In this article, you will find troubleshooting steps for resolving some of the most common problems we see for call quality issues. 

Basic Troubleshooting

• Ensure you are running most updated version of phone software and ExpertConnect mobile app
• Log out of ExpertConnect and back-in
• Ensure you are on the ring schedule for the team you need to answer calls on
• Check your calling preferences to ensure you have at least one device set to ring for incoming calls
• Ensure your IT department has reviewed this article and updated firewall settings as instructed

Issue-Specific Troubleshooting

Unable to Establish a Call

• Check open network ports in your router / firewall / antivirus software. See Firewall & Secure Networks. 
• Confirm a network connection is currently available.

No Audio or One-Way Audio

When a caller can hear the other party, but the other party can't hear the caller, we refer to this as one-way audio. Missing audio streams can be caused by a number of factors including errors in the connection/handshake, problems during a network handoff, or issues at the source or destination.

• Check open network ports in your router / firewall / antivirus software. See Firewall & Secure Networks. 
• Confirm the hardware is correctly attached and ensure the correct microphone and speakers are selected in software settings.
• Check to ensure the microphone is not muted (some have a hardware mute button) and the speaker volume is turned up.

Call audio cutting out, sounds robotic, or stops transmitting

When call audio has a robotic-sound or choppy cuts in and out, this is often caused by packet loss due to excessive jitter on the line. Jitter is the term used when packets are received out-of-order and can be caused by a number of factors including network traffic, or the technologies used in the call.

When caller or callee reports excessive delays in the call audio, this is often caused by excessive latency on the line. Call audio latency can be caused by a number of factors including delayed packet transmission or delivery somewhere along the line, or the technologies used in the call.

• ExpertConnect requires a high speed and low latency network connection. Benchmark the network by testing your throughput and ping at speedtest.net and aim to improve the scores.
• Enable router Quality of Service (QoS) or prioritize traffic for Voice calls.
• Reduce network activity not related to VoIP or use a separate network for VoIP workstations.
• Try using a wired connection or move closer to your wi-fi router or base station. Connection jitter or packet loss can produce choppy or "robotic" sounding call audio.

Call audio is garbled or contains artifacts

• Use a headset instead of built in computer microphone.
• Reduce ambient noise such as nearby speakers or fans.
• Adjust the distance of the microphone from the mouth - too close can cause audio clipping.
• Adjust microphone levels in the computer’s sound settings.
• Ensure computer has resources available to process a call.
  • CPU and RAM are not over-utilized
  • Close un-needed applications and browser tabs
  • Try disabling antivirus software
• Try using a wired connection or move closer to your wi-fi router or base station. Connection jitter or packet loss can produce choppy or "robotic" sounding call audio.

Call Audio Echoing

When a caller or callee reports that they hear their own delayed audio being transmitted back to them, we refer to this as call audio echo. Echo is often caused by positioning and volume levels of the speaker and microphone at one end of the line, or by crosstalk on copper wire (landline) networks.

How does Jitter, Latency and Static affect my calls?

Because computers and mobile phones rely heavily on the internet or cell service, you may experience call quality issues. Jitter, delays, static connection, and dropped calls, can make calls frustrating when trying to talk with your customers.

What is Jitter, Latency and Static and how can I improve it? 

• Latency - High latency can substantially degrade a caller's experience. Callers typically start to notice the effect of latency once it breaches 250 ms, and find latency above 600ms to be nearly unusable. Here are some strategies to minimize latency on your network: 
  • Some lower bandwidth fixed internet connections can often have a higher latency. If possible, upgrade your internet connectivity. 
  • Stick to high-bandwidth connections. Mobile networks such as LTE (mobile 4G data) can have higher latency risk. 
• Jitter - Packet loss can impact your call quality. If your calls have a jitter average of more than 5 milliseconds per call, you may be prone to issues. Here are some strategies to minimize jitter on your network: 
  • Use fixed ethernet whenever possible. 
  • Reduce packet conflicts on Wi-Fi by reducing the number of devices operating on the same channel.
  • Avoid large data file transfers over the same Wi-Fi environment concurrently with voice. 
• Static - Static and white noise issues with your client's audio can often be due to a misbehaving or misconfigured headset. If you are experiencing static, try reproducing this issue with different headset hardware or no headset hardware in order to narrow down potential sources.
• Headset Hardware - Headsets can improve audio quality by minimizing echo challenges. We recommend use of a headset on your calls in order to provide acoustic isolation between the speaker and microphone, and therefore minimize echo. That being said, headset selection should be made carefully. 
  • PC Headsets: For lower end PC hardware, we recommend USB Headsets over 3.5mm standard audio jack headsets. This allows you to bypass the native sound board. For machines with a higher end integrated sound board the 3.5mm connection should be fine. Connect directly to the PC for both 3.5mm and USB connections. Avoid connecting through docks or hubs.
  • Bluetooth Headsets: Bluetooth headsets can present unique challenges, as each headset operates slightly differently. If your headset came with a USB Bluetooth adapter, we recommend you pair it with the included adapter, rather than your device’s native Bluetooth receiver, to avoid interoperability issues. Please note that Bluetooth support on mobile devices can vary significantly, and some devices may not provide the programmatic ability for Bluetooth answer/hangup buttons to be passed to non-native applications.

Need further support? 

Please create a support ticket with ExpertConnect and include the following information: 

• Detailed description of the issue - the more specific the better!
  • Examples: Incoming calls disconnect when advisors try to answer, outbound calls won't ring through to the customer, 10 seconds into the call it drops, I can hear my customer but they cannot hear me, etc.
• Which users are reporting this issue?
• Is this issue happening to a specific team, some teams, or all teams in your account? 
• How frequently is this issue happening? (All the time, sometimes, one time)
• Is this issue happening on the mobile app, web dashboard, or both? 
• Is this issue happening on company Wi-Fi AND cellular connection, or just company Wi-Fi? 
• Ticket numbers of the issue - required! 

Visit Troubleshooting Problems with ExpertConnect for more tips on troubleshooting issues in ExpertConnect.