The Basics of Troubleshooting VoIP Phones

Troubleshooting IP phones can seem complicated if you've never done it before, but a with a little bit of background and help from Telzio, anyone can do it. Luckily, nearly every issue with your IP phones can be broken down into one of three major areas: physical connectivity, data connectivity, and configuration. Each has its own unique challenges for troubleshooters, but each also has fairly standard solutions for common problems.

Physical Connectivity

For those who came of age during the era of rotary phones and 30-foot phone cords, telephones seem like they should be a rather simple proposition. "Is it plugged in?" might sound less like actual troubleshooting and more like a bad tech support joke, but you'd be surprised how often an unplugged cable actually IS the problem.

As a general rule, IP desk phones will need an ethernet cable connecting them to your network, a cord connecting either the handset or headset to the base and, sometimes, a power adapter connecting the phone to commercial power. 

With the broad variety of IP phones on the market today, it would be next-to-impossible to go through the various specific cables and cords necessary for each one. Instead, you should always consult the documentation which came along with the hardware itself. Telzio does provide quick-start instructions for IP phones and accessories we sell in our shop.

Data Connectivity

Since your VoIP is totally reliant on the "I" in IP, is is essential that you make sure the phone has a functional internet connection.

If your VoIP system is offline, the very first troubleshooting step (after ensuring that it's plugged in, of course) should be to check and ensure that other internet-connected devices in your office are able to connect and browse.

Beyond that, it's vital to make certain that your office's internet backbone is properly set up to provide the best experience over VoIP. There are several different factors which can affect your phone's connectivity and impact the quality of your calls, which you can read more about here.

Device Configuration

This is one of the most common trouble spots, but also one of the easiest to deal with. Every VoIP provider, including Telzio, has different configuration requirements for IP phones which utilize their service.

We've put together quick start guides for phones which we actively support here at Telzio.

Check out support guides for IP phones including Cisco, Yealink, Grandstream, and Polycom. 

Even once your installation is complete, you or your organization's IT department can always refer back to them to make certain that your IP phones are properly configured to work with your Telzio service.

Related: 3 Ways to Troubleshoot VoIP Call Quality

Managing landline phones may have been complicated, but troubleshooting VoIP phones doesn't have to be. If you make sure it's plugged in properly, make sure it has internet, and make sure its been fed the right instructions, you've done just about everything possible to make sure that your phone service is working. As always, you can reach out to us for support.