Skip to main content

Updated 3 min read

Moving Your Office Phones to VoIP: A Plain-English Checklist

The short answer

You can keep your existing phone numbers when you move to VoIP. Before you switch, find every line that isn't a desk phone (fax, alarm panel, elevator, card reader), make sure your internet can carry calls cleanly, set up 911 locations, and never cancel the old service until the numbers have finished moving.

Dense bundles of network cabling in a telecom rack

Most offices move to internet phones (VoIP) because the old phone system is out of support, the phone bill keeps creeping up, or staff want to take calls on their mobile. The phones themselves are the easy part. The trouble comes from the things nobody remembered were connected to a phone line until the day they stopped working.

This is the checklist we work through with every office before a switch.

1. Make a list of every line, not just the desk phones

Pull the latest phone bill and match every number on it to something real. Expect a few surprises:

  • Fax machines. Medical and accounting offices still fax a lot.
  • Alarm panels and fire alarms, which often call the monitoring company over a copper line.
  • Elevator emergency phones.
  • Card readers, postage meters and gate or door entry systems.
  • Lines nobody uses that are still being paid for.

Some of these can’t move to VoIP as they are, and some carriers are retiring the old copper lines they run on. Each one needs a plan: move it, replace it with a cellular device made for the job, or cancel it.

2. Keep your numbers, and don’t cancel anything yet

You can bring your existing numbers with you, including your main line, direct lines and toll-free numbers. This is called porting. The request has to match the old account exactly: the account number, the PIN if there is one, and the business name and address as the old carrier has them. A recent bill has all of that.

The one rule that matters most: don’t cancel the old service until the port has completed. Cancel first and the numbers can be lost with the account. The FCC’s guide to porting also warns not to end service with your old company before the new one is set up.

3. Check that your internet can carry calls

Voice uses very little bandwidth, but it hates hiccups. A connection that’s fine for email can still make calls choppy if a big upload is running at the same time.

  • Your firewall should give voice traffic priority over everything else.
  • Upload speed matters as much as download, because your side of every call goes up the line. Our guide to business internet options covers this.
  • If losing the phones would hurt, add a backup internet line so the desk phones keep working when the main line drops.

4. Set up 911 properly

With VoIP, a phone can be plugged in anywhere, so the system has to know where each phone is. Federal rules (Kari’s Law and RAY BAUM’S Act) require business phone systems to let anyone dial 911 directly, without dialing 9 first, and to send a location that responders can use, down to the floor or suite where that matters. We set the location for each phone and update it when people move.

The mobile app needs its own plan. A call from the app at home or on the road isn’t at the office, so the office address is the wrong one to send. Find out how your provider handles 911 from the app, show staff how to update or confirm their location in it, and tell them that for an emergency away from the office, dialing 911 from the phone’s own dialer is the safest choice.

5. Decide how calls should flow

Moving is a good time to fix the things everyone complains about. Sketch the answers to a few questions:

  • Who answers the main line, and what happens if they don’t pick up?
  • What do callers hear after hours, at lunch and on holidays?
  • Should voicemail arrive in email?
  • Who needs the mobile app so they can take office calls away from their desk?

6. Plan the cutover day

Pick a quiet time and have the new phones set up and tested before the numbers move. On the day, we confirm every number rings where it should, test the fax and alarm lines, and check that every phone has the right 911 location. Staff get a short walkthrough of the new phones and the app so the first busy morning isn’t spent learning.

We handle the whole move for offices across Orange County, from the phone bill to the first call on the new system. See how we set up business VoIP phone systems, or call us at (714) 450-9330 and we’ll start by reading your current bill with you.

This checklist is general information, not legal advice. For questions about your specific obligations, talk to your attorney or compliance advisor.

Sources

  1. Multi-line Telephone Systems: Kari's Law and RAY BAUM'S Act 911 Requirements (FCC)
  2. Porting: Keeping Your Phone Number When You Change Providers (FCC)

Frequently asked questions

Can we keep our main number and everyone's direct lines?
Yes. Numbers move between carriers through a process called porting, including toll-free numbers. The request has to match the old account exactly, so we gather a recent bill and the account details first, and we don't cancel anything until the port is confirmed.
How long does a number port take?
It varies by carrier and by how many numbers are moving. Simple ports go through quickly; larger or more complicated ones take longer. We schedule the switch for a quiet time once the carrier has confirmed the date.
Can we still send and receive faxes?
Yes, but plain fax machines don't always work reliably over internet phone lines. The usual answer is an online fax service that sends and receives faxes as email or in a web portal, or a fax adapter set up specifically for fax. We'll recommend one based on how much you fax.
What happens to our phones if the internet goes down?
Calls can ring through to mobile phones or go to voicemail automatically, and staff can keep working from the mobile app. If phones matter a lot to your office, a backup internet line keeps the desk phones working too.

Related reading