Why is my video call quality poor on broadband?
Who this page is for
Remote workers and students using Zoom, Teams, Meet, or similar on home broadband.
Plain-English definitions
- Two-way traffic
- Calls send your video and audio upstream while receiving others downstream at the same time.
Checks in order
- Wired work laptop if possible.
- Pause cloud backups and large uploads.
- Run Pulse for latency and jitter; measure upload with a suitable tool if calls break up.
See Pulse Answers on video calls for more.
Pulse measures download speed, latency, and jitter in your browser. It does not measure upload speed. For upload, use your provider’s tests or see our upload scope guide.
Compare broadband deals when your line is too small for what you do: BroadbandSwitch.uk, SearchSwitchSave.com, FibreSwitch.com.
UK rights and switching: start with Ofcom’s broadband guidance for personalised speed estimates, switching, and complaints.
Example scenario
Calls freeze when a photo library syncs. You pause sync during meetings and quality returns.
FAQ
Does Pulse measure upload for calls?
No. Pulse does not measure upload. Use other tools if upload looks like the limit.
Why do calls fail when nothing else looks wrong?
Upload saturation, VPN paths, or microphone permissions can all break calls without obvious Mbps issues.
Should I turn off camera to save bandwidth?
It reduces upload demand and can stabilise fragile connections as a temporary step.
Do browser versus app clients differ?
They can use different codecs and paths. If one fails, try the other as a diagnostic.
Can Bluetooth headsets add delay?
Yes, a little. For testing, wired headsets remove that variable.
What is the fastest sanity check before a big meeting?
Wired laptop, closed heavy apps, and a quick Pulse run to confirm latency and jitter are reasonable.
Related guides
- How important is upload speed for video calls?
- How do I troubleshoot bad video meetings at home?
- What are latency and jitter on broadband?