Bandwidth requirements for the VoIP phone

VoIP or internet phone directly relies on internet for its effective and error free functioning. Bandwidth is often a key question that is to be asked before you opt for a VoIP provider. However, very few new-to-VoIP users know anything about the bandwidth and how it can cause problems in the use of internet phone service.

Bandwidth is defined as the ability of a network to carry data of a certain amount in certain time, which implies that more bandwidth will mean more data transferring capability. Higher bandwidth also means better voice quality and fewer issues with your internet phone. The bandwidth has two measures to look for, one is the upward bandwidth and the other one is downward bandwidth. Bandwidth plays an important role in using the VoIP phone. The minimum bandwidth that is usually been utilized to run a VoIP phone is around 90 kbps. Some of the VoIP providers even give you the option of lowering your bandwidth to save you cost, as some internet service providers charge on data transfer basis, instead of offering an unlimited data transfer package. However, as a standard practice, you should always try to get the maximum bandwidth for your VoIP phone. Most of the phone services set their service to the best quality as a default option. This means that if you have recently installed your internet phone and are having issue with the voice quality then you will need to readjust the settings to lower quality to get it resolved. At times the internet service provider may not be offering a reliable speed because of which subscribers with even a 128 Kbps connection have a poor call quality.

One of the suggestions for having a trouble free VoIP is to get the DSL internet connection which is a lot faster than the average internet connection. Usually DSL starts at 128 Kbps. Cable internet connection offers a minimum internet speed of 600 Kbps. However, the difference between DSL & Cable internet connection is of cost as Cable internet connection is costlier to use. Relying on any of the faster internet connection options including DSL & Cable can give you a smooth VoIP phone calling experience and you should not face any problem that arises due to faulty internet connection. One other issue that may arise in internet phone call quality is the use of poor data compression technology. Axvoice and few other big names in the VoIP providing industry advanced compression technology to ensure smooth phone calling experience.

Speed of internet is one of the key ingredients in deciding about the quality of the VoIP phone calls. There are numerous other factors which also play an important role. Codec compatibility can also be another issue. Once you are shopping for your internet phone, ask your VoIP provider any specific requirements that must be met regarding internet speed in order to run your phone smoothly. In most cases bandwidth is the main reason for problems in the voice quality but there can be times when other issues might hamper your phone service. If this is the case with your phone, then the problem lies with your VoIP provider and you need to change it.