| Q: |
What Is An IP Network? |
| A: |
An IP network is a type of computer network that makes use
of the IP protocol to pass information (data) from one device to another
by dividing it into small packets. the small packets are assembled at the
other end for the device to process. A good example of an IP network is
the Internet. |
|
|
| Q: |
What Is Needed For My VoIP Device To Work? |
| A: |
There are only two basic requirements for your VoIP device
to work. The first is that you must register for a unique Buzz number and
the second is that you need Internet connectivity. |
|
|
| Q: |
What Is QOS? |
| A: |
Quality of service (QOS) is a method of controlling the behaviour
of a computer network. The idea is to prioritise certain types of data
traffic like voice traffic over other types of traffic e.g. e-mail in order
to improve the quality of the voice call in progress. It boils down to
ensuring that a data packet sent from one computer reaches the other computer
within a certain amount of time. This time is measured in milliseconds. |
|
|
| Q: |
What Kind Of Quality Can I Expect From The Internet Or
IP Telephony? |
| A: |
In most cases the quality will be better than that of a normal
telephone due to the fact that digital technology is used. The actual quality
of the call is greatly influenced by the condition of the IP network that
carries the call. A bad (congested) IP network will decrease call quality.
A well planned and maintained network will always ensure good quality. |
|
|
| Q: |
Is The Quality Of My Voice Call Guaranteed? |
| A: |
The quality of any VoIP call can only be guaranteed
in cases where proper IP network management and quality of service (QOS)
policies are implemented. These network management and QOS policies can
only be implemented by entities that have full control over the entire
IP network. In most cases the quality will not be guaranteed as the call
passes through different IP networks e.g. from the calling party's network
through the public Internet to the called party's network. Due to the technology
invested into the Uni-Tel VOIP solutions, the user will in most cases enjoy
good call quality. |
|
|
| Q: |
Can I Use VoIP Devices That I Purchased From Other Suppliers? |
| A: |
No, only VoIP devices tested & supplied by Uni-Tel will work
on the Uni-Tel network. |
|
|
| Q: |
What Internet Connections Will Your Products Work On? |
| A: |
Uni-Tel products can work on any Internet connection
that you can use to browse the Internet or send and receive e-mails. There
are however a few constraints that need to be kept in mind. These are things
like the quality and type of the connection and the available bandwidth.
A normal telephone line and a dial up modem can be used with all our services
and applications. Satellite connections are not recommended because it
normally has a high delay (latency) caused by the long distance the signal
travels.
Below follows a table that can be used as reference:
|
Uni-Tel Products
|
|
CONNECTION TYPE
|
SOFT PHONE
|
GATEWAY PHONE
|
VOIP GATEWAY
|
TELEPHONY ADAPTOR
|
APPLICATIONS & SERVICES
|
TV BUZZ
|
| Analogue Dial-Up |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
| BRI ISDN Dial-Up |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Broadband Wireless |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Code / DSL |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Leased Line |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Uni-Tel products work best on broadband or dedicated connections. |
|
|
| Q: |
How Much Bandwidth Do Your Products Need To
Work? |
| A: |
The amount of bandwidth needed for any VoIP device
to work varies from one device to another and is influenced by the design
and configuration of the device. Speech quality and bandwidth used are
normally a trade off. The higher the speech quality the more bandwidth
is utilised. Calls made through the normal telephone network normally use
64 Kbps. Uni-Tel products will in general not use more than 20 Kbps per
call. |
|
|
| Q: |
Can I Use My USB Cable / DSL Modem With Your
VoIP Devices? |
| A: |
Uni-Tel VoIP devices can work on a variety of Internet connections, including
Cable and DSL modems. USB Cable and DSL modems are designed to connect
directly to your PC's USB Port to be used by the PC alone and is mostly
used in a home environment. USB Cable and DSL modems are compatible with
all the services we provide and the applications that we offer, e.g.
