How do I fix my friends web mic?

When we are video chatting sometimes I suddenly hear a lot of static then my friends mic cuts out. I believe the problem is on my friend’s end. I have chatted with other friends and there has been no problem. It has happened on msn messenger and skype.

It has happened with the webcam mic combo and with just a usb headset. My friend is using a sony vaio laptop.

What might be the problem? What could we do to fix it? If we use a non-usb headset would I made a difference? http://www.mrgadget.com.au/catalog/images/plantronics_audio_90_stereo_pc_headset.gif