What Causes Echo?
There are many different causes of echo. If you experience echo, the way it presents itself is a great indicator of the root cause. Check the matrix or guide below and find which type of echo is best matched with what you are experiencing.
Echo Identification Wizard
Type of Echo | Echo is present when... | Echo description is... | Solution |
Network Echo | ...making a call from a SIP phone out an analog or T1/E1 trunk. | ...the caller on the SIP phone hears the remote parties voice echoing. | |
Acoustic Echo | ...making extension to extension or external calls but only from a certain phone or phones. | ...the echo occurs on some phones but not others, most prevalent on speakerphone. | Acoustic echo largely depends on the physical space you use to conduct business. Try moving to a room with better sound absorption or upgrading to a conference phone. |
Side-tone Echo | ...using certain model Aastra phones. | ...you can hear your own voice echoing back to you. | Follow the steps in Why do I hear myself in the receiver? |
Local Area Network Echo (LAN Echo) | ...on inter-office calls to another extension. | ...you hear your own voice as well as the other party's voice echoing | Consult your system administrator to check your router's Access Control Lists, Buffers, and any other security policies running on ports used by your PBXtra |
Echo Troubleshooting Guide
A human readable guide containing the information in the table above.
Network Echo - the echo present when making a call using the PSTN (TDM Connections).
How to check: Do you hear the other person's voice echoing when you are making a call outside of your office? You probably have Network Echo - Please read How do I eliminate echo?
Acoustic Echo - the echo you hear when your voice is reflected off of a flat surface (think Grand Canyon)
How to check: Does your office or conference room have high ceilings and many flat surfaces? Do you experience this echo mostly when using the speaker phone? You probably have Acoustic Echo - Acoustic is environmental. There is not much Fonality can do to eliminate this echo - it depends largely on the physical space you use to conduct business.
Side-tone Echo - the echo injected by a phone's speaker into the receiver as an indication that the call is 'active'. Historically this is only found on Aastra phones.
How to check: Do you have an Aastra phone? Do you hear your own voice in your ear? You probably have Side-tone echo. Please read Why do I hear myself in the receiver?
Local Area Network Echo (LAN Echo) - the echo caused by significant packet-delivery delays within the customers LAN
How to check: Do you experience echo on inter-office calls to another extension? Do you hear your own voice as well as the other party's voice echoing? You probably have LAN Echo - you must consult your system administrator to check your router's Access Control Lists, Buffers, and any other security policies running on ports used by your PBXtra