Statistics show that residential VoIP lines in the US increased enormously between 2010 and 2018. That is likely due to its flexibility and cost-effectiveness. This phone system is ideal for businesses and homes alike. It offers access to various features while saving much money on phone bills. Thus, if your household makes many calls, learning how to set up VoIP at home will be a smart move.
We will walk you through setting up a VoIP home phone. Read on to learn and say goodbye to the old-school telephony. Then, welcome a cost-effective and flexible option.
Key Takeaways
- A VoIP provider and a reliable internet connection are important requirements for setting up a VoIP phone at home.
- The most critical step when setting up an IP home phone is selecting the right VoIP provider.
- A good provider is reputable and offers advanced features at affordable price plans. They also have 24/7 responsive customer support in place.
- You can use your mobile phone or personal computer to make VoIP calls at home.
- Setting up a VoIP home phone offers many benefits, including cheap calls and HD voice quality.
What Do You Require to Set up VoIP at Home?
Understanding VoIP setup requirements is vital to enjoy a smooth installation process. You don’t need to spend a fortune on anything. These are the key things you require:
Reliable Internet
As the name suggests, voice-over-the-Internet phones rely on the Internet to make and receive calls. Therefore, a reliable, high-speed internet connection is crucial for your VoIP setup. Your connection should exceed the bandwidth requirements offered by your VoIP provider.
A Computer or Smartphone
You don’t need to buy a separate VoIP phone for IP calls. The easiest way to access VoIP services is through a mobile app or web. This saves you from the hassle and added expense of using an analog phone for voice-over-IP calling.
A Trustworthy VoIP Service Provider
VoIP service providers offer Voice over Internet Protocol services to customers. There are many in the market, but you’ll need to choose a provider who offers residential services.
How to Set up VoIP at Home in Simple Steps
To set up VoIP at home, you first must select a VoIP service company and sign up. After that, test your Internet speed to see if it’s ideal for voice-over-the-internet communication. Next, sign up and configure your VoIP account. Lastly, test your setup.
Learn how to set up a VoIP phone in the detailed steps below.
Step One: Test Your Internet Speed
Home voice-over-the-internet phone systems may have different internet speed requirement from business phone systems—the traffic in homes is less than in businesses. However, a minimum internet speed is needed to achieve a voice call of sufficient quality. An internet speed of at least 5 Mbps download and upload speeds is ideal for home VoIP calls.
With such speed, you won’t experience noise or drops when you talk to your friends and family over VoIP. Testing your internet will determine whether your current bandwidth is enough.
The quickest way to test your internet is via Google. You can use your smartphone or computer. Open a browser and search “What is my internet speed?” Then click RUN SPEED TEST. After a few seconds, you’ll be able to know your upload and download speeds in Mbps.
The software will also show your connection’s latency. Latency is the time it takes for data to be transmitted from one point on a network to another. On voice-over-the-internet calls, the acceptable latency is under 150 ms.
Step Two: Select a VoIP Provider
Choosing a reliable VoIP service company may seem daunting, but it’s not. First, you should compare features and pricing options. Does the service meet your usage needs and budget?
To answer this question, you will require you to research and prepare a list of at least three providers based on features, plans offered, and their prices. Once you have a list, it’s time to put filters and narrow down to the best VoIP home service supplier.
How do you go about that? Consider the following factors:
Quality of Service and Reputation
Choose a provider who suppliers quality services and has a good market reputation. Reading clients reviews is one of the best ways to know how reputable a provider is. Ensure that your ideal company is reliable and that its services are worth the money.
Your Required Features
It doesn’t matter whether you’ll be using your internet phone for work-at-home. Or exclusively for household calls. Your provider should offer all the basic and advanced features.
These include voicemail, call recording, and a phone number. Subscribe to a service with features that meet your specific communication requirements.
Service Pricing
Most VoIP companies typically charge a monthly fee. In addition, you’ll find the ones that charge on a per-minute basis. Choose a plan that matches your budget and fulfills your unique needs.
Customer Support
Consider the quality of your provider’s customer support. Go for a company that offers 24/7 assistance on multiple channels.
Step Three: Sign Up on Your VoIP Provider’s Website
Now that you’ve chosen your ideal VoIP provider, it’s time to sign up. During the process, you can set up a new phone number for your home. You’ll also need to choose a price plan for your voice-over-IP service.
