Known Issues w/ Shaw Modems
Internet modems that contain the Intel Puma 6 chipset have been proven to cause problems with Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone systems. This is due to a hardware flaw in the design of the Intel chipset. TOPS Telecommunications Inc. has proven certain modems provided by Rogers / Shaw Communications contain this chipset and are problematic when used with VoIP and other real-time services. We do not recommend the following modems:
This can help for a few days, but replacing the modem with the newer model CODA-5810 seems to resolve the issues long term.
With the Puma 6 chipset's latency jitter, these real-time voice packets may experience unpredictable delays and variations in transit. This can lead to several noticeable issues for VoIP users:
Choppy and Inconsistent Audio: During VoIP calls, users may experience choppy or fragmented audio where words and sentences are cut off or difficult to understand. The latency spikes can cause interruptions in the audio stream, making conversations challenging and frustrating.
Voice Lag and Delays: Latency spikes may result in delayed audio transmission, causing an unnatural lag between participants during a VoIP call. This delay can lead to awkward pauses and difficulties in maintaining a smooth and natural conversation flow.
Dropped Calls: In severe cases of latency spikes, the VoIP connection may become so unstable that calls are dropped altogether. This can be highly disruptive, especially during important business calls or critical communications.
Degraded Call Quality: The overall call quality may suffer, with voices sounding robotic, distorted, or metallic due to the irregular transmission of voice packets caused by the hardware defect.
Call Disconnections: The intermittent nature of the Puma 6 chipset's defect can lead to sudden and unpredictable call disconnections, forcing users to redial and restart conversations frequently.
In summary, the latency jitter caused by the Puma 6 chipset flaw can significantly impact the performance of VoIP services. It hampers the real-time nature of these applications, leading to poor call quality, disruptions, and difficulties in effective communication. Users who heavily rely on VoIP for business or personal purposes may find these issues particularly frustrating and may seek alternatives or modem replacements to mitigate the problem.
Other Resources
Naveed A. Khan