# What are the basic requirements for using sipgate?

sipgate landline telephony is VoIP telephony, but what does that actually mean and what requirements must be met? Voice over IP (VoIP) means that you make calls via your internet connection and therefore no longer via the analog telephone connection. VoIP stands for the transmission of voice data over the internet instead of over classic telephone networks such as ISDN.

#### **Internet**

The first basic requirement is a broadband internet connection from a provider of your choice, for example Deutsche Telekom AG, 1&1 or Vodafone. The important factor here is speed: a single phone call over the internet requires about 100 kbit/s (in both upload and download). This enables excellent voice quality. Too little bandwidth can lead to dropouts.

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**Example:** Even with a standard DSL connection with 16,000 Mbit/s download and 1 Mbit/s upload, up to 10 parallel calls are possible.
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#### **Devices and softphones**

How you want to make calls is entirely up to you. Do you want to have a 'real' phone on your desk? Then VoIP phones from snom, Gigaset, Grandstream and many other providers are a good choice. These are then simply connected to your sipgate account. On our website you will find a [overview of the configuration instructions.](https://help.sipgate.de/hc/de/articles/4402636353041-Alle-Konfigurationsanleitungen-auf-einen-Blick) You can also continue using existing analog phones by connecting them to a VoIP adapter, such as a VoIP-capable Fritz!Box.

Another option is softphones. These are software that allow you to make calls directly via your computer – ideally with a headset. You can either choose a softphone from an external provider or use the permanently free sipgate softphone directly.

![Basic requirement.jpg](/files/bd5a9bbac1e35a12c8f5952044fcd1117d8da56c)

{% hint style="success" %}
**Tip:** Of course, you can also set up a VoIP phone and softphone at the same time. A common scenario: in the office you use the VoIP phone, while working from home you make calls via softphone on your laptop and can be reached on the same phone number – whether for incoming or outgoing calls.
{% endhint %}

#### **Firewalls and routers – what should you pay attention to?**

When using routers with a firewall, you must ensure that all ports required for internet telephony are open in the firewall. This is important so that connection problems do not arise in the first place.

You can find more on the topic of routers and firewalls in the article [How can I fix problems with the router?](https://help.sipgate.de/hc/de/articles/4406496589201-Wie-kann-ich-Probleme-mit-dem-Router-beheben)


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