CircleLoop recommended network hardware

At CircleLoop we highly recommend that you invest in good quality network hardware to help you get the most out of our service.  More often than not, the router provided by your ISP is simply not up to the job.  When it comes to maintaining high quality calls on your connection, it's vital that your router has support for Quality of Service.  If you're not familiar with what this is and why it's so important, then check out our video explaining Quality of Service.

Routers

CircleLoop has been tested to work with the Draytek Vigor 2862 Series routers.  There are a number of routers in the 2862 Series, but to keep things simple, we've narrowed it down to just 2 models for you to consider.

  • Draytek Vigor 2862 (no Wifi)
  • Draytek Vigor 2862ac (dual band WiFi)

Draytek Vigor 2862

The 2862 series is Draytek's new flagship router/firewall supporting both ADSL or VDSL (BT Infinity™/FTTC).  It's packed professional level features to increase security, flexibility and functionality, making it ideal for almost any scenario.  This model doesn't include any support for WiFi making it more cost effective that the 2862ac model.

Draytek Vigor 2862ac

Identical to the 2862 model in every apart from the inclusion of WiFi support (dual-band MU-MIMO Wireless).

Please note though, as routers are often tucked out of the way, we'd recommend opting for the standard 2862 model though along with a separate wireless access point.  Unless your router is located in a central, open place within your office, and it's only servicing a small area, then this isn't the model to choose.

Wireless Access Points

We recommend that whenever possible, you use CircleLoop on a wired connection from a computer and avoid the use of WiFi.  Very often, WiFi networks can become congested which can create problems with call quality.  If you do need to make use of WiFi then we highly recommend that you install access points at suitable locations within your office.  If you get this right though, your Wifi performance should be more than adequate to use with CircleLoop.

AP-910C Ceiling Wireless Access Point

Installing one or more ceiling access points is the best way to ensure that you've got a reliable WiFi network to connect to.  The AP-910C works seamlessly with the Vigor 2862 router making it the perfect choice for your WiFi network.  Multiple AP-910C access points can be used together and when placed strategically in your office, can help prevent dead-spots and ensure that you've always got a strong and reliable connection.  

Setting up Quality of Service (QoS)

Once you've installed your Draytek hardware, then follow the simple setup for configuring Quality of Service on your network.  This ensures that the data for your voice calls is treated as the highest priority in your network and means that other activity won't impact your CircleLoop calls.