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What's the difference between analog and IP phones, and which should I buy?
Possibly both! One of the great things about TalkSwitch is that you can use either or both together. But there are some differences. Here are a few things to think about when choosing which phones to buy.
Capacity
The number of phone users in your office is one important consideration. If you use IP extensions, you can have more extensions per TalkSwitch unit than you can with only analog extensions.
For example, the TalkSwitch 484vs accommodates a maximum of 8 analog extensions, but has a total capacity of 16 extensions. You could run an office of 16 employees with one 484vs and 8 analog phones and 8 IP phones (you can also use 16 IP phones and skip analog phones altogether. It’s up to you).
Remember, though, that like all telephone systems, your TalkSwitch system can only handle as many simultaneous calls as you have telephone lines or VoIP trunks available to handle those calls. In the example above, the 484vs has the capacity for 4 traditional phone lines and 4 VoIP trunks, for a total of 8 simultaneous calls. That’s more than enough line capacity for an office with 16 extensions.
Line Appearance and extension appearance
Some businesses want the ability to see and select phone lines or extensions right on their
telephone, a feature called line or extension appearance. TalkSwitch offers line or extension
appearance on two IP phones, the TS-9133i and TS-480i. So if you want line or extension
appearance for your office, choose these IP phones.
Depending on how you plan to use line or extension appearance in your business, you might
want to consider the TalkSwitch Attendant Console as well. It’s a software application that
allows you to see all of your line and extension traffic on your computer.
Other features might also influence your decision about which phones to buy. For example,
you can only do group paging with analog phones, and you can only have external IP extensions
with IP phones. Take a look at our phone comparison to see which of our phones have the
features you want. And remember, you can use both analog and IP phones.
Wiring
Some offices are already wired for analog telephones at each workstation. Analog phones use standard RJ11 phone wires to plug into an extension jack in the back of the TalkSwitch, and some offices have all of the phone jacks wired back to one main location.
But if you’re wiring a brand new office and you’re already putting computers at each desk, IP phones can save you the money and headaches of putting in two separate sets of wires.
Since IP phones plug into the LAN the same way your computer does, you don’t need to run phone wires to each workstation at all. Plus, the TS-9133i and the TS-480i can also get power over the Ethernet (POE), so they don’t require a dedicated electrical outlet either. Note that the TS-9112i needs an electrical outlet and its own network jack or a least a network cable running back to the network switch.
On the other hand, analog phones don’t depend on your network equipment to function properly, since they connect directly to your TalkSwitch system.
How do IP phones connect to TalkSwitch?
Via your LAN, the same way a computer does. IP phones use your computer network to carry your telephone calls. In many cases the phone at a workstation will be plugged into the computer, which is then plugged into the LAN.
In larger offices, you (or your IT manager) might choose to keep your IP phones and your computers on separate IP networks, in which case you’ll plug them in to a dedicated network socket, which is connected to the TalkSwitch Ethernet port.
Will IP phones slow my computer network down?
No. IP phones use minimal bandwidth on the internal network and generally run at speeds of 80 to 100 kbps. If you are running a gigabit network you should not connect a PC to the LAN through an IP phone, because TalkSwitch IP phones support 10/100 base-T not 10/1000 base-T. However, having IP phones on your network will not cause slowdowns.
If I use an IP phone, does that mean I’m using VoIP?
No. VoIP is the service by which you make and receive phone calls over the Internet. An IP phone will function with traditional phone lines as well as with Voice over IP phone lines. Using IP phones in no way limits you to VoIP phone service. With TalkSwitch, you are still free to choose the type of provider that works best for you, regardless of the type of phones you decide to use!
What happens to my IP phones in a power outage?
IP phones will not work without power, but analog phones can. In the event of a power outage, all calls get routed over line 1 to jack E4 (extension 114). If you have an analog phone connected to jack E4, it will continue to function. No other extensions will function, whether they are analog or IP phones. Even if you choose IP phones for your system, you may want to keep a spare analog phone handy. Keeping in touch in a power outage is as simple as connecting an analog phone to jack E4. Once the power comes back, the system will resume normal function.
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