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Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some commonly asked questions we get asked.
What's the difference between fiber and copper twisted pair?

When looking at fiber vs copper twisted pair (Cat5e or Cat6), the main business drivers are cost and speed. When deciding on which medium to use, look at the distance of the transmission and the speed desired. Feel free to ask us in our consultation phase on which method would work best for your company.

Twisted pair provides the more cost effective method of the two but does not provide the speeds that fiber does. It is the most common way to connect your LAN (Local Area Network). Cat5e is made to support 1000 Mbps, and Cat6 can be capable of up to 10-Gigabit speeds in some cases. Both have a distance limitation of 328 feet. Fiber optics uses light to transmit data and there are two types: single-mode vs multi-mode.. Data rates can be between 10 Mbps and 10 gigabytes per second.

What should I look for in a phone system for my business?

When looking for a phone system for your business there are several questions you need to answer to see what type of system will best for your needs. We will help you during this inquiry period by finding a solution that will best fit your needs. Some of those questions will be:

  • Do you need a full phone system that includes physical office phones or softphones (system that resides on your pc)?
  • What type of service are you using: A traditional landline telphone service provided by a local or regional carrier? Or a VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol)?
  • What is the volume of calls and number of employees using the system?
What are the most common features of business phone systems?

There are features that your employees may request during your evaluation phase. It is best to do a wants vs needs anaylsis to figure out what system works best for you. Some of the the most common features include:

  • Auto Attendent - This is the voicemail system that usually takes the place of a receptionist. It ensures that no calls are missed and routes them to the correct mailbox or exension.
  • Call Fowarding - This allows the individual to reroute the caller to a different number or voicemail box.
  • Conference calls - This allows multiple individuals to get on one call at the same time.
  • Music on Hold - While the caller is waiting for the receptient to pick up the call, this is a great way to keep your caller to stay interested. It is a great way to promote your business as well.
  • DND (Do Not Disturb) - Allows incoming calls to be routed to voicemail without disturbing the user.
What is an ATA?

ATA is an acronym for Analog Telephone Adapter. An ATA usually takes the form of a small box with a power adapter. It allows you to connect your traditional analog phones to the Internet and place Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls.

Do you have any free manuals or user guides for the phone systems you sell?

Yes. If you go to the members section of our website (click on icons below) we have manuals for our Vertical, NEC, and Allworx phone systems. We do our best to post manuals of discontinued systems as well.

What about integrating my telephone and computer system?

This is possible through use of a Voice over IP business phone system or IPBX. Lauer Communications can help you with all this request and can show you the options that are possible.