The Complete Guide to the Voice over IP Phone

Let’s have a quick game. Take a look at the phone on your desk. Is it a big piece of plastic that has been there since you moved in? Is it connected to a certain wall jack? Do you just sigh and pay the bill for it—and all the other lines in your office—every month, thinking there’s no other way?

For a long time, this was the only way to do business. The landline or PSTN phone system is from the 1900s. It’s not just a phone anymore; in today’s world, where everything is connected and you can work from anywhere, it’s a risk.

You can now buy the voice over ip phone.

You might have heard the term “VoIP” a lot, but do you really know what it means? What is this thing, and how is it different from the one you already own?

A voice over ip phone is more than just a nicer-looking piece of hardware. It’s a brand new way to talk to each other. It makes small businesses sound big and big businesses act small.

This guide will help you understand everything. We’ll talk about what a voice over ip phone is, how it works in simple terms, the amazing benefits, and how to pick the best one for you and your business.

Part 1 – What Exactly Is a Voice over IP Phone?

Let’s break down the name.

• “Voice over IP” (VoIP): This is how it works. “IP” means “Internet Protocol.” “Voice over Internet Protocol” is just a fancy way of saying “sending your voice over the internet.”
• “Phone”: This is what you use to get to that tech.

A VoIP phone, or voice over ip phone, is any device that lets you make and receive calls over the internet instead of a regular phone line.

The Old Way and the New Way

To really understand this, think about how email is different from regular mail.

• Landlines (Snail Mail): You need a real stamp, a real envelope, and a real truck to get the letter to the right place. The system is slow, dedicated, and hard to figure out. This is the phone you used to have. You need a separate copper wire that goes from the pole to your office to make a call.
• VoIP (Email): With the internet connection you already have, you can send an email. You can send it from your phone, laptop, or computer. It runs fast, is based on data, and is easy to change.

This is exactly how a VoIP system works. It changes your voice into data and sends it over the same internet connection that you use for everything else. This one little change makes all the other good things happen.

Part 2 – How Does a Voice over IP Phone Actually Work?

It all sounds very high-tech, but all you have to do is pick up the phone and call. It’s done right away and “in the cloud,” where no one can see it.

This is a short guide that explains what happens when you call:

1. You say: You call a number with your voice over ip phone. When you speak, your voice makes a sound wave that is not digital.
2. It Changes (The “Codec”): The phone’s codec, which is like its brain, quickly turns that analog wave into smaller digital data.
3. “Packetizes”: After that, the digital data is broken up into small, manageable pieces known as “packets.” It has the “address” of where the packet is going written on it.
4. It sends (The “IP” part): Your phone sends these packets over the internet, either through Wi-Fi or an Ethernet cable. They move quickly across the internet, just like an email or a web page.
5. It puts itself back together: When the packets get to the other end, they are put back together in the same order they were sent. Then, they are “decoded” back into a sound wave that the person on the other end can hear.

The whole trip there and back takes only a few milliseconds.

“But who connects the call?”

That’s a great question! Your VoIP provider is the company you pay for VoIP service. The Cloud PBX is in charge of all the air traffic. It sends your data packets to the right place, whether you’re calling another VoIP phone in your office or a landline on the other side of the world.

Part 3 – The “Phone” Part: Hardware, Software, and Everything in Between

This is the best part. The “phone” in voice over ip phone can mean a lot of different things. You could only choose one in the old system, which was a desk phone. You can choose the device that works best for you.

1. The “Hard Phone” (The Desk Phone)This is the simplest way to get a new phone. There is something real on your desk. It doesn’t fit in the old phone jack, but it does fit in your Ethernet port.

   There are usually three kinds of them:

   • Basic Phones: Good for shared spaces like lobbies, break rooms, and more. They have a simple screen, a number pad, and the ability to make calls.
   • Mid-Range (The Workhorse): This is what most people who work in an office use as a standard. These VoIP phones have better screens, buttons that can be programmed, HD audio, and they work with headsets.
   • Executive Phones (The best business phones): They usually have big color touchscreens, built-in Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, the ability to make video calls, and “BLF” (Busy Lamp Field) keys that let you know who else is on a call in the office.
2. A “Softphone” (A Phone That Works with Software)A softphone is an app that lets you use your computer or smartphone to make and receive calls over the internet.
   • On Your Computer: You can now use your laptop as the main phone system for your business. Simply download a desktop app and connect a headset or use the microphone that comes with it. You can do everything from one screen, like check your voicemail, manage your contacts, and make and receive calls.
   • On Your Phone: This is what will change how people work from home. Your provider has a mobile app. You can now get your business number on your personal phone by downloading it and signing in. You can make and receive business calls without having to give out your personal phone number.
3. The “Adapter” (The Bridge)What if you love your old analog phone, like a classic retro phone or a conference system? What if you don’t want to get rid of it? An ATA, or Analog Telephone Adapter, is a small box that links two things together. You plug your old phone into the ATA, and then you plug the ATA into the internet. It turns the analog signal into a digital one, which means you can use old hardware on the new network.

