Zoom Monitoring: Detect & Troubleshoot Zoom “Poor Network Connection” Issues

Whether you’re a remote worker or working for an international business, video conferencing platforms have become indispensable tools for businesses and organizations worldwide. Among them, Zoom is a VIP player, facilitating seamless virtual meetings and collaborations. However, as IT professionals well know, the efficacy of these digital gatherings can be compromised when confronted with network-related challenges.

Zoom performance issues like "Poor Network Connection" error in Zoom. When left unaddressed, this hiccup can mar the user experience, resulting in degraded audio and video quality during critical meetings. In this blog post, we delve into the intricacies of Zoom monitoring, equipping IT professionals with the insights and strategies necessary to detect and troubleshoot "Poor Network Connection" issues effectively.

Join us on this exploration as we navigate the nuances of network troubleshooting, unveil monitoring best practices, and empower IT teams to fortify their organization's virtual communication infrastructure. In a world where the reliability of online meetings can directly impact business operations, mastering the art of Zoom monitoring becomes a paramount skill for IT professionals steering their organizations through the challenges of the digital age.

In the realm of remote work, Zoom has become a staple. But let’s face it, performance issues happen. That’s where Zoom monitoring steps in – helping you identify and troubleshoot errors like “Poor Network Connection” and “Zoom Your Internet Connection is Unstable.”

For businesses, it's the backstage manager, ensuring meetings stay glitch-free and security remains tight. Remote employees? It’s the unsung hero, making sure that virtual workdays are smooth, not glitchy.

Now, remote work has become the norm and Zoom has emerged as a lifeline for organizations to conduct meetings, collaborate on projects, and maintain operational continuity. The benefit of Zoom monitoring for businesses lies in its ability to safeguard against disruptions that could impede the flow of communication and productivity.

• Meeting Reliability: Ensuring that Zoom meetings are consistently available and reliable is paramount for businesses. Monitoring helps identify and address potential issues before they result in downtime.
• Optimizing Collaboration: Businesses rely on high-quality audio and video during virtual meetings. Monitoring tools allow IT teams to optimize settings and address network issues, ensuring a seamless collaboration experience.
• Bandwidth Management: Efficiently managing bandwidth usage is essential for businesses with multiple teams engaged in simultaneous virtual activities. Monitoring helps in identifying resource bottlenecks and optimizing bandwidth allocation.
• Proactive Issue Resolution: Identifying and resolving issues proactively reduces the impact on business operations. Monitoring allows IT teams to respond swiftly, minimizing disruptions and maintaining a productive workflow.

For remote employees, Zoom is the bridge that connects them with colleagues and clients. Monitoring becomes crucial to ensure a positive and uninterrupted user experience, fostering effective communication and collaboration. Here's why Zoom monitoring is indispensable for remote employees:

• User Productivity: Remote employees depend on a stable Zoom connection for daily meetings and collaborations. Monitoring helps in identifying and addressing connectivity issues promptly, minimizing disruptions to their work.
• User Satisfaction: Optimizing Audio/Video Quality: Monitoring tools enable IT teams to ensure that remote employees experience high-quality audio and video, enhancing overall satisfaction with the virtual collaboration platform.
• Remote Troubleshooting: Monitoring provides IT support teams with real-time insights, allowing them to remotely troubleshoot issues faced by remote employees, reducing downtime and frustration.
• Bandwidth Management for Remote Locations: Remote employees may have varying internet bandwidths. Monitoring helps in optimizing settings and allocating bandwidth efficiently, ensuring a consistent experience across different locations.

Essentially, Zoom monitoring is the key to avoiding laggy and jittery Zoom calls for both businesses and remote employees, offering operational continuity, and an optimal user experience in the ever-evolving landscape of remote work.

If you’re a regular Zoom user, you’ve probably come across one of the various Zoom performance error messages. Among these is the "Poor Network Connection" error in Zoom, which acts as a formidable barrier to smooth collaboration. This alert can disrupt the smooth flow of communication, leaving users grappling with pixelated screens and audio hiccups. It's the digital equivalent of a red flag, signalling potential issues that demand attention.

