The short version
- A cloud phone system lets staff make and take calls on the business number from anywhere, on a laptop, desk phone or mobile app.
- A good USB headset matters more than almost anything else for remote call quality.
- Home networks are the weak link: wire in where possible and stop the household's uploads from swamping calls.
- Decide in advance how home workers call 000, since the address on the system may be the office.
Three ways to give remote staff a phone
1. Softphone on the laptop
The simplest option: a desktop app (or the calling tab in Teams) that registers to your phone system. Staff use a headset, and their extension works exactly as it does in the office. It costs nothing extra beyond the headset, but call quality depends entirely on the laptop's network connection.
2. Mobile app
Most cloud phone platforms have iOS and Android apps that ring alongside the desk extension and let staff call out showing the business number. Great for people who move around. Watch out for battery optimisation settings that stop the app receiving calls, and for mobile data use when off Wi-Fi.
3. Desk phone at home
For people on the phone all day, a desk phone plugged into the home router gives the most consistent experience, with proper buttons, a speakerphone, and no dependence on the laptop. Most cloud providers can ship a pre-provisioned phone that configures itself when plugged in.
Getting the home network right
- Wire in. An Ethernet cable from the router, or a powerline adapter if that's impractical, beats Wi-Fi every time.
- If on Wi-Fi, use the 5 GHz or 6 GHz band and stay near the access point. A mesh system helps in bigger homes.
- Protect the upload. Cloud photo backups, game downloads and other people's video calls compete for upload. Enable QoS or SQM on the router if it has it. See our quality guide.
- Turn off SIP ALG on the home router if you're using a desk phone or a softphone that uses SIP directly.
- Check the plan. Basic NBN 25 plans have limited upload. For someone on video calls and phone calls all day, NBN 50 or higher is more comfortable.
Headsets: the cheapest upgrade
A wired or USB-dongle wireless headset with a boom microphone removes echo and background noise far better than laptop speakers and microphones. Bluetooth headsets are convenient, but many drop to a lower-quality "hands-free" profile when the microphone is active. A headset with its own USB adapter avoids that. Look for one certified for your platform (for example Microsoft Teams) so the mute and answer buttons work.
Policies to agree on
- Emergency calls. The address registered on the business system is probably the office. Tell home workers to call 000 from their mobile. See Triple Zero and VoIP.
- Privacy. If calls are recorded, make sure people working in shared homes know, and that family members can't overhear sensitive calls.
- Availability. Use presence and hunt groups so calls find someone who's actually working, rather than ringing out on a laptop in a closed bag.
- Security. Lock the softphone and portal with MFA, and remove access promptly when people leave.