Orchid Telecom - Support - FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
A - Public Switched Telephone Network = Traditional Analogue Line (BT) These lines carry one call at a time and are provided via a pair of copper wires from the back of your telephone or analogue PBX system, and run all the way via poles and underground to the nearest BT telephone exchange box.
A - Session Initiation Protocol (what!!?? = Another term for VoIP).
A - An Internet Adaptor is a device which converts traditional analogue telephony traffic into SIP/VoIP for transmission over a digital network (Broadband / Internet). Virtually everyone has a broadband line but only use it for Internet connection. But did you know that one broadband line can give you up to 24 additional telephone lines with Internet adaptors plugged in.
The Internet Adaptor allows calls to be made and received over the digital network using your broadband line. You can also use standard telephones and PBX systems which are far more cost effective than IP systems and IP phones and will save re-investment. Having a VoIP service allows you to call between different offices and you can also chose the local area code and number for these new additional lines.
The Internet Adaptor has a connector for the broadband router and one or more ports to connect the new VoIP phone lines. When connected to an Orchid PBX system you have full connectivity between all lines and all extensions, so you can transfer a call on the VoIP network to any other extension, analogue or VoIP, and share the new lines between your colleagues – so you are not paying per seat but per line.
A - Cloud based service require SIP or VoIP Phones and are connected to your broadband/leaseline network. (Normal analogue phones, fax machines or PDQ machines cannot be used unless an internet adaptor is deployed). These specialist SIP/VoIP phones are your access to the services provided by Orchid Telecom’s virtual PBX facility such as voice mail, DDI’s, call recording, Auto Attendant and other extensions, etc. Remember an extension can be anywhere in the world with the cloud based facility, so you can transfer a call to any other extension linked to your service wherever it is, including mobiles.
A - When researching internet services, you may see speeds advertised in the format download/upload (e.g. up to 100Mbps/15Mbps) or download x upload (e.g. up to 100Mbps x 15Mbps). More commonly, ISPs will only include download speed in the headlines and you’ll have to check the small print for upload speed. Usually, the download speed offered is much greater than upload speed – particularly in the case of residential broadband. Greater upload speeds cost more and are associated with internet services that are specifically aimed at business users; these sometimes offer a symmetrical connection, whereby upload speed is equal to download speed. In reality, speeds vary from the advertised measurements depending on a number of factors – such as your computer, how far you are from your ISP, your access method, other simultaneous users and so on.
Check yours by going to: Broadband Speed Checker
A - DDI stands for Direct Dial In. In the bad old days most companies had just a single phone number and all calls were handled by a receptionist. These days, it's a simple matter to register one or more additional telephone numbers and assign them either to specific extensions, or to different services such as voice menus, recorded information services, etc. Some companies provide a "direct" number for every member of staff and this is something the Orchid VoIP offering can do for you.
A - (gigabits per second) – the equivalent of 1,000Mbps.
A - Voice over Internet Protocol VoIP – simply a means to transmit voice over your broadband connection, removing the necessity to have an analogue.
A - Trunk is the term used to describe a line, whether it’s a traditional analogue line, a VoIP line or an ISDN line. ISDN lines are being phased out over the coming years and will be discontinued by 2025. So really the two options available are Broadband and Analogue Trunks.
A - Hosted PBX is a telephone system that is installed in a datacentre instead of at your premises. Orchid Telecom offer a fully managed solution where you simply pay a subscription to use the facility, you pay for as much or as little as you need and we make sure you are always running the latest versions on the best possible hardware.
A - These terms are often used interchangeably, which can cause confusion. Think of bandwidth like the pipes that supply water to your house and take it away again. The water can only flow at a certain speed, but to enable more water to flow through you could widen the pipes. The wider the pipe, the more water can flow through at once. This is what we mean by ‘increasing speed/bandwidth’ – the rate of data transfer is the same but more data can be transferred simultaneously, meaning less waiting time for you when you’re downloading or uploading.
A - A leased line is a direct broadband connection to your property, not shared with your neighbours, it is unique and solely for your use. Sounds great but do you need one? If you have a good fibre connection and broadband width generally no. Leased lines are normally only necessary in large inner city locations with a lot of staff or at the other end of the spectrum in very rural locations where broadband connection is very poor or fibre is non-existent. It is an expensive installation and rental is high so please check other options first.
A - (megabits per second) – Megabits are related to, but not the same as megabytes (which we use to describe file size). A bit is one eighth of a byte, so it would take an estimated eight seconds to transfer a 1MB file using a 1Mbps internet connection.