Despite advances in computer technology over the past few decades, employees have always been tied to their desks by power cords, Internet cables, and telephone lines. Only now, with the proliferation of smartphones and Wi-Fi, are companies beginning to sever the link between devices and location.
Most organizations now have powerful Wi-Fi networks connecting employees in their offices. Even if most desktops use cables, Wi-Fi allows the flexibility to work from anywhere with any laptop. Similarly, with VoIP implementations, employees can finally go completely wireless with their phones. Setting up wireless access to mobile devices or any other IP phone requires some consideration and foresight as they are a different beast compared to wired networks.
Organizations that use SIP trunks to configure their own VoIP systems will want to connect to the base station using cables. This is because (in general) wireless networks are not as robust as their wired counterparts and offloading call handling tasks over Wi-Fi can lead to congestion and traffic disruption. However, once the IP-PBX itself is connected via cables, other phones can now receive calls wirelessly. For businesses purchasing hosted services from third-party providers, any IP-enabled phone, both wired and wireless, can connect to the system over the Internet (as there is nothing to configure on site).
The requirements for wireless network configurations are generally more stringent, especially for VoIP calls. Using Wi-Fi generally introduces a small delay that can become unacceptable in high traffic conditions. Just as it is advisable to separate the data networks used for VoIP and other Internet tasks, organizations may consider using different wireless bands for voice over IP calls. This way, the call quality will not degrade due to other intensive network tasks.
Another aspect to consider with wireless VoIP networks is that Wi-Fi signals are obstructed by thick walls, underground garages, and elevator shafts. This means that employees may not have enough bandwidth / signal strength to receive calls in certain areas of the office. To reduce these blind spots or dead zones, organizations can use hardware and / or software to increase signal strength. Still, employees who absolutely need voice communication, such as salespeople or call center workers, may be better off with wired networks and headsets.
There are many variables to consider when implementing VoIP within a business and the choice between wireless or wired can be particularly difficult to make. However, companies have to balance mobility and reliability to see what works best for them.
