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General
Questions
Q:
What will it cost?
A: We do not require a
long-term commitment, but do charge a setup fee.
A: Our DIDs are priced according to the country they are located
in. Setup fees vary and there is no long-term commitment.
Q:Is there support?
A: Yes, we offer prompt
support via email at support@gagaphone.com.
Q:
Do I have to buy a phone?
A: No, you can use one of
many free soft phones such as X-lite, your own
device, or an Asterisk or 3CX server.
Q:
What will my phone number be?
A: We offer phones
numbers (DIDs) in most area codes of the United States, Canada, the
UK and many other countries around the world. We do not currently
support the ability for you to choose your number though you are
able to choose the country, area code and prefix.
Q:
Does it work with mobile phones?
A: Yes, you can place and
receive calls to and from mobile phones. However, in most countries
the per minute rate to call mobile phones is more than the cost to
call a landline.
Q:
Can I call a regular phone?
A: Yes, all of our
services connect calls to regular phone lines.
Q:
How does it sound?
A: It depends on the
codec (analog to digital converter) that you and your destination
party use. G711u, G711a (often called PCM) has very high quality
sound and is at least as good as a regular phone.
Q:
How does someone without GagaPhone call me?
A: With the purchase of
your DID, you will be assigned a phone number in the area code of
your choice which can be dialed like a land-line or a mobile
phone.
Q:
Can I surf the Internet while I'm talking?
A: Yes - if your bandwidth permits you to talk on the phone and
surf at the same time.
Q: What is a SIP phone?
A: SIP stands for Session
Internet Protocol. It is a very common standard for setting up
calls between devices.
Q: What is broadband?
A: Broadband is typically
considered anything faster than a dial-up modem connection.
Examples would be: DSL, Cable modem, ISDN, T1.
Q: What is NAT?
A: NAT stands for Network
Address Translation. This is a form of firewall that makes opening
channels to phones inside it difficult. GagaPhone has developed
means to make this a non-issue with our service. GagaPhone service
will work seamlessly whether you are behind a firewall or not.
Q:How many channels do GagaPhone DIDs
have?
A: Our basic DIDs come
standard with at least two channels available at all times; but
often times additional channels will be available. Additional
unlimited guaranteed channels can be purchased for a fee.
Q: What payment options are
available?
A: We accept credit card
payments using a MasterCard, Visa, American Express or Discover
Card through Paypal. For customers outside of the United States, we
accept Switch/Solo cards from the UK and wire transfers from
Germany as well as many other international payment methods using
Paypal. We only accept payment from Verified Paypal accounts (
click here for more information on verifying your Paypal
account). Payments can also be made using Google Wallet.
Q: Can I send faxes with GagaPhone's
Service?
A: Sending faxes with
Voice-Over-IP can be tricky but not impossible. To-date, no one has
developed a VoIP technology with 100% fax reliability. If you are
using your own hardware, you will want to make sure your ATA is set
to use the G711 codec. On your fax machine you should disable error
correction mode and select the lowest baud rate available. Often
times, users find using the Overseas Mode can reduce the chance of
an error. Many users have also found success in placing a DSL
filter in the reverse position between the fax machine and the
ATA.
LOWERING THE BAUD RATE ON FAX MACHINES: Many Brother brand fax
machines have a fax setting labeled 'Compatibility' under the
miscellaneous fax setting menu. This should be set to 'Basic' which
should direct the fax machine to use the slowest speed. New HP
machines have fax speed and error correction settings on their send
fax configuration menu. Older HP fax machines can be configured by
accessing the menu system by pressing * and # at the same time. In
the system configuration option, user can then access the R/W
parameter option and change it to '2' or '153' for sending. This
information is for use as a guide not a definitive resource as you
should consult with the manufacture or manual to determine the
correct setting for your device(s).
Requirements
Q: Do I need a computer?
A: No, you do not need a computer to place or receive calls with
GagaPhone. In fact, most people find making a call through a
traditional style phone easier and more natural. Since all account
features are offered online via the account control panel, it is
strongly recommended that you use a computer to manage your
account.
Q: Does it work on
Mac/Linux?
A: Yes. If you would like
to use a computer or "soft" phone, there are many available for all
major operating systems.
Q: Do I have to buy a
phone?
A: No. If you would like,
you can use a soft phone on your computer or purchase a call
forwarding plan.
Q: Can I use dial up?
A: Minimum bandwidth requirement is 64 Kb/s in each direction
(total 128kb/s). Additionally the connection must be stable and up
to the task of transmitting voice packets in a timely or reliable
manner. To verify your connection is reliable you can use packet
tracing software to reveal network problems. We recommend a product
called "Ping Plotter". You can download a free trial version at http://www.pingplotter.com.
Setup Help
Q: Where can I get an IP
phone?
A: Softphones are
available for free and other phones are available worldwide by
suppliers on the internet.
Q: I have a NAT - what do I
do?
A: Nothing different. The
setup is the same whether you have a NAT or not.
Q: How do I configure it?
A: Configuration
information is available here.
Q:Can GagaPhone send _FROM_DID to my Asterisk
or VoIP server?
A: Yes. Our DIDs will
send _FROM_DID to your Asterisk server.
Using
GagaPhone
Q: How do I call someone?
A:
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Quick Reference
Guide
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| Other GagaPhone Users |
Dial Log-in or DID number |
| Info - Dial
411 |
News, Stocks, Sports, Entertainment,
Travel. |
| US and Canada calls |
Dial 1 + area code + seven digit
number
(even when calling within your own area code). |
| International calls |
Dial 011 + country code + city code + phone number. |
Q: Who can I call?
A: With all of our plans you are able to call anyone.
Q: When can I call?
A: Anytime, day or
night.
Q: How do I forward to a landline or
mobile phone?
A: In the customer
portal, you are able to define the destination for your DIDs. For
PSTN forwarding to landlines or mobile phones, you enter the phone
number in the destination using the complete international format.
For US and Canada numbers, the format is 1+area code + prefix +
number. For other destinations, the format is 011 + country code +
prefix + number. VoIP call is set as no. You must have prepaid SIP
credits or a calling plan on your account for the forwarding to
work.
Q: How do I forward calls to an IP
address?
A: Our customer service
representatives are able to setup forwarding to an IP address.
Submit a ticket or email support@gagaphone.com for assistance.
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