A VoIP velocity check measures the efficiency of an web connection to see if it may deal with internet-based communications.

These checks simulate knowledge transmissions of a VoIP name out of your community, usually measuring latency, jitter, add velocity, and obtain velocity. When examined collectively, these outcomes may give you a robust sense of what calls will probably be like in your crew.

Whether or not you’re occupied with putting in a VoIP system, making community adjustments, or troubleshooting a difficulty, a velocity check takes lower than 30 seconds.

Three free VoIP velocity check choices

There are dozens of free velocity checks on the market. These three are a few of the finest as a result of they arrive from respected enterprise telephone companies.

I encourage you to strive all three — you possibly can discover different free choices as properly.

1. RingCentral’s free VoIP velocity check

RingCentral is among the finest enterprise communication options available on the market. Trusted by over 400,000+ organizations worldwide, its VoIP know-how powers every little thing from small enterprise telephone techniques to contact facilities, all-in-one communications suites, and every little thing in between.

Extra on RingCentral: RingCentral evaluate | RingCentral vs Dialpad.

Its free VoIP velocity check is among the most superior choices you’ll discover. Whereas the check takes barely longer to run, you’ll get a number of particulars others don’t present.

Previous to beginning, set the variety of simultaneous calls that could possibly be run in your community. I like to recommend conservatively estimating larger than you’ll want, as this ensures your community can deal with even the worst case state of affairs.

You’ll have the ability to set the check the decision period, starting from one to 5 minutes. The longer you run the check, the higher the prospect of detecting potential issues. Two minutes is often adequate.

It additionally offers you the choice to strive it with completely different VoIP codecs. Should you’re undecided what meaning, you possibly can go away it on the default choice.

The check measures jitter and packet loss. Your audit abstract will probably be color-coded (inexperienced, yellow, and pink) for all metrics so you possibly can shortly see the place you handed or failed.

That’s all primarily based on RingCentral’s suggestion of lower than 30 ms of jitter and packet loss beneath 1%.

Nevertheless, the perfect half is the MOS (Imply Opinion Rating). It’s a easy 1-5 rating scale, with 5 being the absolute best rating. If you need a fast reply, you possibly can ignore every little thing else and simply take a look at this quantity—if it’s a 4 or 5 you’re protected to proceed.

The primary limitation of this check is that it solely allows you to check as much as 50 concurrent calls. Whereas that’s loads for many companies, different free checks assist as much as 200.

Except for that, you’ll even have to put in a plugin to run it. It’s fully protected to take action and you’ll take away it whenever you’re performed.

2. Nextiva community high quality velocity check device

Nextiva is one other trade chief on the earth of VoIP telephone techniques and enterprise communications. It’s an ideal selection for startups, scaling groups, and enterprise organizations that need to prioritize buyer engagement.

Extra on Nextiva: Nextiva evaluate | Nextiva vs RingCentral. 

Nextiva’s VoIP velocity check can be fully free, however takes much less time than RingCentral’s.

Like with RingCentral, you’ll want to put in a plugin to run it. It’s fully protected and takes a matter of seconds to put in.

One of many extra distinctive facets of this check is the power to decide on name origins. This may be useful when you’ve got prospects or workplaces throughout the nation.

It might enhance the accuracy of your outcomes, and you’ll run the check a number of instances from completely different places to simulate calls coming in from all around the nation. You could be shocked how location and distance impacts your outcomes.

I additionally like that Nextiva allows you to check as much as 200 simultaneous calls (in comparison with simply 50 with RingCentral).

Nextiva’s check exhibits latency, obtain velocity, add velocity, your IP tackle, packet loss, and jitter. In accordance with Nextiva’s pointers, packet loss needs to be at 0%. Jitter and ping (or community latency) ought to each be beneath 70 ms.

3. Ooma free VoIP velocity check

Ooma is a good various for conventional workplace areas that want bodily desk telephones. Its plug and play {hardware} makes it straightforward for even the smallest of groups to get began in lower than an hour.

Extra on Ooma: Ooma evaluate | Ooma vs RingCentral. 

