Overview
The Sharpen platform is built to work with your existing equipment with minimal configuration required. However, software privacy settings, browser permissions, network conditions, and hardware issues can occasionally interrupt your experience. This article covers the most common Sharpen Q Phone symptoms, their likely causes, and recommended steps to resolve them.
If you are working with the Sharpen Care team on an active issue, the diagnostic guides below can help gather the information needed for advanced troubleshooting.
Diagnostic Guides
Guide |
Purpose |
|---|---|
Validate correct microphone permissions for Google Chrome |
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Validate correct microphone permissions at the OS level |
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Gather Chrome console and network logs for advanced troubleshooting |
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Gather packet capture data for connectivity and audio issues |
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Gather WebRTC internals logs from Google Chrome for audio issues |
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Gather advanced application logging from Google Chrome |
Symptoms & Solutions
Sharpen Q Phone Shows as "Disconnected"
If your microphone is not recognized by your operating system or browser, Sharpen will not have access to it. When Sharpen Q attempts to connect the phone and cannot reach an audio input device, the phone will show as disconnected.
Potential causes: Microphone not plugged in or available, microphone blocked by browser or OS privacy settings, Sharpen Q Phone not connected to Sharpen's WebRTC infrastructure.
Recommended steps:
Validate the physical connection of your headset or microphone.
Validate or update the audio driver for your microphone device.
Select the appropriate audio input device from your OS sound settings.
Allow microphone access through your OS settings for browser applications.
Allow microphone access through Chrome for the Sharpen application.
Confirm the correct microphone is selected in Chrome's audio settings.
Validate that the ports required for WebRTC are open on your network.
Contact Sharpen Care to confirm the health of the WebRTC and Voice Processor infrastructure.
Cannot Place or Connect a Call — Interface Shows "Connecting" Then Fails
This symptom has the same underlying causes as the disconnected phone state. Sharpen Q is initiating the call but failing to reach an audio input device before the connection can complete.
Potential causes and recommended steps: Same as above.
One-Way Audio — Agent Cannot Hear the Remote Side
When the agent cannot hear the caller but the caller can hear the agent, the issue is typically a speaker configuration problem on the agent's side or a fault on the remote end. It is recommended to make a repeat attempt to confirm whether the behavior is consistent before escalating.
Potential causes: Agent output device set incorrectly or disconnected, faulty speaker or headset, remote side device fault, remote side carrier interruption, Sharpen infrastructure interruption, firewall configuration.
Recommended steps:
Validate that the correct output device is selected in your OS sound settings.
Replace or test an alternate audio output device.
Retry the call and ask the remote party to check their device.
Retry the call and ask the remote party to check with their carrier if the issue persists.
Contact Sharpen Care to assess the health of the WebRTC and Voice Processor infrastructure.
One-Way Audio — Remote Side Cannot Hear the Agent
When the caller cannot hear the agent, the issue is almost always a local microphone connection or configuration problem on the agent's workstation. Running a controlled test call before the start of business is a good habit if one-way audio has occurred previously.
Potential causes: Agent microphone not configured correctly or defective, remote side audio device issue, Sharpen infrastructure interruption, firewall configuration.
Recommended steps:
Validate that the correct input device is selected and configured in your OS sound settings.
Replace or test an alternate microphone or headset.
Retry the call and ask the remote party to check their device.
Contact Sharpen Care to assess the health of the WebRTC and Voice Processor infrastructure.
Unexpected Dropped Call
Dropped calls can have a wide range of root causes. The most common is a poor mobile signal on the remote end. If the source is unclear, Sharpen Care can review logs to determine whether the disconnect was initiated by the agent side, the system, or the remote party.
Potential causes: Remote carrier or device fault, agent ISP or local network interruption, browser or workstation interruption, audio device disconnection, or Sharpen infrastructure interruption.
Recommended steps:
Re-engage the caller promptly to determine whether the drop was expected or unexpected on their end.
Check with the agent's ISP for known outages at the time of the event. Reports should be filed within 24 hours for the best chance of getting useful data.
Review local network equipment performance and check for competing high-bandwidth activity such as streaming, gaming, or large downloads occurring at the same time.
Confirm the browser was responsive and not freezing or consuming excessive system resources.
Check the agent's workstation for resource exhaustion — high CPU, memory, or disk utilization can interrupt the WebRTC connection. Upgrading resources may be necessary.
Check whether the audio device (especially USB-connected headsets) experienced a brief disconnection, which can cause the OS and browser to lose track of the device.
Contact Sharpen Care for log review and infrastructure health assessment.
Delayed Audio
Audio delay is caused by latency somewhere between the caller and called party. Geographic distance, network congestion, and hardware bottlenecks are the most common contributors.
Potential causes: Carrier or ISP latency, local network latency, browser or workstation resource exhaustion, and Sharpen infrastructure degradation.
Recommended steps:
Call the remote party back and test whether the delay is consistent. If the delay occurs on non-Sharpen calls as well, the issue is likely on the remote end.
File a request with the agent's ISP as soon as possible; impact data older than 24 hours is rarely actionable. Be specific about timing and ask directly whether any interruptions occurred.
Engage the local network team, especially if multiple agents on the same network are affected.
Use the OS resource monitor to check CPU, memory, and disk utilization. If any resource is approaching 80%, increasing availability may help.
Contact Sharpen Care for infrastructure health review and log analysis.
Choppy Audio
Choppy audio is caused by lost or unprocessed audio packets, rather than a slow-but-ordered delivery as with delay. It is most commonly linked to performance constraints on local hardware, network equipment, or Sharpen's Voice Processor.
Potential causes: Carrier, ISP, or local network degradation, browser or workstation resource exhaustion, Sharpen infrastructure degradation.
Recommended steps:
Call the remote party back and test whether the choppiness persists on non-Sharpen calls. If so, the source is likely on the remote end.
File a request with the ISP promptly and ask specifically about packet loss to your endpoint.
Engage the local network team if multiple agents are affected simultaneously.
Use the OS resource monitor (Activity Monitor on macOS, Task Manager on Windows) to check for CPU, memory, or disk exhaustion. Resources approaching 80% utilization may be preventing timely audio packet processing.
Contact Sharpen Care to investigate infrastructure health if local causes have been ruled out.
Static Audio
Static or crackling audio is almost always a physical hardware issue. Due to the analog nature of the audio signal, electromagnetic interference, loose connections, or damaged cabling are the most common culprits.
Potential causes: Electromagnetic interference, faulty or loose device connection, damaged cabling, and power supply interference.
Recommended steps:
Reseat all cable connections and move cables to rule out interference. Physical issues require physical changes.
Test a backup headset or microphone to determine whether the issue follows the device.
Systematically rule out each piece of hardware until the source is identified.
Echo
Echo occurs when you hear your own voice after speaking or hear the remote party twice. It is most commonly caused by a combination of a high microphone gain and loud speaker output, which creates a feedback loop.
Potential causes: Acoustic interference in the room, microphone and speaker gain/volume imbalance, poor network connection, and faulty microphone or speaker.
Recommended steps:
Make sure you are in an acoustically appropriate space. Rooms with hard, reflective surfaces can bounce audio back to your microphone.
Lower your microphone gain and/or speaker volume. Searching for an "echo test call" online can help you validate whether your environment or settings are contributing to the issue.
Check your internet connection for sufficient bandwidth, as low bandwidth can contribute to echo.
If the issue persists, test a backup audio device to determine whether the hardware is at fault.