Once your account is set up it should be ready to use straight away. We do though recommend that you first review these requirements to make sure things go as smoothly as possible.
Device requirements
We aim to make CircleLoop available to as many people as possible. We offer mobile apps to supplement the service, however, for the very best experience we recommend downloading and installing our desktop apps on a computer meeting these requirements:
- Minimum i5 dual-core processor or equivalent
- Minimum 4Gb of RAM
- macOS 10.13 (High Sierra) or 64-bit version of Windows 10. Please note, we do offer a 32bit build of our Windows app but we strongly recommend running on a 64 bit operating system.
Headset requirements
When using the desktop apps, we strongly recommend that you use a good quality headset with a USB connection. The built-in microphone on most computers won't be suitable for making phone calls so we'd recommend you invest in a headset. When on a call it's important to check that the microphone is placed at a reasonable distance from your mouth and that the input volume is sufficient. It's often a good idea to first carry out some test calls with a colleague to make sure that you've got the settings and placement right and that the other person can clearly hear you speaking.
If you connect a headset whilst the desktop app is already open then this should recognise the device, however, we always recommend starting up the app once your headset is already connected to your computer.
We work closely with a hardware manufacturer called Jabra and can highly recommend their products which provide excellent sound quality and a very cost-effective price. Take a look at our hardware page for more details.
Network requirements
To use our service, you need to have a stable network connection. Please be aware that the quality of calls is entirely dependant on your network connection being suitable. It's not just about speed when it comes to reliable voice calls, as there are a number of other factors that must be taken into account.
Wired connection
Always make sure that you're connected to your network using a wired (Ethernet) connection as Wifi can unfortunately lack the stability required for high quality calls. If your computer doesn't come with an Ethernet port then there are a number of USB adapters available from most major computer equipment suppliers. If you're in doubt about what's needed here then please get in touch with our support team.
Quality of Service (QoS) and recommended network settings
For optimal performance we encourage that Quality of Service (QoS) is enabled on your network router. This helps to ensure that voice data is prioritised over other network traffic in your business. This is vital to ensure that other activity happening on your network doesn't impact call quality and stability. Many models of routers which are suitable for businesses support QoS, however we recommend using the Draytek Vigor2862 which has been thoroughly tested with CircleLoop. If you use a different model of router which does support QoS, then please read through our general networking settings article for more advice.
Bandwidth
To achieve clear calls you will require around 100Kbps of bandwidth (both upstream and downstream) for each concurrent call. As well as the bandwidth required for the call, there are other activities that our apps consume network bandwidth for, such as syncing your contacts, activity feed and other account settings. In addition to this, other software on your computer will be performing tasks which consume bandwidth. A very rough estimate is that each person sharing your network connection will consume around 1Mbps of bandwidth. So, if you've got 10 staff members then we'd recommend 10 x 1Mbps - which equates to a 10Mbps connection. Remember though, your particular use-case may be different to this so please only use this as a rough guide. Finally, even if you've got what appears to be plenty of bandwidth, always make sure that you're adhering to the other network requirements listed above.
If you've got any more questions on your recommended setup then please get in contact with our support team.