VoIP QoS: A quick guide to improve VoIP call quality

Posted on Monday November 11, 2024

If you’re noticing issues such as dropped calls or poor audio quality with your VoIP setup, you’re not alone. While VoIP phone systems offer many benefits, they don’t always deliver flawless performance. Fortunately, VoIP quality of service (QoS) can help resolve these issues. In this guide, we’ll explain the importance of VoIP QoS and provide clear guidance on how to implement it.

What is VoIP quality of service?

VoIP QoS is a network management method that prioritizes specific types of network traffic — particularly voice data — to support clear and reliable VoIP calls. By giving voice communication priority over less time-sensitive data such as emails or file downloads, VoIP QoS can significantly reduce issues such as dropped calls and poor audio, helping your business maintain clear and consistent connections with clients and partners.

Why is VoIP QoS important?

VoIP calls that are not prioritized may suffer from issues such as latency, packet loss, and jitter, which can result in low audio quality, distorted sound, dropped calls, and network congestion. For businesses, these disruptions can seriously impact essential operations, such as:

• Sales calls
• Remote team collaboration
• Client outreach
• Customer support
• Meetings with clients

With QoS in place, your team can communicate more effectively, supporting seamless customer service and collaboration.

How to configure VoIP QoS

To apply VoIP QoS to your network, consider the following steps:

Prioritize network traffic by type, not device To ensure VoIP calls and other critical data receive the necessary bandwidth, prioritize network traffic based on its type rather than by device. By giving higher priority to time-sensitive traffic, such as voice and video, and lower priority to less urgent data like emails or file downloads, you can prevent congestion and improve call quality. Configuring Quality of Service (QoS) settings on your router or switch allows you to implement these priorities, enabling you to assign different levels of importance to various types of traffic.

If your network doesn’t support traffic-based prioritization, you can manage bandwidth by adjusting settings on a per-device basis. Check your device’s manual or the manufacturer’s website for specific instructions. This approach can help prevent VoIP calls from being interrupted, even when other devices are active on the network.

Prioritize traffic marked with a DSCP value of 46 Many VoIP devices use a system called Differentiated Services Code Point (DSCP) to label network traffic according to its importance. To prioritize VoIP calls, access the configuration settings of your network devices and set both incoming and outgoing voice data packets to DSCP 46. Doing so gives voice traffic the highest priority, which helps improve call quality and reduce interruptions.

Enable Trust Mode with Strict Priority, if possible If your network router or switch supports it, enable Trust Mode then set it to Strict Priority. This allows the network to differentiate and prioritize DSCP packets, making sure voice traffic gets treated with higher importance than other data. Once you apply these changes and restart your router, you should experience reduced delays and more stable, dedicated bandwidth for your VoIP calls.

VoIP QoS best practices

Further ensure your VoIP system runs smoothly and calls stay clear by following these best practices:

• Test your internet connection: Regularly check that your internet speed and bandwidth can handle the volume of data generated by VoIP calls.
• Use high-quality Ethernet cables: Choose Category 6 (Cat 6) cables that have been specifically designed to support higher data transfer speeds and provide low latency.
• Monitor your network: Perform scheduled checks for issues such as latency, ping, and jitter, which can cause delays or congestion that affect call quality.

Talk to VoIP experts

Consulting with VoIP professionals can provide valuable insights into optimizing your phone system. Whether you're a small business or a large enterprise, we can help you build a reliable system with exceptional call quality. Contact our experts today to learn more about VoIP and how to tailor it to your needs.