VoIP Problems Are Almost Always Network Problems
90% of VoIP call quality issues in Dubai offices are caused by the network, not the phone system. Here are the 7 most common causes and their fixes.
Problem 1: Jitter (Choppy Audio)
Cause: Inconsistent packet delivery times.
Fix: Enable QoS on your router and switches, prioritising VoIP traffic. Put IP phones on a dedicated VLAN.
Problem 2: Echo
Cause: Acoustic echo from speakerphone or poor echo cancellation configuration.
Fix: Enable echo cancellation on the IP PBX. Replace low-quality speakerphones.
Problem 3: One-Way Audio
Cause: Firewall or NAT configuration blocking the RTP media stream.
Fix: Disable SIP ALG on your router. Open RTP port range (UDP 10000 to 20000) on firewall.
Problem 4: Dropped Calls (After 30 or 60 Seconds)
Cause: Firewall drops the SIP session due to idle timeout.
Fix: Increase firewall SIP session timeout to 1800 seconds. Enable SIP keepalive on IP PBX.
Problem 5: No Audio At All
Cause: SIP registration failed — phone is not connected to PBX.
Fix: Check phone registration status in PBX admin panel. Verify SIP credentials.
Problem 6: Calls Cutting Out Under Load
Cause: Insufficient internet bandwidth. Each VoIP call needs approximately 100kbps (G.711).
Fix: Upgrade internet if you have 20+ concurrent calls. Switch to G.729 codec for bandwidth efficiency.
Problem 7: Poor Quality on External Calls Only
Cause: SIP trunk provider quality or codec mismatch.
Fix: Check SIP trunk provider status. Ensure G.711 preferred for external calls.
SAS IT installs and maintains VoIP systems across Dubai. Contact us | +971-526716178
Related: IP Telephony Dubai | Networking & Security Dubai
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About the Author
Reviewed by Mustafa Husain, Founder of SAS IT Services, with 10+ years of experience in IT infrastructure, networking, and security — alongside the same engineers who design, install, and support the work described on this site. SAS IT Services was founded on 22 February 2020 in Dubai and has since delivered 500+ projects for businesses across the UAE.
We specialize in Fortinet, Cisco, and Microsoft, among 17 vendor product lines we regularly install, configure, and support across networking, cybersecurity, CCTV, and cloud infrastructure — hands-on experience that informs the technical guidance in our articles.
Our work is independently rated 5.0 out of 5 from 17 verified Google Reviews. Every article is reviewed internally for technical accuracy before publishing and reflects practices we apply on real client deployments in Dubai and the UAE.
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