Issue

Users can experience different call quality issues for various reasons, with choppy or poor VoIP call quality caused by network or device issues being the most common.

Possible Causes

Network-Related Issues

• Packet Loss: Voice data packets can be dropped during transmission. Even a 1–2% loss can cause noticeable degradation.
• Jitter: Irregular delays between data packets may cause speech to break up or sound robotic.
• Latency: High delay in audio transmission (over 150ms) can impact conversation flow. They are especially common in long-distance or satellite connections.
• Insufficient Bandwidth: Upload/download speeds can be too low for stable VoIP traffic. Also, competing apps or devices may consume too much bandwidth.
• Network Congestion: Too many devices on the same network cause congestion. It often happens in shared offices or public networks.

Device or App Issues

• Low System Resources: CPU/RAM on the phone or computer might be maxed out so that background apps interfere with VoIP performance.
• Outdated Softphone App or Firmware: Bugs or performance issues can impact call quality.
• Incorrect Codec Settings: Using a high-bandwidth codec on a low-bandwidth network (e.g., G.711 vs G.729) may lead to quality degradation.

Configuration Problems

• NAT or Firewall Issues: Improper NAT traversal or blocked RTP ports may cause one-way audio or intermittent quality.
• QoS Not Configured: Without QoS (Quality of Service) settings defined, VoIP packets compete with other data (e.g., downloads, video).

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NOTE

Check the Prioritizing Voice Traffic From CommPeak on Windows Environments article for more details.

Environmental Factors

• Wi-Fi interference from other devices: Using Wi-Fi instead of Ethernet may lead to degraded call quality as a wired connection is always more stable. Also, improper mic/headset quality or positioning may be an issue.

Troubleshooting Steps

Please check the following steps, which will help you investigate the cause of your call quality issue:

1. Ping and trace the route to the SIP server https://lg.commpeak.com/.
2. Test network jitter and packet loss https://www.commpeak.com/speedtest.
3. Try switching from Wi-Fi to Ethernet.
4. Check the resource usage on the device.
5. Restart your modem/router/device.
6. Contact your ISP if the external packet loss is detected.

If you are using CommPeak as a SIP trunk for termination (outbound) or origination (inbound), you can have your own PBX or dialer or use a SIP account in CommPeak/third-party Softphone.

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NOTE

If you want a VoIP call quality checklist or script for your agents or tech team, please contact support.