VOIP Phone Systems: Solutions to Common Issues

Having a poor connection or issues hearing a phone call can be not only frustrating but detrimental to your productivity and business revenue. We have compiled a list of some of the most common and easiest to fix issues we see with VoIP phone systems and how to solve them. 

What is VoIP?

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is an internet-based phone service. Instead of communicating voice conversations via conventional phone lines, the conversations are digitized and routed through internet lines.

VoIP was initially introduced commercially in the 1990s. At that time, users complained that the sound was not good and often echoed or broke up as did the connection. Since then, the quality has significantly improved, but some issues may need to be worked out. Here are some of the most common issues we see with VoIP call services.

Issue: 

Choppy audio makes it difficult to have a conversation since the sound keeps going in and out. 

Solution:

The way this should be handled depends on which side of the phone call is cutting in and out. If the person on the other end of the call is the one cutting in and out, then your download bandwidth is insufficient and vice versa. The reason for this is packet loss. 

Packet loss occurs when the smaller pieces of data aren’t successfully transmitted. Latency and instability, a lack of bandwidth, or high network congestion are why this happens.

To solve this issue, try turning off all applications with streaming capabilities. Applications like Netflix or Hulu use a lot of network space and will disrupt your connection. 

Issue:

Phone echoing makes voices repeat or makes the volume go up and down while on a call which makes having a conversation extremely difficult. Usually, the echo is only a problem for one of the callers. The other does not know of the issues happening on the other end of the line. 

Solution:

Echo can be caused by feedback from the person you’re speaking to. However, it’s due to an issue with your own VoIP phone system more often than not. One easy fix is to take a call off speakerphone since it relies on multiple microphones and speakers. 

If turning off the speakerphone does not solve the issue, look to your headset as it may be time for a replacement. You can quickly test your headset by using it to call your handset and see if the echo still occurs. If your headset is not to blame, ensure that your wall jacks, Ethernet cords, and cables are plugged in properly and not damaged in any way.

Issue:

The phone does not ring and unexpectedly goes to voicemail.

Solution: 

Having customer calls go straight to voicemail can be frustrating for everyone involved, but luckily it is a simple fix! Most likely, a setting was probably forgotten, or your phone could no longer be registered with the VoIP provider. Something else you can check is to see if your phone is on Do Not Disturb (DND) mode. Either way, these are easy fixes that will get your phone ringing in no time.

Issue: 

Unable to make calls – There is an “X” on your screen, or you are unable to make outbound calls. 

Solution:

Session Initiation Protocol Application Layer Gateway (SIP ALG) is most likely to blame for this issue. 

Firewalls may disrupt the internal network and VoIP traffic, making it impossible for two routers to process and transmit packets. To fix this, turn off SIP ALG and if that does not work, reposition your VoIP telephone to a Virtual Local Area Network.  

Conclusion 

Luckily, most of the issues associated with poor VoIP connections and services are easy to fix. If you require more in-depth assistance, you can always contact your VoIP Service Provider, who should be able to identify and work with you to correct these problems. If these problems persist or your VoIP service provider is not able to identify a problem or give you a solution. if that is the case, it may be time to find a different provider. Here at ABM, we provide high-quality business services and understand how important they are to you. We put our customers first and proactively manage their technology needs.