Troubleshooting: Issues with Zendesk Talk

Issues with your connection and environment cause performance problems when you use web-based software such as Zendesk Talk. System or network issues might not appear during regular ticketing but become obvious with a telephony connection. This article provides steps to fix these issues. Before you begin, ask these questions to rule out common issues:

Did Talk work before? Check if your IT team changed your network or computer, or added new software or add-ons

Is the issue affecting other agents or just you? If the issue affects only you, check your local settings and network. If you and other agents have issues, check with your IT and networking teams first, especially if you use a company‑managed laptop

Can agents who use unified agent status take calls? If you use unified agent status, make sure agents have appropriate Talk permissions and check the live dashboard to confirm agents appear online for Talk calls
See these common Talk issues:
Talk does not work
Voice quality
Dropped calls
EC# error
Call status issues
Talk does not work
Talk problems relate to your network. In office setups, network teams block some ports or IP addresses. Ask your network team to confirm that you meet all Talk network requirements. For more information, see Talk network requirements
Perform these checks:

Check the Zendesk and Twilio status pages for outages
Check the Agent leg quality issues report in Explore to identify call quality issues on your team and with specific agents

Fix voice quality issues
Use these checks to fix call quality:


Ask your IT team whether your Talk traffic goes through a virtual private network (VPN). If it does, make sure Talk traffic does not go through your company network. Your IT department can split-tunnel this traffic or remove the Zendesk IP addresses from the VPN.
Talk does not work with multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) or VPN due to Twilio's edge network architecture requirements.

Run the Twilio network test to confirm ports are open, speed is adequate, and you connect to the right endpoint. To use these results, see How to use the Twilio network test to troubleshoot Talk agent calls?

Connect your computer to your router with an Ethernet cable. Wi‑Fi works, but Ethernet is stable because other wireless devices can interfere with the signal
Try a different web browser to rule out a browser issue
Connect your headset to the computer with a 3.5 mm cable instead of Bluetooth. A USB connection is better than Bluetooth. Other wireless devices and signals degrade audio. To rule out the headset as the cause, use your computer speakers and make a test call
If you use a gaming headset, deactivate its audio driver software. It is not supported and causes issues with Talk. Sometimes browsers, such as Chrome, do not synchronize fast enough in this situation
Make sure your internet connection is stable. If your web browser passes the Twilio test and you still have issues, your connection might be unstable. You might drop network packets or have a connection that slows down at times. Your IT or network team can run software over time to measure stability. Do this yourself only if you feel comfortable and your company's IT department allows it

To see how stable your internet connection is:

If you are at home, reboot your router
Run a ping test for 10 to 15 minutes, especially when you have problems. Check for stability and packet loss. See the image below for a short example of the test results

In addition to www.zendesk.com, test the Twilio client endpoints with a ping test

Make sure the ping time in ms is adequate and stays consistent. In most cases, you want zero packet loss. If you see as much as 1% packet loss in 15 minutes, this might affect your connection. Talk with your IT department or contact your internet service provider for help.
Network connectivity test endpoints
Endpoint URLs may be updated by Twilio. Always verify against current Twilio documentation before configuring firewalls or network policies.
Make sure the ping time in ms is adequate and stays consistent. In most cases, you want zero packet loss. If you see as much as 1% packet loss in 15 minutes, this might affect your connection. Talk with your IT department or contact your internet service provider for help.
Dropped calls If calls drop after two minutes, check with your admin. You might use a trial account. Talk trial accounts limit calls to two minutes. If calls drop every time you call one of your numbers and you use an IVR setup, create a custom greeting. Without a greeting in the right interactive voice response (IVR) menu locations, the system hangs up. If you already have a greeting, a corrupt audio file can cause the same behavior. Re-record the audio file and upload it again to rule this out. EC# error
See an <EC#> error example:
EC# errors often come from your network or router configuration. They indicate that Talk does not have an adequate network connection. This can occur anywhere on the network, but it often results from local network limits or from a computer that does not meet the minimum requirements to make the connection. Review the Talk network requirements. Ensure all ports are open. Also review the steps above. If you still experience EC# errors, Contact Zendesk Customer Support with a screenshot of your firewall and router settings that shows these open ports.
For more information on what to include in a ticket about Talk, see How can I share example calls for troubleshooting a Talk issue?
Call status issues If you refresh your page, your agent status might change to unavailable in Talk. An agent needs to manually reset their Talk agent state to become available. Do not refresh your browser page when you want to receive calls. If you cannot determine the cause of your quality issues and your issue is specific to call routing, see Why are phone calls not routing to agents?
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What is Zendesk Talk or why do network issues cause call performance problems or telephony connection issues?
Connection and environment issues cause performance problems when you use web-based software such as Zendesk Talk. System or network issues might not appear during regular ticketing but become obvious with a telephony connection.