In this section, we’ll explain what this error means, and identify the diverse factors that contribute to its occurrence. Beyond just decoding the problem, we'll shed light on a potent solution – Zoom monitoring.

The "Poor Network Connection" error essentially indicates that the Zoom application is encountering difficulties in maintaining a stable and reliable connection to the Internet. This hiccup in connectivity can manifest in various ways, such as pixelated video, audio lag, or even intermittent disconnections.

The error serves as a warning sign that the quality of the ongoing meeting might be compromised, potentially hindering the overall user experience.

Insufficient Bandwidth: Inadequate Internet bandwidth is a common culprit behind the "Poor Network Connection" error. Insufficient upload or download speeds can result in degraded audio and video quality during Zoom meetings.

Network Congestion: During peak usage hours or in networks with heavy traffic, network congestion can lead to a poor connection. This congestion may occur within the user's local network or at the internet service provider level.

Firewall or Security Software Restrictions: Overly restrictive firewall settings or security software might block Zoom's access to the internet, causing a poor network connection. It's essential to ensure that the necessary ports are open for Zoom to function seamlessly.

Device-Specific Issues: Problems with the user's device, such as outdated drivers, hardware limitations, or conflicts with other applications, can contribute to a poor network connection in Zoom.

Wi-Fi Interference: In environments with multiple Wi-Fi networks or electronic devices causing interference, the signal strength and stability may be compromised, leading to a poor Zoom connection.

Geographical Location: Users in remote or geographically dispersed areas may experience a poor network connection due to limited infrastructure or challenges in accessing high-speed Internet.

Understanding these contributing factors as well as utilizing Zoom monitoring practices provides a foundation for effective troubleshooting. IT professionals can arm themselves with the tools needed to not only comprehend the root causes of "Poor Network Connection" errors but also proactively address and prevent them. This isn't just about understanding; it's about empowering your virtual collaboration experience.

On that note, let’s dive into implementing Zoom Monitoring!

Now, we’re going to run you through the steps for deploying an effective and efficient Zoom monitoring strategy to continuously monitor Internet connection, identify Zoom performance issues like “Poor Network Connection” and “Your Internet Connection is Unstable,” to optimize the Zoom experience for businesses and individual users alike.

​​In the world of online meetings, a lot of Zoom's issues – like audio problems, video delays, and connection troubles – often boil down to network problems. It's like the engine behind the scenes. That's why keeping tabs on how well your network is performing is a big deal when it comes to Zoom.

Monitoring the network's health lets IT specialists and network admins quickly spot and fix issues, making sure your virtual meetings stay smooth. Simply put, good Zoom monitoring means staying on top of any network issues so your digital gatherings can run without a hitch.

To continuously monitor your network and Zoom performance, we recommend using a tool like Obkio Network Monitoring software to do the work for you. Obkio is an end-to-end monitoring tool that uses distributed monitoring agents and synthetic traffic to continuously monitor the performance of network, Internet, VoIP, SAAS, and UC applications like Zoom.

Obkio continuously monitors end-to-end network performance and identifies network issues for you. It can help locate the source of problems affecting Zoom when Zoom performance is unstable, and your network connection is poor.

Remember, your Internet isn't always the main problem! With Obkio's UC and VoIP monitoring features, you have your very own Zoom monitoring tool.

To begin monitoring Zoom performance with Obkio, you’ll need to deploy Monitoring Agents which continuously run performance tests to identify issues and measure key network metrics. When it comes to Zoom monitoring, you’ll have to deploy Agents in your network and in the Zoom network to monitor performance between the AWS (Zoom) infrastructure and Zoom users.

Obkio’s Network Monitoring Agents are software deployed in key network locations to monitor performance in all network locations. They create Monitoring Sessions and use synthetic UDP traffic for decentralized network monitoring from the source (your computer or your office) up to the destination (another office, data center or clouds).

To monitor Zoom performance from your workstation, you’ll first need:

Local Agents: These agents are installed in the targeted network locations you want to monitor. There are several Agent types available (all with the same features), and they can be installed on MacOS, Windows, Linux and more.

