Call Quality

Plivo can capture audio from voice calls for debugging purposes. The process is like recording a call, but at the raw packet level. Only Plivo’s support team has access to the audio; our team uses it to debug any issues you report. All access to audio captures is logged for audit purposes. Audio captures are automatically deleted after 30 days.

You can enable or disable audio captures in the Consent for Media Files setting on the Voice > Other Settings page of the console. We recommend enabling this option before reporting call disconnections or DTMF or call quality issues to our support team.

You may need to obtain consent from your customers, depending on your local laws, before enabling this feature. Please consult with your legal counsel to ensure you are compliant with all applicable laws before enabling audio capture for your account.

Troubleshooting Call Quality Issues on Plivo Calls

What are the most common call quality issues, and how can I resolve them?

Calls on Plivo may occasionally experience issues such as one-way audio, choppy sound, echo, delays, or dropped calls. These problems are often caused by network conditions, carrier routing, or device configurations. Below is a comprehensive guide to diagnosing and resolving common call quality issues when using Plivo.

1. Why is there one-way or no audio on my calls?

If either party cannot hear the other during a call, it may be due to:

• Firewall & Network Restrictions: Ensure that your firewall allows SIP (UDP ports 5060, 5061) and RTP (UDP ports 10000–65535) traffic. Firewalls or NAT settings may block audio packets.
• Carrier Routing Issues: If the issue persists across multiple calls, it may be related to the upstream carrier. Contact Plivo support for further investigation.

2. Why is my call audio choppy or distorted?

Choppy or robotic-sounding audio is typically caused by:

• Network Congestion & Packet Loss: High internet traffic can cause lost voice packets. Use a stable, high-speed internet connection.
• Jitter & Latency Issues: Excessive jitter (above 30ms) can result in out-of-order packets, leading to distorted audio. A jitter buffer can help smooth out variations in packet arrival times.
• Carrier Route Problems: If distortion is consistent, it may be an issue with a specific 

3. Why is there a delay (high latency) in my calls?

Latency refers to a noticeable delay between when one party speaks and when the other hears the response. This can be caused by:

• Network Latency: High ping times (above 150ms) can introduce delays. Run a network test to check for latency issues.
• Device Performance: Older hardware or resource-heavy applications running in the background may slow down call processing.

4. Why am I hearing an echo during calls?

Call echo occurs when a caller or recipient hears their own voice reflected back. This may be due to:

• Microphone & Speaker Positioning: If the receiving party is using speakerphone or has their microphone too close to their speakers, sound can loop back.
• Crosstalk on Landline Networks: Some copper-wire (PSTN) networks can experience crosstalk interference, causing echo.
• Carrier or Codec Issues: Some carriers introduce echo due to codec mismatches or improper audio gain settings.

5. Why are my calls getting disconnected?

Frequent dropped calls may result from:

• SIP Session Timeout: Some softphones and VoIP clients have session timers that may expire, causing calls to drop. Adjust your session timer settings accordingly.
• Carrier Restrictions: Certain carriers impose maximum call duration limits. If your calls always drop after a set time, check with Plivo support.
• Network Failures: If call drops happen on a particular network, the issue may be with the network provider.

Reach out to our support team at support@plivo.com with the following details to report such issues, and we’ll assist further in diagnosing and resolving the issue.

• Call UUID 
• Date & Time of the Affected Calls
• Issue Description (e.g., one-way audio, dropped calls, distortion)

There are a few reasons why you might be hearing an echo while on a call. 

• Latency
• from the caller to the Plivo platform or
• from Plivo to the underlying carrier or 
• from the underlying carrier to the call recipient
  
• Jitter 
• Headset or microphone issues
• The caller is close to the call recipient
  
• Other telecom factors involved in a call

Please create a ticket with Plivo’s support team with call samples if you experience echo on your calls.

VoIP call quality depends on the following factors: 

• Caller and receiver network connection
• Local network setup
• Caller’s and receiver’s phone networks
• Headset
• Plivo’s underlying carrier

Check the factors that can be diagnosed on your side, and if you can’t resolve the issue, please create a ticket with Plivo support.