Here at OnSIP, we’ve published a good amount of disaster preparedness content. We have the more technical “cover your cybersecurity bases” type blogs like Disaster Recovery as a Service and tips on choosing the right VoIP provider (hint: start with security). Then, we have the fire drill type preparedness blogs that cover business communications best practices to proactively set up. We’ve even documented how OnSIP handled emergencies like Hurricane Sandy and the early Covid business continuity scramble. But one part is missing: What to do when outages outside of your (or our!) control impact your service.
Our stellar support staff reached out with the idea to write a blog covering exactly how OnSIP’s customers can weather storms in the moment. External outages can knock out your VoIP capabilities even when OnSIP itself is running smoothly. Whether it’s Mother Nature wreaking havoc on the power grid or your ISP going down, our team filled us in on their tried and true steps to maintain communications. Here’s what they had to say:
Use The OnSIP App On Your Mobile Device
If the Internet goes down at your place of work, don’t worry! You can still keep calls flowing and avoid disrupting customers. With OnSIP’s mobile app you can use your network service to make and receive calls. Or you could create a hotspot from your 5G service if you’re working from home or have a small enough office to not max out the bandwidth.
Forward Your Calls to an External Phone Number
You can log into the OnSIP Admin Portal on our Web App from a browser on your mobile phone. From there, you can set up call forwarding for your OnSIP numbers until power comes back. Read our detailed blog on how to set that up here.
Keep Backup Power On Hand
A charging case or similar outlet-free external battery will help your mobile devices stay on during power outages. And not all of them are your average cell phone battery pack—there are some large ones out there that can actually jumpstart a car and power larger devices like your routers and computers. Our support staff are no strangers to using generators to power their Internet and computers, even for days.
As always, if you have no internet access but can call, then give us a call during business hours and we'll help keep you running. Dial (800) 801-3381, choose Option 2, and then Option 1.