|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||
| Getting Started Welcome! We hope you enjoy placing calls using our software. We've designed it to be easy to use and with our users in mind. Here are some quick pointers to get you started. Please follow through the topics and troubleshooting information below and enjoy. Topics Recommended Equipment Logging Into The Software Preparing Your PC To Make Calls Selecting Public Mode or Private Mode of Operation Making That First Call Troubleshooting Topics How To Disable Application Launch At Startup I Received An "Invalid Number" Error Message I Can't Hear Anyone On The Other End Calling From Behind A NAT or A Firewall How to Optimize Voice Quality Recommended Equipment The application is available for most PCs using Windows 95 or newer with a sound card, speakers, and a PC microphone. If your PC has a sound card installed, all you need to use the application are PC speakers and a PC microphone. However, for best performance we recommend that you use a good-guality headset while placing calls. Back to top Logging Into The Software Each time your software is launched, you will be asked to enter your account number and PIN. You can set the application to log you in automatically by selecting "Store Account and PIN number on the PC" on the Mode tab. Back to top Preparing Your PC To Make Calls Before you use the application to place calls, you should run the "Audio Setup Wizard" to configure your microphone and speakers for optimal performance. To launch the wizard: 1. Open the application's main window. 2. From the "File" menu, select "Audio Setup Wizard." This will launch the setup application. Follow the instructions on your screen and you will be speaking through your PC as clear as can be! However, we recommend a good headset for the best call experience. Back to top Selecting Public Mode or Private Mode of Operation The dialer software will install in the Public Mode by default. This protects the user's account number and PIN (personal identification number). An explanation of the features of each mode are described: Public Mode The dialer software is to be made available to the Public such as in an Internet Café or a Public Call Shop, and each individual caller will use his or her own unique prepaid account number and PIN number. 1. The user enters the phone number to be dialed, and clicks "Dial". 2. A window opens asking for the user's account and PIN numbers. Clicking "OK" starts the call. 3. When the call is completed, the user clicks "End." Immediately, a window will open asking if the user wants to make another call. The user has 5 seconds in which to reply. A visible counter ticks off the seconds. If the user responds "No," then the account and PIN numbers are erased. To place a new call the user will have to enter both the account number and PIN number. 4. If the user replies "Yes," then the user has 10 seconds in which to enter a new phone number and click "Dial." The window will open and will have remembered the account number. The user only has to enter the 4-digit PIN number. If the user does not dial a new number in 10 seconds, then the account and PIN numbers will be erased. To place a new call the user will have to enter both the account number and PIN number. Private Mode The dialer software will be used in a private residence or in a corporate setting where the prepaid account number and PIN number will not change frequently. It is convenient to have the account number alone, or the account number and the PIN number saved on the PC. To change to the Private Mode: 1. Access the File --> Preferences --> Mode tab. 2. Select Private Mode, and then select one of three options:
Making That First Call If you have ever placed a phone call, you will be able to place a call with this application. The easiest way to make a call is: 1. Login and bring up the main window. 2. Using your cursor, enter the number you wish to call on the numeric pad. 3. Click the "Dial" button. The application will dial the number and, after a brief pause, you should hear the phone ring through your speakers. To terminate your call, click the "END" button. Back to top Troubleshooting Topics How To Disable Application Launch At Startup By default, the software is set to launch automatically when you start your computer. 1. From the main window, select the File menu. 2. Then select Preferences, and the preferences window will launch on your screen. 3. Select the General Tab. 4. On the top panel you will notice the "Run at startup" option. Please uncheck the box to disable this option. Back to top I Received An "Invalid Number" Error Message You have tried to place a call and received the following message: "The number you have dialed is invalid or unavailable." There are several reasons why you can get the "invalid" number message. The following checklist of items may help to solve your problem. 1. Make sure that you are connected to the internet and logged into the network. The blue display window on your software displays your status. If you are logged-in, your screen will say "ONLINE." 2. Make sure you have dialed a valid phone number including area code. Certain numbers, such as local information (555 - 1212), are not allowed for billing reasons. 3. If calling a regular phone number within the U.S., make sure the number "1" is in in the international pull down box (to the immediate left of the dialing box on your software). This should be set to 1 as the default. 4. If you are calling a regular phone outside of the U.S., make sure you have used the international pull down menu to select the country you are calling. The pull down will automatically select the correct "country code" for you. You may also want to check to see if you have funds in your account. Back to top I Can't Hear Anyone On The Other End There are several reasons why you may be experiencing this difficulty. Read through the following checklist to find the answer to your problem. 1. Make sure that both your microphone and speakers are connected to your computer in the proper inputs. Even if you are using a headset, there is often a separate plug for both your headset speakers and the affixed microphone. 2. Make sure you have run the "audio setup wizard." 3. Check to see if your speakers and microphone have their own volume levels and increase the level. 4. Make sure the speaker volume is turned up on the application. The volume control is located to the right of the dial pad. 5. Make sure your Windows audio volume is not set to "mute". Double-click on the speaker icon in your system tray (lower-right corner of the screen next to your PC clock) and check to see that none of the "mute" options are checked. 6. If the speaker icon is not in your system tray, from your Window "Start" menu:
If you are connected to the internet and logged into the network, you should be able to place PC-to-Phone calls. Back to top Calling From Behind A NAT or A Firewall A NAT (Network Address Translator) is often used between private networks (like those used at home or at work) and the Internet to map a private IP address to a public IP address. Routers and software gateways (such as Internet Connection Sharing in Windows) usually also function as NATs. Firewalls, on the other hand, filter access to protected networks. The CallSpeak Dialer works with most NATs and firewalls without any additional setup; however, if your calls do not connect or you experience one-way voice, you likely have a NAT/firewall problem. In that case, you will need to ask your network administrator to open ports on the firewall or set up port mappings on the NAT. The CallSpeak Dialer uses one local UDP port and one local TCP port. By default, port number 6801 is used for the local UDP port and the port number for the local TCP port is dynamically chosen. If you need to set up your NAT/firewall to work with CallSpeak Dialer, you will probably need to use fixed local port numbers. To configure CallSpeak Dialer to use fixed port numbers, follow these instructions: 1. With the CallSpeak Dialer open, go to File -> Preferences -> Network, choose "Set Gateway Manually", then enter a port number for the TCP port and a port number for the UDP port in the "Local Network Ports" section. 2. Click OK. 3. If you changed the UDP port, exit CallSpeak Dialer by right-clicking on the Dialer icon in the system tray and choosing "Exit", then start Dialer again for the UDP port change to take effect. Note on proxy support in the CallSpeak Dialer: Since Internet phones use UDP to transport voice over the Internet. Most proxies, including HTTP proxies, SOCKS 4 proxies, and some SOCKS 5 proxies, do not support UDP. If you use such a proxy, you will not be able to make Internet phone calls. SOCKS 5 proxy support will be available in future versions of CallSpeak Dialer. Back to top How to Optimize Voice Quality If you are experiencing voice delay or voice breakup, then changing the VFPP (Voice Frames Per Packet) setting may help. The default setting is 2 fpp (~15 kbps bandwidth for one way voice), and it is usually adequate. If your ISP connection has good bandwidth, then selecting 1 fpp (~22 kbps) may improve voice quality. If your ISP connection is not so good, then selecting 3 fpp (~11 kbps bandwidth) may improve voice quality. If multiple computers are connected to the same Internet connection, or if the effective ISP bandwidth to this computer is variable, then you may benefit from choosing a higher VFPP setting. Back to top |