With remote work and virtual collaboration now business staples, an optimized video conferencing system is crucial. QoS configurations prioritize critical traffic, particularly voice and video over less essential services. This guide explores how QoS transforms video conferencing from jittery to seamless, ensuring top-level performance across video conferencing equipment, virtual meeting platforms, and online meeting platforms.
Why QoS Matters in Video Conferencing
Video calls are burst-sensitive: sudden bitrate spikes must be handled with precision. Without QoS, congestion floods networks with low-priority packets leading to delays, dropped frames, and frustrated users.
A study on multimedia traffic demonstrated that above 70% link utilization, video quality degraded significantly underscoring the need for packet prioritization to uphold call quality.
Configuring QoS on Meraki for Conferencing Success
Step-by-Step Implementation on Meraki Stack:
- Tag Voice/Video at Source – Virtual meeting platforms automatically mark streams.
- Enable AP Trust & WMM – In Dashboard → Wireless → QoS, trust DSCP tags and enable voice/video prioritization.
- Switch Port Trust – Dashboard → Switch → Configure → Ports: trust DSCP or set values manually (EF = 46).
- WAN Shaping on MX – Dashboard → Security & SD-WAN → Traffic shaping: prioritize “All VoIP & video conferencing,” set DSCP 46, High priority, and per-flow limits of ~5 Mbps.
- Set Per-Client & SSID Limits – Prevent saturation by limiting non-essential traffic during peak calls.
Best Practices for QoS Success
- Separate SSIDs for conferencing devices; enforce 5 GHz only, WPA2/3, VLAN tagging.
- 802.11r Fast Roaming – ensures handoff without audio or video glitches.
- Pre-Install RF Surveys – aim for –67 dBm signal and ≥ 25 dB SINR in all conferencing zones.
- Backhaul Stability – use at least 2.5 Gbps Ethernet to support multiple HD/4K calls.
- Monitor QoE Metrics – track jitter (<10 ms), loss (<1%), and MOS scores (~4.0+).
- Graceful Updates – schedule firmware patches outside core meeting times.
Real-World Case: Alfuzail Optimizes Riyadh HQ Calls
At Alfuzail’s Riyadh HQ:
- Enabled DSCP tags across APs, switches, MX firewalls
- Created dedicated SSIDs and VLANs for Zoom/Webex traffic
- Set MX rules prioritizing DSCP 46, limiting non-essential data to 5 Mbps
- Implemented RF surveys across 3 conference rooms
Results:
- Jitter dropped below 6 ms
- Packet loss reduced to <0.5% during peak usage
- MOS improved from 3.5 to 4.2 in large Zoom meetings
QoS Across Video Conferencing Platforms
Most video conferencing platforms (Zoom, Webex, Teams) utilize RTP/UDP and mark media streams as DSCP 46 (EF). QoS flows based on tag trust and queueing making your video conferencing equipment configuration essential in realizing platform-level performance guarantees.
Quick Reference Table: QoS DSCP/CoS Mapping
| Traffic Type | DSCP Value | WMM UP | MS CoS | MX Priority |
| Voice/Video | EF (46) | 6 | 5 | High |
| Best Effort | Default | 0 | 0 | Normal |
| Background | AF1–AF3 | 1–4 | 1–4 | Low |
QoS and Wi-Fi 7: A Future-Proof Match for Conferencing
As enterprises begin to adopt Wi-Fi 7, the landscape of video conferencing systems is set to evolve dramatically. With its multi-link operation (MLO), deterministic latency, and 320 MHz channels, Wi-Fi 7 natively supports low-latency, high-bandwidth use cases like 4K/8K conferencing and immersive VR meetings.
But here’s the catch: even with all that bandwidth, Quality of Service (QoS) will still play a pivotal role.
How QoS Enhances Wi-Fi 7 for Conferencing:
- Multi-Link Prioritization: Assign video traffic to lower-latency links within a Wi-Fi 7 setup
- Application-Aware QoS: Platforms like Cisco Meraki are evolving to support app-specific traffic shaping in Wi-Fi 7 APs
- Improved MU-MIMO Efficiency: QoS queues reduce collision and contention delays in dense environments
- Integration with Ethernet QoS: Seamless QoS from Wi-Fi 7 AP to Meraki switches and MX firewalls ensures end-to-end performance
Pro Tip: Alfuzail recommends pairing Meraki MR access points with MX SD-WAN appliances to fully leverage QoS benefits across your video conferencing platforms, now and in the Wi-Fi 7 future.
Final Thoughts
Implementing QoS isn’t optional it’s foundational to deploying a professional video conferencing system. Alfuzail specializes in architecting secure, cloud-managed environments using Meraki’s end-to-end ecosystem ensuring your teams can collaborate clearly, reliably, and confidently.
Contact Alfuzail today for a QoS health check, video conferencing audit, or full-stack deployment roadmap.