Next, you need to monitor performance from Zoom’s infrastructure to understand if performance issues are coming from there, or your local network. Zoom is supported by AWS and leverages AWS’s global infrastructure, storage, content distribution, and security to deliver its services.

So when you’re looking to monitor Zoom performance, you need to use an Agent in AWS’ infrastructure; This would be Obkio’s AWS Monitoring Agent. AWS Monitoring Agents are hosted and maintained by Obkio in the AWS cloud infrastructure, which means that they can be deployed within seconds. They're also great for general AWS network monitoring.

Choose the AWS Right Agent Location

Zoom leverages Amazon’s AWS infrastructure and therefore stores customer data in Amazon’s global cloud locations. So when you’re looking to monitor the performance of these apps, it’s important to choose a Public Monitoring Agent which has been deployed in the Data Center located closest to the AWS Data Center closest to you.

To learn how to find the AWS Data Center location used by your Zoom, check out our article on How to Identify the Zoom Data Center Location on AWS Infrastructure. If you’re using a Pro, Business, Enterprise or Education account, you can choose your Data Center in the Zoom settings. Learn how to do this in this Zoom documentation.

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We always recommend deploying more than two Monitoring Agents to more accurately compare Zoom performance data. This way, if you have a network problem, you can easily see if that same problem is affecting all your sites or just one. If the problem is affecting all your sites, having more Agents allows you to collect the most accurate data to troubleshoot, as well as create a comparison point.

Many other applications, like Zoom, use cloud providers like Google Cloud, AWS and Azure to function. Even if you’re not a client of these providers yourself, monitoring the performance of these cloud apps can help you identify:

• If the problems you’re experiencing are local
• Or if they’re happening within AWS’ network and affecting a variety of different applications and sites using AWS

For example, if you’re monitoring Zoom network performance between your head office and your Internet:

• Use 1 Agent in your Head Office
• 2 Agents to monitor Internet performance (for example, an Azure Agent and an AWS Agent).

Pro-Tip: You can use the Azure Agent for Microsoft Teams monitoring if you use that instead of Zoom!

Once you’ve set up your AWS (Zoom) Monitoring Agent using Obkio's handy Onboarding Wizard, you now have a continuous network Zoom monitoring tool at your disposal! Your Monitoring Agents will then start to continuously exchange synthetic UDP traffic with each other to monitor the performance and Zoom performance of every Zoom call in the network locations you’ve decided to monitor.

Stable and reliable network connectivity is essential to ensuring a smooth and seamless Zoom call experience. That's why Obkio monitors key network metrics to help identify any network-related issues that may be impacting Zoom performance. Some of the most important metrics include:

1. Latency: Latency refers to the time it takes for data to travel from the sender to the receiver, measured in milliseconds. In the context of Zoom, low latency/ good latency is crucial for real-time communication, as high latency can lead to delays in audio and video transmission, impacting the overall meeting experience.
2. Jitter: Jitter represents the variability in the delay of received data packets. It quantifies the fluctuations in packet delivery times. In Zoom, maintaining low jitter is essential for a consistent and smooth audio-visual experience during virtual meetings, as high jitter can result in disruptions and uneven performance.
3. Packet Loss: Packet loss is the percentage of data packets that do not reach their intended destination. In Zoom, monitoring packet loss is vital as it directly impacts the quality of audio and video. High packet loss can lead to distorted or missing elements in the communication stream.
4. Bandwidth Usage: Bandwidth usage refers to the amount of data transferred over the network within a specified timeframe, typically measured in bits per second. Adequate bandwidth is crucial for Zoom's optimal performance, and monitoring bandwidth usage ensures that the network can support video calls without degradation in quality.
5. Network Congestion: Network congestion occurs when there is a high volume of data, leading to delays in packet delivery. Identifying and addressing network congestion is essential for preventing performance issues during peak usage times, ensuring a smooth and uninterrupted Zoom experience.
6. VoIP Quality: VoIP Quality measures the clarity and reliability of audio during a virtual call. It encompasses factors such as audio clarity, absence of distortion, and smoothness of voice transmission. Monitoring VoIP Quality is crucial for ensuring that participants can communicate effectively without disruptions or degradation in audio performance.
7. MOS Score (Mean Opinion Score): MOS Score is a numerical value assigned to the perceived quality of a communication session, with higher scores indicating better quality. It is derived from subjective assessments provided by users. Monitoring MOS Score provides a quantifiable measure of the overall user satisfaction with audio and visual elements in Zoom meetings, helping to maintain a high-quality communication experience.
8. Round-Trip Time (RTT): Round-Trip Time measures the total time it takes for a signal to travel from the sender to the receiver and back. Low RTT is critical for real-time communication, and in Zoom, monitoring RTT helps maintain minimal delays in audio and video transmission, contributing to a more seamless meeting experience.
9. DNS Resolution Time: DNS Resolution Time is the duration it takes to translate domain names into corresponding IP addresses. Fast DNS resolution is crucial for a quick connection establishment in Zoom, contributing to an optimized overall connection speed and reducing potential delays in joining meetings.

