Switching and Cabling – The final step in creating the ideal environment for VoIP is the physical network and how it all connects.
- Speed – Devices on any network communicate at different speeds. You may come across the numbers 10/100/1000. These numbers are the physical ‘speed’ in which devices can communicate. The numbers refer to 10 Mbps, 100 Mbps, and 1000 Mbps (a.k.a. Gigabit) which are the speeds most devices can communicate. Most computers these days operate at 1000 Mbps while printers, VoIP phones, and other devices function at 100 Mbps. There are not a lot of 10 Mbps devices anymore.
- Ethernet – Physical cabling is referred to as Ethernet or CAT5, CAT5e, CAT6, etc. cabling. Your environment will determine what type of cabling you need. When you request an Ethernet connection at a desk for example where you would like to connect a computer to, this connection is typically at a wall plate and looks like a large phone jack. Each jack represents a separate cable all the way back to where the main Internet Gateway location and is. This separate cable is referred to as a drop. We recommend 3-4 drops per wall plate to support the average desk which has 1 phone, 1 computer, and 1 printer, with room for one more network connection for growth.
- WiFi – In this same discussion, it should be mentioned that WiFi in the office typically functions between 54 Mbps to 2000 Mbps and depends on the level of encryption and distance of the WiFi signal. Though it is not as stable as a wired connection Wireless is a good alternative when cabling cannot be installed.
