How to Solve Bandwidth Problems for VoIP

Try to free up as much bandwidth as you can for VoIP.

VoIP, which stands for "Voice over Internet Protocol," has been steadily gaining in popularity. Commonly used for making telephone calls over the Internet, many new users are dismayed when the quality is less than optimal. Static, jittery speech, and even dropped calls are all symptoms of low bandwidth. It is important to free up as much bandwidth as possible before using VoIP.

Things You'll Need

• Anti-Virus Program

Instructions

1. Check your Internet connection. While VoIP is usable on dial-up, the quality will suffer. For optimal VoIP usage, a cable modem or DSL line work best due to the speed at which they send and receive data.

2. Limit your calls to just include two people. Three-way dialing may put too large of a strain on your available bandwidth.

3. Turn off other computers in your network that are not in use.

4. Turn off file sharing programs. These require a large amount of bandwidth and resources to run, and will directly affect the quality of your VoIP programs.

5. Scan your computer for spyware and viruses. These may be affecting your computer in such a way that it is limiting your available bandwidth.

References

• VoiP Mechanic: VoIP Internet Problems