Troubleshooting

Can I use the PC Phone dialer with Windows XP?

Windows XP has a built in firewall that may cause difficulties while using PC Phone, such as the inability to complete calls and sound problems. If you are using the XP built-in firewall, please follow the steps below in order to use the PC Phone software.

Please note that the instructions for disabling the firewall differ for Windows XP with Service Pack 1 and Service pack 2. To find out your service pack, right-click on “My Computer,” and select '”Properties.”

If you are using Service Pack 1, complete the following instructions:

Open “Network Connections.” Go to Start → Settings → Control Panel → Network Connections.
Right-click on the Dial-up, LAN or High-Speed Internet Connection that you have protected, and select “Properties.”
On the “Advanced” tab, under “Internet Connection Firewall” uncheck the box “Protect my computer and network by limiting or preventing access to this computer from the Internet.” This disables the firewall on your computer.

If you are using Windows XP with Service Pack 2, complete the following instructions:

On your computer, go to Start→ Programs → Accessories → System Tools → Security Center → Windows Firewall.
Go to the “Exceptions” tab, and make sure you have the PCPhone application on the list. If not, please click on “Add Program” and add the PCPhone application to the list of allowed applications.
Go to the “General” tab and make sure that the firewall is “On.” Under this sure option, make sure that the “Don’t Allow Exceptions” sub-option is unchecked.

If you have disabled XP's built-in firewall and the problem has not been resolved, you will need to manually configure the XP firewall to allow PC Phone to have full access to the Internet. Specific instructions on the XP firewall configuration can be obtained through the Windows XP manual.

How can I improve sound quality?

The following suggestions should improve sound quality:

Please close all applications that are running in the background, especially programs that require high bandwidth such as heavy downloading, audio/video stream, and Peer-to-Peer connections (i.e., Kazaa, emule, edonkey, etc.). This will help maintain higher quality levels, as more computer resources and Internet bandwidth will be available for your PC Phone calls.
Open the PC Phone application and click Account → Preferences → Advanced. In the “Bandwidth” section, select the option “My connection speed is:” and choose '56 Kbps or less'. Log out, log back on and make a test call.

Please also note the following:

For optimal sound quality when using Internet telephony, we recommend that your Internet speed is above 56kbs. Broadband connections (ie. Cable/DSL) are higher than 56kbs. It is also recommended not to download or upload files during your calls as it will reduce the available bandwidth for PC Phone.
Due to high call volume and Network congestion, your Internet service provider's lines may be overloaded. Try making calls during different times of the day to find out if you experience improved sound quality.
When using dial-up and satellite Internet connections, the data stream cannot be kept at a 'fixed' and constant level. You may contact your ISP to make sure that your connection maintains a constant data stream and does not have high latency.

If you are experiencing sound quality problems with Window XP Service Pack 2, try disabling QoS to solve the issue.

Complete the following procedures to disable QoS on Windows XP.

Step 1 – Change PC Phone Dialer Bandwidth Settings

Please change your dialer settings as follows:

On the Dialer action menu go to Open Tools and settings → Codec selection tab (second from the right) → make sure your dialer is set to 'G723' in the Codec selection drop down. Click Save Settings and Exit.

Step 2 – Disable QOS

To improve the sound quality, please disable or uninstall the QoS Packet Scheduler as follows:

From the Windows XP Start menu select "Connect To" and then "Show all connections". This will display a window showing all your network connections. If you are using the ‘classic’ set up, go to “Start” select “Settings” then “Network Connections”.
Highlight the connection that you use to connect to the Internet. If you are connected via a router or LAN, choose the "Local Area Connection". Right click on your mouse and select "Properties". This will display the "Properties" configuration for the connection.
For a "Local Area Connection" make sure you are on the "General" page of the "Properties" configuration. For all other connections click on the "Networking" tab.

Choose “QoS Packet Scheduler” and un-check the box to disable this item.

If you are unable to uncheck the box, click the uninstall button at the bottom of the window. Click yes to confirm.

If you are not asked to do so, restart your computer now. Once you have restarted your computer, please try to make test phone calls with the PC Phone dialer. If you are able to successfully make calls, skip Step 3. If the problem continues, go to Step 3.

Step 3 – Additional PC Phone Troubleshooting Procedure

If Windows’ Firewall is enabled then complete the following:

Go to Start → Run → wscui.cpl → open "Windows Firewall" → in the General Tab uncheck "Don't Allow Exceptions." On "Exceptions" Tab check the "Display notification when Windows Firewall blocks a program." Verify that the PC Phone Application exists under "programs and services" and that it is checked. If not, click "Add program" → select PC Phone → Click OK.

Please respond to the following questions and send the answers to your Account Representative:

Do you have a different firewall installed on your computer or Network?

Please describe the symptoms of the problem you experienced in detail.
Did you encounter the problem before upgrading to SP2 for Windows XP?
What is the bandwidth that you have locally, both upstream and downstream?
Which Windows XP do you have? Professional or Home Edition?