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5 Myths about VoIP Call Quality

  1. I ran a network assessment prior to deployment so everything will be fine

  2. I have enough network bandwidth so VoIP won't be a problem

  3. I don't have any remote sites with WAN links so I'm good to go

  4. Things are fine with our VoIP system right now so there’s nothing to worry about

  5. If I encounter any problems, I'll just use a sniffer to solve them

Eventually, your VoIP network will have quality issues. And when your users complain about echo, garbled conversations, or dropped calls it’s up to you to fix it. Since you’ve got all your “network bases” covered, troubleshooting should be a breeze.

Not so fast!

Here are the top 5 myths about VoIP networks and call quality:

  1. I ran a network assessment prior to deployment so everything will be fine.
    A network assessment is a single point-in-time snapshot of your network’s performance.  But networks and application usage change over time.  To ensure call quality, continuously monitoring and assessing your network is far more valuable than a one-time assessment.
  2. I have enough network bandwidth so VoIP won't be a problem.
    Even if you have lots of bandwidth, VoIP call quality is most susceptible to packet loss.  Loss can happen on any link or device in the entire network infrastructure for a wide variety of reasons (bandwidth limitation is just one of many reasons for packet loss).  If you are losing packets on a fiber-optic 10Gig link due to the cable being too tightly curved, that will affect VoIP call quality just as a duplex-mismatch would on a slow 10Meg link.
  3. I don't have any remote sites with WAN links so I'm good to go.
    Misconfigurations on LAN switches can lead to packet loss which can easily create call quality problems.  Resource limitations on LAN routers and gateways can also create loss.  Knowing what is happening on these devices and links at any point in time is important for maintaining a stable VoIP environment.
  4. Things are fine with our VoIP system right now so there’s nothing to worry about.
    Over time, networks and applications change and problems will develop.  If you are not able to quickly identify what went wrong and why, then you’ll be trapped.  In the best case, you’ll lose a few nights and weekends.  In the worst case, you may lose your bonus or job.
  5. If I encounter any problems, I'll just use a sniffer to solve them.
    A sniffer is great at confirming that you have a problem because it can see that you are missing packets or have latency or jitter between locations. But if you want to actually find or fix the problem you’re out of luck because a sniffer can’t see where the problem is or why it is occurring.

PathSolutions TotalView helps you fix VoIP issues before they become a problem

  • Continuously monitors the performance of your entire VoIP network.
  • Tells you when, where, and why VoIP problems occur and even recommends how to fix them—in plain-English.
  • Covers all corners of your network and beyond—isolating problems even when they occur on your carrier’s network or other third party networks.

Click here to download the Fact Sheet in standard PDF format.

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