Chapter 3 - Before Making a Call
6
Before Making a Call
Things to Keep in Mind
Making calls with Packet8 Softalk™ is simple; there are, however, some differences
between a softphone and a traditional telephone which the user should be aware of:
1.
A softphone is a computer application that must be running to make or receive calls.
2.
Softphone software must login to the network before making or receiving calls. This
procedure may take a few seconds as the softphone contacts Packet8’s network.
Once the softphone’s call status reads
Logged in – Enter Phone Numbe
the user is
ready to make or receive calls.
3.
Since calls are transmitted over the Internet, service quality may drop due to network
congestion. Although Packet8 Softalk™ includes advanced signal processing
features to mask the effect of such congestion, decreased voice quality may be
noticeable during poor network conditions. Most broadband connections provide
adequate bandwidth for high-quality voice and video. If you experience poor audio
or video quality, please see
“Packet8 Softalk™ Troubleshooting”
in
Appendix A
.
Logging In
The log in dialog will show up and request user to log in to the network by entering your
Packet8 Softalk™ number and password.
When finished entering all of the information, click
Log In
. If all required information is
saved, Softalk will attempt to login to the Packet8’s network, indicated by a
Logging in…
message in the call status screen.
IMPORTANT
When the message
Re
a
dy - Your Soft
a
lk Number: 1-XXX-XXX-XXXX
appears in
the call status screen, then Packet8 Softalk™ is ready to make and receive calls. If You see the
message
Login f
a
iled!
, then they failed to login successfully and will not be able to make or
receive calls. For such cases refer to Appendix A: Packet8 Softalk™ Troubleshooting of this
document, which includes tips for this and other potential softphone problems.
Figure: 2 Log In Dialog Box
