Whether it's just a few seconds or hours-long phone calls, experiencing echo amidst your important conversations could be extremely annoying.
If you are wondering why you never experienced echo on your PSTN before switching to VoIP, it's due to the difference in the functionality of the both. No, it's not about one being superior to another. It's just that the PSTN and VoIP have a different operating mechanism. We do know that when the audio signals are converted into electrical signals and then decoded back into audio signals, this creates a delay. For standard lines, there's a delay of 10 milliseconds but it could go up to as much as 400 milliseconds on a VoIP phone. Hence, the echo effect is a lot more noticeable.
However, when it comes to VoIP, it's possible to track back the reason for the echo. Normally, the echo that we hear in our VoIP calls is the result of a far-end point issue but a few other factors could also contribute to the effect.
To know how to fix the issue, we need to find the source of it. So let's discuss some common reasons why you could be experiencing echo in your VoIP calls and ways to fix it.
The most common reason for the echo effect in your VoIP phone calls is faulty hardware. Faulty hardware normally includes damaged or poor quality splitters, mangled cables, and damaged wiring. In fact, if you have a low-quality headset, that could also cause the issue. In the presence of any of these hardware issues, the signals can bounce back and be heard, resulting in an echo.
You will need to determine if any of the hardware involved in your VoIP phone is damaged and requires a replacement. Get the new parts and check if the issue is resolved.
The intensity of the echo wave decides how noticeable the echo would be. The intensity of the echo wave, however, depends on the intensity of the wave volume. Even though the return wave is less powerful than the original wave, but if the latter is of very high intensity, that could increase the possibility of producing a corrupted signal. Just adjusting the volume of the headset can minimize the echo effect.
Sometimes, it's possible for the microphone on a headset to pick up the sound from the earpiece which then creates an echo effect. Note that there could be many reasons or this. First of all, not holding the headset correctly could cause the issue. For instance, the earpiece should be held firmly to the head so the incoming voice won't escape the earpiece. If that doesn't help and your receiver still picks up sounds from the earpiece, this could be due to a poorly-designed headset.
If your VoIP systems are in proximity to other electrical devices having strong electrical fields like power strips, computers, TVs, etc., that, too, could disrupt the signals that your VoIP phone is sending/receiving. Moreover, some devices also create magnetic fields which can also hamper the signals.
Follow the aforementioned and that would very likely resolve the issue of echo in your VoIP phone calls. In case if you have any more questions, you could always email us at support@axvoice.com
