How to Fix 4 Common Causes of Poor VoIP Call Quality

For all its advantages, VoIP also has some drawbacks that I would like to discuss. Poor VoIP call quality does happen, but luckily, the most common causes are pretty easy to diagnose and fix. Because they want to keep your business, your VoIP provider should be willing to work with you—as your independent technology solutions provider, I will definitely work with you to clear up any issues. The bottom line, however, is that if your problems are ongoing or your VoIP provider is unable to find a solution to your problem, we should probably find you a new provider.

But we can cross that bridge if and when we come to it. For now, let’s look at some of the most common poor VoIP call quality problems and how to fix them.

Latency

Latency on a call, also known as VoIP delay, is the amount of time it takes for sound to reach the listener’s ear. When the latency is too high an echo can occur. Most of the time, latency only occurs for a few seconds. However, it last longer, which could make conducting business over VoIP almost impossible.

The solution?

Prioritization. To do that, you’ll need a quality VoIP router. Once that’s in place, you can expect your business calls to be crisp and clear, not seem like they’re taking place in an echo chamber with poor VoIP call quality.

Jitter

For connectionless and packet switched networks, jitter can be a common (and annoying) problem. Because the call information is divided into “packets” that travel by different paths, sometimes they can arrive in the incorrect order. This makes the call quality sound garbled and can lead to miscommunication.

The solution?

A jitter buffer. A jitter buffer temporarily stores the information and arranges it correctly to minimize “packet” disorder.

Incorrectly Configured Internal Network

Sometimes businesses can’t avoid routing their data and VoIP over the same network. While it’s not ideal, you can still expect to get the kind of call quality you need to communicate clearly, but only if you take the proper steps. Many people don’t realize the high demands that VoIP puts on a network, and if their internal network isn’t properly configured for that traffic, poor VoIP call quality will arise.

The solution?

Proper configuration. This problem is perhaps the easiest one on the list to rectify.

Internet Connection

Most internet service providers are designed for web surfing, not voice calls. As discussed earlier, VoIP puts heavier demands on the network. If your internet connection isn’t able to keep up with that demand, your calls might become incomprehensible.

The solution?

Business class internet. Most ISPs offer business class internet speeds that are capable of keeping up with the demands of your voice calls.

Ready to make the poor VoIP call quality stop?

Want to upgrade your internet so you can make the calls you need to make when you need to make them? Considering upgrading your business phone system? Let nQuery’s team of experts help you find the best option for your business’s unique needs. Call us today at 305-910-2324.