The entire process is easy, but your provider can assist if you get stuck anywhere. On your provider’s website, you’ll find various options to get in their customer support. The support representative will guide you through completing any remaining part of the required VoIP setup.
Step Four: Test Your Setup
Once your VoIP home phone is set up and everything configured correctly, you should be able to make and receive calls over the internet via your provider.
So, make a call to confirm if everything is working. Fine-tune settings for call quality and voicemail if necessary. You can also consult your provider’s online resource or documentation for specific troubleshooting tips.
Is Setting up a VoIP at Home a Good Idea?
Setting up a VoIP phone for home use is an appealing choice. Voice-over-the-internet calls offer many benefits over traditional telephony. Some of these benefits include the following:
Cost-Effective Calling
IP calls are cheaper than the traditional telephone calls. They use the internet, which most homes now have. You can also set up VoIP phones using your existing devices. There’s no need to find a separate system and extra hardware. However, the most significant advantage is that calls are relatively cheaper.
A Range of Features
Switching to a voice-over-the-internet phone presents you with a plethora of features. These comprise voicemail, caller ID, and call forwarding. You can’t find these benefits in traditional telephony. The best part is that most add-ons come at no extra cost!
Increased Accessibility
Cloud-based VoIP lets you make and receive calls from anywhere in the world. You only need an internet-enabled device and a decent internet connection. Besides, voicemail can be emailed to you when you cannot receive a call. You can even direct calls to another person.
What’s more, VoIP adapts based on your available hardware. For example, buy an adapter if you have an existing phone (traditional landline phone), and you’re all set! Remember also that using IP phones for home on a mobile phone or computer is possible. In this case, all required is software.
Offers High-Definition Voice Call Quality
Modern voice-over-the-internet services provide high-definition voice quality. Callers enjoy clear and crisp audio without latency problems or call dropouts. Just ensure that your setup has a solid connection with good bandwidth.
Supports Portability of Phone Numbers
Your VoIP number (virtual phone number) is portable and can be used anywhere in the world. That is good news for anyone who travels a lot. It means always using a familiar number, even when outside the country.
Choose Ringblaze: Your Best VoIP Home Service Provider
Ringblaze is a secure, reliable, and cost-effective modern VoIP phone system. The phone system is designed for small businesses but is also ideal for home use.
Choose Ringblaze: Your Best VoIP Home Service Provider
With Ringblaze, you can obtain a business phone number and make calls from anywhere for less. That is why people choose it over other VoIP phone systems. But there’s more, including the ease of set up and use and other reasons discussed here:
Transparent Pricing
Ringblaze has no hidden costs. There are only one pricing plan. You can pay monthly or annually, depending on your preference and budget.
The monthly price requires $19 only per user per month. If you want to commit for an entire year, the price drops to $15 per user per month.
Plans Include All Features
Another reason why Ringblaze is the best VoIP service provider is their all-inclusive plans. If you’re wondering how to set up free VoIP at home, try Ringblaze.
Its plans include unlimited free calling in Canada and the US, a free local number, and a desktop app. You also get many advanced features, which other providers only include in their high-end plans.
24/7 Customer Support
Ringblaze has a responsive, experienced, and friendly customer support team. They are always happy to assist you and answer any of your queries. It doesn’t matter whether you want to know how to setup VoIP for small business or homes. The team will gladly guide you through the process, including setting up a new business phone number.
Free Trial
You can trial Ringblaze features for free if you still need time to make up your mind. That lets you know what you’re paying for and pay confidently. So, why don’t you sign up now to claim your free trial?
Conclusion
After reading our guide above, you now know how to set up VoIP at home. The steps are easy and only take a small amount of time. Most importantly, you can set up your phone on a mobile device or computer. You don’t need to buy a VoIP phone or additional hardware.
So, apply the information in this guide to complete the phone setup process at home like a pro! Then, you and your family can enjoy a seamless, more cost-effective calling experience over your internet network.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do You Set up VoIP at Home on Android or iPhone?
Setting up a voice-over-the-internet at home on your phone is straightforward. First, find a reliable VoIP service provider, sign up, and set up your account. After that, you can install your provider’s app on your phone to easily manage your communication.
How Can You Make a VoIP Call on a Computer?
You can make a VoIP call on a computer from the web. First, ensure your computer is connected to the internet. After that, open a browser and go to your service provider’s web page. Sign in to your account, then make the call.
