Customers may call the next number they are given, but far too frequently they will get distracted on another task, forget the number, call the next number in the directory or call a competitor with a retail location that is closer to their location. Each time a caller is asked to dial another number, the company loses a significant percentage of those calls. Along with the call, they lose revenue of the sale and the future potential of the customer. They lose the marketing dollars invested in enticing the customer to call. They may also lose staff time spent locating the branch that could meet the customer’s needs.

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) enabled business telephone systems and Hosted PBX services allow businesses to connect phones and telephone systems together over broadband Internet connections. Hosted PBX services can be installed for minimal or no capital investment. They will also work with any major Internet Service Provider (ISP) including Verizon, Comcast, AT&T, Sprint and Centurylink. Even in a “stalled economy,” multiple location business can afford to integrate all their telephones with the low capital investment of Hosted PBX services and the wide availability of broadband Internet.

A fully integrated telephone system will allow calls to be transferred from one branch to another. When a branch can not meet the caller’s needs, the call is sent to another branch that can. The customer is not inconvenienced by having to write down and call another number, the revenue is realized, the customer may yield future potential revenue and customer service is enhanced.

E-mails and text messages have become overused partly due to the difficulty in catching co-workers on the phone or in their office. It can be more problematic when the co-worker is not located in the same office building as is the case for companies with multiple offices and telecommuters.

Locating someone for a live conversation can be a time-consuming and frustrating task. The task may kill productivity, delay responses to customers and negatively impact sales.

Camp-on is a Hosted PBX feature which solves this problem. The user may camp-on to a busy or idle extension. If the extension was busy, the user will be alerted as soon as it goes idle and a call will be automatically placed. If the extension was idle because the person was not at their desk, the user will be alerted as soon as the extension is used again.

As a Hosted PBX feature, camp-on works in a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) environment. VoIP telephones operate the same whether other individual telephone system extensions are in the next cubicle or in a remote office location. Camp-on facilitates a live, timely conversation. Timely conversations will increase efficiency, give rise to collaborative input and improve response times to customers.

Here are 8 reasons Hosted PBX services are perfect for a startup business:

1.  Most services only require the purchase of VoIP phones instead of central equipment including cabinets, cards and the labor to install associated with a traditional telephone system.  Without the central equipment, Hosted PBX services significantly lower capital required for a new phone system.

2.  Some Hosted PBX service bundle free outbound long distance making monthly telephone service costs more predictable and steady.

3.  They connect users in diverse locations into a seamless communication system reducing or eliminating the need for office space.  Less or no office space translates to reduced rent, utility bills, furniture and insurance.

4.  If the startup entrepreneur can work out of their home, then they spend less time in the commute and more time on developing their business.

5.  The addition and deletion of phones is effortless.

6.  The startup can test new market areas by simply publishing a local number in that area.  The local number can ring on any of their phones located anywhere.  For example, a company located in Atlanta can publish local telephone numbers in Dallas that ring on their phones in Atlanta.

7.  The Mobile PBX option of premium Hosted PBX services will pass calls on to mobile phones when the called party does not answer their desk phone.  Enabling the Mobile PBX feature will increase the chances of calls being answered by a live person without having to hire someone to be assigned to a desk.

8.  Startup businesses must not appear as a new company with limited resources.  Calls answered by general company voicemail boxes project a small company appearance.  Hosted PBX services increase the chances of calls being answered by a live body.  In addition, they provide auto attendants and individual voicemail boxes which convey a professional image.

Hosted PBX services from VoIP providers are perfect for the startup business.  They provide communication services that are inexpensive, scalable in design and foster the growth of the business.  They are easy to manage, provide seamless communication even when all workers are not in the same office, give outside callers the feel of a company with depth, move easily and enable its users to wear many hats.

Packet loss will cause VoIP calls to have choppy, broken, robotic and distorted voice quality and may disconnect calls in progress. Streaming video may frequently pause, experience pixilation or take too long to download. Online gamers may suffer lag, stuttering and disconnects from gaming servers.

Packet loss may be caused by the computer, the Internet Service Provider (ISP) and anything in between. To solve the problem, the source of packet loss must first be found. This article is written to help the typical user locate the source.

Basic Troubleshooting Concepts

Expert troubleshooters systematically eliminate potential areas of trouble until the source is identified. For the performance problems discussed above, divide the Internet logically into three areas: 1) the ISP including the broadband modem/router; 2) the Local Area Network (LAN) which includes routers, switches and cabling inside the house or office; and 3) the computer. Now the goal is to determine which area produces the packet loss. Sometimes to learn the area producing the packet loss, areas that are not producing packet loss must be eliminated until only one area is left.

There is no correct order to eliminating each area. Usually, the areas that are the most suspicious or the easiest to eliminate are tested first. For purposes of a different IP endpoint other than a computer such as a VoIP telephone or an Internet TV, the IP endpoint is the 3rd logical area.

Testing the ISP and Internet Modem

This Packet Loss Test will determine whether the ISP and Internet modem may be the source of the problem. If it finds significant packet loss or latency at the IP address of the Internet modem, then the problem is between the last node of the ISP and the Internet modem. Before calling the ISP, check to make sure the modem is properly vented and any integrated wireless access point is turned off. Also, inspect all cables and connectors. Rebooting the modem is always a good idea. For cable modems, check the Signal Noise Ratio or SNR. For DSL modems, check the SNR and attenuation.

