How to Troubleshoot Voice Issues in Yahoo! Messenger

Yahoo! Messenger offers voice services, such as PC-to-PC, PC-to-cell or PC-to-landline calling. You can also participate in chat rooms and use the voice chat feature instead of typing. However, slow connection speeds or improper settings can interfere with voice activation in Yahoo! Messenger.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Reduce echoes by using a headset instead of speakers and a microphone. Place the microphone farther away from the speakers, if possible. Adjust the volume of the speakers and the microphone.

2. Verify your Internet connection speed if your friend's voice sounds choppy. The computer modem speed must be 56K or higher in order to send voices or sounds.

3. Go to "Actions" and "Call Setup" in Yahoo! Messenger if you can't hear, or your friend can't hear you. Test the sound by following the instructions that proceed call setup.

4. Click on the speaker icon in the lower right corner of your computer screen if you want to test the sound manually. Uncheck "Mute," if necessary, and make sure sound levels are above 50 percent.

5. Pick "Preferences" in Yahoo! Messenger if you have trouble with connecting to the voice server. Choose "Connection," then select "No Proxies." Log in to Messenger again to check the voice server.

Tips & Warnings

• Follow your computer system's instructions for checking or modifying the server's TCP ports. Ports numbered 5050, 443 or 80 must be open for the voice features to work.
• Install the audio codec software that comes with Windows. PC calls and voice chat require that the software is enabled on your computer.