How do I improve the quality of my VoIP service?

Posted by Joe on January 19th, 2009

The following post in our Reader Question series is an actual user submitted question. To maintain the integrity of the original question, we do not edit or change reader questions in any way.

Q:  I am on packet 8 phone service, and it is terrible static and noise, and echo. Do you need a phone for this type of service? Mine came with the service.

A: The biggest factor in the voice quality and reliability of your VoIP service is the quality and strength of your broadband Internet connection.  I would suggest visiting TestYourVoIP.com and running a diagnostic of your Internet speed.  If you find that your broadband connection is below the recommended levels, you may consider contacting your broadband provider and ask for suggestions on how to increase the strength of your connection.  If you find that your Internet connection is not the issue, you may want to consider purchasing a higher quality hand set or switching VoIP providers.  We found Vonage to have the best quality Internet phone service in our testing.

You can read our reviews and comparison of other VoIP services by visiting NextAdvisor.com.

• Can you use VoIP service with a wireless Internet connection?
• Reader Question: What kind of Internet connection do I need for VoIP?
• Reader Question: Does my computer need to be on for VoIP services to work?
• Does Vonage offer cell service?
• What is a V-Portal adapter? Or is it simply the thing that makes the phone work?