Network Requirements for Podium Phones

Podium Phones are a VoIP-based technology which means that they use the internet to make and receive calls. To make and receive calls, along with performing any other necessary operations on your network like working or browsing the web, a strong network is required. Some devices are known to have problems with VoIP(Voice over Internet Protocol), and we have minimum requirements for your network strength based on the number of devices you have connected to the network. Please take a look at your current networking equipment and this document to make sure your networking equipment and quality are sufficient to avoid dropped calls and poor call quality.

Network Requirements

Bandwidth

This is a critical component of your network. Essentially, it is how much data can flow in and out of the network and how fast/accurately it does that. This is typically measured in bits per second. 

Take an internet speed test to validate that your bandwidth meets the minimum requirements. Device means any phone, laptop, printer, or other device connected to the same network as the one you’ll be making calls on. 

• Upload speed - at least 0.2 Mpbs per device  
• Download speed - at least 1 Mbps per device 
• Jitter - less than 40ms
• Packet loss - less than 2%

If you don’t meet these requirements, your phones may not ring consistently for every inbound call, your calls may drop periodically, and your call quality may suffer. A note about speed test results:

• Watch out for upload and download-specific jitter and latency in the speed.cloudflare.com test.

Firewall Rules

Depending on your firewall configuration, you may need allow traffic from your Podium phones to our servers. The ports your IT may need to open are 5060, 5061, and UDP 10000-20000.

Hardware

Some networking equipment is known to have issues with VoIP phone services. If you currently use any equipment highlighted below as incompatible, you may need to replace it with a VoIP-compatible equivalent. 

We have seen customers have success with the following devices. Please work with your internal IT to assess the best devices for your network. If you’re interested in additional support onboarding with Phones to ensure you have a VOIP optimized network, reach out to your Sales rep about the Phones Installation Fee.

Routers

These routers are known to be incompatible with VoIP services:

• Actiontec GT704WG
• Asus RT-N66U
• Belkin
• D-Link DIR-825
• D-Link WBR-1310
• Linksys WRT54G, WRT54GX, WRT54GL, WRT54GS
• Thompson TG-585
• Netgear FVS318, WRN2000, WGT624, WGR614
• SMC

Please note that Netgear routers are known to cause issues with VoIP. If you have a Netgear router, we advise upgrading to Asus RT series router.

Modems

Below is a list of common modems. We prefer to bridge the modem and use a router because many free modems provided by your ISP are underpowered and when they do the routing, they can cause issues with VoIP.  By bridging the modem, and using a good router, there are fewer issues.

Switches

If you are looking for an easy way to power your VoIP network, a POE (power-over-ethernet) switch may be the best solution. This type of switch requires no additional power supply and can make installation much simpler—especially if you plan to wall mount your phones. We recommend using Netgear models such as the GS110TP, which vary in port capacity depending on what is needed. These switches require no configuration and offer reliable performance at a great value.