subject: Solutions To Voip Problems [print this page] A few nagging problems are still preventing VoIP from taking off in the market. These problems aren't due to any flaw in the technology as such, but are caused due to improper configuration or because VoIP hasn't fully integrated into the communications infrastructure yet. In this article, we look at three major problems which people may have when using VoIP services.
Poor Voice Quality
In the early days of VoIP, quality of the call was a major problem. This is because Internet speeds were quite poor and the infrastructure was unable to handle even the most basic load placed on it with any degree of reliability. However, things have changed dramatically in recent years and even though the United States is amongst the lowest in the developed world in terms of broadband speeds, it's high enough to transfer VoIP data over the network without any problems whatsoever.
So if you're having issues with VoIP quality, check whether any application on your computer or network is using a disproportionately large amount of bandwidth like a streaming movie somewhere or a bittorent application running. Sometimes torrent applications like utorrent hide themselves in the tray taking up bandwidth without you even knowing about it. If you have a lot of people using wifi, make sure that you have a strong password to prevent outsiders from leeching off it. Finally, you can always perform a simple Internet speed test to make sure you have the necessary bandwidth available to run VoIP.
Unable to connect
Unfortunately due to the wide variety of VoIP configurations, it's impossible to list out the configuration issues that VoIP can have. Systems such as Skype, and MagicJack for example have different ways of working. One thing you can do is to make sure the correct ports are open. These will vary from application to application. If you're using VoIP through an SIP provider, make sure you have the VoIP proxy server address correctly typed in. You can also do a quick ping to make sure the server is responding.
Finally, be aware that as of now interconnections between VoIP services have to go through the regular PSTN phone system for at least part of the way and therefore will be more expensive than just calling withing the same service. This isn't a bug, but the question can pop up now and then.
The Internet is a great place to search for specific problems on VoIP and if you're using a popular service, you can be sure there will be lots of people willing to help you out.