Soft Phone, E800 and E900. The products that are focused on the business
user like the Gateway Phone and VoIP Gateway are not compatible with
USB Cable or DSL modems that do not have an Ethernet connection point
when normally used. It is however possible to connect the Uni-Tel Gateway
Phone to a USB Cable or DSL modem with no Ethernet port, provided that
the PC used has a Network Interface Card (NIC) installed. The Gateway
Phone must be programmed to make use of DHCP to obtain an IP address
and for the connection using the USB Cable or DSL modem, Internet connection
sharing (ICS) must be enabled.
|
|
|
| Q: |
What Is Bandwidth? |
| A: |
Bandwidth is the term used to describe the measurement
of how much information (data) can pass through a communication link in
one second. Bandwidth is measured in bits per second (bps). A bit is the
smallest and most basic measurement for information and can either be a
binary 1 or 0. If you rent a 64Kbps dedicated leased line from your service
provider, you can download information from the Internet at a speed of
roughly 64 000 bits per second. |
|
|
| Q: |
Can Your Products Work Behind A Firewall? |
| A: |
Yes, our products can work behind most firewalls. In some
cases the firewall will need to be configured. There are primarily two
types of firewalls in use, software products that are loaded on individual
computers and firewalls that operate on a network level. For firewalls
on individual computers, you need to add your Soft Phone application
to the list of applications allowed to access the Internet. Please refer
to your firewall's operation manual. In cases where a firewall is introduced
for an entire network, the following ports need to be open:
P TCP ports 1719, 1720, and 9999 P UDP ports 1719. 1720,
41000 and 41001
This action will have to be completed by a network administrator
or advanced user.
|
|
|
| Q: |
Can Your Products Work Through A Proxy Server? |
| A: |
Yes, all Uni-Tel products can be configured to
make use of a proxy server to access the Internet. |
|
|
| Q: |
Can I Use This Service With A Satellite ISP? |
| A: |
Yes you can, but it is not the ideal situation
as the delay on satellite links is normally high. If no other means of
connecting to the Internet can be utilised, your product or service will
function, but you might experience a delay in conversation. |
|
|
| Q: |
Will Uni-Tel Products Work With My Current
ADSL Modem? |
| A: |
Uni-Tel products will in most cases be able to work without
any modifications to your current ADSL connection. If you have more than
one computer connected to your ADSL modem, all Uni-Tel products and services
should work on your network. If you have a single computer connected
to your ADSL Modem you might need to introduce a network switch and a
small router to your network.
|
|
|
| Q: |
|
| A: |
The term broadband is derived from broad (wide
or big) bandwidth; it normally refers to a connection that has a capacity
of higher than 64 Kbps. ADSL is an example of a broadband Internet connection. |
|
|
| Q: |
Most Calls I Make Are Better Than A Normal
Phone But Why Do Some Calls Have Poor Voice Quality? |
| A: |
In spite of the superior digital technology built
into our products, it is still possible for call quality to be influenced
by external factors. These external factors depend on the type of call
you make. |
|
|
| Q: |
Calls To Other Buzz Subscribers: |
| A: |
When making calls to other Buzz subscribers,
the one thing that has the greatest effect on call quality is the available
bandwidth. Available bandwidth is influenced by the condition of your local
network and Internet connection as well as that of the Buzz subscriber
you are calling. |
|
|
| Q: |
Calls To Conventional Phones: |
| A: |
Calls to conventional phones are also influenced
by the condition of your local network and Internet connection as well
as the condition of the network the other party is connected to. The local
telephone network might be old or overloaded. |
|
|
| Q: |
Calls To Mobile Phones: |
| A: |
When making a call to a mobile number, the call
quality is influenced by the condition of your local network and Internet
connection as well as the condition of the mobile network you are calling
to. The mobile number you are calling might be in a spot where there is
bad coverage or the mobile network might be overloaded. Although there
are factors that can result in bad call quality, you will in most cases
have a good calling experience. |
