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GENERAL

What are Prepaid Calls?
Prepaid calls are Internet telephony calls made from any multimedia equipped PC to a regular fixed line or mobile telephone. Calls are made using the Times Telecom account and PIN on Prepaid Calling Cards.

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Who can make Prepaid Calls?
Anyone who purchases a prepaid calling card from our resellers can make a prepaid call.

However users in countries like Egypt, India and the United Arab Emirates may have difficulties with the Prepaid Card service. Check with your local ISP if their proxy server targets PC-to-Phone transmissions, thereby effectively blocking calls.

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How many calls can I make?
You can make as many calls as you like until your calling credits run out.

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If I want to make Prepaid calls from more than one computer, do I have to buy separate Prepaid Calling Cards?
No. Prepaid calls can be made from any computer (for example, home and office).
One account can be used to make only one call per session. This means that you cannot make two concurrent calls using your Prepaid account.
However, we suggest you exercise caution if you make Prepaid calls from a shared computer. Clear the account number and PIN fields after ending your calling session.
The use of public computer terminals to make Prepaid calls is discouraged.

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Can I share my Prepaid Calling Card with my friends?
Who uses your Prepaid Calling Card is up to you. Just remember to check your card balance before trying to make a Prepaid call.

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Can I get a refund if I lose or damage my Prepaid Calling Card?
No. Once you have bought a Prepaid card you are responsible for the safety of your card and confidentiality of your account number and PIN.

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Can my Prepaid card be recharged?
No. There is no recharge option for Prepaid cards. After your calling credits run out you'll have to buy a new Prepaid card.

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How do I review the calls I've made and the balance on my Prepaid card?
Your Prepaid card balance is displayed in the View Log page. To view log, type in your account number and PIN and click the "Viewlog" button on the dialer page.

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Where can I call?
You can call any regular and mobile telephone, anywhere in the world. Check our rate table to see full details on our supported destinations.

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Can the Prepaid Service work behind a firewall?
The Prepaid Calls Service currently supports PC-to-Phone calls from behind firewalls. If you are connected to the Internet using LAN, you may be behind a firewall, which will prevent you from connecting to our Internet gateways. To make calls from behind your firewall, you need to set the firewall settings by clicking on the link "Settings" on the web page and select "Use Firewall" for SOCKS5.
To use NAT firewall, you will need to open or ask your Network Administrator to open the following outgoing ports for UDP and TCP: 51719(UDP), 51720(TCP) and 1800-1810(UDP).

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Can I use the Prepaid Calls Service on Mac/Linux/Unix/Web TV?
For the time being, this service is only available for Microsoft Windows 98/ME/NT(SP4)/2000/XP.

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Why do I get an error message when I try to make a call?
Please check that the Account number, PIN and destination phone number are correct and try again. If the error persists, contact your customer support providing specific details of the error.

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How can I improve the sound quality of the call?
One of the factors that can affect sound quality is the Internet bandwidth available during your call. Try to avoid making calls during peak Internet usage hours when traffic is high. Another tip is to use a headset with a built-in microphone. This will help eliminate echo and ensure better sound. Adjust the microphone volume so that your speech is not too loud.

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I hear an echo during the call. What should I do?
We recommend using a headset as this reduces the echo effect. If you are using speakers the feedback from the speakers may cause the person on the phone to experience some echo. Our software component will detect this and will automatically try to compensate for this, but it may not be able to eliminate all traces of the echo. Try to move the microphone as far away from the speakers as possible.

You can also try lowering the speaker volume. This will usually reduce the echo.

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How do I change the sound volume?
You can control the speaker and microphone volume by manipulating the volume control knobs on the dialer. Alternatively, open the Windows Volume Control by selecting the Start menu, followed by Programs, Accessories, Multimedia, and Volume Control.

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Why do I get a distorted or choppy sound sometimes?
The distorted or choppy sound is due to data packets of the speech being lost or dropped. This could be due to a bad Internet connection, low bandwidth, sound card problems, insufficient memory, or a slow CPU. Always ensure that the latest sound card driver is installed, and close unnecessary programs to conserve memory and CPU load when you use the Prepaid Calls Service. Try to make calls during non-peak hours to ensure better bandwidth.

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Why can't the receiver hear me immediately after picking up my call?
Due to the network, the receiver may experience up to a five second delay before hearing your voice. You may wish to inform the receiver of this limitation.

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Would my customer end software be upgraded in the future?
Yes! Please visit our site frequently, we offer new function upgrade and multimedia applications.

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How do I uninstall the program?

  1. Launch the Windows Control Panel
  2. Select Add or Remove Programs
  3. Choose the appropriate version of Times Telecom and click Change/Remove (or Add/Remove)
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What is the difference between the client dialer and the web dialer?
Times Telecom client dialer is a fully featured PC2Phone software that you install on your own computer or another’s on which you have permission to install. Times Telecom web dialer enables you to quickly and easily use your PC2Phone on a web browser on any computer without having to install the software.

