After a home or business installs VoIP software, performing a VoIP test will be beneficial in many ways. This type of testing is done by checking the integrity of your internet connection by monitoring its performance across all its functions. This test is beneficial in two main ones. In order for VoIP to be supported, an existing internet connection must be able to hold it. By testing your internet connection with the VoIP software will give users a better understanding as to if VoIP is the solution for them. Once this has been established, another test can be run using the new VoIP software, in order to hear call quality between users.
A stable VoIP connection is very important for your business, and receiving the results, can allow you to view your internet’s health in a matter of seconds. You will also learn about the call traffic on your phone lines, which can then help you to decide if you are eligible for an upgrade.
A Basic VoIP Speed and Quality Test
- Upload and Download Speeds: These two tasks are measured in megabits per second or MBps. Ultimately, the higher your upload and download speeds are, the faster data can travel. This is very imperative to your business because higher speeds can aid in maintaining call quality over time. Additionally, if your upload and download speeds are high, heavier data packets and better quality audio can be sent across countless networks without any delays. Hence, there will be no lag in communication, and your audio will sound crystal clear.
- Bandwidth: Bandwidth tells the capacity that your network has to send and receive large amounts of data. The amount of bandwidth depends greatly on upload and download speeds because of the higher the speed the better the connection. If you have high amounts of bandwidth you are able to have several quality connections simultaneously. To put things into perspective, each VoIP call uses around 100 kbps of bandwidth to run smoothly, which means that you must have enough bandwidth to allow this to happen, as well as allowing other applications to run smoothly as well.
- Jitter: A jitter is commonly known as being a delay between the sent and received packets across the communication lines. The longer the delay the worse latency your calls will have. If all things are running smoothly, sent packets need to reach the receiver instantly, in order to hold a real-time conversation. When running a speed test, checking your connection and ensuring that your signal can carry messages without delay is highly important.
- Latency: If there is a time-delayed by the signals from the transmitting side to the receiving side, this is called latency. Latency will also produce a delayed effect for sound communications, similar to a jitter. Having high latency will cause sound signals to be delayed much more, which in turn, makes communication very irritating. This is measured using ping time, which is known as the amount of time a system takes to open and establish a connection. Mostly, this is recorded in milliseconds, and to put things into perspective, 100ms is considered outstanding, whereas anything over 250ms is considered poor quality.
- Packet Loss: Normally, a digital communication device converts the sound waves into digital signals, and then broken up into smaller pieces called packets. This packet then travels over the internet and gets reassembled just in time to reach the recipient’s end. If you are experiencing bad call quality and prolonged data loss, then most likely your VoIP system is undergoing packet loss. Because each packet is deconstructed data transmission pieces, any lost packet will cause a disruption of the compiled end message. An example of this is missing parts of a conversation, or sound waves “breaking up.” Packet loss can be the result of bad transmission cables or faulty IP systems.
- QoS/ Quality of Service: QoS is the ability of VoIP connections to make itself the top priority over any other connections that are trying to take place on the internet. This is a really important feature of VoIP systems because a strong internet connection will deliver the best results. By upgrading to better bandwidth, VoIP systems can have crystal clear calls while also allowing users to browse online quickly if needed.
How To Run a VoIP Speed Test
There are plenty of websites out there that allows you to run a speed test right from the comfort of your own home. By doing this, a tool will automatically pop up on your open computer tab and allow you to run each test and check your results. The results you will receive will include statistics relating to latency, bandwidth, jitter, and QoS.
The Impacts of a Poor VoIP Connection:
After completing these tests, you will learn if your VoIP connection is poor or not. If this is the case, and you do in fact have a poor connection, your call qualities will be compromised. Due to this, communication between employees, other businesses, and even customers will be impacted. This can happen from a weak VoIP connection or if you have limited internet speed, and are unable to maintain multiple network lines.
If your business is unable to maintain multiple network lines, customers will spend much more time waiting in a queue, causing them to be upset and not able to get the support they need. Studies have shown that if this is the case, sales teams can lose around 60% of their loyal customers if customer calls are answered in under a minute.
With the results you receive from your VoIP speed test, you can understand your network’s VoIP systems or test if your business should invest in these services. There are many VoIP providers that provide reliable and expert solutions to your business’s issues with communication. Don’t take your chances with subpar technology because investing in VoIP technology is the way of the future.