|
FAQ
Please refer to FAQ’s if you have any
questions about the Internet environment, the Internet set up, setting
up terminals, etc. when using the YouFon call service.
The following are Frequently Ask Questions about
YouFon. YouFon service does not provide support for setting individual
terminals, so we have prepared a Wiki where YouFon users can post information
on correct terminal settings. Please refer to http://www.youfon.net/wiki/
| Does
the sound quality differ depending on the connection terminal? |
With YouFon, there is a big difference
in sound quality. As described in the detailed information provided
in "YouFon Features", there is a big difference depending on the type
of terminal or model. Commercially produced IP phones and household
phones are designed to be telephones, so they provide very good sound
quality. Similarly, household cordless phones and Wi Fi IP phones via
ATA also have good sound quality. On the other hand, WindowsMobile cell
phones installed with VoIP software and PDAs with VoIP input/output
are not originally designed to be VoIP phones, so the audio comes from
the device speaker and sounds broken up. The sound system uses CODEC
software, so the processing is not fast enough. Therefore, these devices
are not suitable for important or long conversations. We are expecting
further improvements in hardware in the future.
| What
kind of connection terminals can be used? |
Currently, terminals that you
can use to connect to YouFon include 1. household fixed line telephones
via ATA, 2. household cordless phones with ATA connected to the base,
3. IP fixed line phones, 4. Wi Fi IP phones, 5. personal computers installed
with Softphone for SIP and IAX, 6. cell phones with WindowsMobile 5.0,
and PDAs. Also we are expecting be able to connect to YouFon with VoIP
software for games, such as DS-lite and PSP in the future.
| What
kind of software is YouFon Free? |
YouFon Free is phone software
exclusively for YouFon service that works with Wi Fi Smartphones with
WindowsMobile 5.0 for PPC or PDA. YouFon Free can be downloaded freely
from the YouFon website. When you download YouFon Free to your personal
computer and install onto Wi Fi Smartphones with WindowsMobile 5.0 for
PPC and PDA, simply input your YouFon phone number to make toll free
Internet cell phone calls. You can make free calls to not only Smartphones
and PDAs installed with YouFon Free, but also to any YouFon-registered
phones. YouFon Free is not for SIP, but uses the Asterisk IP-PBX standard
protocol IAX/IAX2, and can easily communicate through NAT environment.
| What
is the difference between SIP and IAX? |
For Internet telephones by VoIP,
SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) is the standard calling protocol around
the world, and many IP phones companies and makers support SIP. However,
from the beginning, each maker individually develops the SIP server
and client sides, so it is difficult to have compatibility among makers,
making cross connection difficult as well. However, IAX (Inter-Asterisk
eXchange) has been developed as a standard Asterisk IP-PBX protocol
that easily passes NAT and currently is rapidly gaining attention. YouFon
services also support SIP and IAX. We also support calls between SIP
and IAX, so you can make calls using either one.
|
Can
we check whether we can use SIP at home?
|
In Internet phones around the
world, SIP is the dominant standard. However, when we actually use personal
computers and IP phones with SIP at home, it does not access over NAT,
and there may be various problems such as loss of audio, even with a
dial tone. The same problems may occur when you connect to YouFon servers,
but YouFon provides its own STUN server for connection whenever possible.
Before you use typical client software such as "X-Lite" for SIP, we
recommend that you use software such as "WinSTUN" to check whether you
can use SIP in your environment. Start up WinSTUN and input "stun.youfon.net"
as your STUN server name to check whether you can use YouFon with SIP.
|
YouFon
calls can be made but not received using the NOKIA E61 mobile
phone.
|
The NOKIA E61 is equipped with
a SIP stack that is registered to the YouFon server via a wireless LAN.
As a result, when the wireless LAN access point is a different segment
from the router, it may not be possible to overcome the NAT layering,
and accordingly, reception may be impossible. Our understanding is that
if the E61 has the same segment as the router, and the IP is allocated
from a wireless LAN, reception is possible.
ATA (Analog Telephone Adaptor)
is the connection adapter that allows you to add an IP phone function
to your existing commercially-produced fixed-line and cordless phones.
ATA has a LAN terminal for connecting to in-house LAN and Internet and
a phone terminal for connecting to PSTN whereby you can add the IP phone
function to your existing phone. ATAs are already widely sold overseas,
but the requirements for certification in Japan are not yet met with
most of the devices in Japan and further response is desired. There
are ATAs compatible with SIP, and others are with IAX.
| Are
there any points I need to pay attention to when I use WindowsMobile
5.0 for PPC? |
Normally, Wi Fi cell phones
with WindowsMobile 5.0 use a lot of electricity when operating with
Wi Fi, so you cannot make long calls when using YouFon services. Please
connect with an AC adapter to charge your phone whenever possible. WindowsMobile
cell phone devices do not completely support VoIP software, so the audio
quality is poor. This is not the problem for YouFon services, but please
be warned of this problem with terminals. If you wish to use YouFon
services with good sound quality, we recommend using an IP phone or
regular or cordless phone connected with ATA.
| How
can I use YouFon in a Wi Fi LAN environment? |
Introduction
of the Wi Fi LAN at home and in the office is rapidly increased, but
you can conveniently use phones like cordless phones at household when
you connect to Wi Fi IP phones and Wi Fi Windows Mobile cell phones
for YouFon services. You can use with the handlings such as cell phones
carrying options to use within the footprint of Wi Fi LAN. On the other
hand, the delay and the discontinuity of the sound, etc. may occur because
of the use of Wi Fi, therefore, we recommend to use it near Wi Fi LAN
access points as much as possible.
|
