VoIP represents a convenient way to make telephone calls both locally and internationally without the hefty price tag imposed by traditional phone line services. Although VoIP has improved since the greater availability of high speed broadband Internet sometimes achieving clarity in the connection can be challenging.
How to Improve Quality of VoIP Calls
If you know a few causes of a choppy VoIP connection it makes it easier to troubleshoot poor call quality. Here are a few tips on how to improve the quality of VoIP calls:
1. Establish a New Connection
If you are receiving a lot of static and interference or you hear an echo when trying to hold a conversation, try disconnecting the call and then trying again. A lot of times this is all that is needed to correct a choppy connection and it saves time using other troubleshooting methods that turn out to be unnecessary.
2. Check Your Internet Connection
If your calls are suddenly dropping on a frequent basis check all of your connections to the Internet to ensure the problem is not an Internet outage or cable connection that has gone bad. If you are dropping calls in a business setting with a VoIP infrastructure the problem may also be an Internet connection problem in which case you may have to implement more than one Internet connection to maintain your VoIP service reliability. By distributing multiple connections a VoIP call can automatically failover to a connection that is functioning properly.
3. Increase the Speed of Your Internet Connection
If you are trying to connect a VoIP call over a slow Internet connection such as dialup the data transmission is not fast enough to warrant a trouble-free connection. If you live in a rural area where high speed Internet is not available it may be necessary to install a satellite Internet connection through a service such as HughesNet or Dish Network.
On the other hand, if you do have a high speed Internet connection and you are experiencing problems with VoIP calls it may be time to check your high speed connection to ensure it is performing at the fastest speed possible. This involves testing the connections and cables in addition to your router.
4. Consider Bandwidth
Problems with VoIP calls are often related to issues with your bandwidth. If you are experiencing delays in communication (also known as latency) the problem could be related to a limited amount of bandwidth. In this case it may be necessary to deploy a dedicated line for bandwidth to handle VoIP traffic. This ensures that there is no interference with other information packets that are being sent over an Internet connection.
5. Install a VoIP Accelerator
If the problem is still occurring and you know you have a high speed Internet connection which is running at the fastest speed possible, trouble with VoIP calls may be occurring because you share the bandwidth with other people in your neighborhood. To help improve the quality of your VoIP calls you can try installing a VoIP accelerator. This is a device that you can find in your local electronics store or online. You can easily connect the VoIP accelerator into your network to help improve the quality of your VoIP connection.
6. Deploy a Unified Bandwidth Management System
By deploying a Unified Bandwidth Management system (UBM) you can improve both your VoIP call quality and your Internet connection. A UBM utilizes network management technology to improve Internet performance and Internet-based applications. It offers a browser-based interface that helps IT professionals monitor the bandwidth on a network including the performance of VoIP applications. A UDM appliance is installed in between your phone system and the network firewall for the purpose of monitoring all voice and data communications before they are passed through DSL routers and over the Internet.
7. Switch from a Wired Connection to Wireless
Sometimes using a wired Internet connection can result in additional problems with your VoIP calls due to the fact there are more wires to worry about. If something goes wrong with the quality of VoIP calls it will take you longer to troubleshoot the connection with all of the wires that exist in the infrastructure. Choosing to go wireless will reduce the number of problems that occur with broken or disconnected cables and normal wear and tear on a wired Internet setup.
8. Test Your Headset
If you are making VoIP calls over a PC to PC connection with a VoIP service such as Skype you can try testing your headset connections and settings on your PC. You can do this by trying to connect with a different headset which will tell you something may have gone bad inside your headset. Also, the settings on your PC can change simply from shutting down and booting up your PC. Check your sound settings to ensure they are properly configured and then test again with your headset.
VoIP calling has come along way but it also has more improvements that need to be made. The more you know about VoIP connections the better you can help yourself with troubleshooting poor VoIP call quality.
I was also facing a problem of poor voice quality earlier, but now the situation has improved greatly because i have taken to Wireless Connection. The wired connection I had earlier caused some minor problems but it is alright now.