VoIP Troubleshooting:
Call Quality Issues

What Do Call Quality Problems Sound Like?

VoIP phone services are not the same as traditional mobile phone services, so call quality issues on your VoIP Phone Service do not always sound the same. You might notice:

• Choppy audio
• Robotic or distorted voice
• Delayed audio
• Echo
• Dropped calls
• One-way audio, where only one person can hear the other
• Calls not ringing correctly in the app

Sometimes the issue is constant. Other times it only happens on certain networks, at certain times of day, or when your device is under heavy load.

Common Causes of Poor Call Quality

Poor call quality is usually caused by one or more of these issues:

• A weak or inconsistent internet connection
• Network congestion
• High latency or jitter
• VPNs or firewalls
• Device performance

VoIP phones are a great tool for building your Business Identity and keeping your protecting your personal number. Read more about them in our Complete Guide to VoIP.

Check Your Internet Quality First

In most cases, unstable internet is the biggest reason for call quality problems.

When it comes to internet quality, a fast internet connection helps, but speed is only part of the story. For voice calls, stability matters just as much.

For speed, your connection should have a baseline of:

• At least 5 Mbps download
• At least 5 Mbps upload

However, even if your speeds look good, unstable internet can still cause poor call quality. Your Jitter should ideally be under 30 ms, and latency should be as low as possible.

Run a Speed Test

A quick speed test can tell you a lot. Use LibreSpeed to check the following:

• Download speed
• Upload speed
• Jitter
• Ping or latency

If your speeds are below the minimum recommendations, or if your jitter is high, that is a strong sign your network is contributing to the issue.

Quick Fixes for Poor Internet Quality

Here’s some simple fixes you can try for any problem:

• Switch to a mobile network if the Wi-Fi is weak

• Pause anything else using the network

• Restart your phone, tablet, or computer

• Restart your modem and router
• Log out of the VoIP App and log back in
• Make sure your account is only active on one device
• Temporarily disable your VPN and test again
• Try a different network and compare results

Using the Corporate Phone App Without Wi-Fi

If your internet quality is extremely poor or non-existent, you can use our Corporate Phone App on mobile data. Even in rural areas, mobile data speeds with major carriers are rarely below 10 Mbps.

If you are having trouble on Wi-Fi, try placing a test call on mobile data. If the call improves, your Wi-Fi network is likely the issue. If the problem happens on both Wi-Fi and mobile data, the cause may be related to the app, your device, or account setup.

Testing both connection types can help narrow things down quickly.

Troubleshooting by Symptom

This is the part where you go to your mechanic and say, “It’s making a bing, bing, bing sound.” Or, “No, more like a clang, clang, clang.” Often, it’s an easy fix.

1. Choppy, Robotic, or Broken Audio

This is usually caused by unstable Wi-Fi, or network congestion. In plain terms, pieces of the call audio are not arriving smoothly.

Start by running a speed test and checking your jitter. Then reduce other network activity and try again. If possible, test on another Wi-Fi network or on mobile data. Restarting your modem and router can also help.

If the audio improves on another network, the issue is most likely with your original connection.

2. Delayed Audio

If there is a noticeable pause before you hear the other person, high latency is often the cause.

Check the latency result from your speed test. If you are on a VPN, disconnect and test again. You should also reduce any other network traffic and, if possible, try another connection.

A small delay can happen occasionally, but repeated or severe delay usually points to a network issue.

3. Echo

Echo can happen when sound from a speaker is getting picked up by the microphone, or when audio is being routed through multiple active devices or apps.

Try using headphones or a handset instead of speakerphone. Lowering your speaker volume can also help. Close any other calling or conferencing apps that may be using audio on your device. Make sure your account is not signed in on multiple devices at the same time.

4. Dropped Calls

Dropped calls are often caused by unstable internet or a connection change during the call. For example, moving between Wi-Fi and mobile data can interrupt the session.

If possible, stay on the same network for the full call. Avoid weak Wi-Fi areas and test whether the issue is better on mobile data or a stronger Wi-Fi network. If you’re using the Corporate Phone App, make sure it’s open, logged in, and working normally.

If dropped calls happen only in one location, local network conditions are likely involved.

5. One-way Audio

One-way audio means one person can hear the other, but the audio does not work both ways.

Start by checking microphone permissions for the app. Then restart the app and test again. If the issue continues, try another network. VPNs and restrictive firewalls can also block part of the call path, so disable those temporarily if you can.

This issue can also happen when device permissions are incorrect, so it is worth checking your settings carefully.

6. App not Ringing or Receiving Calls

If the app is not ringing, first confirm that you are logged in. Then check that notifications are enabled and that the app has microphone permissions. Make sure your account is not being used on multiple devices, and confirm that calls are not being forwarded somewhere else.

Common Call Forwarding Issues With the Corporate Phone App

Call forwarding can be helpful if you want calls sent to another number, but it changes how the service works.

When calls are forwarded, caller ID behavior may change.

• Outbound calls will not show your assigned number unless they are made through the Corporate Phone App.
• Voicemail may go to the forwarded number’s mailbox instead of the app.
• Text messaging is not available through forwarded calls.

If something feels off, double-check whether forwarding is on before assuming the app itself is failing.