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Poor VoIP quality

jbnm
Newbie
Posts: 5
Registered: ‎15-01-2013

Poor VoIP quality

I have a stable connection from Plus.Net; a generally get about 18.5Mbps down/1Mbps up on speed tests.  However, over the last week I've had great audio problems over Microsoft Lync.  I'm not sure this is related to my ADSL connection, traffic prioritisation by Plus.Net, or of course something within my company's Lync network.  The voice issues have primarily been upstream -- people having trouble with 'hearing' me, vs. me having issues hearing them (although both occasionally).
I do notice a large number of error seconds and HEC errors in the router status page.  Is this something to be concerned with?
DSL Connection
Link Information
Uptime: 9 days, 1:44:18
DSL Type: ITU-T G.992.5
Bandwidth (Up/Down) [kbps/kbps]: 1.227 / 22.226
Data Transferred (Sent/Received) [GB/GB]: 1,99 / 1,32
Output Power (Up/Down) [dBm]: 11,9 / 0,0
Line Attenuation (Up/Down) [dB]: 9,4 / 21,0
SN Margin (Up/Down) [dB]: 5,4 / 3,0
System Vendor ID (Local/Remote): TMMB / ----
Chipset Vendor ID (Local/Remote): BDCM / IFTN
Loss of Framing (Local/Remote): 0 / 0
Loss of Signal (Local/Remote): 0 / 0
Loss of Power (Local/Remote): 0 / 0
Loss of Link (Remote): -
Error Seconds (Local/Remote): 15.161 / 5
FEC Errors (Up/Down): 0 / 0
CRC Errors (Up/Down): 355 / 50.718
HEC Errors (Up/Down): 1.429 / 393.767
7 REPLIES 7
ejs
Aspiring Hero
Posts: 5,442
Thanks: 631
Fixes: 25
Registered: ‎10-06-2010

Re: Poor VoIP quality

I didn't think Plusnet did much traffic prioritisation with upstream data because there wouldn't be any point, as the data has already passed through the bottleneck of your ADSL line by the time it reaches Plusnet. Any prioritisation of upstream traffic would have to be done by your router.
However, you're not the only person reporting issues with Microsoft Lync 2013: http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php/topic,100343.16.html
orbrey
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Posts: 10,540
Registered: ‎18-07-2007

Re: Poor VoIP quality

That's a LOT of upload data - not often we see more upload being used than download. By the look of those stats something (not sure if it is Lync, though I guess it could be depending on what you're doing) is saturating your upload there which will be why the chat is stuttering and lagging.
Not sure what you had running on your PC at the time but that would definitely be worth looking at.
jelv
Seasoned Hero
Posts: 26,785
Thanks: 971
Fixes: 10
Registered: ‎10-04-2007

Re: Poor VoIP quality

Do use torrents or any other P2P?
jelv (a.k.a Spoon Whittler)
   Why I have left Plusnet (warning: long post!)   
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jbnm
Newbie
Posts: 5
Registered: ‎15-01-2013

Re: Poor VoIP quality

Quote from: Matt
That's a LOT of upload data - not often we see more upload being used than download. By the look of those stats something (not sure if it is Lync, though I guess it could be depending on what you're doing) is saturating your upload there which will be why the chat is stuttering and lagging.
Not sure what you had running on your PC at the time but that would definitely be worth looking at.

Where are you seeing the upload data values?  The 'DSL Connection' page always shows fairly random data.
Comparatively on the 'Internet Services' page, I see this data for up/download:
Connection Information
Data Transferred (Sent/Received) [GB/GB]: 2,00 / 46,08
orbrey
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Posts: 10,540
Registered: ‎18-07-2007

Re: Poor VoIP quality

I was basing it on the same line from the stats in your previous post, presumably taken from when you were having the issue:
Quote from: jbnm
Data Transferred (Sent/Received) [GB/GB]: 1,99 / 1,32
jbnm
Newbie
Posts: 5
Registered: ‎15-01-2013

Re: Poor VoIP quality

Now I'm confused.  If I take the stats right now from the two pages on the router I get different values for data transferred:
Internet DSL Connection: 
Data Transferred (Sent/Received) [GB/MB]: 1,99 / 838,74
Internet PPP Connection:
Data Transferred (Sent/Received) [GB/GB]: 2,11 / 50,20
Both show about 2Gb upstream, but one shows 838Mb downstream and the other shows 50Gb downstream.  The second seems, total data wise, to be about right given the uptime of the router and the usage stats shown in the Member Centre.
So I'm assuming the DSL Connection data is wrong, at least on the downstream.  As I observed in my last post, this value is seemingly random.
godsell4
Rising Star
Posts: 3,366
Thanks: 15
Registered: ‎06-04-2007

Re: Poor VoIP quality

@jbnm I have been on at PN for a very long time, the company I work for is actually a Microsoft Partner for Lync. There are many variables. Sad
How long have you been using Lync? Have you always had these problems or have they just started? Are you using the Lync 2010 or 2013 client? Is your company using the 2010 or 2013 Lync Server?
Tell me about your Lync call. Did you just use audio? How many people were in that Lync call? DId they all use a Lync client to call in or did some people dial in from a landline too? Were all the people on the Lync call from your company and so using the native Lync clients on their devices? Or they were using the downloadable Lync client which they install because they are not in your company?
Were you using any screen sharing or whiteboard functions? Were you videoconferencing too with Webcams? If you were screen sharing, did you find the audio would break up when the screen sharing needed to change a larger part of the display for example, somebody changed page during a powerpoint presentation?
If you want to make progress, you need to learn a little to use Wireshark and capture the packets of an ongoing Lync call.
--
3Mb FTTC
https://portal.plus.net/my.html?action=data_transfer_speed