Is the Problem in the LAN?

To eliminate the LAN as the potential source, connect the PC directly into the Internet modem and test the application. If that solves the problem, then the LAN is the source. Start putting switches and routers back into service while testing the application each step of the way. When the problem returns, the source of the issue will be what just went back into service. It is important to remember that the source can be cables, jacks and/or connectors.

If the problem was not solved by plugging directly into the Internet modem, then the LAN has been eliminated as the source of trouble.

Is the Computer the Problem?

Eliminating the computer as the source of lost packets can be as simple as finding another PC on the same network and connected to the Internet in a similar fashion. Does it experience the same problem? If so, then the problem is something in common to both. If it does not experience the same problem, then the issue is with the computer or something unique to its connection to the Internet such as cable, connector or Ethernet switch port. Tech Support Forums offers the ability to describe problems in detail and get knowledgeable help for free on PC related matters.

If another computer is not available for this test, then the computer could be taken to another network to test the application. If neither of these actions are feasible, then eliminate the other areas first.

Drawing a Conclusion

Once 2 of the 3 areas have been eliminated, the problem is likely in the 3rd. If it is possible, test that assumption before hours are spent focused in the wrong area. Internet trouble can be particularly frustrating because of the many pieces required for proper operation, gaps in knowledge and faceless ISPs. However, most Internet problems can be solved with patience and perseverance.

If you are having trouble with your cable provided Internet circuit, your first step is to determine whether the problem is in the Internet Service Provider’s (ISP) network or specific to your location. The best tool for determining the location of Internet trouble is an IP Packet Loss and Delay Test Tool.

Let’s assume that you have used an IP Packet Loss Tool and found either significant latency or packet loss happening at your site. In other words, the problem is specific to your location. What should you do next? Check the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR or S/N) on the cable modem.

Signal-to-Noise Ratio

According to Wikipedia.org, “signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is a measure used in science and engineering to quantify how much a signal has been corrupted by noise. It is defined as the ratio of signal power to the noise power corrupting the signal. A ratio higher than 1:1 indicates more signal than noise.”

An everyday example of SNR is listening to music in your car over road noise or other people talking. The louder the radio compared to the other noise in the car, the more clearly you hear the music. The same is true for your cable modem “hearing” the signal transporting your Internet traffic on your cable system. When the signal is loud compared to the noise, Internet communication happens at a faster speed with less packet loss. When the signal is not loud enough compared to the noise, speeds slow down causing latency. Packets may be lost, creating retransmissions of data packets and trouble with realtime applications such as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) used by Vonage, Skype and Hosted PBX providers. In fact, any realtime application will suffer including video streaming from Netflix, Blockbust and others or any type of online gaming.

Good SNR Values for Cable Modems

SNR values for cable modems are measured separately for downstream and upstream signals. Downstream is the signal transmitting from the cable provider or ISP to the cable modem. Upstream is the signal from the cable modem back to the provider.

Each cable modem is a little different but typical good values are:

Downstream SNR – 30:1 or more
Downstream Power – -8 to 8db (decibels)
Upstream SNR – 29:1 or more
Upstream Power – less than 55db

Determining the Values for Your Cable Modem

Many cable modem configuration pages can be viewed at the internal address of 192.168.100.1. Refer to http://broadband.modemhelp.net/cable_modem_info/index.shtml and look up the specific make and model of your cable modem. This website will give the modem configuration page address of the cable modem and the SNR values for optimal performance. Just plug the address in your web browser and the page should come up. As you check your cable modem’s SNR values, remember that these values can fluctuate. If you are experiencing intermittent problems, check the values when experiencing trouble and compare to the values when all is well.

Improving the Cable Modem’s SNR Values

Cabling and connectors are the most common cause of poor SNR values. Inspect all cabling and connectors in line with the cable modem. There should not be any cable splices and the modem should be connected to the primary splitter entering your facility. In addition, the coax cable should not have any sharp bends. Repair any obvious problems and check the SNR values again.

If no obvious problems exist or repairs have not improved the SNR values, try moving the cable modem to the most immediate entry point in the facility. Attach it to the main feed, if possible. If the SNR values are good, then the problem is cabling in the facility. If the SNR values are still unacceptable, the problem is in the cable modem, outside cabling or equipment of the cable provider. You can try changing the cable modem, if you feel comfortable with that task. Otherwise, it is time to get the ISP/cable provider involved. You can report your findings of the SNR values.

Finding the Source of Internet Problems

Remember, to solve your Internet problems, you must systematically eliminate sources until you find the trouble. Randomly changing settings and replacing hardware will usually take more time and cause lots of frustration. The most logical first step is to determine whether the problem is inside or outside your facility. In other words, cable modem out versus cable modem inward. Before examining SNR values, use an IP Packet Loss and Delay Test Tool to quickly determine whether the problem is happening at your location or within the ISP. If it finds packet loss and/or latency at your site, it is now time to check the SNR.

Softphone client software is often used with VoIP providers and VoIP business telephone systems.  Many Hosted PBX service providers and IP-enabled CPE hardware systems support softphones using SIP standards as well as proprietary signaling standards.