WAN Failover

The Nextiva App

4 Reasons Why You Should Let VoIP Supply Help Your Provisioning Needs

Why Provisioning VoIP Systems with VoIP Supply?

Reason 1: Let the experts do it right!

Reason 2: Focus on your core business

Reason 3: More than just PBX Provisioning

Reason 4: We are not going anywhere

Ready to Start?

Is Google Hangouts Meet Compatible with Polycom and Cisco Phones?

Grandstream UCM6200 & GXP Phones Webinar Recap (Recording and Q&A)

Grandstream UCM6200 & GXP Phones Webinar Q&A

Question 1 Can an Avaya phone be configured to work with the UCMs?

Question 2 What about an Active Directory or some other directory client on the UCMs?

Question 3: How do we set up Affinity desktop client?

Question 4: Does Grandstream have training available in South Africa?

Question 5: The Grandstream 6510 UCM had a USB port, do other UCM models have that too?

Question 6: Is there a Cloud version of the UCM6200?

Sangoma Vega 3000G is a finalist for Channel Product of the Year (Hardware) 2018

Which Spectralink Phones work with the Avaya IP Office PBX?

Spectralink PIVOT 8744 Series Handsets

Spectralink 8440 Series Handsets

The Sangoma FreePBX Bundle 1-Year Licenses are Available now!

What FreePBX Bundle 1-Year Licenses are Available?

Featured Posts

Popular Posts

Read Our Feed

Latest

VoIP Post Categories

Archives