To identify Zoom performance issues, you’ll want to let the Agents run and collect data for some time. If you’re unlucky enough, you’ll see the performance issues after just a few minutes, but we recommend letting the Agents collect data for at least 3 hours.

Obkio can then detect outages within 5 seconds and network degradation within a minute. So Obkio can identify the exact moment that your Zoom Internet connection becomes unstable, according to Zoom, including:

• The cause and source of the network problems.
• Where and when they happened.
• And who is responsible for fixing it.

Continuous Monitoring:

Regular and continuous monitoring of key network metrics, such as latency, jitter, packet loss, and bandwidth usage, is essential. This proactive approach allows for the early identification of anomalies that may indicate a potential deterioration in network performance.

Automated Baseline Comparison:

Establishing baseline values for network metrics under normal conditions enables automated systems to compare real-time data against these benchmarks. Deviations from the baseline trigger alerts, signalling potential network issues that require attention.

Customizable Alerts:

Obkio's Network Monitoring tool offers customizable alert settings, allowing users to define specific thresholds for various network metrics. This customization ensures that alerts are tailored to the organization's unique performance requirements.

Setting threshold values for critical network metrics allows for the automatic triggering of alerts when these values are exceeded. For example, if latency surpasses a predefined threshold, an alert is generated, prompting an immediate investigation.

User Experience Monitoring:

Incorporating user experience metrics, such as MOS Score and VoIP Quality, into real-time monitoring provides a holistic view of the end-user's perspective. A sudden drop in these metrics signals a potential decline in the overall quality of virtual communication.

Graphical Dashboards:

Obkio's intuitive dashboards present real-time graphical representations of network metrics. These visualizations aid in quickly identifying patterns, trends, and anomalies, streamlining the troubleshooting process.

Historical Data Analysis:

The tool's capacity for storing historical data allows for in-depth analysis of past network performance. This historical context aids IT professionals in identifying recurring issues, understanding patterns, and implementing preventive measures.

By employing these strategies and leveraging the features of Obkio's Network Monitoring tool, organizations can enhance their capability to detect and respond to poor network connections in real-time. This proactive approach ensures a resilient network infrastructure, fostering uninterrupted and high-quality virtual collaboration.

In the step above, we talked about identifying Zoom performance issues, but, what are some of the most common? In this section, we explore common Zoom performance issues that often stem from network-related challenges. From audio disruptions to video lag, these issues can impede the fluidity of virtual meetings. Understanding and addressing these challenges is vital for enhancing the overall Zoom experience.

We'll also delve into the common symptoms of network-related performance issues and discuss effective troubleshooting strategies to ensure smooth, interruption-free Zoom meetings. Whether you're grappling with video freezing or frequent disconnections, this guide will equip you with insights and solutions to optimize your network for a more reliable and high-quality virtual collaboration.

Pro-Tip: For a detailed guide on how to troubleshoot Zoom issues, check out our article on Zoom Troubleshooting. Obkio can also help you perform a Zoom assessment to identify issues and ensure that your network requirements are meeting those needed to support Zoom.

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Zoom Audio and Video Lag: Participants experience delays in audio or video transmission during meetings. High latency or jitter in the network can result in delays, impacting real-time communication.

