VoIP monitoring with ManageEngine OpManager

Monitor VoIP packet loss, round-trip time, latency, jitter, and MOS
Set SLA terms for VoIP call path availability and quality
Get alerted via email, SMS, chat services, and help desk solutions

VoIP monitoring in OpManager

OpManager is a network monitoring software with powerful VoIP monitoring capabilities. OpManager uses Cisco's IP SLA (IP service level agreement) technology to simulate VoIP calls and monitor metrics like latency, jitter, round-trip time and Mean Opinion Score (MOS). If any deviations are detected, you'll get instant alarms. By monitoring simulated VoIP paths, you can detect call quality issues before it impacts users.

OpManager's WAN management capabilities

Monitor VoIP uptime, jitter, and latency

Track VoIP call uptime and performance by tracking jitter, latency, packet loss, and round-trip time.
Measure VoIP performance from the source to destination and from the destination to the source to identify exactly where the issue is.
Set SLA terms for VoIP call metrics to identify violations instantly.

Monitor MOS (mean opinion scores) to ensure call quality

OpManager helps maintain a high Mean Opinion Score (MOS), the industry standard for perceived call quality.
Keep tabs on minimum and maximum MOS scores to identify moments of dipping call quality.
Configure SLA limits for VoIP call quality metrics to detect VoIP call quality issues proactively.

Get alerts for VoIP issues

OpManager generates context-rich alerts detailing the nature of the VoIP issue and with visual graphs for key VoIP performance metrics.
You can set up notifications via email, SMS, and webhooks, as well as through chat apps like Slack and Teams.
You can also auto-generate VoIP issues as tickets in help desk tools like ServiceDesk Plus, ServiceNow, and Jira.

VoIP monitoring dashboards and reports

OpManager comes with dedicated VoIP monitoring dashboards where you can see critical call paths and their performance.
You can review 10 dedicated VoIP reports that highlight everything from error trends to historical data such as Jitter History, Latency History, and more.
You can also create custom dashboards and reports to track VoIP performance.

Network path analysis

When VoIP issues arise, OpManager's network path analysis helps you narrow it down to the exact node in the network path.
Visualize the route taken by the network packets from the source to the destination and monitor the packet loss and response time for each hop.

Investigate whether VoIP issues are within your network or in the ISP lines.

Why choose OpManager as your VoIP monitor?

VoIP performance visualization

Get in-depth visibility into VoIP performance with colour-coded graphs. Review call quality issues to identify SLA violations.

Proactive, synthetic monitoring

OpManager helps you Identify potential bottlenecks as and when they arise, not after your users complain

Network path visibility

Set SLA terms for WAN round-trip time (RTT) and visualize hop-by-hop network path performance to bolster VoIP monitoring.

SLA-based monitoring

OpManager's multi-channel notifications ensure that you stay aware of VoIP SLA violations, no matter where you are.

How can I troubleshoot VoIP issues?

Start with the user

Begin with the information provided by the user, and correlate the issue with a performance metric. For example, choppy audio usually indicates jitter, delays or people talking over each other suggest latency, missing words or silence point to packet loss.

Check bandwidth availability

VoIP traffic depends on consistent bandwidth. Check whether the network is congested due to large file transfers, backups, streaming, or peak-hour load. If bandwidth is being strained, prioritise VoIP using QoS policies to ensure voice traffic gets the required share.

Inspect the surrounding environment

Many VoIP issues originate within the local environment. Problems may be caused by faulty Ethernet cables, weak Wi-Fi signals, overloaded access points, misconfigured switches, or speed/duplex mismatches on network ports.

Review configurations

Configuration errors in routers or firewalls commonly disrupt VoIP. Ensure the ports required for SIP/RTP are not blocked, QoS rules are properly defined, and NAT traversal is correctly set up. Even a small misconfiguration can break a call setup.

Check the VoIP provider

If your network looks clean, the issue may lie outside. Investigate potential ISP-level problems, latency spikes on external hops, SIP trunk health issues, or routing inconsistencies. Tools like traceroute or network path analysis help identify bottlenecks in the provider path.

Analyze the endpoints

Sometimes, the issue stems from the end-device. This could be outdated softphone applications, poor mics or speakers, CPU overload on laptops, or old firmware on IP phones. Simple fixes like rebooting the device or updating firmware can resolve endpoint issues.

FAQs on VoIP monitoring

VoIP or voice over IP helps you make phone calls over the internet, rather than relying on dedicated telephone lines. VoIP was first developed in the early days of the internet in 1973 and was commercialized in 1995. VoIP converts your audio data into digital packets and transmits them over internet infrastructure like ISP lines, private MPLS, or SD-WAN to reach their destination.

Cisco IPSLA is Cisco's proprietary protocol that can monitor the performance of network links in real-time. Cisco devices use IPSLA to send pings, UDP packets, or HTTP requests to a destination to test the performance of the network path.

By leveraging Cisco IPSLA in a VoIP call path, OpManager can test VoIP-specific metrics like jitter and Mean-opinion score. This simulates actual user behaviour when they are making calls and acts as a proactive VoIP monitoring feature.

VoIP monitoring is the process of continuously measuring the performance and quality of voice calls transmitted over the network. The primary goal of VoIP monitoring is to ensure a clear, uninterrupted user experience by measuring key Quality of Service (QoS) metrics. Monitoring VoIP calls also helps identify the root cause of poor quality, enabling IT teams to troubleshoot problems proactively. Ultimately, it helps maintain a high Mean Opinion Score (MOS), the industry standard for perceived call quality.