Microsoft Teams Quality Issue

[QuantumPhys]

Hello all,

I've got an odd issue which I'm hoping someone can offer a steer on.

I have the EE 1.6 Gb Full Fibre Busiest Home package with a Smart Hub Plus.

All seemed to be working fine until my original Smart Hub Plus failed in Jan 2025. This was attributed to a bad firmware update, and a new hub was sent out. I connected this up and again everything appeared to be ok, until colleagues at work started complaining that my video during MS Teams calls was regularly freezing. On my end, I didn't see any issues - I could see and hear everyone else fine so it came as a surprise. Setting up a test meeting that just included me, I recorded myself and when playing back immediately found that the video and audio both freeze and stutter. This is readily reproducible, although sometimes the performance is extremely bad with the video completely frozen. Strangely, this only affects the MS Teams desktop app, with connections via the web browser still being good quality.

So far, everything else seems ok - stable and fast connection (getting around 1.6 Gbps routinely).

Here's what I've tried so far:

• Updated Teams and all drivers on laptop.
• Direct cable connection to router with WiFi turned off and all other devices disconnected. No difference.
• Laptop on WiFi on corporate network - absolutely fine, no surprise.
• Laptop on WiFi in various coffee shops and on friend's home broadband - all much slower connections than mine and Teams is absolutely fine. Often extremely good.
• Used phone as 4G hotspot - absolutely fine - extremely good video and audio.
• Replaced the Smart Hub Plus with an old Asus router I used with a previous ISP - connected to ONT. Connects via PPPoE fine with reasonable speed (around 750 Mbps although using 2.5G port as WAN port, so a little surprised it's not faster).  Connection appears very stable and no obvious issues shown by ThinkBroadband BQM. However, Teams behaves exactly the same as with the EE router - terrible video and audio.
• Configured Hotspot VPN on Asus router - set location to South England. Connection speed is around 100 Mbps. However, Teams now works absolutely fine. Very good audio and video. Turned off VPN - fast connection restored and Teams video and audio revert to being terrible.

This suggests to me it might be some network infrastructure issue, rather than a problem with the Smart Hub Plus or with the laptop / Teams. Could the route the traffic is following make a difference? If so, how would I go about pinpointing this? The Microsoft 365 connectivity tests don't flag up anything obvious.

After much testing to convince myself there was an issue with the connection I called EE and an engineer visited. He indicated there had been some problems with the Smart Hub Plus on fast connections, tried to run a series of tests but these didn't complete. Reason unclear. However, he was confident that the new Smart Hub Pro would resolve the issues although he wasn't allowed to issue one himself.

Engineer left, job appeared to be closed, then I got a message from OpenReach asking me to arrange a call so that equipment could be delivered. I did, got put through to EE, with the guide saying that I really should have had the Smart Hub Pro already and that he'd get one sent out, although the process for doing this was very difficult. That was almost a couple of weeks ago. Being concerned this wasn't being progressed I got back in touch - over multiple calls now, once I get past the agent telling me I've got a very fast connection and they can't see an issue or find open jobs, when they review previous notes there's a record somewhere to an order being placed, but no-one can find out what. It appears I'm now down as a new customer and something needs to be progressed by the "New IT" team, even though I've been with EE for over a year.

So, perhaps a Smart Hub Pro will be sent out, which will be good because it sounds like I'm entitled to one on my package.

However, I'm not convinced the hub itself is the issue, given that the Asus router performs similarly, except when a VPN is active.

Does anyone have any thoughts about what might be happening?

Thanks!

 

[MrD1L]

This worked for me in almost real time on a call. Read this post, called a colleague and within seconds packet loss went to zero.

Looking forward to see what can be done long term

[Stephen789]

This is affecting me.  Interested to see if any solutions are available.

[HomeNetworkGuy]

I've called support 3 times. I've not yet managed to get to speak to a network engineer. Last call I was told that there is a detectable fault outside my property and Openreach have to attend to troubleshoot. I've not heard anything since.  I'm very sceptical that the drops are happening at Openreach's level, I think it's somewhere in the EE network itself (although to be fair I don't know how their network's designed).

I'll give them a while longer, but if I can't get to speak to someone who can actually impact the situation I'll have to speak to them about being released from the contract (assuming I'm locked in for a period of time) and move to a different ISP who doesn't drop the tiny amount of EF & AF41 packets that I'm sending.

[MrD1L]

@Stephen789  did you try @HomeNetworkGuy suggestion:

Windows -> Intel Connectivity Performance Suite -> Advanced Settings -> Turn Off "Prioritiation"

[Stephen789]

Thank you so much!!!!  Seems to have done the trick.

[yellowvandan]

I’ve just raised this issue over chat within the app and referenced this thread. The very helpful person did a few checks and confirmed this is a known issue. EE are working with MS to resolve it. As a short term solution they will be sending me a BT Smart hub 2 this week. Once it has been resolved they’ll send a new Smart hub. 

[jonathan_c]

hmm I hope they're also working on it with Zoom and Cisco as well then.

[HomeNetworkGuy]

I don't think it's an application issue, they've almost certainly just set up the QoS queuing incorrectly 

[jonathan_c]

Apologies - my "pinch of salt" sarcasm was perhaps too subtle.

I have my doubts that EE are working with MSFT around this. Its not an app issue. its not even a peering issues between MSFT and EE/BT network as a greater number of BT/EE customers would be impacted.

The simple replacement of the new hub to old, is a pretty good indicator that EE know the issue.

[yellowvandan]

I probably should have been a bit clearer but I shared what was said rather than what I believe is actually happening.  They also said they were compiling a list of impacted users and asked for the org I work for.  

Working with MS could have been how the 1st line support interpreted what 2nd line said, or possibly thought they were making it easier for me to understand.

I haven’t yet had any delivery confirmation for the BT hub which they said I should get within 24 hours (confirmation rather than the hub itself). Will update when something happens or fails to happen when they said it would.

in any case, it does sound like it’s a recognised and actively managed issue