What is VOIP?
Voice over Internet Protocol is a technology that allows voice to be sent over the Internet. Using a broadband Internet connection and subscribing to a VoIP provider allows a person to make phone calls over the Internet.
What is a VOIP Phone?
VOIP Phones are special telephones which look and work like normal telephone but they connect directly to your Internet connection without the use of an ATA device (to convert analog signals to digital signals). A VOIP Phone plugs directly into your Internet router and comes with both wireless and corded models. Business users generally opt for VOIP Phones because they have special buttons which allow calls to be transferred, put on hold and have multiple lines.
What are the advantages of VOIP?
VOIP will provide USUHS with low cost savings and added phone service all wrapped into one bundle. We will now provide in house add, moves, and changes instead of having to wait for Verizon to send a technician. We will also be able to customize phone features as well as maintaining all the functionality that you already had with our ISDN service. VOIP will also provide better management of our phone system allowing us to pull inquiries and reports. VOIP will also allow us to have redundancy in case of power outage or network failure in our data center.
What is a Softphone?
A softphone is the general term used to describe a VoIP phone connection where software that is installed, is used to create a phone connection on a computer. The PC acts as the phone with a virtual phone displayed on the screen. A headset is generally needed for good conversations, one with both a microphone and head speakers.
Can I use my computer when I am on the VoIP phone?
Yes, you can work on the computer while on the VoIP phone. They should not conflict with each other.
When will the new VoIP service be deployed in my building?
Details on the VoIP building deployment status can be found on the VoIP Deployment Schedule.
Will the dialing instructions change for anyone in bldg 1?
No, They will still be able to dial the 7 digit number to call anyone in the USUHS, AFRRI and Off-site locations.
What about my old voicemail messages, can I still retrieve them?
All voicemail messages in your current mailbox (to include saved messages) will be migrated to the new system. Once the messages have been migrated, they will appear in your voicemail box as new and unheard messages.
The new VOIP phone installed is listed as Vacant and can not place outside calls?
If the phone in your area is labeled “Vacant”, this means that we were not able to identify the user. The “Vacant” phone will only be able to dial internally; in order to have full access to the phone you must place a ticket with the help desk providing your name, phone number in reference to, and room location.
I did not receive a new VOIP phone, what should I do?
If you did not receive a phone, please place a ticket with help desk providing your name, phone number, room location and we will coordinate with you a time to deploy your phone.
I found that my information is incorrect on my phone. What do I need to do?
Please place a service desk ticket providing your name, location and phone number. Once the information is received, Telecom will configure your phone with your proper information.
My voicemail password is locked, how do I reset the password?
Please place a service desk ticket providing your name, location and phone number. Once the request is received, Telecom will reset your password and email you a confirmation and instructions.
How can I set up a personal contact book and speed dials?
Personal phone book and Speed dials can be set up through the Self Care Portal. Please review the Features section for step by step instructions.
How can I access my new voicemail box from outside, say, from my cell phone?
Call your number and wait for the voicemail prompt, then press *, then enter your phone number and then pin.
Can the phone be configured so that all phone numbers are displayed with separators?
Unfortunately we are unable to change the number format on the top of the display. We can only change the line text from the user name to phone number with dashes.
FUNCTIONALITY QUESTIONS
What Features Are Available With IP Phones?
Here are just a few of the major features available with IP phone systems and what they do:
Auto-attendant - a virtual receptionist that never takes a sick day or vacation and routes calls automatically
Mobile integration - a feature that allows your mobile workforce to make and receive business calls with mobile phones without having to give out personal numbers
Conference calling - which allows up to five people on one call, or scheduled conference calls with more participants
Video conferencing - which allows people to see the people on conference calls and share information easily
Find me / follow me - a feature that automatically forwards calls for workers who telecommute, work off-site, or travel frequently
Custom "on-hold" greetings or music - to reassure callers they haven't been disconnected and play important information
I have an alarm system; can it be integrated with a VoIP system?
In some cases, yes, but some alarm company's equipment cannot integrate correctly with a VoIP signal, although great strides have occurred in the last couple of years. There can also be the issue with a power outage, which in many cases will cause a loss of the Internet connection, resulting in the loss of VoIP service. You should contact your individual alarm company technical support for exact answers about their services integration with VoIP. Some companies specialize in a device that uses a broadband connection to connect to the alarm company, and thus can be used with a VoIP connection. Elevator Alarms in many states are required by code to have a copper line and should not be connected to VoIP without investigation.
What if I move to another location?
If the new location already has a VOIP phone in place you can simply place a service desk ticket to have the phone configured with your profile information. If the location does not have a VOIP phone, please place a service desk ticket for a new VOIP phone to be deployed.
Does my computer need to be turned on to use VOIP?
No, as long as your Internet connection is working you can use VoIP with your computer turned off. Just plug your telephone into the VoIP adapter or your VoIP telephone into your Internet connection and you will always have VoIP telephone service.
What if I need to add a shared call appearance and/or pickup group?
Place a service desk ticket requesting to add an additional existing line or a pickup group to your phone line. A telecom technician will configure the phone with the information that the user has provided on the ticket.
Will 911 work with VOIP?
E911 is provided in our VOIP deployment. Each phone will be configured with a basic button configuration template providing quick dials to emergency numbers.
What if I need to add a new phone line for a new user?
Place a service desk ticket for a new network drop if one doesn't exist already and provide the new user’s name and location. Telecom will dispatch a technician to install the network drop and have it activated. Once that is done Telecom will provide the phone and configure it with the new user’s information.
Can I change the wallpaper display on my new VOIP phone?
It is a DIACAP requirement to have the emergency numbers displayed on the phone. NOC has met this requirement by customizing a USUHS wallpaper and adding the security information. This feature is locked down by NOC and cannot be changed.
Is it possible to configure the system so that multiple personal address books could be created?
Unfortunately, this is not a function that we are able to customize.
Does the VOIP phone have a call log and how many calls can it hold?
Call History allows you to view information about the last 150 calls on your phone. The Call History lists individual calls and call groups chronologically from the most recent call to the oldest one. If your phone has multiple lines, calls on all lines are added together. The oldest calls over the 150-call limit are dropped from the history. There are 3 different call types "Received, Placed, and Missed calls".
How do I forward calls straight to my voicemail?
In order to send calls directly to your voicemail - Press the call forwarding button once, then press the voicemail button.
TROUBLESHOOTING QUESTIONS
My phone has no power?
Check to see if the network cable is plugged into the right port on the phone, refer to the user guide.
What if the network goes down?
All traffic will be redirected to our secondary core in AFRRI for redundancy, which is utilized for fail over and have services survive. Should both cores go down, then voice calls will automatically fail over to mobile phones.
If we lose power will I still be able to make phone calls with VOIP?
USUHS and AFRRI are both on a UPS and backup power generator in case we lose power. Once the data center loses power the UPS kicks in immediately giving power to our primary core temporarily until the backup power generator takes over. If for some reason our data center fails, then the 2nd core in AFRRI will provide service to our VOIP infrastructure until power is restored.
My VOIP phone and internet is not working?
If you are experiencing any issues or have any questions, please contact the Telecom hotline at 301-400-6000 or place a ticket with the help desk.
I have a new phone, but it says “Phone Not Registered”, what needs to be done?
Unplug the network cable from the phone, wait 3 seconds and plug it back in. The phone will reboot itself once or twice and may take from 1 to 5 minutes to register. If the phone still hasn’t register; then place a service desk ticket and a technician will address the issue.