Echo, poor call quality, other party cant hear me sometimes

[von]

Can someone help me do something about my VERY VERY POOR call quality?

My setup is:
ISP Modem --> Router --> ooma

I tried:
ISP Modem --> Ooma --> Router --> Computer

But I dont like that the Ooma hub seems to slow down my connection to the internet.

My calls are horrible, any questions, or suggestions anyone?

[navarre]

Can you please share with the forum the following information:

- Router Make/Model
- Router Firmware Version

Also, please post the results of a computer on your network to: http://speed.io/

This will go a long way to assisting with your current set-up.

.mws.

[midwayfive]

Similar issues - I have used Vonage since 2004 so have a decent understanding of VOIP and really had no major issues and only occasional phone quality issues with an integrated linksys/vonage wireless router. In trying Ooma I would say it is 50/50 no matter the time of day that I will have issues of the party not hearing our voice, echos, delays, charlie brown garble of wa-wa-wah-wa-wah, etc.....

I have our system set up this way - with the Ooma QoS set at 2330 for uploads and you would think would be more than enough from the default 384 kbps.

ISP Modem --> Ooma --> Router --> Computer

Results from http://www.speed.io
(Copied on 2009-02-13 15:24:50)
Download: 5974 Kbit/s
Upload : 4071 kbit/s
Connects : 1569 conn/min
Ping: 37 ms

Just basic internet surfing, emails, music/video streaming and even when not running anything major - would still run into QoS issues.....have tested stream at different times of the day.....on and off the phone and would see uploads in the 4-5K range and if talking on the phone, see the uploads drop to appx 2K which seems to make sense with the hub allocating the 2330 towards QoS.

Am I doing something wrong? How can I improve my service so my family doesn't complain about the "technology"

[navarre]

That is a lot of bandwidth to still have issues.

Just a few more questions:

- What is the vendor and model of your router
- What is the software/firmware of your router
- Who is your ISP
- What is the ISP technology (DSL/cable)

FYI, here is my result from speed.io:



Even having an asymmetric connection and low upstream, I have no issues.

.mws.

[von]

Can you please share with the forum the following information:

- Router Make/Model
- Router Firmware Version

Also, please post the results of a computer on your network to: http://speed.io/

This will go a long way to assisting with your current set-up.

.mws.

Apple AirPort Extreme
version 7.3.2

ISP Comcast

Results from http://www.speed.io
(Copied on 2009-02-14 06:45:36)
Download: 28702 Kbit/s
Upload : 4271 kbit/s
Connects : 2034 conn/min
Ping: 27 ms

[midwayfive]

- What is the vendor and model of your router
- What is the software/firmware of your router
- Who is your ISP
- What is the ISP technology (DSL/cable)

Answers to your questions:

-Linksys - Model # WRTP54G
-Firmware Version: 5.01.04 (linksys/cisco software)
-ISP - Comcast - Cable Internet

Speed test from this morning - similar as before

Results from http://www.speed.io
(Copied on 2009-02-14 10:56:03)
Download: 5664 Kbit/s
Upload : 3847 kbit/s
Connects : 1473 conn/min
Ping: 35 ms

[navarre]

I see the common thread on both of your connections being the ISP, Comcast.

Both of the connectivity results are very good, which one last item is DNS.

I do not have any detail on Comcast--however I do know that OpenDNS (208.67.222.222, 208.67.220.220) responds very quickly and sometimes provides better response than an ISP's servers.

midwayfive: a few points

- If you are not using the POTS/voice ports on the router for phone, you may want to ditch it for a more "generic" router that does not have some QoS and other things built-in

- Try for a solid Linksys/Netgear/Belkin from either Best Buy or Amazon that is just for wireless and networking (if you use a desktop, look for gigE ports)

von: just a few

- Do you have a 2.4 GHz phone, wireless?
- Have you checked to see if the wireless channel on the airport is fixed at 1, 6, or 11 (channel)
- My thought is that you may be experiencing some of the "chop" from the phone and not the content from the ooma Hub to their CORE

I checked the 'notify me when a reply is posted', so check back in and see if this 'Comcast' commonality may have some merit--specifically on the DNS--although once a call goes through set-up, it is unlikely that there would be other problems.

.mws.

[WayneDsr]

Just to add to that post I too use Open Dns with great results.
5.1 download 640 upload with great quality.

Wayne

[midwayfive]

I will give OpenDMS a try. I am not familiar with the service - but can you give me a layman's perspective of what it does. If the Hub is pre-router what benefits does this provide? Greatly appreciate the information and recommendations!!

[navarre]

Just as a simple approach, I always recommend a NAT gateway directly to the CPE (modem or Ethernet demarcation). This gets the ooma Hub as just another device that gets a DHCP address and then asks the NAT/PAT translations to do all of the resulting work.

OpenDNS takes the DNS resolutions away from your ISP and places them on common ground. This way you will always get a "neutral" response on the DNS query instead of one catering to your ISP--and yes Virginia, DNS is manipulated for better network control.

While overall this does not affect your communications path, remember DNS (both CNAME and in.addr-arpa lookups) are always the most important part of going to http://www.somecrappyuselessdomainfullo ... ntent.org/.

.mws.