Aircall allows your company to interact with customers and prospects from anywhere, using state-of-the-art cloud infrastructure.

To ensure the best possible experience when using Aircall, it is essential to have a proper network setup and a stable connection. As Aircall has no control over personal or local networks, users need to invest in their own network stability so that Aircall can deliver the best call quality on both inbound and outbound carriers.

Below you will find recommendations and guidelines to help you get the most out of Aircall in different working environments.

Working from home

Reserve enough bandwidth

It is important to ensure that your network has enough bandwidth to support the number of simultaneous calls your team is making.

  • Aircall requires at least 100 Kbps (upstream and downstream) for each concurrent call.
  • In addition, Aircall requires bandwidth to operate with your integrations, contacts, and any other software your team may be using while making calls.
  • A rough estimate is around 1 Mbps per person.

Avoid other people using or sharing your bandwidth while you are on a call, such as:

  • Streaming multimedia content (4K / HD videos)
  • Online gaming or peer-to-peer downloads
  • Using cloud backup applications

If you have not checked your home router in a while, it is worth looking at upgrade options. Many routers now offer multi-band networks and router management software that can help you prioritize traffic, including Aircall.

Most routers will have 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz options, with 2.4 GHz usually enabled by default. You can switch to 5 GHz WiFi and keep the channel selection to Auto for faster, better, and more reliable performance.

Prefer a wired connection over Wi-Fi

A cable provides a consistent network connection and the best quality possible.

  • It is recommended to use at least a Cat. 5E Ethernet cable (ideally a Cat. 6).
  • If your computer does not have an Ethernet port, you can use an adapter.

Although an Ethernet connection is strongly recommended, if you prefer to use Wi-Fi, make sure you are using a professional Wi-Fi connection (at least 802.11ac), as it offers more stability and can handle more users connected at the same time.

VPN usage and split tunneling

Avoid using a VPN whenever possible, as VPNs add an extra hop for traffic to travel through. This increases latency and adds extra encryption and security policies that can impact VoIP traffic.

If it is necessary to use a VPN, split tunneling must be configured to ensure that voice traffic is routed directly to the internet instead of through the VPN routing.

For more information on split tunneling, please visit VPN Split Tunneling.

Tip: Aircall is happy to join a call with your IT team to help implement VPN tunneling if needed.
If assistance is required, please raise a ticket with the Aircall Support team to schedule a call.

Working from an office

Most offices use advanced network setups that can influence call quality when using VoIP. Below are the key recommendations.

  • Prefer Ethernet connection over Wi-Fi.
  • Cat 5 Ethernet cables or superior are advised.

If your office network has a firewall:

  • Please whitelist Aircall’s traffic.
  • For more information on whitelisting traffic, please visit Firewalls, Anti-Virus, and Other Content Blockers.

If your office network gateway supports QoS and congestion issues are detected:

Please note that the following gateway features may impact VoIP quality:

  • SIP ALG
  • Deep Packet Inspection (DPI)
  • Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI)
  • Intrusion detection / intrusion prevention system (IDS / IPS)
  • Web proxy
  • WAN optimization devices
  • Port filtering
  • Packet-by-packet load balancing across multiple ISP links

UDP timeout

VoIP traffic generally uses UDP to set up calls and transmit media. Unlike TCP, UDP does not use a handshake, which makes it difficult for routers to know when a call is finished. Many firewalls and routers use a timeout that closes the connection if no traffic is received.

  • For the purposes of Aircall’s service, this timeout should be increased to 90 seconds.
  • If your firewall or router supports it, you can limit this extended timeout to only Aircall IPs.

Co-working spaces

Co-working spaces typically provide shared bandwidth to Wi-Fi users, which is affected by the number of users.

  • Kindly ask for dedicated bandwidth for your users, if possible.
  • Request an Ethernet connection, if available, to enhance your experience with Aircall.

Keep in mind:

  • Some co-working spaces may not have their network optimized according to Aircall’s recommendations for VoIP traffic, which can introduce limitations.
  • They may not have a network infrastructure sized for usage peaks, which can cause temporary traffic delays and impact voice quality.
  • The further the user is from the network station, the more interruptions they may experience.

If users need to place a lot of calls during the day, it is recommended to choose a quiet, secluded place in the co-working zone, closer to the Wi-Fi.

Working outdoors

You can use the Aircall Mobile App on your mobile device (Android or iOS) to work outdoors. You will need to ensure that your mobile device has at least a 4G+ connection and that you are in a place with good coverage.

Connection type

If your mobile device shows connectivity below 4G, you may experience audio issues. The most common technologies include:

  • GSM
  • UMTS
  • GPRS
  • EDGE
  • HSDPA
  • LTE

Coverage

Even if you are connected to a 4G+ antenna from your Internet Service Provider, reduced coverage can make your internet connection too weak to maintain a VoIP conversation.

To improve stability, avoid:

  • Tunnels
  • Basements
  • Crowded places
  • Other remote or obstructed areas