New User - Poor Phone Quality

Posts: 16 · Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2004 3:09 pm Post subject: New User - Poor Phone Quality

I just signed up for Vonage service about 3 weeks ago, and my initial impression is not very good. The problem is that the person on the other end of the phone has a hard time hearing me. They often ask me to repeat what I am saying. I can usually hear them, but it could be better. As expected the phone quality is terrible when running P2P software, but it is still unacceptable when not running it.

My setup is as follows: Motorola Surfboard SB5100 cable modem (3000/256), D-Link DI-614+ router, and Linksys PAP2 phone adapter. I have all of the ports forwarded to the PAP2 as described in the FAQ. I have disconnected my local phone company wiring in the box outside the house. I have the Vonage bandwidth saver setup for the lowest phone quality (30k).

I really want to keep the Vonage service (excellent price), but if the sound quality does not improve, then I am going to have to get rid of it. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!!

Edward2

Posts: 3198 · Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2004 3:40 pm Post subject:

could be a lot of things. what are your detailed results at testyourvoip.com?

Posts: 16 · Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2004 7:35 pm Post subject:

I have never run "testyourvoip.com" before, so I hope this is what you were talking about.

http://users.adelphia.net/~youmansj/images/Vonage-VOIP-Test.jpg

Posts: 3198 · Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2004 8:25 pm Post subject:

I'm on a mobile device so I can't really make out that screenshot, but it doesn't look like your connection is doing very good. that may be your whole problem.

Posts: 3198 · Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2004 9:16 am Post subject:

ok now that I can see the image, your connection definitely ****. your pings are semi-ok, but with the amount of latency and loss you have, it's no surprise that you have poor phone calls, even at the lowest setting. I would call my cable provider and have them check the line.

Posts: 73 · Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2004 11:31 am Post subject:

edward2 stated that he has the Vonage bandwidth saver setup for the lowest phone quality (30k). Could that be part of the problem? So you have bandwidth issues that you need to set it on the lowest setting? I've never tried it, so I don't know what it's like. Mine is set on highest quality (90k), and I don't have problems with people being able to hear me (or me hear them). I've never had any bandwidth issues so I've never had the need to lower that setting, and that's what it was set on by default for me.

Posts: 73 · Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2004 11:32 am Post subject:

"So you have bandwidth issues.." should be "Do you have bandwidth issues..."

Sheesh...why don't they let you edit your own posts on here? I've never seen a forum where they didn't let you edit your own posts. Razz

Posts: 3198 · Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2004 12:19 pm Post subject:

he obviously has issues judging from that screenshot. 693ms round trip latency? that's unreal. it's amazing he can hear anyone and vice versa at all, much less with any "quality".

Posts: 16 · Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2004 7:42 pm Post subject:

I just got off the phone with my mom a few minutes ago, and she said that I was cutting in-and-out and that I was difficult to hear at times. After I got off the phone with her, I ran another test. Here are the results.

http://users.adelphia.net/~youmansj/images/Vonage-VOIP-Test%202.jpg

The results appear to be better, but then why couldn't she hear me any better? What should I be looking at in the results? I see that the latency is down to 377. Is that good or still bad?

Thanks for the help.

Posts: 3198 · Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2004 8:00 pm Post subject:

your results are a little better, but I wouldn't call that acceptable. the easiest thing to see is look at the percentage of say, packet discards. Just one of several things (others being ping times and latency still) that are affecting your call quality. there's really nothing else to say here. basically your connection is struggling at best, and until it's corrected there's no point in looking for other reasons you have bad call quality. You need to call your cable company and have them check your signal level and whatever else they do. This can be done over the phone, though they will probably send someone out if you're out of range with the signal and whatnot.