Methods to Run a VoIP Velocity Check for Free (3 Methods)

A VoIP velocity take a look at measures the efficiency of an web connection to see if it might probably deal with internet-based communications.

These exams simulate information transmissions of a VoIP name out of your community, sometimes measuring latency, jitter, add velocity, and obtain velocity. When examined collectively, these outcomes can provide you a robust sense of what calls shall be like in your staff.

Whether or not you’re occupied with putting in a VoIP system, making community adjustments, or troubleshooting a problem, a velocity take a look at takes lower than 30 seconds.

Three free VoIP velocity take a look at choices

There are dozens of free velocity exams on the market. These three are a few of the greatest as a result of they arrive from respected enterprise cellphone providers.

I encourage you to attempt all three — you may discover different free choices as properly.

1. RingCentral’s free VoIP velocity take a look at

RingCentral is likely one of the greatest enterprise communication options available on the market. Trusted by over 400,000+ organizations worldwide, its VoIP know-how powers every little thing from small enterprise cellphone techniques to contact facilities, all-in-one communications suites, and every little thing in between.

Extra on RingCentral: RingCentral overview | RingCentral vs Dialpad.

Its free VoIP speed test is likely one of the most superior choices you’ll discover. Whereas the take a look at takes barely longer to run, you’ll get a whole lot of particulars others don’t present.

Previous to beginning, set the variety of simultaneous calls that could possibly be run in your community. I like to recommend conservatively estimating greater than you’ll want, as this ensures your community can deal with even the worst case situation.

You’ll have the ability to set the take a look at the decision length, starting from one to 5 minutes. The longer you run the take a look at, the higher the prospect of detecting potential issues. Two minutes is normally adequate.

It additionally provides you the choice to attempt it with completely different VoIP codecs. When you’re unsure what which means, you may go away it on the default choice.

The take a look at measures jitter and packet loss. Your audit abstract shall be color-coded (inexperienced, yellow, and pink) for all metrics so you may rapidly see the place you handed or failed.

That’s all primarily based on RingCentral’s suggestion of lower than 30 ms of jitter and packet loss under 1%.

Nevertheless, the most effective half is the MOS (Imply Opinion Rating). It’s a easy 1-5 rating scale, with 5 being the very best rating. If you need a fast reply, you may ignore every little thing else and simply have a look at this quantity—if it’s a 4 or 5 you’re protected to proceed.

The primary limitation of this take a look at is that it solely helps you to take a look at as much as 50 concurrent calls. Whereas that’s a lot for many companies, different free exams help as much as 200.

Apart from that, you’ll even have to put in a plugin to run it. It’s fully protected to take action and you may take away it whenever you’re performed.

2. Nextiva community high quality velocity take a look at device

Nextiva is one other trade chief on the earth of VoIP cellphone techniques and enterprise communications. It’s a terrific selection for startups, scaling groups, and enterprise organizations that wish to prioritize buyer engagement.

Extra on Nextiva: Nextiva overview | Nextiva vs RingCentral. 

Nextiva’s VoIP speed test can also be fully free, however takes much less time than RingCentral’s.

Like with RingCentral, you’ll want to put in a plugin to run it. It’s fully protected and takes a matter of seconds to put in.

One of many extra distinctive facets of this take a look at is the flexibility to decide on name origins. This may be useful when you have prospects or workplaces throughout the nation.

It could enhance the accuracy of your outcomes, and you may run the take a look at a number of instances from completely different areas to simulate calls coming in from all around the nation. Chances are you’ll be stunned how location and distance impacts your outcomes.

I additionally like that Nextiva helps you to take a look at as much as 200 simultaneous calls (in comparison with simply 50 with RingCentral).

Nextiva’s take a look at reveals latency, obtain velocity, add velocity, your IP deal with, packet loss, and jitter. In accordance with Nextiva’s tips, packet loss must be at 0%. Jitter and ping (or network latency) ought to each be under 70 ms.

3. Ooma free VoIP velocity take a look at

Ooma is a good different for conventional workplace areas that want bodily desk telephones. Its plug and play {hardware} makes it simple for even the smallest of groups to get began in lower than an hour.

