Glossary

Category 6 cables, popularly known as Cat6, are standardized twisted pair cables for ethernet and other network physical layers. The cables are common in home and office environments, and are typically used to connect routers to DSL modems, as well as within a server network room for connecting ports on panel patches.

With a bandwidth capacity of up to 250 MHz, and a cable length as long as 100 meters (328 feet), Cat6 cables can transfer data up to 10Gbps. One advantage of this cable is its backward compatibility with Cat 3, Cat 5, and Cat 5e standard cables. 

The inside of a Cat6 cable consists of four pairs of twisted copper wires which terminate in standard RJ45 connectors. The cabling can be identified by the printing on the side of the cable sheath.

A hosted phone system, also known as a cloud phone, is a telephone for making calls over the internet rather than over a conventional analog system. Hosted phones work by using the VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) to transmit data via the cloud platform instead of a physical telephone system. 

Some of the key benefits of a hosted phone system are that it is lower in cost, because less on-premise hardware is required, and that hosted phone systems provide more functionality than analog phones. For example, functionality might include voicemail to email, auto attendants, and video conferencing.

Hybrid phones support legacy calling technologies and IP-based calling, and can be used to make calls over your landline, ISDN, VoIP, and mobile phone. Hybrid phones are a stepping stone between traditional analog phone systems and a Voice-over-IP (VoIP) phone system.

One of the main advantages of using a hybrid phone instead of a traditional phone that routes calls over the PSTN is reduced calling costs. Additionally, depending on the system you choose, hybrid phones offer a wider range of features than traditional analog phones, including:

• Voicemail to email: A hybrid phone can record a message on voicemail, transcribe the call, and then send it to you via email, or notify you by text message.
• Call logging: You can see who tried to phone you, even if they didn’t leave a voicemail message.
• Automatic call routing: After a certain number of rings, you can route an incoming call to another number, ensuring that you never miss an important business call.
• Call transfer: Transfer a call from one line to another with the touch of a button.

A hybrid phone system will help make the transition from a traditional analog phone system to a hosted phone system a smooth one. Unlike hosted phone systems, a hybrid phone is an on-site phone system.

An IP (Internet Protocol) phone, also known as the VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), is a physical phone that connects to an ethernet cable instead of a phone jack. 

IP phones are available in a variety of formats, including cordless phones, desk phones, and conference phones, and have the potential to include a variety of features, like video conferencing, call routing, call screening, and more. Because IP phones transmit calls in data packets fed through fiber optic cables, instead of the copper phone lines used by analog phones, you’re able to access many of the same features that you would expect from your mobile phone.

Other benefits of IP phones include cheaper calls, the ability to make simultaneous calls, and the fact you can make calls from any location.

A local area network (LAN) is a computer network encompassing a group of computers and other devices within a set area, like an office building, school, or home. 

A LAN is made up of cables, routers, and access points that connect the devices to web servers and internal servers via  Wifi or Ethernet.

Two common types of LAN are Client or Server LAN and Peer-to-Peer LAN. A Client or Server LAN consists of several devices connected to a central server, which manages application access, file storage, and device access, while a Peer-To-Peer LAN is not connected to a central server.

Networking is the connecting of computers to enable them to work or operate together, allowing the sharing of data between computers and other devices.

 There are two types of networks that can be used to connect computers: a wired network and a wireless network. A wired network uses cables to link devices, while a wireless network uses radio waves.

Networking relies on a variety of tools to connect computers, including:

• Routers: these networking devices forward packets of information between computer networks. When you access an internet page, the information is sent from the router where the information is hosted, to your router.
• Switches: these tools connect computers and other devices, making it possible for various devices in a network to communicate with one another.

Wireless Access Points: these points allow you to connect to devices in a wired network wirelessly, and also provide wireless access to the internet.

Security cameras are video recording devices frequently used at homes and offices to monitor activity. as a deterrent to reduce crime. 

Security cameras can be wired or wireless. A wired security camera is physically wired with a cable connecting it to a video storage device, which also supplies the camera with power. An ethernet cable can be used to transmit the video footage from the wired security camera over to the internet. Contrastingly, a wireless security camera uses WiFi to transmit video footage to another device. With modern security cameras, you can view the video footage through any internet-connected device, regardless of where you are.

