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.

Who is Using your Internet Bandwidth?

The first thing to check is how many people are using your internet bandwith. In my house, one computer is connected directly to the router while 2 other computers connect wirelessly. There are different types of internet surfers under my roof and each has different Internet needs. The teenagers play games, download Music files and watch videos – all bandwidth intensive activities. VOIP systems are another bandwidth drainer. These are phones that run through the internet. They generally depend more on upload speed then download speed but still require some of your bandwidth. Depending on your internet speed, when everyone is downloading or uploading at the same time, there may not be much bandwidth left for you. I once scoured all computers in my home to see who was hogging the bandwidth. I was stumped when I couldn’t find any downloads or uploads in progress. A small light led me to my teenage son’s room. Thinking he was asleep, I snuck in to see where the light was coming from. My son was lying in bed, playing an online game on his PSP! Look out for invisible users in the night

One way to stay on top of what your kids are up to on the internet and consequently the amount of bandwidth they are consuming or the risk they are putting your computer at is to use computer monitoring programs which record all internet and computer activity.

Is your Router secured?

If your router is left unsecured, neighbors can connect through your Internet connection and drain your bandwidth. People don’t always connect to you intentionally. Their wireless may just connect to the best available connection in range and that could be your unsecured connection. Imagine that you  have 3 computers in your own home using the internet and 5 more of your neighbors doing the same. There won’t be much of the pie  left for you.

Do you have viruses or spyware on your computer?

Viruses, spyware, adware and malicious software such as Internet Speed Monitor can significantly impact your internet speed. Some spyware monitors your internet activity so that it can automatically bombard you with Ads based on the websites you frequent. It’s like having a Siamese twin use your computer at the same time you are. Run Spyware detection software regularly to detect and remove these bandwidth eaters. It is also important to make sure that your virus protection is updated. Although your antivirus software should be set to detect any incoming threats, it is a good idea to do a deep disk scan periodically.

Some antivirus programs themselves are the culprit of slow internet speed. It is wise to investigate different software choices to find one that doesn’t not hog system resources. Completely removing your antivirus before installing new antivirus software can be tricky as some files remain on your computer after uninstall. An antivirus removal tool will help you solve this problem.