Having a VoIP router is the optimal choice for home users, but for businesses such a move only has benefits. This NETGEAR router is approximately $55 on Amazon with free shipping, but used versions of the AC1000 can be found for less than $50. Recommended VoIP Routers TP-Link AC1200 (Archer C1200)

The other feature, MU-MIMO – Multi-User, Multi-Input, Multi-Output – isn’t as common, but it’s quite useful as it allows each device on the network to engage the router with its own data stream, separating data traffic even further and more effectively. There are additional features that make a router suited to VoIP use, too, such as supporting the industry standard 802.11n Wi-Fi protocol or its successor 802.11ac, which is three times faster.

In fact, these three features are integral to successful VoIP use as they are the only ways to ensure that VoIP traffic is always separated from and prioritized over every other data stream. As such, the only routers that should be considered compatible with internet telephony services are those that can handle multiple connections at once in addition to important features like quality of service settings (QoS), dual-band wireless support, and VLAN. A good VoIP router, however, not only prevents such issues but it also makes sure that VoIP traffic has priority at all times. Theoretically, all routers are capable of handling VoIP calls but since most are optimized for internet traffic, they have a better tolerance for higher latency and jitter – which are the two very things that can ruin internet calls. Not only that, but when certain features are present it won’t take too much to ensure that the router can handle phone traffic over the internet in a quality that it was intended. Thankfully the market is full of devices that are equipped with everything required to make your network fully VoIP-compatible. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth, as moving the phone system to the cloud is useless if the router can’t deal with VoIP traffic. If you’re considering switching to VoIP – or about to – then you might well assume that the process of setting up such a service requires little more than purchasing IP desk phones, hooking up old phones with adapters, or switching over to softphones and mobile apps.

Best home small business routers