How packet loss impacts VoIP

by Jeff Wiener on June 27, 2009

Some of the challenges of VoIP include things like packet loss, latency, jitter …  it’s impact on a VoIP call is the difference between usable and not usable voice.

Packet loss is quite typical in all applications of network design. If a data packet is getting sent from point A to point B and the packet gets lost, then the receiving end will request a retransmition of the packet (the protocol that controls packet retransmission is known as TCP – or transport control protocol). There is, of course, no point in retransmitting a lost packet in the voice world. A lost packet in the voice world is useless – by the time the packets get retransmitted in the voice world, the conversation has moved on. A lost packet means a dead spot in the conversation. So, instead of hearing: “Hello Mark. It’s a beautiful sunny day here”, which is what the sender is saying, the recipient of this (where a packet might have been lost) will hear: “Hello Mark. It’s a (dead air) here”.

I will continue the discussion in future BLOG postings about how to mitigate against packet loss and what you might consider doing about it.

Jeff, digitcom.ca

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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }

KonstantinMiller July 6, 2009 at 10:33 pm

Hi! I like your srticle and I would like very much to read some more information on this issue. Will you post some more?

Jeff Wiener July 7, 2009 at 8:04 am

Yes, I will post more articles on packet loss … over the next few weeks.

Jeff

Donald July 18, 2009 at 9:31 pm

Nice blog! Keep up the good work.

Wandacorsino1501 November 14, 2011 at 11:45 am

Good morning, I work for AT&T through Convergys, I have this problem but nobody seems to know or try to help me. I do have a roadrunner ISP and I am using a microsoft 3000 headset.
My Issue is that I am about to be fire because I am loosing connection with the customers and most of the time they proclaimed that I sound robotic or like I am on a wind tunnel.
Convergys is telling me that when my ISP connect to AT&T cloud a lot of air packet loss is created and that is my issue, and they want brighthouse to call AT&T to fix the issue but brighthouse said that the issue is not on their side.I call brighthouse 4 times and they even came to my house 2 times and the results are always positive that everything is working fine. Now to who I have to call to fix this issue with the packet loss? I am in a desperate situation.
Help, please, where do I need to call to fix this issue. I fell like a ping pong ball , and nobody knows where to direct me to get this issue solve.

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