Poor Zoom Audio Quality: Distorted or unclear audio during Zoom meetings. Issues like high packet loss, low bandwidth, or network congestion can lead to degraded audio quality.

Zoom Video Freezing or Pixelation: Video streams freeze or become pixelated during meetings. Insufficient bandwidth, high jitter, or packet loss can contribute to video quality issues.

Choppy Zoom Video Playback: Video playback is not smooth; it appears choppy or stutters. Network congestion, low bandwidth, or insufficient resources on the participant's device may cause choppy video playback.

Frequent Zoom Disconnections: Participants get disconnected from Zoom meetings repeatedly. Unstable network connections, high packet loss, or issues with firewall settings can lead to frequent disconnections.

Inability to Join or Start Zoom Meetings: Users encounter difficulties in joining or starting Zoom meetings. Network restrictions, firewall issues, or DNS resolution problems may prevent users from initiating or joining meetings.

Zoom Echo or Feedback: Participants hear echoes or feedback during meetings. Audio feedback can occur due to issues with microphone settings, network latency, or inappropriate audio configurations.

Zoom Video Quality Automatically Adjusting: Zoom automatically adjusts video quality during a meeting. Network instability or insufficient bandwidth may trigger Zoom to adjust video quality dynamically.

Zoom Meeting Delays and Laggy Interactions: Delays and lags in interactions, such as screen sharing or chat responses. High latency, network congestion, or insufficient bandwidth can lead to delays in various meeting interactions.

To address these issues, it's crucial to monitor network metrics, diagnose the root causes, and implement appropriate solutions. Regular network monitoring and troubleshooting can significantly improve the overall performance and reliability of Zoom meetings.

When confronted with the frustrating "Poor Network Connection" error in Zoom, troubleshooting takes a systematic approach. In this section, we provide a step-by-step guide to identifying and resolving network problems in Zoom, with a focus on addressing common causes such as bandwidth issues and network congestion.

Pro-Tip: For a detailed guide on how to troubleshoot Zoom issues, check out our article on Zoom Troubleshooting.

1. Check Internet Connection:

Verify Connectivity: Ensure that your device is properly connected to the Internet.

Speed Test: Conduct an Internet speed test to assess the upload and download speeds.

2. Restart Zoom and Networking Equipment:

Close and Reopen Zoom: Exit the Zoom application and relaunch it to refresh the connection.

Restart Modem/Router: Power cycle your modem and router to eliminate potential glitches.

3. Update Zoom and Network Drivers:

Update Zoom: Ensure that you are using the latest version of the Zoom application.

Update Network Drivers: Keep network drivers up-to-date to address compatibility issues.

4. Check Other Applications:

Bandwidth-Hungry Apps: Close or limit the usage of other bandwidth-intensive applications during Zoom meetings.

Firewall and Security Software: Temporarily disable or adjust firewall settings to check for potential conflicts.

5. Switch Network Connection:

Wi-Fi to Ethernet: If possible, switch from Wi-Fi to a wired Ethernet connection for a more stable and reliable network connection.

6. Adjust Zoom Settings:

Video Quality: Lower the video quality in Zoom settings to reduce bandwidth requirements.

Disable HD Video: Turn off HD video if experiencing bandwidth limitations.

7. Use Network Monitoring Tools:

Employ network monitoring tools, such as Obkio, to track key metrics like latency, packet loss, and bandwidth usage in real-time.

8. Address Bandwidth Issues:

Increase Bandwidth: If possible, upgrade your internet plan to a higher bandwidth to accommodate Zoom's requirements.

Prioritize Zoom Traffic: Adjust Quality of Service (QoS) settings on your router to prioritize Zoom traffic.

9. Mitigate Network Congestion:

Limit the number of devices connected to the network during Zoom meetings to reduce congestion.

1. Contact Internet Service Provider (ISP):

ISP Assistance: If issues persist, contact your ISP for assistance. They can perform diagnostics and address potential network infrastructure problems.

By following these steps, users and IT professionals can systematically troubleshoot "Poor Network Connection" issues in Zoom. Identifying and addressing common causes, especially related to bandwidth and network congestion, can significantly enhance the stability and performance of virtual meetings.

In the realm of unified communications, prevention is often the best cure.

