How to Improve Voice over IP Sound Quality

Voice over IP Quality Solutions

If you experience voice quality problems, consider the following options:

Call During Low Congestion Periods - During periods of high congestion, especially at night when people are home using their broadband connections, you might experience dropped packets. You'll hear gaps or lags in speech. You can correct this by calling at a less congested time.

Switch to DSL - Cable internet customers experience congestion more frequently than DSL customers, so you might consider switching to a service that doesn't share your connection with others. If you have DSL, contact your provider and ask them to test your line. There could be a problem in the central office that is reducing your call quality.

Lower the Call Volume - Some VoIP users experience distortion when listening to callers. This is often because the volume on the speakers or handset is set too high. Turning it down may improve the quality.

Upgrade Your Equipment - Low quality routers, adapters, and phones can result in poor voice quality. If you've tried the other fixes and still have problems, try upgrading your equipment. Start with your phone, and then try a different router.

Use a Different Phone - If you use a cordless phone, it could cause interference. Many users report that they experience problems with 5.8 GHz phones, but 2.4 GHz phones are usually fine.

Move Your Equipment - You may hear static if your router and adapter are too close together. Try moving them to opposite ends of the desk to reduce interference.

Reconnect Your Equipment - Static can result from all of the above issues, but it can also be the result of the weather. Rain, high winds, and thunderstorms can reduce call quality. Although you can't fix the weather, some users report that unplugging the adapter and then reconnecting it removes the static.

If you've tested all of the above and still experience poor voice or sound quality, the issue could lie in the physical cables or wires outside your house or with your VoIP provider. Although you usually can't do anything about the cables, you can try switching to a new VoIP provider. VoIP customers experience excellent call quality and reliability at affordable prices.