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If you are here, chances are you’re an active VoIP user who is having some problems while making VoIP calls and is looking for hassle-free solutions.

Whether dropped connection during important discussions, low-quality audio, or any other issue that makes it impossible to complete the conversation, this guide will help you solve all of them on your own.

In this guide, we are going to breakdown the 8 most common VoIP problems and their solutions to help you find peace of mind as fast as possible.

Let’s get to work!

1. Dropped Connections

We’ve all been through this situation.

Somebody is saying something crucial, and the words cut off in the middle of their sentences. We have to say, “Sorry, I didn’t hear you,” and the individual on the other line has to repeat themselves multiple times.

How to Solve Broken Audio?

This typical VoIP issue is most likely the result of your bandwidth capacity. Bandwidth evaluates the amount of data that is sent over a connection within a given time.

While using the internet — either for VoIP or browsing — small units of data are delivered in packets. When these packets don’t reach their targeted destination, packet loss takes place.

The outcomes are connection interruptions, slow performance, and low-quality audio issues.

Your solution to broken audio relies on who is cutting in and out. Is it you or the other person?

If the other person is cutting in and out, then your download bandwidth is not enough.

In any case, packet loss is the primary reason.

Try closing streaming applications like Netflix, Amazon Prime, or YouTube, which occupy plenty of network space. Also, ensure that you’ve made VoIP service your first priority on your router’s Quality of Service (QOS) settings.

2. Dropped Calls

Dropped calls are the calls that suddenly end halfway through the conversation. They are a massive cause of frustration for callers.

Additionally, you may also have faced sudden dropped calls after a specific amount of time (e.g., 11 minutes into the call).

How to Solve Dropped Calls?

Usually, this problem occurs during outgoing calls on high-volume networks.

The root cause is not having updated firmware on your device. A brief call to your service provider will verify this.

Another issue could be a UDP Timeout. This is the amount of time a UDP route remains open on a router or firewall.

To resolve this VoIP issue, you need to readjust your router settings to enable lengthy UDP timeouts or switch to TCP (Transmission Control Protocol).

TCP is a connection-oriented protocol that specifies how to build and manage a network conversation in which application programs can exchange data.

The UDP connection timeout is 30 seconds, whereas the TCP connection timeout is typically 15 minutes. You can increase the connection timeout from the firewall access rules.

3. Echoes on the Call

Echoes trigger repeated voices at different intervals and volume levels. They make it hard to follow the conversation.

How to Solve Echoes?

There are two potential culprits behind this issue:

1. The device
2. Headset lag

You have to examine both.

Begin with the device itself.

Is your device up to date? Is everything connected appropriately? Is anything broken?

Have you applied the universal technique of unplugging and plugging everything back in?

Check your calls after you take care of your device. Usually, this permits the buffers to vacate and re-sync with the VoIP services.

The type of headset you use may cause a problem. To evaluate this, place a call using your handset and headset only to see if the echoes occur — specifically, on the headset. If yes, then it’s time to replace it.

Additionally, make sure that your wall jacks, Ethernet cords, and cables are not bent, damp, or damaged.

If you still experience echoes, then you may need to improve your network latency and instability.

4. Latency – Voice Delay

Latency is the amount of time one data packet takes to travel to its intended destination — in other words, the total time it takes for words to exit the speaker’s mouth and arrive at the listener’s ear.

You have a good chance of experiencing higher latency during business hours, which will affect your customer communications and conference calls.

How to Solve VoIP Latency?

Latency can be the result of network congestion.

Network congestion happens when a network node or link carries overloaded data.

Routers have a huge task to sustain today’s weighty bandwidth requirements, like video calls. It’s a nice idea — until everyone watches streaming services and joins video conferences at the same time! Plus, don’t overlook all those laptops consuming Wi-Fi data.

The solution to this VoIP problem is to prioritize VoIP traffic on your routers.

Another option is to choose QoS (Quality of Service), which may require advancing to a business-class router that keeps VoIP data a top priority.

5. Jittering

Jittering is when portions of your VoIP phone calls sound garbled, out of order or completely missing, therefore causing important conversations to vanish or become difficult to understand.

Call jittering that lasts 30+ milliseconds affects the overall call quality, resulting in dropped calls and misunderstandings.

How to Solve VoIP Jittering?

Jittering occurs due to the millions of data packets travelling altogether across the same IP network.

The quick and obvious fix is to try upgrading your Internet connectivity via your Internet Service Provider (ISP). Your internet may not have sufficient bandwidth to take on the load of all your connected devices.

If you’ve gotten rid of network congestion, and the problem still lingers, then examine the internet connection you’re using. Wireless networks are user-friendly and durable enough to support basic internet access; however, they are not optimal for VoIP phones. Try shifting to an Ethernet internet connection instead.

Old, outdated modems and damaged Ethernet cords can also have a hand in jittering. The same can be said for your phone’s frequency, too. Consider aiming for a frequency that is no more than 2.4GHz.

Another solution is installing a jitter buffer. It temporarily holds arriving packets to reduce delay variations. If packets don’t reach you on time, then they are removed.

6. Silence After Call Connection

Sometimes, you don’t face any problems with connecting calls, but you may have an issue in which you hear nothing once the call is successfully connected. These voice issues can be one-way (i.e., one party doesn’t hear the other), or two-way (i.e., neither party hears anything).

This causes frustration and the meaningless back-and-forth of “Can you hear me?”, which can ruin the entire conversation.

How to Solve a Silent Connection?

In many cases, silent connections happen because of problems with firewalls hindering RTP packets.

This makes voice packets able to pass through only one direction or block both sides from receiving data packets. One solution is to check out the SIP ALG (Session Initiation Protocol Application Layer Gateway), which is a software component that manages specific application protocols, like SIP.

Most of the time, disabling it will fix the problem, as it opens ports to allow traffic to flow.

Another problem that may cause a lack of audio is incompatible codec between two connecting phones. If that’s the case, then calls can connect completely, but they don’t allow package exchange — meaning a complete absence of audio.

In this case, the solution is to make sure that both phones share a common codec.

7. Straight to Voicemail

Have you ever faced a situation in which you’re waiting for a call from a client or a coworker, and your phone sent the call directly to voicemail instead of ringing?

Such missed calls can trigger major setbacks in productivity — not to mention potentially losing high-paying clients.

How to Solve Missed VoIP Calls?

Fortunately, this big problem has an easier solution.

First, make sure your phone is still connected with your existing VoIP service provider. If not, then contact the company and reconnect your devices.

Also, check your settings. You may have mistakenly switched your phone to Do Not Disturb.

Lastly, double-check your call forwarding settings. You may have changed the configuration or forgot to reset it back to your basic setup.

8. VoIP Not Working, but Internet Is

Often, your VoIP system may not allow you to make calls. Although your internet is working, VoIP is not — it may either fail to connect or display a big “X” on the screen.

This is a common problem in call centers. It generally shuts down business until the issue is resolved.

How to Solve VoIP’s Inability to Make Calls?

Again, SIP ALG can be responsible for this.

Although it is found in most routers, it can create major problems for VoIP users. When it arises, two routers cannot operate or transmit packets because firewalls disturb the internal network and VoIP traffic.

To resolve this, you’ve got to disable SIP ALG.

If that doesn’t work, then try relocating your VoIP telephones on a Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN).

In Summary

Most of us experience VoIP issues every now and then. We hope that our guide to VoIP solutions will come in handy the next time you encounter any of the problems mentioned above with your VoIP phone service providers. If not, then you can always count on our top business VoIP service providers for a consistent voice connection, high audio quality, popular software, updated solutions, and error-free service.