Its free VoIP velocity check is the best of the three. It takes lower than 30 seconds to run and doesn’t require downloading any plugins.

Regardless of its simplicity, you’ll get all of the important data you want to decide whether or not or not your community can deal with VoIP calls.

The check measures ping, jitter, obtain velocity, and add velocity. It’s also possible to change the host location and run a number of checks to see how your outcomes range primarily based on location.

However this device’s simplicity has a number of drawbacks. For one, it doesn’t truly let you know learn the outcomes — yow will discover it elsewhere on Ooma’s website, although. Right here’s the reply so that you don’t should go on a scavenger hunt: jitter needs to be lower than 30 ms and latency (ping) needs to be lower than 150 ms.

For 2, Ooma doesn’t allow you to run checks for concurrent calls. You’ll should do some math to determine in case your community is powerful sufficient.

It suggests 256 kbps of upstream and downstream per name. Should you assume your workplace could have 4 simultaneous calls, your add and obtain speeds needs to be 1,024 at minimal.

Lastly, it doesn’t measure packet loss so that you’ll have to make use of another choice for those who assume that’ll be an issue.

Suggestions for operating a VoIP velocity check

Though testing VoIP velocity is comparatively easy, there are a number of tips you should utilize to make sure accuracy and get essentially the most out of your outcomes.

Run checks at completely different instances of day

You’re prone to get completely different outcomes for those who run the identical check a number of instances all through the day. It is a good factor because it will increase the accuracy of your outcomes.

Operating the check in an empty workplace at 5 am could be very completely different from 2 pm when dozens of persons are utilizing units in your community. Some checks truly advocate having an idle web connection (no different functions getting used) when operating VoIP velocity checks.

However that won’t let you know the entire image. Utilizing an idle connection doesn’t actually simulate an actual world state of affairs.

At any given time, there are seemingly going to be different units in your community.

I additionally simply typically assume it’s higher to run your checks when community visitors is at its heaviest to simulate an actual expertise. You’ll be able to nonetheless check your velocity when the connection is idle as a baseline, however be sure to additionally check all through the day to see how these outcomes change.

Check from completely different places in your workplace

The proximity to your router can influence the outcomes of your VoIP velocity check. You can begin by operating the check as shut as potential to simulate the absolute best connection.

After that, it’s best to transfer additional away, protecting completely different rooms and flooring when you’ve got them.

SEE: Take a look at the finest VoIP routers. Is yours on the listing? 

Simulate a excessive variety of simultaneous calls

What’s the highest potential variety of concurrent calls you possibly can have at any given time? I like to recommend testing at that restrict, but in addition taking it a step additional.

Proper now you may solely have a small workplace with ten staff, every with their very own line.

However what occurs in six months whenever you do one other spherical of hiring? Or subsequent yr when you will have dozens of staff taking and making calls all through the day? Testing at larger demand lets you realize whether or not or not your community can deal with development.

It additionally exhibits you what may occur in a peak state of affairs or when you’ve got guests.

Ask distant staff to check their residence networks

Each community is completely different, so it shouldn’t come as a shock to know that residence networks will probably be completely different out of your workplace. As such, it’s a good suggestion to run checks from every individual’s residence to simulate name high quality.

Thankfully, that is tremendous straightforward. All you must do is ship them a hyperlink to the velocity check you need them to do and ask them to screenshot their outcomes.

If the connection is unstable, you possibly can troubleshoot from there to find out in the event that they want completely different {hardware}, a extra highly effective plan, or a brand new web service supplier.

Check periodically, even after you deploy your VoIP system

Whereas your preliminary VoIP velocity check needs to be pretty correct, issues change.

It’s potential that your community configuration is up to date or your ISP is throttling your connection. It’s additionally potential that you’ve got extra units than you initially anticipated. To make issues worse, staff could not say something even when they’re experiencing poor name high quality.

Operating a brand new check each few months may also help detect points earlier than they develop into greater issues.

Even for those who’re nonetheless getting “passing” scores, you possibly can evaluate them to your authentic outcomes to see if the brand new checks are trending within the mistaken path.