Questions and FAQ
How do I get started using VoXaLot?
The easiest way to get starting is to visit our Tutorials page. Everything you need to leverage the benefit of VoXaLot is covered here.
What is VoIP
VoIP (or voice over Internet Protocol) is the biggest emerging technology in telephony, and it is available for you to use today. Essentially it is a method for taking the audio signals from your telephone handset (or your computer microphone) and turning these into digital data that can be transmitted over the Internet. This is significant because the internet is free to use, and this dramatically reudces the cost of telephony. VoIP happens in real time and if configured properly the quality can be almost imperceivable compared with regular PSTN telephony. When you first start out using VoIP the new terms and acronyms can be a bit daunting. If you would like to learn more about VoIP and learn how to get started, visit voip.wikispaces.com.
What is ENUM
Telephone Electronic Numbering (ENUM) is an easy way for you to 'tell the world' that you have VoIP and that everyone should call you for free via the internet rather than paying money to call you over the PSTN network. Anyone that has a VoIP telephone service can register their regular PSTN telephone number into a ENUM database with an organisation such as www.e164.org. After the number has been registered, any person with a correctly configured VoIP service will be able to dial the normal PSTN phone number from their VoIP service and automatically have the call re-routed via the Internet for free, without using the PSTN network at all. The caller doesn't need to know that the callee has VoIP, nor do they need to know which VSP the callee is using. The fact that the callee has taken the time to register their PSTN number with ENUM means that any caller using correctly configured VoIP will get the call for free. For this reason, if you have a PSTN phone number and a VoIP service you should register for ENUM at www.e164.org.
VoXaLot provides seamless ENUM lookup so you can get the benefits without the effort. To leverage this you should route all your calls to VoXaLot. VoXaLot can then check all your calls to see if there is a free way to connect. If there is a free way to connect your call, VoXaLot will find it for you. If there is no free way to connect your call, VoXaLot will route your call to your prefered VSP based on your VoXaLot dial plans.
To send all your calls to VoXaLot from your ATA, you should either register your ATA with VoXaLot or send your calls to VoXaLot using a Gateway. Details on setting up your hardware to use VoXaLot are provided on our Tutorials page.
For more details on how to set up ENUM routing you should review the VoXaLot Dial Plans tutorial.
A more detailed explanation on how to make free calls using VoIP is coverd here at voip.wikispaces.com.
What is a SIP-Code
SIP-Codes are maintained by our sister site SIP Broker. Essentially they are a numeric dialling prefix for a SIP domain, and are used to interconnect millions of users from all around the world. For example, to dial sip:613@fwd.pulver.com, you first need to look up the SIP-Code for fwd.pulver.com. A list of codes can be found here. The SIP-Code for fwd.pulver.com is *393 so you would dial '*393613'.
How do I setup my phone to use VoXaLot?
VoXaLot can be used with most software and hardware SIP phones. If you have a hardware phone including Sipura/Linksys (all models, including 1000, 2000, PAP2-NA (but NOT PAP2 unless it's been unlocked), 3000, 841), follow the instructions from our Tutorial page.
How do I setup the X-Lite softphone to use VoXaLot?
If you would like to try VoIP for free, simply download a software phone and follow the instructions at the Softphone Tutorial page.
What are Dial Plans
A Dial Plan is a way to describe how calls are routed to different VSPs. If provider ABC has the chepaest mobile rates and provider XYZ has the cheapest international rates, you can use a dial plan to route each type of call to the lowest cost provider of each service. There are detailed instructions on how to set up your dial plans on the Dial Plans tutorial page.
How do I access my voicemail
To access your voicemail, simply dial extension 500 and enter your password. If you have not setup or changed your password, use the default 9999.
You can also access your VoXaLot voicemail from a PSTN phone. For details on how to use Voice Mail, refer to our Tutorials
Can I be Called From a Regular Phone
Yes. Regular PSTN phone users can call your VoXaLot number by using one of the 200+ PSTN Access numbers available at our sister site SIP Broker
At the voice prompt, simply dial *010[followed by your 6 digit VoXaLot number]. You must have your ATA registered to VoXaLot or your VoXaLot calls must be Forwarded in order to make your phone ring. For more details about this, refer to the Setting up ATA tutorial on the Tutorial page.
Does VoXaLot Register with my VSPs?
No it doesn't. If your VSP requires a SIP client to be registered before it will send a VoIP call, then you cannot use VoXaLot with that VSP. A list of know compatibility with VSPs is maintained in the VoXaLot Forum. This feature is on the VoXaLot To Do list, but there are no planned release dates at this time.
Can VoXaLot Send me a Call Waiting Indicator for Voicemail?
Yes it can. You need to configure your ATA or softphone so that the voice mail server is set as
Does VoXaLot Pass my Caller ID to other VSPs?
Yes it does.
Is there a way to avoid pressing # at the end of every dial?
Some hardware devices specifically require you to do this (PAP2 and SPA2000). Other devices will work without the #, but you just have to wait a second or two.
I'm Still Having Problems, Where Can I Get Help?
You can get support by visiting our Support Forums. More information about VoXaLot and using VoIP can be found at voip.wikispaces.com.