GoVoip - Troubleshooting Choppy or Disconnected Calls

Troubleshooting VoIP Call Dropping Issues: Solving One problem at a time

Different issues can cause a call drop: from a damaged networking device, faulty wiring, or unstable internet connection, to server issues, there can be hundreds of reasons, if not more. Anything can be a culprit for interrupting your phone call connection. Here are some of the causes of VoIP call-dropping issues and the ways to troubleshoot them.

1. Do you hear choppy audio?

The person on the other end of the call is talking, but all you hear is their broken voice. Whatever they said came back in choppy audio, and you could not understand. The reason behind choppy audio is the lack of sufficient bandwidth, causing call drops.

When you speak on the phone, your voice is converted into data and transmitted as packets. These packets fail to reach their destination due to insufficient bandwidth and cause packet loss. 

How to troubleshoot choppy audio on VoIP phones?

You should check the upload and download bandwidth using speed test tools to get insights regarding your internet speed. After that, choose any of the following options to troubleshoot choppy audio:

1. Contact your internet service provider to increase bandwidth.
2. Reset your networking devices to reduce loss of bandwidth.
3. Turn off unwanted systems or applications on your device to reduce network congestion.
4. Go to your router setting and set Quality of Service (QoS) to prioritize VoIP service.
5. If all options have been tried, email ThreePBX Customer Service at support@threepbx.com

2. Does your call drop automatically?

Sometimes your calls are cut abruptly without any reason. Networks with a high volume of traffic can witness this issue in outbound calls due to the old firmware of the networking devices. UDP Timeout, set on your router or firewall, can also be responsible for the call drops. 

Sometimes, calls get cut automatically after a certain interval of time. This means your service provider has defined and preset the duration of your Talktime. Your call will be automatically disconnected after that specific time. 

How to troubleshoot automatic call drops on VoIP phones?

You should measure the call time when a call drops to troubleshoot abrupt calls:

If the calls have random call lengths, then:

Upgrade to the latest firmware of networking devices.

Go to router settings and increase UDP Timeout lengths.

If the calls have specific lengths, then:

1. Call your ISP or phone service provider to extend the call duration or remove the call timer altogether.