What are Telecoms Hardware Devices used for?
Telecoms hardware equipment can usually be broken down into four broad categories, namely core switching, access, transmission and CPE or customer premise equipment.
The Public Switched Telephone Network or PSTN broadly makes up the core of the circuit switched data and telephony networks and consists of the hardware equipment and software required and operated by national, regional, or local telephone operators to provide the infrastructure base upon which they deliver Voice and Data services globally.
Access and transmission hardware devices and equipment make it possible for businesses to connect to the core network, for the purpose of transmitting data between nodes on the network. This equipment is typically deployed in exchanges, in roadside cabinets, underground or on masts.
Customer Premises Hardware Devices
CPE, or customer premise equipment, refers to the hardware devices such as telephones, PCs, routers, switches, gateways, mobiles, tablets, headsets, access points, adapters, splitters and much more. These are typically deployed in the business offices or remote working locations to enable businesses to access the service providers data and voice services.
Office phone systems are a key part of the CPE equipment and our business telephone system range covers a broad spectrum of office communications products ranging from simple on site PBX systems with traditional handsets, to more advanced IP centric hybrid or hosted VOIP platforms for use across multiple locations, or to enable collaboration solutions for flexible working and remote workers.
Juno Telecoms offers a range of CPE telephony hardware device solutions for Business Offices and Call Centres as well as Remote and Home Workers including Data Networking, VoIP & IP Telephony, routers, Gigabit switches, VoIP Desk phones, headsets and basic infrastructure.
Business Grade Broadband Routers
Juno Telecoms supplies a wide range of business grade switches and broadband routers to organisations throughout the UK. This is done in conjunction with leading networking vendors, including but not limited to Draytek, Netgear, Robustel, Teltonika, Cisco and Mikrotik. Routers have different functions and strengths, reflected in the range we offer from 4G LTE cellular for M2M/IOT applications, bonded and load balancing routers for resiliency scenarios, or standard broadband and Ethernet routers depending on your broadband connection. Talk to Juno Telecoms to make sure you chose the optimal routing hardware device for your business requirements.
Gigabit Network Switches
Gigabit Ethernet switches connect multiple hardware devices, such as computers, servers, VoIP phones and printers to a Local Area Network (LAN). A Gigabit Ethernet switch helps to protect your existing and future network infrastructure investments by seamlessly integrating 10, 100, and 1000 Mbps devices. A switch with Gigabit Ethernet ports will support a maximum transmission speed of one gigabit per second (Gbps). 8-port gigabit switches provide for a small office environment, while 16-port or 24-port or even 48 port gigabit switches are available depending on the office requirements.
Business Headsets
Headsets provide an extension of the functionality of a desk telephone handset but with handsfree operation. Used in heavy telephone use areas such as call centres, they can have many benefits in reducing neck, shoulder and upper body stress. Wireless options extend the flexibility further enabling users to leave their desks during calls, or if using handset lifters or if the business headset itself has call answering features, to answer calls while away from the desk.
VoIP Desk Phone
Hosted phone systems make up the majority of small business phones systems nowadays, and are designed to provide a powerful, flexible and mobile cloud based phone system. A key component is the VoIP desk phone that the user makes and receives calls on. Desk phones for office phone systems vary widely in terms of size, form and feature set, including screen size, touch screens, video enabled, or just the basic telephony features required in common areas etc. Among the manufacturers that Juno supports, are Polycom, Cisco, Yealink and Gigaset.
Routers
3G/4G Routers
3G/4G LTE routers differ from normal broadband routers, which utilise broadband ADSL or fibre broadband connections. They make use of the cellular 3G/4G connectivity via eSIM cards to establish uplinks to the internet. 3G/4G LTE routers are commonly used in IoT and M2M applications. They are also used as emergency broadband backup solutions as the router can failover to 3G/4G if the main Internet connection is lost. They are used in temporary situations like construction sites, exhibitions and mobile shops, or even to create a complete mobile office for remote working.
