Troubleshooting VoIP Sound Quality Issues

If you have issues with your calls dropping, audio quality being 'choppy,' or you cannot connect to your calls, you can take steps to determine from where the issue is coming. You can verify that your system and network meet all requirements before troubleshooting by referring to our VanillaSoft VoIP System Requirements article.

Jump to a specific area of this article by selecting one of the sections here:

 

Headset Troubleshooting

Before troubleshooting your headset, it may be helpful to refer to the list of Approved Headsets. VanillaSoft recommends using a wired USB headset to allow for easier troubleshooting and better connectivity. VanillaSoft does not recommend nor support wireless headsets. Here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot your headset:

  • If you are using a wireless headset, connect it to the computer by its USB wire.
  • Try changing to another headset that hasn't had any reports of issues.
  • Instead of testing with VS Connect, try with a different audio source. Depending on the issue, you can try recording your voice from your operating system or playing a video on YouTube to see if the issue follows.
  • Finally, if no change, unplug the headset and test the audio directly from your computer's speakers.

 

Computer Troubleshooting

If you have verified that your headset does not cause the issue, you can troubleshoot the computer itself. Here are a few things to look for to determine if the computer is at fault:

  • If you're running any antivirus program, try temporarily disabling it to test the audio then enabling it after the test is complete.
  • Install or update any available headset drivers.
  • Verify that the volume isn't muted or turned down in your system tray.
  • Ensure your operating system has the most recent updates installed.
  • Ensure there are no permissions issues preventing microphone or headphone access.

 

Network Troubleshooting

Many factors could cause your VoIP line to have quality or functionality issues. A few steps to take to see if your network is causing the issue are:

  • Run a SpeedTest and make sure you meet the network requirements.
  • Run a ping test to ensure your network's quality is stable and doesn't have any packet loss.
  • If you are using wireless internet, connect an Ethernet cable and go wired if possible, disabling your WiFi.
  • If you have any network security, including a firewall, try disabling this and run another test, then enable after this test is complete.

 

VoIP Line Troubleshooting

If you have verified that the issue is not related to anything local (headset, computer, or network), your VanillaSoft VoIP profile may be causing the issue. Steps to determine and troubleshoot this are:

  • Log in to your profile on another computer and see if the quality issues follow.
  • Log in to another VoIP profile on your computer and see if the issues remain.

 

Unable to Resolve

With all these steps completed, we should know where the issue is coming from and can act accordingly. If you are not sure how to do some of these steps above or are having issues narrowing the issue down, you can always Submit a Ticket or call 972-200-0179 ext. 2, and our Support team will help investigate this issue further.

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