If you use VoIP phone service, chances are you've experienced jitter and know how frustrating it can be. Not being able to hear the person on the other line or experiencing choppy audio can be a significant setback in personal and professional communication.
While leveraging VoIP's cost-effective and flexible features can be an advantage for many businesses, jitter can spoil the experience. And it's bound to happen occasionally because VoIP technology relies on internet connections, which can sometimes be unpredictable.
Before you decide on a VoIP provider or solution, it is best to know how jitter can affect your communications and what better solutions are available.
What is VoIP Jitter?
VoIP jitter refers to fluctuations in the time it takes for your voice data packets to reach the person on the other line. Those packets arrive at different intervals and produce choppy or garbled audio.
In other words, instead of your voice delivering smoothly in real-time, the packets arrive out of order and create a disruptive experience for both parties on the call. With this, you can only have a clear, efficient conversation.
Imagine this happens during an important business call or family conversation. The frustration caused by jitter can be significant, resulting in lost productivity and missed opportunities.
Common Causes of VoIP Jitter on VoIP Calls
Jitter doesn't happen randomly – it's usually the result of a few common culprits.
1. Poor Internet Connection
The most common cause of jitter is a slow or unreliable internet connection. If your network cannot handle the amount of data, it can cause delays and disruptions in delivering your voice data packets.
2. VoIP Provider
Although some VoIP providers have lower-quality networks and may not be able to handle high call volume, jitter is a common issue for all VoIP providers. So, even if you find the best VoIP provider, there is still a chance that you may experience jitter on your calls.
3. Network Congestion
Network congestion occurs when network nodes become overloaded with data, causing delays in the transfer of information. This traffic can also result in jitter on VoIP calls.
If your network is being used for multiple purposes simultaneously, such as streaming videos or downloading large files, it can cause congestion and result in jittering on your VoIP calls.
How to Fix VoIP Jitter Issues
All hope is not lost – there are ways to fix or minimize jitter on your VoIP calls.
1. Use Ethernet
One way to reduce jitter is using an Ethernet connection instead of Wi-Fi for your VoIP calls. This wired connection will provide a more consistent and secure network for transferring your voice data packets.
2. Upgrade Your Internet Connection
Your VoIP calls are only as good as your internet connection. Check that you have a reliable and high-speed connection; otherwise, you may experience jitter or other disruptions on your calls. It will cost you more but likely save you some frustration and lost productivity in the long run.
3. Upgrade Your Hardware
Old or outdated hardware can also create jitter issues on your VoIP calls. You may need to upgrade your router or switch to a modern one that can handle the demands of VoIP technology. The same applies to your ethernet cables – make sure they are high quality and can handle data transfer.
4. Minimize Network Bandwith Use
As mentioned earlier, network congestion can also contribute to the jitter on VoIP calls. To minimize this, limit the use of bandwidth-heavy activities such as streaming and downloading during your calls.
Also, avoid installing updates or large software downloads during peak hours; it can contribute to network congestion.
The Best Solution: Get a Jitter-free Home Phone Service With Community Phone
The best solution to jitter on VoIP calls is to switch to a reliable business phone service, Community Phone.
FAQ
How to Test VoIP Jitter?
You can test VoIP jitter by using a speed test tool, such as the one provided by Speadtest. You can also use a network monitoring tool like Logic Monitor and Datadog.
What Are the Effects of Jitter on VoIP?
Jitter can cause audio delays, skipped words in a conversation, and overall poor call quality. It can also result in dropped calls.
What is Acceptable Jitter for VoIP?
Generally, an acceptable jitter for VoIP is under 30 milliseconds.
How to Improve Jitter in VoIP?
You can improve jitter in VoIP by using ethernet, investing in a high-speed internet connection, upgrading network hardware, and minimizing network bandwidth.
Conclusion
VoIP phone service is good, but it can be unreliable due to jitter. Community Phone, on the other hand, offers a reliable phone service because they don't depend on the internet. So you can make clear calls without any worries about jitter.
Give Community Phone's home phone service a try with their 14-day free trial by visiting /business or talk to a specialist at (512)-402-6914.