Common VoIP Issues

Poor Call Quality or choppy audio

The following things may cause poor audio quality:

Insufficient Bandwidth

If your Internet is too slow, this will affect VoIP calls as they are transmitted using your Internet connection.

How to Troubleshoot:

• This can be fixed by limiting the number of devices that are connecting to your Wi-Fi concurrently.

• You should do a speedtest –> https://www.speedtest.net/ and see if the speeds you’re getting matches the Internet connection you’re using.

• If you are using an IP Phone, it’s also highly recommended to use an Ethernet cable for your connection, rather than Wi-Fi.

Network Jitter

This is when Data packets that carry audio arrive delayed or out of sequence. This is normally caused by Wi-Fi or electromagnetic interference.

How to Troubleshoot:

• This can be fixed by checking to see if there’s any appliances near your VoIP hardware that may cause interferences such as radios, microwaves and sound systems.

Packet Loss

This typically occurs when you have a connection that drops out periodically.

How to Troubleshoot:

• If you’re experiencing packet loss, it’s likely that any other device connected to your Internet connection is also dropping out, so you will need to focus on getting your Internet connection working optimally first.

• The best place to start is to restart your Router (and ONT if you’re using a Fibre connection) and see if there’s any improvement.

No QoS

QoS or Quality of Service allows you to prioritise network bandwidth specifically for VoIP. This is usually set within your Router’s settings.

Due to the high speed and low latency of most NZ broadband connections, QoS is not really something that you need to worry about, but it is there as an added measure to improve the quality of your phone calls.

A dropped call is when a call involuntarily disconnects.

How to Troubleshoot:

• The most common cause is that the device being used to make and receive calls does not have a reliable network connection.

• The first things to check would be what the cabled connections are like on both ends (Router and phone) and if you’re using Wi-Fi to see what the signal strength is in that area.

Echo is when you speak and you hear your own voice reverberating back through the phone.

How to Troubleshoot:

• If you’re experiencing Echo, it’s likely there’s a second audio source nearby that’s picking up your voice and feeding it back.

• Using proper VoIP headsets and features like Active Noise Cancellation (if your headset has that) may help to get rid of Echo.

• It may also occur due to the order of Audio Codecs that are configured for your service.

• Re-ordering the codecs may also help to get rid of Echo.

our phone call is connected, but you can’t hear the other party, or they can’t hear you.

How to Troubleshoot:

• If you’re experiencing one way audio, you’ll need to start by checking your cable connections and ensure every one of them is plugged in securely on both ends. If the cable is damaged, replace it.

• This can also be caused by heavy network congestion where the network bandwidth simply isn’t enough to pass the VoIP traffic over the network.

• Upgrading the firmware on your VoIP devices is something we have found quite often to be a remedy for this issue.

• Restarting your VoIP device(s) may also help.

Your phone is connected to your network and even getting an IP Address, but you can’t make or receive calls.

How to Troubleshoot:

• Quite often if there’s been a disruption to your Internet connection from let’s say a power outage or a dropout where your connection has lost sync, your VoIP device(s) may still be leasing an old IP Address from your Router.

• In order to restore the phone’s connection to your network, you need to restart your VoIP device(s) and in some cases your router. This allows DHCP to assign a brand new IP Address and service should be restored.

• Another way this could happen is if your Router has SIP ALG enabled. This setting creates something called a double NAT where VoIP traffic cannot be routed correctly through the network and therefore it manifests as calls that fail.

Best Practices To Avoid VoIP Problems

While technical problems generally require technical solutions, following best practices helps avoid issues proactively.

• Use business-class internet from Kiwi VoIP– Invest in dedicated business broadband at suitable bandwidth tiers for reliable connectivity.
• Limit phone calls over Wi-Fi whenever possible — Use a dedicated Ethernet line instead.
• Invest in quality VoIP hardware — Choose reputable brands and tested models known to work best with your chosen VoIP platform.
• Train employees — Provide users with proper headset/mic usage guidelines and general system dos/don’ts to avoid basic user errors impacting calls.
• Have a backup plan — Make sure remote teams have cell phones enabled as a backup way to make and receive calls if the VoIP system has interruptions. Your VoIP provider should offer a business phone app like 3CX to enable calls on the go.
• Choose established provider — Stick to prominent business VoIP providers (like Kiwi VoIP!) with solid track records, security, and excellent technical support.