Extra on Ooma: Ooma overview | Ooma vs RingCentral. 

Its free VoIP speed test is the best of the three. It takes lower than 30 seconds to run and doesn’t require downloading any plugins.

Regardless of its simplicity, you’ll get all of the important data you could decide whether or not or not your community can deal with VoIP calls.

The take a look at measures ping, jitter, obtain velocity, and add velocity. You can even change the host location and run a number of exams to see how your outcomes differ primarily based on location.

However this device’s simplicity has a couple of drawbacks. For one, it doesn’t truly let you know the right way to learn the outcomes — yow will discover it elsewhere on Ooma’s web site, although. Right here’s the reply so that you don’t should go on a scavenger hunt: jitter must be lower than 30 ms and latency (ping) must be lower than 150 ms.

For 2, Ooma doesn’t allow you to run exams for concurrent calls. You’ll should do some math to determine in case your community is powerful sufficient.

It suggests 256 kbps of upstream and downstream per name. When you suppose your workplace could have 4 simultaneous calls, your add and obtain speeds must be 1,024 at minimal.

Lastly, it doesn’t measure packet loss so that you’ll have to make use of another choice if you happen to suppose that’ll be an issue.

Ideas for operating a VoIP velocity take a look at

Though testing VoIP velocity is comparatively easy, there are a couple of tips you should utilize to make sure accuracy and get probably the most out of your outcomes.

Run exams at completely different instances of day

You’re prone to get completely different outcomes if you happen to run the identical take a look at a number of instances all through the day. It is a good factor because it will increase the accuracy of your outcomes.

Operating the take a look at in an empty workplace at 5 am could be very completely different from 2 pm when dozens of persons are utilizing units in your community. Some exams truly suggest having an idle web connection (no different functions getting used) when operating VoIP velocity exams.

However that won’t let you know the entire image. Utilizing an idle connection doesn’t actually simulate an actual world situation.

At any given time, there are seemingly going to be different units in your community.

I additionally simply usually suppose it’s higher to run your exams when community visitors is at its heaviest to simulate an actual expertise. You possibly can nonetheless take a look at your velocity when the connection is idle as a baseline, however be sure to additionally take a look at all through the day to see how these outcomes change.

Check from completely different areas in your workplace

The proximity to your router can influence the outcomes of your VoIP velocity take a look at. You can begin by operating the take a look at as shut as attainable to simulate the very best connection.

After that, it is best to transfer additional away, protecting completely different rooms and flooring when you have them.

SEE: Try the most effective VoIP routers. Is yours on the record? 

Simulate a excessive variety of simultaneous calls

What’s the highest attainable variety of concurrent calls you can have at any given time? I like to recommend testing at that restrict, but additionally taking it a step additional.

Proper now you would possibly solely have a small workplace with ten workers, every with their very own line.

However what occurs in six months whenever you do one other spherical of hiring? Or subsequent 12 months when you’ve gotten dozens of workers taking and making calls all through the day? Testing at greater demand lets you already know whether or not or not your community can deal with development.

It additionally reveals you what may occur in a peak state of affairs or when you have guests.

Ask distant employees to check their house networks

Each community is completely different, so it shouldn’t come as a shock to know that house networks shall be completely different out of your workplace. As such, it’s a good suggestion to run exams from every particular person’s house to simulate name high quality.

Thankfully, that is tremendous simple. All it’s important to do is ship them a hyperlink to the velocity take a look at you need them to do and ask them to screenshot their outcomes.

If the connection is unstable, you may troubleshoot from there to find out in the event that they want completely different {hardware}, a extra highly effective plan, or a brand new web service supplier.

Check periodically, even after you deploy your VoIP system

Whereas your preliminary VoIP velocity take a look at must be pretty correct, issues change.

It’s attainable that your community configuration is up to date or your ISP is throttling your connection. It’s additionally attainable that you’ve got extra units than you initially anticipated. To make issues worse, workers could not say something even when they’re experiencing poor name high quality.

Operating a brand new take a look at each few months will help detect points earlier than they grow to be greater issues.

Even if you happen to’re nonetheless getting “passing” scores, you may evaluate them to your unique outcomes to see if the brand new exams are trending within the incorrect path.