You’ve probably heard of latency, jitter, and telephone echo, but have you ever experienced the problem of packet loss? In this article, we’ll explain what it is, the causes, and how you can monitor your network to identify it.
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What is Packet Loss?
Packet loss is when the “packets” or pieces of data traveling across a network do not make it to their final destination. The result of these packets failing to reach the opposite end of the network is missing data. In a VoIP call, this means that pieces of the conversation will be lacking.
This often causes participants to leave a phone call, and either attempt to re-establish a connection, or to simply move to another form of communication. Concerningly, they may also simply choose to take their query to another organization.
For VoIP calls, dropping a small number of packets won’t cause a significant issue. If only one or two words are jumbled in a call, we can still generally understand the full message. However, if packet loss reaches a continuous and significant level—for example, 5% to 10%—individuals will begin to notice that entire sentences are missing. Extended pauses in the middle of conversations are also likely to occur. This is an infuriating experience for all parties and is something that you should ensure your customers do not experience when calling your team.
What Causes Packet Loss?
Packet loss typically occurs due to an internal network issue. Of course, the challenge is understanding and locating the exact weak point. There can be a wide range of reasons that cause packets to be either lost or discarded. These include:
- Network congestion: The most obvious, and easiest to fix, cause of packet loss is network congestion. If too many devices are using the same system, at the same time, bandwidth will run out. This can slow your connection to a crawl.
- Bandwidth problems: Insufficient bandwidth or bandwidth caps on VoIP calls may cause some packets to be dropped. It can also cause them to be delivered in an incorrect order.
- Poor hardware: Internet network connections rely on various hardware components like modems, routers, and switches. Poor or obsolete hardware, including outdated firmware or software, damaged ethernet cables, or malfunctioning routers all have the ability to negatively impact your call quality.
- Over reliance on WiFi: While more convenient, wireless network connections are simply less robust and reliable when compared to a wired connection. Signals can be easily blocked by walls or furniture, leading to interference. This typically causes delays in the delivery of data packets.
- Software issues: Improper configuration on the software side also leads to packet loss. These issues could range from interoperability bugs in the network, to improper software configuration within your devices.
Network Monitoring
General network monitoring tools measure a selection of audio quality factors including packet loss. However, they generally don’t provide you with the insights you need to identify and troubleshoot the problem.
Cyara Voice Assure provides you with a comprehensive view of your entire network. Critically, this includes an end-to-end perspective that crosses international carrier networks, going beyond the private network edge and into the wider public network.
This ensures that your call monitoring is accurately replicating the exact experiences your customers across the world have when they contact your organization. Learn more about Voice Assure on our product page or contact our team today!
