Managing Call Quality
Choppiness vs. Static
Choppiness is often mistakenly conflated with static, but there is a difference. With choppiness, you may experience:
- An intermittent voice-loss issue
- Losing voice data over the line
Choppiness usually happens on calls over VoIP networks and can be caused by several issues. Examples include timeouts in the modem – which a reboot can typically resolve, modem uptime too high (over 30 days), bandwidth over-utilization, etc.
With static, you may experience:
- A constant white noise that users typically need to speak over
- Hearing everything the other user says despite needing to speak up
Static usually happens on lines over copper and is caused by an issue with the physical line itself, whether outside or inside.
Troubleshooting
Choppiness
For choppiness on VoIP lines, a simple reboot of the network equipment as outlined above can resolve most issues. If you have rebooted everything (modem, routers, ADTRANs, etc.) and the choppiness persists, please contact your carrier provider for further assistance.
Static
For static over copper lines, troubleshooting and resolving can be a bit trickier. However, as an end user, there are a few things you can check for yourself:
- Verify if it the static is present on all lines or just the one you’re using (if it is just yours, this may indicate an inside wiring issue or an issue with the device itself; if it is multiple lines, it may be an issue on the line outside which your carrier will need to assist in diagnosing).
- Verify if the static is present before or after you dial – if it is present while you hear the dial tone, the issue could be on the line outside, which the carrier will need to troubleshoot. If static is not present until after you dial, it could indicate the issue is on the terminating line.
- Verify that the spiral cord is in good condition and seated properly in the telephone and in the handset.
- Verify that the line is seated properly in the wall jack or the phone system device.
Most cases of static on copper lines are caused by bad weather and are usually resolved with a dispatch.
If you have any additional questions, please contact the RingSquared support team or call 800-427-Ring.