Security cameras come in different forms to meet your unique needs, including indoor cameras, outdoor cameras, motion detector cameras, adjustable cameras, and more. TPG-IP are specialists in the installation of state-of-the-art security cameras.

SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) trunking is a VoIP technology and streaming media service that allows your phone system, consisting of multiple devices, to run over the internet.

Trunking refers to the phone lines used by multiple users to connect to a telephone network.

An SIP trunk is a virtual version of the analog phone, and it can connect one or more channels to your PBX ( Private Branch Exchange), enabling you to make local and international calls over the internet. It also allows you to have voice or video call sessions between two or more phones over the internet concurrently. 

This service serves as a replacement for the analog telephone system, which offers less functionality and is more expensive than VoIP. For example, with a SIP trunk, you don’t need to add a new phone line if you want to add a new phone number. Additionally, with a SIP trunk there are no extra expenses associated with increasing or decreasing the number of phone numbers on your premises, which is an important consideration for fast-growing businesses.

Get in touch with one of our knowledgeable TPG-IP specialists to schedule a free consultation to find out if your business could benefit from upgrading your phone systems.

Structured cabling serves as the skeleton of your telecommunications network, and is the physical cabling and hardware transfers data between devices. This infrastructure can support telephone services as well as the transmission of data, and can allow wireless devices to connect to a network by supporting internet or intranet access.

Structured cabling doesn’t only consist of cables, it also includes hardware ports, racks, and network cabinets. The main components of backbone cabling are:

• Cable pathways: the shafts, raceways, conduits, and floor penetrations that provide routing space for the cables.
• Cables: commonly used cables in structured cabling include fiber optic cables, twisted pair cables, and coaxial cables.
• Connecting hardware: patch panels, connecting blocks, interconnections, cross-connections, or some combination of the above.
• Support facilities: cable support hardware, grounding hardware, and firestopping.

It’s important to install your structured cabling correctly to ensure the effectiveness of your telecommunications network. The American National Standards Institute, in conjunction with the TIA/ EIA, sets the standards for the US cabling industry. Need help with your cabling setup?We’re here to help with every part of your structured cabling project. Book a no-obligation call with one of our friendly experts through the form on our homepage.

Unified communication merges several communication systems within one dashboard. The types of communication that can be merged depends on the operating system as well as your unique needs. To give you a sense of what’s possible, unified communication systems can merge communications like: audio calls, video conferencing, emails, fax, and SMS. 

Some of the benefits of unified communications include:

• Improved productivity: teams can connect across multiple devices and channels.
• Better performance: the ability to have a central overview of communication across multiple channels can improve the way you engage with customers and colleagues. For example, you could offer improved customer service if you can easily track communication with a customer across multiple channels.
• Reduced costs: you can reduce the number of services you pay for and the hardware you require to support these channels.

The advantages of unified communications are clear. However, it can be difficult for businesses to manage the transition. TPG-IP has over two decades of experience in the telecommunications sector. Our friendly experts can provide you with expert advice on the best approach for your business.

These days, many businesses are working towards moving their operations towards cloud computing and virtual hardware. Why move towards virtual hardware? Updating hardware is a significant investment for any company, and can also be an unnecessary expense. Thanks to the speed of the internet, it’s easier than ever for companies to transition from purchasing and maintaining their own hardware systems to renting space on remote servers.

Understanding what parts of your communication network need to be physically on your premises and what elements can be remote can be confusing. TPG-IP can help you design a custom telecommunications network that fits your exact needs. Ready to learn more? Get in touch with our team to book an exploratory appointment.

While you might be unfamiliar with the term, you probably use VoIP applications every day on your mobile phone. VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) allows you to make calls over the internet, and many well-known applications utilize VoIP technology, including WhatsApp and Skype.

One major benefit of VoIP technology is that it reduces the cost of communication, and allows you to do more things than traditional telephone technology. For example, you can use VoIP for call recording, voice calling, video conferencing, messaging system, custom caller ID, voicemail to email, and more.

Another advantage of harnessing the power of a VoIP phone system for your home or business includes only needing one connection for multiple phone numbers, so increasing or decreasing the number of phone numbers in your office or residence is as simple as making a request to your provider.

The transition to VoIP technology can result in major cost savings for your business, and some businesses have reported more than  50% savings in their phone bills. Arrange a free consultation with our team to learn more about how a transition to VoIP could benefit you.