VoIP FAQ's

If you cannot find your question, please contact the HelpDesk at (502) 852-7997 or louisville.edu/it/helpdesk

Q: What is Voice over IP (VoIP)?

In VoIP, voice is digitized and then put into data packets and sent across the UofL data network. To use VoIP, users must have digital IP phones.

Q: What's different about VoIP? What's the same?

VoIP provides the same high-quality telephone service that you are used to today. In addition, since the IP phones are digital and have an LCD screen display, there are additional features and functionality. For example, all phones will have Caller ID, and you can store a personal address book and speed dial list through a Web interface. Calls leaving the university will continue to use the public telephone network supplied by BellSouth and other carriers.

Q: I heard that because of VoIP, I have to dial seven-digits for calls within the campus. Why is that?

Four digit dialing has been a convenience for many years, but under VoIP you will be dialing seven digits, just as you do at home. The change to seven digit dialing is not actually related to the conversion to VoIP. The university uses two telephone exchanges, 852 and 854, and there are a limited quantity of numbers available for the university to use. The change to seven digit dialing will help standardize dialing across the university, will give us access to more phone numbers in our exchanges, and we will no longer need to dial "9" for an outside number.

Q: How do I transfer a call to another number?

When you answer a call the functions on the soft-key buttons (located just below your LCD screen) change.
Select Transfer
Enter the number you want to transfer to
Press Transfer again.
This sends the call directly to the specified number.

Q: Can I talk to the transfer recipient before transferring a call?

Yes, when you answer a call the functions on the soft-key buttons (located just below your LCD screen) change.
Select Transfer
Enter the number you want to transfer to
Wait for the recipient to answer, after introducing the caller
Press Transfer to complete the call

Q: Can I create a conference call on my VoIP phone?

Yes, you may conference up to three calls

Call the first number
Press the More soft-key
Press the Confr key
Enter the recipient’s phone number
Wait for the call to connect
Press Confr again to add a second recipient
Repeat to add additional participants

Q: How do I program my speed dial keys?

To log on the web to add speed dials on your phone you will need to:

Open Internet Explorer web browser
Enter http://ipphone.louisville.edu/ccmuser on the address bar press enter. A log in screen will appear
Enter your ULink user ID

Please Note: The first time you log on your password your 7 digit telephone number. After a successful logon you will be at the welcome page, please select change password.

Once logged in:

Select the link Add/update your Speed Dials
Scroll to Speed Dial Settings not associated with a phone button
Enter a phone number in the Speed Dial n field
Enter a description in the Display Text field
Press Update by scrolling to the bottom of the screen
Logoff when you are finished
Note: The Display Text does not show up on your LCD screen. The Speed Dial field will not accept ELD numbers, these must be entered manually after the number is dialed and you hear the stutter tones

Q: I’ve added Speed Dials to my phone, how do I call them?

Enter the desired Speed Dial number before picking up the handset
Select AbbrDial from the soft-keys (located just below your LCD screen)
Enter your ELD number if you are making a long distance call
Pick up the handset if you do not wish to use the speaker function

Q: How reliable is VoIP? I'm nervous about my phone calls going over the UofL data network.

The main components of the VoIP system are the IP telephone sets, the wiring inside the university buildings, the Cisco routers and switches that direct the voice calls to the correct telephone number, and the Call Manager, which is the "brains" of the network. We know that the reliability of Voice over IP depends on the stability of the underlying data network. Our goal is to have the data network up and available 99.999% of the time. We have implemented a number of procedures to insure this reliability.

In addition, we will be powering the IP phones through the Ethernet cord, so that a separate power supply is not necessary. All of the routers, switches, and the Call Manager will be on a UPS, or Uninterruptible Power Supply, which provides backup power in the event of a power outage. In addition, some of the buildings on campus have emergency power generators that can power the buildings and equipment in case of power failure. These improvements will keep the voice and wireless network up and working even during a power failure.

Q: If the data and the voice share the same network, won't they interfere with each other?

The UofL campus network has a large amount of bandwidth, which allows it to be subdivided into Virtual Local Area Networks or VLANs. The voice and data traffic move on separate VLANs, so that they won't interfere with each other. It's true that they share many components of the network, like the Cisco routers and switches, but thee traffic is essentially separate and can not interfere.

Q: What about fax machines and modems?

All fax machines and modems will be placed behind a voice gateway, which functions to put the device on the VoIP network using existing wiring. These lines will be charged the same as any other VoIP phone line.

Q: What about my cordless phone?

There are no cordless VoIP phones today. Your best option is to keep your existing cordless phone, and we will place it behind a voice gateway.

Q: How do I delete numbers from the call logs?

For the 7941 and 7961 phones, you cannot delete individual numbers, but you can delete all of the numbers stored on your phone. Press the Directories Key and then the Clear key. Be careful because it clears ALL of the numbers on ALL of your lists. Each list can store up to 32 telephone numbers. The older numbers will automatically be deleted as newer numbers come in.

Q: I'm concerned about others seeing my telephone number when I make a call. Can I hide the display of my number?

If you do not want your telephone number displayed on an internal or external call, dial *67 before the call.

For more questions, please contact the HelpDesk at (502) 852-7997 or louisville.edu/it/helpdesk