1. Redundancy
If you use your current Wi-Fi network for VoIP, this means more traffic. You can manage more devices over a longer period of time if you increase the number of access points. Redundant access points are a good idea if your budget allows.
2. Full Coverage
Eliminate holes in Wi-Fi coverage areas such as elevators, bathrooms, and even outdoor courtyards. You want your wireless coverage accessible throughout your building, but avoid parking lots, if possible.
3. Properly Configure Your Connections
You can choose from a variety of metrics to assess your call quality over a Wi-Fi network. Measure jitter, gap density, burst density, quality of service, and traffic prioritization, in particular. You must ensure that you’re analyzing VoIP connectivity and quality by learning how to measure and assess these network attributes.
4. Use the Proper Analysis Tools to Optimize Your Visibility
To optimize your Wi-Fi network, you need to place network analysis consoles on it. Doing so requires a proper understanding of VoIP traffic patterns. Consider whether you want to monitor local VoIP traffic and what your objectives are so that you know where to place your analysis tools. This will help ensure the best visibility of VoIP communications.
5. Ensure a Positive User Experience by Monitoring Rollout
Are your users getting an adequate connection and positive experience? You can review network performance during deployment of VoIP over a Wi-Fi network by reviewing metrics and codecs.
6. Use VLANs to Quarantine VoIP Issues
You can organize VoIP traffic by establishing virtual LAN (VLAN) user groups. These groups help reduce the number of VoIP issues you may experience. For instance, if your users are experiencing issues on one VLAN, you can switch those users to another VLAN so that you can perform network maintenance to diagnose and troubleshoot the problem coverage area.
7. Minimize Issues Through Automation
Although it may sound easier than it is, if you can automate problem resolution, your network will be almost self-sustaining. If you can configure your Wi-Fi network to reroute traffic as needed, you can minimize downtime.
8. Compare Jitter to Bandwidth Utilization
If jitter is an issue, look at the overall bandwidth being used. You can correlate jitter and bandwidth. Excessive jitter may be the result of segregated network factors that will require you to investigate to capture the issue. VoIP jitter issues can cause poor call quality, data transfer failures, and static along with other connectivity issues.
You may have to increase the jitter buffer size. A jitter buffer can hide minor delays and jitter issues. Major jitter issues can cause jitter buffer overloads, which result in lost packets. Any jitter buffer that increases the round trip delay beyond 300 ms may result in lowered call quality.