How do I test my local settings or investigate single agent connection problems or troubleshoot individual network issues?
Before you begin, ask if Talk worked before. Check if your IT team changed your network or computer, or added new software or add-ons. If the issue affects only you or your specific team member, check your local settings and network.

How do I check if unified agent status takes calls or why are phone calls not routing to agents?
If you use unified agent status, make sure agents or team members have appropriate Talk permissions. Check the live dashboard to confirm agents or team members appear online for Talk calls. If you cannot determine the cause of your quality issues and your issue is specific to call routing, see why are phone calls not routing to agents.

How do I identify team call quality issues or see Zendesk outages or view Twilio status?
Perform these checks to see why Talk does not work. Check the Zendesk and Twilio status pages for outages. Check the Agent leg quality issues report in Explore or reporting to identify call quality issues on your team or with specific agents.

How do I fix call quality or remove VPN from Talk traffic or split-tunnel company network?
Ask your IT team whether your Talk traffic goes through a virtual private network or VPN. If it does, make sure Talk traffic does not go through your company network. Your IT department can split-tunnel this traffic or remove the Zendesk IP addresses from the VPN. Talk does not work with multiprotocol label switching or MPLS or VPN due to Twilio's edge network architecture requirements.

How do I run the Twilio network test or troubleshoot Talk agent calls or verify open ports?
Run the Twilio network test to confirm ports are open, speed is adequate, and you connect to the right endpoint. To use these results, see how to use the Twilio network test to troubleshoot Talk agent calls.

How do I stabilize my Talk signal or eliminate wireless headset interference or change web browsers?
Connect your computer to your router with an Ethernet cable. Ethernet is stable because other wireless devices can interfere with the signal. Try a different web browser to rule out a browser issue. Connect your headset to the computer with a 3.5 mm cable or a USB connection instead of Bluetooth, as other wireless devices and signals degrade audio. To rule out the headset as the cause, use your computer speakers and make a test call. If you use a gaming headset, deactivate its audio driver software because it is not supported and causes issues with Talk.

How do I test internet connection stability or run a ping test or check for packet loss?
If your web browser passes the Twilio test and you still have issues, your connection might be unstable. If you are at home, reboot your router. Run a ping test for 10 to 15 minutes, especially when you have problems, and check for stability and packet loss. Test the Twilio client endpoints in addition to www.zendesk.com with a ping test. Make sure the ping time in ms is adequate and stays consistent. Talk with your IT department or contact your internet service provider or user account network provider for help if you see as much as 1% packet loss in 15 minutes.

Why do my calls drop after two minutes or does a trial account limit call duration?
If calls drop after two minutes, check with your admin. You might use a trial account. Talk trial accounts limit calls to two minutes.

Why does the system hang up on IVR or how do I fix an interactive voice response greeting?
If calls drop every time you call one of your numbers and you use an IVR setup, create a custom greeting. Without a greeting in the right interactive voice response or IVR menu locations, the system hangs up. If you already have a greeting, a corrupt audio file causes the same behavior. Re-record the audio file and upload it again to rule this out.

What is an EC# error or why does Talk show network limits or how do I fix firewall ports?
EC# errors often come from your network or router configuration. They indicate that Talk does not have an adequate network connection. This occurs anywhere on the network, but it often results from local network limits or from a computer that does not meet the minimum requirements to make the connection. Review the Talk network requirements and ensure all ports are open. If you still experience EC# errors, contact Zendesk Customer Support or help desk system with a screenshot of your firewall and router settings that shows these open ports. See how can I share example calls for troubleshooting a Talk issue to know what to include in a ticket.

Why does my agent state change to unavailable or can I refresh my browser during calls?
If you refresh your page, your agent status or state might change to unavailable in Talk. An agent or team member needs to manually reset their Talk agent state to become available. Do not refresh your browser page when you want to receive calls.


