SIP Trunking for Dummies: 5 Common Problems and How to Avoid Them

SIP Trunking is clearly a superior technology for an organization to make and receive phone calls versus traditional PRI and analog lines. However, in order for your company to realize such measurable savings and benefits, proper consideration must be given to several aspects of the installation.  

well-planned SIP implementation by a knowledgeable vendor can make all the difference in the end result. Here are a few areas that will require your attention.

Adequate Bandwidth 

While the savings with SIP Trunking is usually quite substantial, there are some instances where the cost savings is negated by the need for additional Internet bandwidth. In most instances, you can just use your existing Internet circuit or add additional bandwidth at a small cost. However, in some instances, depending upon the location and type of service available, an additional circuit or added bandwidth can wipe out any savings.  This situation occurs more often in smaller environments where the cost of jumping from DSL to a business-class service can be substantial.  On the other hand, several of our local SIP Trunk customers have been presently surprised to find that they could add needed Internet bandwidth and still pocket some savings.   

Simultaneous Calls

When you convert to SIP Trunking, it is a natural time to re-assess the number of call paths needed for your organization.  Many times we find that a customer does not have the optimum number of paths and is either wasting money or getting busy signals. You can fix that problem by ordering only the number of call paths needed.

Faxes & Alarms

While you will save money by drastically reducing your old phone bill, you most likely won’t make it disappear completely. It is best practice that your alarm system should remain on a dedicated analog line provided by the phone company. You may also wish to keep your analog fax machine and that too will continue to require an analog line.  Running fax over VoIP is not a good idea. Simply put, it doesn’t work well. It might be a good time to consider an electronic fax replacement. This service allows you to send and receive faxes from your computer, doing away with the dedicated fax machine and analog line.

DID Numbers

Traditional phone companies handed out DID (Direct Inward Dial) numbers like candy. In the VoIP world of SIP Trunking, there is a real cost for each phone number. So, you’ll want to do an inventory and convert only the number of DID numbers you are actually using, plus adequate spares.

Porting Number

The good news is that you can keep all of your existing telephone numbers. The bad news is that it can take a while to complete. Some outgoing carriers cooperate quite well and your SIP Trunk provider can convert in as little as two weeks. Other carriers do everything in their power to stretch out the process to a month or more, allowing them a little more revenue before they lose you.

All-in-all, moving from analog or PRI to SIP Trunking isn’t overly complicated. However, you must understand that there is some work involved on your part in order to take full advantage of the benefits. The job can be made much easier by working with a trusted local SIP Trunking provider, who can work with you, side-by-side to design a total solution.

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