Broadband and Ethernet Routers
Standard ADSL or VDSL routers have integrated modems and are designed to work on a wired broadband connection, e.g ADSL or FTTC. Ethernet routers for used with a broadband connection which is presented as an Ethernet port e.g Leased Lines. The ISP provides a separate preconfigured modem or ONT to convert the broadband connection into an ethernet connection that the router can accept.
Bonding Routers
Bonding Routers are used to combine multiple connections together to provide a single connection. An example might be to combine two ADSL broadband connections to essentially double up on upload and download speeds.
Load balancing Routers
Two or more connections e.g. ADSL, ADSL2+, FTTC, or 4G LTE are connected to a dedicated load balancing router. A load-balancing router will route internet traffic optimally across two or more internet connections to deliver a better experience for broadband users.
Key considerations to look for in a business grade broadband router are:
- Speed & Throughput
- Frequency Bands
- Wireless Standards
- Wide Area Network (WAN) Support
- Wired Local Area Network (LAN) Ethernet Ports
- Firewall & Encryption Security Measures
- VLAN & VPN capabilities
- Management Console
- Administrative Content Controls
Gigabit Switches
Gigabit Ethernet Switches
Several different types of Gigabit switches are available. And they come with many different available port options e.g. 5 port, 8 port, 16 port, 24 port or even 48 port, depending on the quantity of devices using the LAN network. There are generally four different switch options to consider, managed vs unmanaged switch, PoE or no POE switch and finally stackable switches.
Managed Switches
Compared to the simplicity of an unmanaged switch, the main advantage of a managed switch is that it can be customised or managed to alter key functionality of the network. It can be monitored and used to adjust speeds, monitor traffic and report on network activity. Managed switches are typically more expensive than an unmanaged switch, however they offer much more flexibility.
Unmanaged Switches
Unmanaged gigabit switches are commonly used in small business offices. A standard unmanaged Gigabit Ethernet switch has no user configuration, making it simple to set up and deploy.
PoE or non PoE Switches
Gigabit switches which incorporate PoE (Power over Ethernet) technology are commonly used where VoIP phones or CCTV are deployed in the network. PoE switches support power and data transmission over the same network cable at the same time, simplify the CAT5/6 cabling process, as well as power extension devices.
Stackable Gigabit Switches
In contrast to single switches, stackable switches can be connected together increase the capacity and even the availability of the network. Rather than configuring, managing and troubleshooting each switch individually, when ‘stacked’ they act as single unit.
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Business Headsets
Finding the right office VoIP headsets is one of the most important challenges for the office phone system manager. Popular VoIP desk phones from Polycom, Cisco, Gigaset & Yealink all require a matching headphone with noise cancellation, echo suppression and much more.
With the move towards home working, remote working and Unified Communications business wireless headset options such as Bluetooth and Quick Connect USB headsets to support desktop VoIP softphones are now very popular.
Key Business Headset Considerations
Some key considerations when choosing headsets are:
- Binaural vs Monaural
- USB vs Bluetooth
- Echo Cancellation
- Noise Suppression and Cancellation
- Switching between audio sources
- UC Certified
- Volume & Mute controls
- Battery Life
So why not talk with Juno Telecoms to go through the many tradeoffs and to find the best business headset for your employees. We offer several different brands for both wired and wireless headset scenarios such as Plantronics, Eartec, Jabra and Sennheiser.
Contact UsVoIP Desk Phones
A VoIP desk top phone uses voice over IP technology to place and receive telephone calls over an IP network. This is the key difference between an analogue or digital phone. A VoIP desk phone can do everything a regular landline or mobile phone can and more.
VoIP phones can be either fixed desk top phones, or DECT cordless phones linked back to a base unit, enabling flexibility of movement while in the office.
Important VoIP Desk Phone Functions
There are a very wide range of options and prices with regards VOIP phones, and a few of the key considerations when choosing a desk phone are:
- Audio Quality
- Programable keys
- Address Book
- Headset Sockets
- Touch Screen
- Speakerphone
- POE & Ethernet pass through
- Voicemail
- Video Quality
Why not contact Juno to help you understand the many permutations to assist you in finding the right solution for your office phone system.
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