Troubleshoot call audio quality issues

Paytia is designed to sit securely in the middle of a phone call between a business user and a customer. This call path often involves a carrier on one end and a business telephone system on the other. Because of this setup, audio quality issues may affect either leg of the call—or both. Understanding where an issue lies helps our technical support team resolve problems faster.

Why Audio Issues Happen

SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) voice calls are digital and highly sensitive to environmental and technical factors on each part of the call route. These factors can include:

• Internet connectivity problems

• NAT/firewall configuration

• Bandwidth congestion

• SIP trunk misconfiguration

• Codec mismatch

• Hardware/software jitter buffers

• Packet loss or jitter on either call leg

By running a few simple audio tests, you can help us determine where the issue is occurring and what might be causing it.

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Audio Quality Test Checklist

Please carry out the following tests and note your answers. This will help us isolate the direction and cause of the issue.

1. One-Way Audio Check

• Can you hear your customer speaking?

  • If no, the issue may be with your telephone system, firewall, or internet connection.

• Can your customer hear you?

  • If no, the issue may lie in the return audio path through your provider or network.

2. Muffled or Distorted Audio

• Does either party hear muffled, robotic, or tinny sound quality?

  • Likely causes: Codec mismatches, packet loss, transcoding errors, or poor microphone quality.

3. Echo on the Call

• Do you hear your own voice back when speaking?

• Does your customer report hearing themselves?

  • Likely causes: Acoustic feedback on one side, incorrect echo cancellation, or poor headset setup.

4. Call Audio Delay (Latency)

• Is there a noticeable delay between someone speaking and the other person hearing it?

  • Likely causes: Network latency, jitter buffer issues, or long voice path due to international routing.

5. Audio Cutting Out or Dropping

• Does the sound cut in and out? Does either party miss parts of a sentence?

  • Likely causes: Packet loss, low bandwidth, or insufficient QoS (Quality of Service) settings.

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How to Report Audio Issues to Paytia Support

When contacting Paytia technical support, please provide the following:

• Time and date of the affected call(s)

• Phone numbers involved (caller and recipient)

• Description of the issue using the checklist above

• Whether the issue is repeatable or intermittent

• A recording (if possible) of what each party hears during the call

• Details of your setup (handsets used, network/firewall config, PBX type)

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Quick Tips Before Contacting Support

• Restart your phone and network equipment.

• Try another call over a different internet connection (e.g. mobile vs office).

• Update firmware or software on handsets or softphones.

• Perform a test call using a different SIP device or phone number.

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So to Wrap Up

Audio issues in SIP calls can arise for many reasons, especially when the call is routed across multiple systems. By understanding which direction is affected and what symptoms are present, you help Paytia diagnose the problem faster. Use the checklist to gather information and contact us at techsupport@paytia.com with detailed findings so we can support you effectively.