How to Set Up Your Wireless Router for Skype

Every router features management software which has configuration options for the router. If you take the time to get familiar with those settings, you can maximize performance—whether it's a $50 router or a $200 router. Clearly, different routers have different capabilities, however most routers share the same main configuration options. A networking task that often requires a lot of tweaking in a router's settings page is Voice over IP.

QoS The main feature in most routers that can be used to optimize VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) is Quality of Service, or QoS. If VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) traffic is crucial in your network, and you're experiencing dropped calls and latency, you should take a look at your QoS settings.

The interface in the Cisco Linksys E3000 has QoS settings typical of most home/small business routers. The "upstream bandwidth" setting lets you specify the maximum outgoing bandwidth for your voice application and is for the most part set to "auto." If you are experiencing issues with VoIP, try defining a number. The general rule of thumb among router vendors and VoIP gurus is to set the figure from 80 to 90 percent of your upload speed in Kbps.

Next, most routers will let you enter the name of the VoIP device, its MAC address, and the priority level you want to assign VoIP traffic, which should be "High." Below is a VoIP QoS configuration page from the E300:

Of course, QoS can be used to optimize other applications like gaming and Instant Messaging. Nevertheless, it is especially pertinent in optimizing VoIP traffic due to sensitivity of VoIP to connectivity.

Remember, these QoS settings affect outbound traffic. So if you use QoS to improve the quality of Skype, H323, or SIP devices you are improving outgoing data and won't necessarily improve inbound calls and data. There are many factors that can affect your incoming traffic, not least of them your very Internet connection. On the whole, if the VoIP you are receiving is of poor or laggy quality, you might ask the caller to adjust his or her QoS settings.

Skype for Business There are a few best practices pertaining to improving Skype communications, especially for small businesses. One tip is to ensure that the router you select is a SIP QoS-based router. Cisco and Draytek are examples of two vendors that provide this capability.

Also, when using SIP and Skype for business purposes, you don't want to go the wireless route. Better performance is achieved using at minimum Cat5 Ethernet cable running to your hardware. When all is said and done if using Skype for business in conjunction with a PBX (Private -Automatic- Branch Exchange) system, check with that system's manufacturer to find out how best to configure the PBX (Private -Automatic- Branch Exchange) for Skype.