VOIP is short for Voice Over Internet Protocol. This is the technology that support Skype and other internet phone systems. I’ve been using VOIP for about 5 years now and the quality has vastily improved. This is not just an indication of the improvements in VOIP technology but also shows how the quality of our internet lines have improved as well.

An internet speed monitor that checks how good a VOIP call will sound on your computer, checks several factors that are the backbones of VOIP technology.

Jitter

Jitter has to do with how long it takes from the time data packets are sent until the time they arrive. This variable needs to be as low as possible in order to ensure good sound quality. If there is an unusually long delay then the packets get dropped and what the speaker said and what the listener heard, may not match.

Packet Loss

If there is a lot of packet loss on your internet line, voice data will be lost and the quality of your phone call will not be good. This happens where there is a lot of traffic on your internet line. Internet speed monitors that check expected VOIP quality from your line measure the percentage of packet loss that is presently occurring and consequently the quality of sound you can expect to experience.

Quality of Service

Quality of Service or QOS is a variable that indicates the consistency of the download speed from your ISP. Consistency of download speed is an important factor in the quality of VOIP phone services.

MOS

MOS stands for Mean Opinion Score and it is a numerical measurement that is taken from the receiving side of the VOIP phone call. Your score gives a good indication of the quality you can hope to get during a VOIP call. The results range from 1 to 5. The best score possible is 5.

Max Pause

Max Pause is a variable in VOIP testing that monitors what the longest pause is in the transfer of data that occurs as part of download speed. The resulting number should be low, otherwise your sound quality will be bad. You will notice a difference in the results MOS depending on the time of day that you run your test. Busy times of the day, when many users are using the internet, will result in a higher result and thus a poorer sound quality.