Whether you're using VoIP for your business communications or customer service, poor call quality and interrupted service are not only frustrating but can also lower productivity, cause errors, and impact the customer experience.

You need more than the ability to send voice packets from point A to point B from your VoIP provider. The service should also be stable and reliable, in addition to delivering the highest voice quality possible.

But how can you tell if your VoIP service is offering the quality of service you expect? This is where VoIP analysis comes in.

What Is VoIP Analysis?

Here's how to analyze VoIP data to see if your service provider is up to par:

  • Call Quality Factors: Jitter, delay, and packet loss are the major factors that impact VoIP call quality. A one-way delay of up to 150 milliseconds is considered acceptable, while a shorter delay will result in a better call experience. Jitter refers to the variation in the amount of delay. If the variation is significant, the result may sound like interrupted speech. Dropped or damaged packets can lead to call quality similar to jitter. In general, more than 1% of damaged or lost packets is considered unacceptable.
  • Network Stability: An unstable network can result in poor call quality. For example, routing changes in the network can result in jitter, spanning tree topology changes can result in outages, and inconsistent implementation of QoS (quality of service) can cause occasional delays and jitter.
  • VoIP Algorithm: Also known as CODECs, they represent different ways to compress voice packets in order to reduce the bandwidth required for transmission. The compression process, however, can impact the voice quality. A VoIP analysis can help determine if the algorithm is suitable to handle the task at hand.
  • You can measure delay, jitter, and packet loss through active tests or by collecting call detail records, and then analyzing the data. After you have gathered the necessary information, you can use a VoIP test tool to perform active tests without adding probes or software to the network.

VoIP Analysis Tools

VoIP analysis tools allow you to view a summary of overall VoIP status, drill down to connection details for effective troubleshooting, identify quality issues within the network, and measure call quality.

Some key features of common VoIP analysis tools include:

  • Real-time VoIP monitoring, such as call control, call status, call destination, and bandwidth consumption
  • Maintenance of QoS level according to industry standards and management of VoIP audio quality
  • Detailed views with in-depth call detail records
  • Detection of latency, jitter, and packet loss for calls made between two distributed sites
  • Comparison of VoIP to overall network performance and analysis of bandwidth utilization to determine if the network load is affecting call quality
  • Analysis of quality score impairment factors, such as loudness, talker echo, circuit noise, floor noise, and room noise
  • Detailed view of information on conversation streams, including call setup communications, the actual voice conversation, and call teardown communications
  • Decoding and reconstructing voice and video streams for replay
  • Diagnostics and assistance in troubleshooting connection issues

If you experience call quality issues, an analysis tool can help identify the problematic calls and isolate their paths, so technicians can perform further analyses on the switches, routers, and subsystems to improve performance.

Besides accurately tracking call information and performance, a VoIP analysis tool should provide good usability and navigability. You should be able to easily locate the data you need, see it in a clear and straightforward view, and manipulate it for further interpretation.

In addition, consider the reporting capability of a VoIP analysis tool to make sure it suits your needs. The ability to visualize the data and graphically display VoIP analysis results can help your IT team establish a baseline and troubleshoot more efficiently.

VoIP Analytics and the Right Provider

Reputable VoIP vendors will provide you with the necessary analytics and reporting tools to help you understand the performance of your cloud communication platform, so you can rest assured that you're always getting the highest quality VoIP service.

When it comes to VoIP, 8x8 provides a reliable and compliant cloud solution at a demanding level rarely seen by other cloud providers. Don't take your chances with a subpar cloud-based telecom system. Call 1-866-879-8647 or fill out an online form to request a no-obligation quote from an 8x8 product specialist.

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