Ever found yourself amid a crucial Zoom meeting, only to be greeted by the dreaded "Poor Network Connection" sign? We've all been there. That's why in this final section, we're taking a closer look at the game-changing combo of prevention and proactive monitoring.

Continuous, Real-Time Zoom Monitoring:

Invest in real-time network monitoring solutions, like Obkio, to continuously track key metrics such as latency, jitter, and bandwidth usage This allows IT teams to proactively address potential issues, optimize network settings, and ensure a resilient infrastructure for virtual collaboration.

Regular Network Assessments:

Conduct regular assessments of the network infrastructure to identify potential vulnerabilities or areas for improvement. This proactive approach helps preemptively address issues before they impact Zoom performance.

Prioritize Quality of Service (QoS):

Implement QoS settings on routers to prioritize Zoom traffic over other less time-sensitive data. This ensures that audio and video packets receive preferential treatment, minimizing the impact of network congestion.

Bandwidth Allocation:

Allocate sufficient bandwidth for Zoom meetings by reviewing and adjusting network settings. This includes ensuring that other applications or devices don't consume an excessive amount of bandwidth during critical virtual meetings.

Enable UDP (User Datagram Protocol):

Opt for UDP over TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) for Zoom traffic. UDP is more suitable for real-time communication as it reduces latency by transmitting data without error-checking, ensuring a smoother experience during video and audio calls.

Update Network Hardware:

Regularly update routers, switches, and other networking hardware to the latest firmware versions. New firmware often includes performance improvements and security patches that can positively impact overall network stability.

Network Security Configuration:

Review firewall and security software settings to ensure they do not excessively restrict Zoom traffic. Allow the necessary ports for Zoom communication to pass through the firewall to avoid disruptions.

VPN Considerations:

If using a Virtual Private Network (VPN), ensure it is configured correctly for optimal Zoom performance. Directing Zoom traffic through the VPN might lead to increased latency, affecting call quality.

Capacity Planning:

Engage in capacity planning exercises to anticipate the network's demands. Consider the number of concurrent Zoom users, the associated bandwidth requirements, and potential growth. Planning allows for adjustments and optimizations to accommodate increased usage.

Automated Alerts and Notifications:

Set up automated alerts and notifications for critical network metrics. Establish predefined thresholds for latency, packet loss, and other key indicators. Automated alerts ensure that IT teams are promptly notified of any deviations from optimal network performance.

Historical Data Analysis:

Leverage historical data provided by monitoring tools to analyze trends and patterns. Examining past performance allows IT teams to identify recurring issues, understand their root causes, and implement preventive measures for ongoing optimization.

Scalable Network Architecture:

Design network architecture with scalability in mind. Accommodate future growth in Zoom usage by ensuring that the network can handle increased traffic without compromising performance.

By combining preventive measures with proactive monitoring, organizations can foster a resilient and optimized network environment for Zoom. This approach not only minimizes disruptions during virtual meetings but also sets the stage for a consistently reliable and high-quality collaboration experience over time.

As we wrap up our guide to Zoom monitoring and Zoom performance optimization, one thing stands clear – a seamless virtual collaboration experience isn't just a wish; it's a well-crafted strategy. We've explored preventive measures that act as your armour, fending off potential disruptions, and delved into the realm of proactive Zoom monitoring, the vigilant guardian against unexpected network hiccups.

Remember, the key lies in staying one step ahead, anticipating challenges, and embracing tools that make this process a breeze. That's where Obkio’s Network Performance Monitoring tool steps in. With real-time network monitoring and customizable alerts, Obkio becomes your trusty co-pilot, ensuring your Zoom meetings stay on course, free from turbulence.

So, whether you're an IT pro steering the ship or a Zoom enthusiast eager for glitch-free interactions, take charge today. Elevate your Zoom experience with Obkio, because in the world of virtual collaboration, brilliance begins with proactive monitoring.

Your seamless Zoom journey awaits – let’s make it happen!

• 14-day free trial of all premium features
• Deploy in just 10 minutes
• Monitor performance in all key network locations
• Measure real-time network metrics
• Identify and troubleshoot live network problems