QoS Settings for Internet Calling (VoIP) and Other Real-Time Communication

We use the Internet for all sorts of applications, and not all of them are created equal. Things can get complicated when your broadband connection is not up to snuff. And that’s where a popular traffic management feature, called Quality of Service, comes into play.

Unfamiliar with Quality of Service? QoS is detailed here.

This post will give you some points on how to configure QoS for real-time communication applications, including Internet calling, often known as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), or video conferencing.

If you’re a gamer, the idea also applies, but this post on gaming routers has more details on that front.

QoS and Internet calling: Requirements and configuration

Internet calling has become a standard feature in all smartphones. Suppose you make the call when the phone is connected to a Wi-Fi network. In that case, it automatically uses the Internet connection of the Wi-Fi network to establish and maintain the connection. That’s often known as Wi-Fi calling.

Nowadays, we also often use video calling, such as FaceTime or various other video conferencing apps, such as Zoom, Webex, Team, Meet, etc. The phone has various apps for both voice and video calling.

What’s more, in a home or office with landline phones, chances are these phones also use the Internet for voice calling. In other words, broadband connection is used for more than just simple data upload and download; it is also used for Internet calling, which is one of many special applications running on top of this information highway.

So the question is, how much bandwidth is needed for Internet calling? That depends.

Broadband requirement for Internet calling

The bandwidth requirement for Internet calling depends on the application. For voice calls (VoIP), the required bandwidth is generally no more than 100 Kbps per line for both download and upload, which is a non-issue for any broadband connection.

However, video calling requires at least 2Mbps for low resolution, all the way to 25Mbps for 4K resolution. And that’s for one screen. When you are running video conferencing on multiple devices, each requires a similar bandwidth of its own, which can add up really fast.

So, for a single call, a most basic broadband connection, often 50Mbps download and 15Mbps upload, is sufficient. However, in a home or an office, the broadband is never used only for Internet calling. At any given time, many devices and applications use the internet for different things. The point is that if you use the Internet for voice and video calling, it’s best to prioritize the broadband for it.

Internet calling and broadband latency

Latency, or lag, is the delay in a connection between two parties.

Internet-based voice/video communication’s requirement on latency is relatively lenient. Specifically, your connection should have less than 150 milliseconds (ms) and 30 ms in Ping and Jitter values, respectively, for VoIP to work well. However, a call still works even if the latency is higher. It’s just that you’ll have a delay in the conversation.

A typical residential broadband connection generally has those at less than 20ms. Needless to say, the lower the values, the better the call quality.

If you use Wi-Fi for calling, keep in mind that the local wireless connection can also produce added latency, especially if you use a Wi-Fi mesh system in a fully wireless setup. To minimize that, it’s best to make calls in a room where a Wi-Fi broadcaster is wired directly to the Internet (often the primary router of a mesh system). After that, remain stationary during the call instead of working around, which can cause the quality of the Wi-Fi connection to change, causing further lag.

Finally, note that the quality of a real-time communication application depends on both ends. Don’t immediately blame your Internet for a sub-par experience—it might be the fault of the remote party.

How to configure your router’s QoS

The way you configure the QoS features varies depending on the routers. Generally, routers from the same vendor share the same interface or mobile app and, therefore, the same way for users to customize their settings.

QoS might also be called differently between hardware manufacturers. Asus, for example, calls it “Adaptive QoS”, while Linksys calls its similar feature “Device Prioritization”. Many other vendors, such as Ubiquiti, call it simply QoS.

Generally, the web user interface is always the best way to manage a router since it gives you in-depth access to all features and settings. So, if you intend to use QoS, pick a router that has this feature and a web-based UI.

I used an Asus router for the steps below. If you use another brand, the same idea applies, but the specific steps might be different.

1. Log into your router’s interface

To access a router’s web UI, navigate your browser (Chrome, Firefox, or Edge) to the router’s default IP address (or its friendly URL).

The table below includes the known default IP addresses and login information of popular router brands. If your router’s IP has been changed, follow the steps in this post on IP addresses to figure it out.

	Friendly URL (Internet connection required)	Default IP (a.k.a Default Gateway IP)	Username (no quotes)	Password (no quotes)
Asus	http://www.asusrouter.com	192.168.50.1 or 192.168.1.1	“admin”	User-created during initial setup
AT&T Gateway	n/a	192.168.1.254	n/a	Access code printed  on the hardware unit
Comcast  (Xfinity) Gateway	n/a	10.0.0.1  or 10.1.10.1	“admin”, “cusadmin”	User-created during initial setup
D-Link	http://dlinkrouter.local	192.168.0.1 192.168.1.1 192.168.200.1	n/a	“admin” or printed on the hardware’s underside
MSI	http://msirouter.login	192.168.10.1	“admin”	varies (printed on hardware)
Netgear	http://routerlogin.com	192.168.1.1 or 10.168.168.1	admin	User-created during initial setup
Linksys	http://myrouter.local	192.168.0.1or  192.168.1.1	n/a	“admin” (must be changed during the initial setup process)
TP-Link	http://tplinkwifi.net	192.168.0.1	“admin”
Ubiquiti (UniFi console)	None	192.168.1.1	User-created during initial setup
Most Cable Modems	N/A	192.168.100.1	n/a	“admin”, “password”, “default”

2. Customize the router’s QoS feature (for VoIP)

Once logged into the router’s web page, navigate to the QoS section, which is generally in the Advanced area of the interface. Again, it often has “QoS”, “Prioritization”, or “traffic control” in its name.

In many cases, the QoS feature will require you to enter the broadband connection’s download and upload speeds. If so, enter the exact numbers or slightly lower ones. In other cases, the router has the option to perform a speed test on its own and automatically apply the numbers.

Now, make sure you prioritize the QoS according to your needs. For this article, pick VoIP and video calls as your top priorities.

If there’s no option to prioritize a service or application, you can choose to prioritize the client on which you’ll use the service. So, if you use your iPad for conference calls, make it the highest priority.

Note that if you prioritize a particular device, it’s a good idea to have that device’s IP address reserved within the router so that it will not change.

To manage QoS properly, you need to know how to reserve a local IP address and how a MAC address works.

Consider disabling SIP ALG (or SIP Passthrough)

This setting applies only when you need your router to work well for Voice over IP and only in specific situations. So, it’s a setting to try when you have Internet calling issues, such as broken sound, severe delay, or jittering.

SIP ALG stands for Application Layer Gateway, a setting that is available on most home routers and is turned on by default. Initially, this setting intends to help VoIP packages travel better through the router’s firewall. In reality, it rarely works out as expected and often causes issues.

So, you might need to turn SIP ALG (also known as SIP Passthrough or SIP) off (or disabled ) to have a better VoIP experience. The location of the SIP setting varies, but generally, it is in the WAN (Internet) or Firewall area of a router’s interface.

3. Apply the changes

Once you’ve changed the setting, make sure you apply it. In some instances, the router might restart. Even if yours doesn’t, it’s a good idea to manually repower it, then check again to ensure the new settings are correctly set. Now, your QoS is in effect.

The takeaway

The quality of VoIP and Internet calling depends on the Internet connection. After that, within the local network, it’s about getting the traffic to the device unhindered. And in most cases, that’s the job of the QoS feature.