VoIP FAQ

Voiceover IP (VoIP) is a set of technologies that uses a high-speed network connection to send your voice as packets of information versus using an analog signal over a traditional phone line.

WVU uses a VoIP telephone system manufactured by Cisco Systems (you may hear telecommunications employees refer to the VoIP phones as “Cisco Phones”).

Is long distance free with Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)? I can get free long distance service at home through Comcast Digital voice VoIP.

In order to communicate with other Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) numbers, telephone systems must connect back with the phone company (even Comcast). Most commercial VoIP carriers work a flat fee into their monthly charges to cover long distance usage. Bigger carriers can of course work out better rates with a long distance provider.

To offer free long distance service, WVU would have to maintain these expensive connections to every local telephone company to which WVU callers would want to communicate, or enter into an agreement with a long distance phone carrier in which we would get unmetered long distance service. The former is not feasible, and the latter is currently unlikely.

Long distance service with the Cisco VoIP in most cases is exactly the same as on other WVU systems. You still need to begin dialing with an “8” and enter your TID afterwards if prompted. For some long distance calls, WVU does not have free long distance service.

However, callers on the WVU Morgantown campus may call Potomac State College users free of charge by dialing 700 + the 7 digit Keyser phone number (for example, 700-788-6800 for the main number). This call will go out over the high speed network connecting the two campuses and not involve connecting to the public telephone network.

How much will this cost?

There is no “One size fits all” answer to this question. There are three areas that could potentially need addressed when upgrading to the Cisco phone system: Wiring/Facilities, Network Upgrade, and Telephone Service.

In most buildings on campus, the wiring is up-to-date (VoIP works on Category 5 or Category 6 network cabling) but in some cases work needs to be done to add new network jacks. Cisco phones do not work with small workgroup switches or hubs. The funding source for this type of work is up for discussion at the beginning of the project.

Generally, the network upgrade costs are covered by telecommunications or centrally funded. This not only provides the infrastructure needed to operate the Cisco phones, but also provides up-to-date hardware that can provide better through-put within the local network and quality of service and redundancy to support other important and real-time services such as campus video feeds.

Telephone Service costs generally boil down to what is on the old phone bill. Cisco phones on the  Morgantown campus use “Direct Inward Dial” or “DID” numbers, which means each person has his or her own 304-293-xxxx number. If your old phones are ISDN, this is not much change for you (your phone number even stays the same), and your monthly phone bill will go down, usually significantly since the DID numbers are much cheaper than the ISDN lines.

Departments with SRX systems, on the other hand, use a small pool of analog lines to provide service to a larger number of users. In this case the answer is not so cut and dry, usually the bill works out to be about the same or slightly more with VoIP – because there is now one phone number per person instead of a shared pool. However, the DID numbers for VoIP are about half the price of the analog trunk lines used on SRX. This makes the bottom line really depend on how many of those analog trunk lines a department is currently using. The monthly charge for the telephone sets is the same on Cisco as it was with ISDN and SRX. Also currently there is no charge for voicemail service, provided it is associated with a physical Cisco phone.

Can I download customized ringtones to my new phone?

At this time there is no mechanism for customizing the ring tones on your phone, beyond the existing 25 ring tones built in to the system. We have the capability to add ring tones at a system wide level, but not on a per phone basis. At this time we are not adding new ring tones to the IP Phones.

Can I have a custom background for my IP phone?

The only phone that currently supports custom backgrounds is the model 7970 phone with the color screen. As with the ringtones, we can only add these on a system-wide basis – anything we add is then available to the whole campus. Given that knowledge, if you have a particular image you would like available, you are welcome to submit the ITS Telephone Assistance form. ITS reserves the right to permit or deny it based on content.

Can my department have custom Music on Hold Selection?

Yes! We are able to provide customized music on hold at the department level or above. Music selections need to be either royalty-free, or a work or works which WVU has legal permission to use. Telecommunications can provide some limited mixing if you have more than one track, we will just need all audio in either WAV or MP3 format (Or from a standard audio CD). Currently there is no monthly charge for this, however there will be a one-time programming and order-processing fee for the initial setup.

What's my User ID for voicemail?

Your User ID for voicemail is your 5 digit phone number (normally starting with a 3). For example if your number is 304-293-0111, your user ID is 30111.

Will my TID change with the Cisco phone system?

Your TID will not change, and you will still dial “8” for long distance calls.

Can I access my voice mailbox from outside the University?

Yes! Just dial in to 304-293-5000. You will be prompted to press * to log in.

Can I use a headset or wireless headset with my Cisco phone?

Yes, the Cisco phones are headset compatible. Since there are so many different preferences for headsets, Telecommunications does not stock or rent out headsets. We do recommend Plantronics headsets for compatibility and quality since they have a wide variety of wireless and wired models that work well with the Cisco Phones. We encourage departments to contact a sales representative or explore the Plantronics web site for a headset that will meet their needs. If there are any questions as to whether a particular headset will work, please submit the ITS Telephone Assistance form and we’ll be happy to research it.

Who can I find in the Corporate Directory on the Cisco phones?

Anyone with a Cisco phone who is a full time employee by default gets added to the IP Phone’s Corporate Directory. Some people have opted to have their phone number hidden or replaced with a main departmental number.

My new phone number is not in the Outlook Address Book. How do I get it updated?

Telecommunications cannot update your phone number in Microsoft 365. If your phone number changes or you get a new number, you can update your number in Applaud under your Personal Information. If you are unable to update your phone number, ask your SBA to update your phone number in MAP.