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When does my prepaid PIN expire?
Times Telecom prepaid PINs have an expiration date of 6 months. If the prepaid minutes are not used within the specified amount of time, those minutes become invalid and you are required to purchase additional minutes before placing a call.

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ADDRESS BOOK

What is the address book?
The address book is an application that allows you to store your frequently call numbers information in your local PC. Entry headings include the firstname, lastname and phone number.

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How do I enter names?
Click on the address book icon to launch the interface.

  1. Click on the "Add Contact" button (alt. Select File/Add new contact)
  2. Enter the firstname (max 50 characters)
  3. Enter the lastname (max 50 characters)
  4. Enter the phone number e.g. 14085551234 (max 29-digits)
  5. Click "OK" to save

To add a new caller group:

  1. Select File/Add new group (max 500 groups)
  2. Enter group name
  3. Repeat steps 1-5 above
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How many entries can I store?
You may store up to a maximum of 1000 entries. Please bear in mind that the more entries you store, the slower the address book will take to load.

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How do I modify my entries?
While at the main address book interface:

  1. Click on the entry you wish to modify
  2. Double click the entry or click the "Modify Contact" button. (alt. Select File/Edit/Modify Contact)
  3. Make your desired modifications
  4. Click "OK" to save changes
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How do I delete my entries?
While at the main address book interface:

  1. Click on the desired contact
  2. Click "Delete Contact" (alt. Select/Edit/Delete Contact)
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CALL TIPS

These tips will help enhance the quality of your PC-to-Phone calls.

  1. Do not run any other telephony application together with the PC-to-Phone dialer.
  2. Use a headset with a built-in microphone. This will help eliminate echo and ensure better sound. Adjust the microphone volume so that your speech is not too loud.
  3. If you are using separate microphone and speaker, move the microphone as far away from the speakers as possible and lower the speaker volume. This will usually reduce the echo.
  4. To make a PC-to-Phone call, you will need the Country Code, Area Code and Telephone Number.
  5. Omit the international calling code prefix and the first "0" in the area code.
  6. Try to make calls during non-peak hours to ensure better bandwidth.
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SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

In order for PC-to-Phone calls to work properly, you need to make sure that your system satisfies the following requirements:

  1. Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0, Netscape Communicator 6.1 or Mozilla 1.2 and above.
  2. JavaScript is enabled.
  3. Internet access with an Internet Service Provider (ISP).
  4. Dial-up connection.
  5. Windows 98/98SE/NT with SP1,2,3/2000/ME/XP operating system.
  6. Pentium 166 MHz processor.
  7. 32 MB of RAM
  8. Full-duplex sound card.
  9. SVGA display card with 256 colors (16-bit color recommended)
  10. Microphone & speakers, or headset
  11. 28.8 kbps modem (33.6 kbps recommended)
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TROUBLESHOOTING

My dialer was unable to load properly during installation, what must I do?
If you are loading the dialer for the first time, it may take up to 5 minutes for the components to completely load especially when the network traffic is congested. Subsequently, dialer will take a much shorter time to load.

Please make sure that you have Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0, Netscape Communicator 6.1, Mozilla 1.2 or more recent version installed If this still does not solve your problem, try our Diagnostic help page for an interactive analysis of the PC-to-Phone component installed in your PC.

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Sometimes, I encounter error messages like "Scripting Error", JavaScript runtime errors, exception errors, etc, what should I do?
Most of the time, these errors are due to an unsuccessful installation. Try to refresh the component page by holding down the Shift and Ctrl keys, and clicking Refresh (IE) or Reload (Netscape). If the errors persist, note down the line number, if any, and contact Times Telecom Customer Service for assistance.

You can also try our diagnostic utility to help determine common problems.

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Why do I get the message 'unauthorized to access account' after I click on the call button?
If you had encountered the error 'not authorized to access account', try the following:

  1. Make sure the 6-digit pin entered is correct.
  2. Make sure you haven't tried dialing an international access code or typed a zero in front of the country/area code of the number you are trying to call.
  3. Check that you have sufficient credit to make the call by going to the 'View Log' in the dialer page to check your balance. You will need your 6-digit PIN to check your account balance.
  4. If you have multiple accounts and PINs, please make sure that you have not mismatched the accounts and PINs.
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Why do I get an "Invalid destination number" error message after I enter the telephone number?
Make sure you only enter the country code, area code and telephone number eg. 14083830123. Leave out the International calling code prefix and the first "0" in area codes.

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I get a busy tone after my call is connected, what is the cause?
It means that the phone number that you've dialed is engaged or busy. The phone gateway that the PC-to-Phone Service communicates with is unable to end the call automatically. Click the hang-up button to end the call manually and try again later.

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My friend on the phone can hear me, but I can't hear him properly. What's wrong?
Check the speaker volume and make sure that it is not muted. Use the Audio Tune Wizard to configure your microphone and speaker settings.

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Neither of us can hear anything. What can we do?
This is probably a bandwidth problem. Under extreme cases where there is consistent data packet loss, the PC-to-Phone Service will not operate properly. Hang up and try again later.

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