VoIP troubleshooting – LanXPLORER PRO reviewed
When issues arise on VoIP systems it can disrupt conversations and impact voice quality. Luckily, our test equipment can be used to measure key factors that impact network performance and VoIP quality, ensuring effective troubleshooting.
Packet loss, delay and jitter are all factors which influence the rated quality of a VoIP conversation, but each is affected by different network conditions. This can make troubleshooting VoIP systems far from straightforward, especially as Ethernet networks also handle VoIP traffic differently to standard data or video.
However, our LanXPLORER PRO can conduct a range of tests to support you with efficient and accurate VoIP troubleshooting.
Measure packet loss
The percentage of the total packets that are lost, or discarded, by the network is known as packet loss and this can be measured with the easy-to-use IDEAL Networks LanXPLORER PRO.
This inline network troubleshooter sends a stream of packets between two locations and measures the loss rate. For accurate network performance measurements, the network tester offers a VoIP pre-set, and manual set-up options, to ensure the packet size is configured to 64-byte.
Check the delay
The time required for a packet to cross the network is referred to as delay. This delay can commonly be increased by the number of switches and routers between the people speaking on the voice call, affecting user experience.
Using our LanXPLORER PRO troubleshooting tester, a simple PING test can measure delay showing the minimum, maximum, and average delay. This flexible network troubleshooter enables the user to customise optimal packet size, count, and pause settings for the PING test for improved accuracy.
Measure jitter
Reducing jitter, the difference in delay time between packets, is important for making sure speech sounds smooth on a VoIP call. Although most VoIP equipment has been designed with a buffer to accommodate some jitter, the more this can be reduced, the better the voice quality will be.
Computers and mobile devices usually introduce too much error to measure jitter accurately – IDEAL Networks LanXPLORER PRO provides the solution. Our user-friendly in-line network troubleshooter can be used to measure jitter correctly, enabling you to work towards achieving optimal jitter of 30ms or less between packets.
For the right tools to evaluate network conditions and help you identify sources of poor VoIP quality, see our full choice of network test equipment at www.idealnetworks.net.