Most businesses should have a hard phone (a physical voice over ip phone) on their desk for a reliable, dedicated experience and a softphone on their mobile for more freedom.

Part 4 – The 5 Big Benefits: Why Switch to a Voice over IP Phone?

This is the “why.” Why switch if it’s not that hard? The benefits aren’t just small; they can make a big difference for a business.

1. A lot of money savedThis is the most important thing. Using the internet you already have is saving you a lot of extra money.
   • Lower your monthly bill: Businesses often say they save between 40% and 70% on their phone bills. You only have to pay a small fee each month for each user.
   • No More Maintenance Fees: The “brain” (the PBX) is in the cloud, and your provider takes care of it. You don’t have to pay a lot of money to get an IT expert to clean up a dusty server room.
   • “Internal” Calls for Free: The calls your employees make are just information on your internal network. That means that calls between extensions are usually free, even if they are in different rooms or countries.
2. Very good at being flexible and getting aroundThere is a wire in the wall that connects your number to your landline. When you use a voice over ip phone, your number is linked to you.
   • Work From Anywhere: As long as you have an internet connection, you can use your voice over ip phone to work from anywhere. When you plug in your desk phone at home, you are “at the office.”
   • One Number for All Devices: You can answer your business phone on your desk phone, laptop, and mobile app all at the same time with a softphone. You can answer from anywhere that works for you.
   • Business Continuity: If a snowstorm, fire, or power outage closes your office, your team can just go home, turn on their softphones, and keep working. Your customers won’t even know there was a problem.
3. Strong, standard features for businessesDo you remember when you had to pay more to get caller ID on your phone? Most of the time, a business VoIP phone comes with a lot of useful features right away.
   • Auto-Attendant (Virtual Receptionist): “Press 1 for sales, press 2 for help…” This feature makes your small business sound like a big company with 200 workers.
   • Voicemail to Email: You can get your voicemails sent to your email inbox as audio files or text files.
   • Call Queues: Play music or make announcements instead of a busy signal to keep people on hold.
   • Advanced Call Routing: You can make “Find Me / Follow Me” rules that tell your phone to ring your desk first, then your cell phone, and finally your home office.
4. Calls that are clearerA lot of people believe this. “Isn’t it going to sound bad?” No! In fact, it’s almost always better. Most new voice over ip phone hardware works with HD Voice, which is also called Wideband Audio. This technology picks up twice as much of the human voice’s audio spectrum, which makes conversations sound much clearer, fuller, and richer than they do on an old landline phone.
5. Simple to GrowHow do you add a new worker to the old system? You hire a technician to run a new wire, and then you wait two weeks.

   How do you add a new employee to a VoIP system?

   1. Log in to your admin area.
   2. Press “Add User.”
   3. Give them a number.
   4. Plug their new VoIP phone in the wall…That’s it. You’re done. Five minutes is all it takes.

Part 5 – Voice over IP Phone vs. Landline (Head-to-Head)

Are you still not sure? Let’s put them next to each other.

Part 6 – Choosing the Right Voice over IP Phone

You got in, right? But how do you pick the right hardware from the many choices?

Don’t just buy the cheapest one. Consider who will use it.

• For the Executive or the Receptionist: This “power user” needs a nice phone that can make calls over the Internet. Look for a phone with a big color screen, a lot of programmable “BLF” keys (so you can see who’s on the phone), and Bluetooth so you can use a headset without wires.
• For the Average Office Worker: This person needs the “daily driver.” Look for a VoIP phone that has HD Voice, a good backlit screen, and a place to plug in a headset. It should also not cost too much.
• For the Remote Worker: People who work from home need to be able to adapt. A good softphone app for your laptop and phone and a mid-range desk phone for your home office are the best options.
• For the Common Area (Lobby/Break Room): You only need a cheap, simple, and strong voice over ip phone that can make and receive calls for the lobby or break room.
• For the Conference Room: To hear everyone in the conference room, you need a special voice over ip phone with microphones that can pick up sound from all sides and advanced echo cancellation.

Pro Tip: Before you buy hardware, always check with your VoIP provider. Most providers have a list of “provisioned” or “recommended” phones that they will fully support and set up for you automatically.

Part 7 – Your First Steps: Getting Your New Phone Ready

The best part is that it’s easy to set up.

1. Check out your internet: First, check to see if your internet connection is fast and stable. You should be fine if you can watch videos without them stopping.
2. Pick Your Provider: This is the most important thing to do. Pick a business VoIP provider that has a good name and fits your budget and needs for features.
3. Plug It In: As soon as you plug in your new VoIP phone, they’ll send it to you. You can get power by plugging one cord into the wall (or get it through “Power over Ethernet” – PoE) and a second Ethernet cable to the port on your computer.