Intermittent popping or static sound for millisecond on internal and external calls

[Tarkellion]

I have setup a several 3cx systems behind a Ubiquity USG 4 with no issues. This system has been setup and working flawlessly until this morning 2/17/22. Originally set up beginning of December 21.

All of the calls are getting a popping sound, kinda like the calls are dropping for a millisecond and coming back. Seems like a connection issue or something. Its just a split millisecond but enough to notice it on the onsite end only. Internal calls have this issue. External calls sounds this way to the onsite phone but sound perfect to the line calling in. This happens on every phone and through the FXS device we have. I Have restarted my router and dumb switches, upgraded to the latest update on 3cx and restarted the 3cx computer. Anything I can do to trace down the real cause of it. The confusing part is that nothing has changed at all. it was working last night; and this morning with no changes or adjustments, it begins to have this issue.

• 3CX Version, Professional Annual 18 update 2
• Server OS, Windows 10
• Is the 3CX Server Hosted and where? Onsite
• IP Phone Make/Model/Firmware : Fanvil x4u, grandstream GRP2614, Patton SN4141 VoIP Gateway - 4 FXS
• Provisioning Method: Local
• Trunk Provider or Gateway Make/Model : siptrunk.com
• Has the Firewall Checker passed: YES
• Are custom Phone Templates being used: NO

 

[Evolute IT]

I have setup a several 3cx systems behind a Ubiquity USG 4 with no issues. This system has been setup and working flawlessly until this morning 2/17/22. Originally set up beginning of December 21.

All of the calls are getting a popping sound, kinda like the calls are dropping for a millisecond and coming back. Seems like a connection issue or something. Its just a split millisecond but enough to notice it on the onsite end only. Internal calls have this issue. External calls sounds this way to the onsite phone but sound perfect to the line calling in. This happens on every phone and through the FXS device we have. I Have restarted my router and dumb switches, upgraded to the latest update on 3cx and restarted the 3cx computer. Anything I can do to trace down the real cause of it. The confusing part is that nothing has changed at all. it was working last night; and this morning with no changes or adjustments, it begins to have this issue.

• 3CX Version, Professional Annual 18 update 2
• Server OS, Windows 10
• Is the 3CX Server Hosted and where? Onsite
• IP Phone Make/Model/Firmware : Fanvil x4u, grandstream GRP2614, Patton SN4141 VoIP Gateway - 4 FXS
• Provisioning Method: Local
• Trunk Provider or Gateway Make/Model : siptrunk.com
• Has the Firewall Checker passed: YES
• Are custom Phone Templates being used: NO

Do you record internal calls or external, or both?

 

[Tarkellion]

Do you record internal calls or external, or both?

We don't have any recording set up at this time.

 

[Evolute IT]

We dont have any recording set up at this time.

Okay in this case, audio from internal calls should not be going through the PBX (unless you enabled "PBX Delivers Audio") which means the static might come from cables in your environment, or maybe the dumb switches if they're really cheap ones.

 

[Tarkellion]

Okay in this case, audio from internal calls should not be going through the PBX (unless you enabled "PBX Delivers Audio") which means the static might come from cables in your environment, or maybe the dumb switches if they're really cheap ones.

We have not enabled PBX delivers audio. I will focus my efforts on testing the cabling and switches and report back results.

 

[ChrisC_3CX]

Before going into testing cabling and switched you might actually try and narrow this down a bit. Does enabling PBX delivers audio make a difference? If not, maybe also enable recordings, listen to the recording of an affected call and see if you hear the problem on the recording too.

Being able to listen to the recording which took place on the PBX might shed some light on where the issue may be. For instance, imaging a call where only the 3CX user experienced problems but the recordings on the PBX sounds good for both parties. That would tell you that the issue is between the PBX and the 3CX user and also that the issue only affects audio directed from the 3CX PBX to the 3CX User.

Hope this helps!

 

[Tarkellion]

Before going into testing cabling and switched you might actually try and narrow this down a bit. Does enabling PBX delivers audio make a difference? If not, maybe also enable recordings, listen to the recording of an affected call and see if you hear the problem on the recording too.

Being able to listen to the recording which took place on the PBX might shed some light on where the issue may be. For instance, imaging a call where only the 3CX user experienced problems but the recordings on the PBX sounds good for both parties. That would tell you that the issue is between the PBX and the 3CX user and also that the issue only affects audio directed from the 3CX PBX to the 3CX User.

Hope this helps!

I will be keeping this option in mind. Yesterday evening it started working correctly as i was tried to find cables that i could use to bypass switches and isolate the phone system so i could determine the issue. I didn't do anything except eat lunch and plan how to get the cables long enough to help me bypass our current setup. I greatly appreciate the help and input. If it happens again and i can track down the problem i will post back the solution. but as of now, we aren't having any issues. The only thing that comes to mind we had latency issues affecting download speeds, but never affecting our phones, when that stopped, the audio issues were resolved...the confusing aspect is that internal calls had the same issue on both sides, but external call sounded great to the outside phone while having the issue at the onsite phone. To my knowledge internal calls should not be affected by latency and would still work if the internet was down. Please let me know if this is not the case. Again Thanks!

 

[Evolute IT]

I will be keeping this option in mind. Yesterday evening it started working correctly as i was tried to find cables that i could use to bypass switches and isolate the phone system so i could determine the issue. I didn't do anything except eat lunch and plan how to get the cables long enough to help me bypass our current setup. I greatly appreciate the help and input. If it happens again and i can track down the problem i will post back the solution. but as of now, we aren't having any issues. The only thing that comes to mind we had latency issues affecting download speeds, but never affecting our phones, when that stopped, the audio issues were resolved...the confusing aspect is that internal calls had the same issue on both sides, but external call sounded great to the outside phone while having the issue at the onsite phone. To my knowledge internal calls should not be affected by latency and would still work if the internet was down. Please let me know if this is not the case. Again Thanks!

Do you have QOS configured on the network? If not, latency on download can mess up the router's prioritization and cause that. We had that problem with our previous firewall until we changed it (it didn't have QoS.)

 

[ChrisC_3CX]

To also add, Latency on the internet connection should generally not affect internal calls but I do have to say that, if you're facing any sort of network issues I recommend getting those out of the way first before even considering spending any time on 3CX especially for audio quality related issues as they do usually end up being related.