🔍 First: Is It Teams or Your Network?
Before spending time in the Teams admin centre, rule out network issues. Run a speed test at speedtest.net and a Teams-specific network test at aka.ms/netstatus. If your internet connection is fine and Microsoft's services are showing green, the issue is in Teams configuration.
| Symptom | Most Likely Cause | Where to Check |
|---|---|---|
| Can't make outbound calls | Licence or Direct Routing issue | Teams admin → Users → Policy |
| Inbound calls not ringing | Number routing misconfigured | Teams admin → Voice → Phone numbers |
| Echo or feedback | Microphone/speaker issue or processing | Update Teams, check audio device |
| Call drops after 30 seconds | SIP timer or firewall issue | Teams admin → PSTN usage |
| Poor quality on certain calls | Network path to Microsoft | Network connectivity report |
| Teams shows 'not connected' | Microsoft outage or licence issue | M365 service health dashboard |
| Emergency calls not working | Emergency calling policy | Teams admin → Emergency policies |
⚙️ The Teams Admin Centre: Key Places to Check
Most Teams calling configuration lives in the Teams Admin Centre (admin.teams.microsoft.com). The key sections for diagnosing call issues:
- Users → select user → Voice tab: Shows which phone number is assigned, which calling policy applies, and whether the user has a Phone System licence.
- Voice → Phone numbers: Shows all numbers in your tenant and which users they're assigned to.
- Voice → Direct Routing: If using Direct Routing (e.g. via Telexico), shows SBC status and whether it's showing as connected.
- Analytics & reports → Call quality dashboard: Microsoft's own call quality data — shows percentage of poor calls and network quality metrics.
🔧 Direct Routing Specific Issues
If you're using Direct Routing (an external SIP provider like Telexico connecting Teams to the phone network), check the SBC health first:
- Teams Admin → Voice → Direct Routing → SBCs — the SBC should show as 'Active' with green status.
- If the SBC shows 'Inactive', the TLS connection between Microsoft and your provider has failed — contact your Direct Routing provider.
- PSTN Usage Records and Voice Routing Policies must be correctly linked to the user — a common misconfiguration after user changes.
📋 Licence Troubleshooting
Missing or misconfigured licences account for a surprisingly high proportion of Teams calling failures. A user needs all of the following to make and receive external calls:
| Licence | Purpose | Where to Check |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft 365 (any tier) | Base Teams access | M365 Admin → Users → Licences |
| Teams Phone (add-on) | Phone system capability | M365 Admin → Licences |
| Calling Plan OR Direct Routing | PSTN connectivity | Teams Admin → Voice |
| Phone number assigned | Individual DID number | Teams Admin → Voice → Phone numbers |
⚠️ Licence propagation delay
When you assign a new licence or change a policy in Teams, it can take up to 24 hours to fully propagate to the user's client. If something 'should' be working after a recent change, wait 2–4 hours and retest before escalating.
☎️ When to Contact Microsoft vs Your Direct Routing Provider
Contact Microsoft support for: licence activation issues, Teams service outages, admin centre access problems, Teams client bugs.
Contact your Direct Routing provider (Telexico) for: calls failing to connect to external numbers, inbound calls not reaching Teams, SBC showing inactive, number porting issues.
Telexico manages Teams Direct Routing for UK businesses — support included for routing and SBC issues.
Get Teams Direct Routing Support →