Minimum requirements for an optimal Voice experience
To have an experience with fewer issues relating to call quality, it is recommended that you have the at least the following network speeds:
Upload Speed | Download Speed |
25 Mbps | 115 Mbps |
Note: Internet speeds listed from Internet Service Providers are best-case and may not reflect the actual experienced speeds at your place of business. It is always recommended to use a third-party to validate your network speeds.
Determine the quality of your Internet connection
Use a speed testing tool to determine upload and download speeds
A speed testing tool, such as SpeedTest.net can be used to determine what your actual internet speeds are. Your internet speeds may vary from what your provider has claimed based on numerous factors, such as what type of router you are using and how it is configured.
If you are using a VPN
Confirm that when you are performing your speed test that the servers you are testing against are in a region close to the server that is hosting the VPN.
For example, if you are in Bamberg, Germany and connected to a VPN in Portland, Oregon you will want to ensure that the server you are testing against is also located in or around Oregon. It’s possible that your speed test may suggest a server in nearby Burgebrach which will not be representative of the actual distances between your device and the servers hosting the voice product. You may need to manually adjust your settings to ensure they are reflecting the correct area.
Steps to improve network performance
Determine if it is possible to improve the quality of your network connection
Wireless internet connections, while convenient, are not as reliable as one that is wired. If your device is close enough to your router to safely hardwire into the network, you can purchase network cable at numerous lengths to meet your requirements.
Many modern devices, especially laptops, do not come with built-in network ports. An adapter may need to be purchased for your device in order to set up a hard wired connection. If your device uses a USB-C connection, vendors such as Anker provide affordable, high quality adapters. USB 2.0 ethernet network adapters can also be acquired for devices which have the older USB port.
If it is not possible to switch over to a wired connection, determine if your router is currently on a heavily used wireless channel. There are numerous tools available that can assist with this. This article by How-To geek provides more information about wireless channels and a step-by-step guide.
Determine the age of your network equipment and consider an upgrade
Networking hardware is nearly invisible to many of us as long as the internet is working. Just like phones and computers, networking hardware can become out-dated and need to be replaced with new equipment that supports better wireless speeds and is more powerful. If you are uncertain as to what device to pick up, consider websites such as The Wirecutter to find a quality device that falls within your price range.
Stop or remove unnecessary services and/or browser tabs
It’s possible that there are services or websites that are consuming a lot of resources on your computer which could result in decreased call quality.
If you are on a regular computer, open up the Task Manager (Windows) or Activity Monitor (Mac) to see if any processes are using up a lot of CPU or Memory. If those are services that do not need to be running, exit those programs to reduce the load on your system.
Having many browser windows open for extended periods of time (i.e. 75 tabs) can also result in lots of resource contention which can cause performance issues with your device.
Consider closing old tabs or adding them as bookmarks to return to them at a later point.
Example of a process that could be causing performance issues
To identify which tabs are using a lot of resources, Chrome has a task management tool which can be helpful for identifying them. This can be opened by clicking on the Three dot menu, then navigating to the Task Manager
How to open the in-browser Task Manager on Chrome
Once the offending tabs have been identified, they can be terminated by clicking on the task in the list, then clicking the End Process button. The tab will remain open but it should be using little to no resources now.
Example of a terminated tab
Advanced configuration
If the above suggestions have not resulted in more reliable service, there are more advanced changes that can be made to improve network quality. Networking can be a complicated subject for many and if configured improperly may result in a loss of internet service.
It is recommended to discuss your issues with an IT/Networking specialist who will be able to correctly configure your network and also provide support should you encounter issues again.
We suggest discussing potentially using your routers Quality of Service settings to ensure that your devices using the Voice product have their traffic prioritized over other devices that may be on your network.
Additional resources
A few resources that may be helpful: