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FAQ
If you should find that you are having trouble with any aspect of using Electops, please look through our FAQ's below prior to contacting us. If after looking through the FAQ's you still cannot find the answer to you question then there is a contact email address at the bottom of the page.
Setting up an account
Technical Questions
Placing a call
Setting up an account:
| Q |
How much does it cost? |
| A |
You can sign up for 5 , 10 , 15, 25 or 50 USD accounts.
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| Q |
Where can I sign up? |
| A |
Just click here.
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| Q |
Which countries can I call from? |
| A |
You can call from any country in the world. All you need is a PC with Internet connection, microphone and speakers (or ideally headset or handset). The rates are the same, wherever you call from in the world!
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| Q |
Which countries can I call to? |
| A |
You can call to any country in the world. See our rate list here.
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| Q |
How are the calls charged? |
| A |
Calls are charged PER SECOND, so for example, a 41 seconds call will only be charged as 41 seconds. Beware - many of our competitors will round this up to 1 minute so it can cost you almost twice as much!
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| Q |
Is there any expiry date on my account? |
| A |
No! Your account can be used at any time, assuming you have enough credit to make the call.
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| Q |
Can I see my balance and the calls I have made? |
| A |
Yes, once you have your account details you can log in and your balance will be displayed on your dialer. You can see the previous calls you have made by clicking on the Call History button.
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Technical Questions:
| Q |
How does it work? |
| A |
You call is sent from your computer across the Internet to our main server. It is then sent onto our telephone network where it is routed to the country you have called.
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| Q |
How can I configure my headset/ microphone/ speakers to the optimum settings? |
| A |
The best way is to close all programs, including Internet Explorer, then run Microsoft Netmeeting. Within this program, run the 'audio tuning wizard'. This wizard helps you set the optimum settings for your speaker/ headset volume and the microphone level. Close Netmeeting, then login to your Electops account again. The settings should be remembered.
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| Q |
Is there a Mac or Unix/Linux version? |
| A |
Look at http://www.Electops.net/rm/hwswoptions.html for more details.
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| Q |
What are the technical requirements for me to use the Electops service? |
| A |
To use Electops you need to have the following:
1. Microsoft Windows 98, Me , NT, 2000 or XP operating system
2. Pentium 133 Mhz or higher
3. 16Mb RAM or higher
4. Windows-compatible full duplex sound card
5. Microsoft Internet Explorer
6. An internet connection with a minimum speed of 28.8Kbps.
7. Please note we do not support the use of NAT, proxy servers or firewalls although when properly configured they will work. (see here for firewall settings).
8. Microsoft Netmeeting must be installed if you are using the web dialer or software dialer.
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| Q |
What ports should I open on my firewall to allow Electops to work?
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| A |
Electops uses TCP/IP ports 1720 and 1800 and UDP ports 5000 to 6000. Please note we do not officially support the use of Electops behind proxy servers, NAT servers and firewalls and we do not give support on their use.
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| Q |
How can I update my Electops dialer software to the latest version?
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| A |
To do this please follow these instructions carefully:
1. Close Internet Explorer
2. Find and delete files called pc2phone.dll and phoneinfc.dll which are located in your Windows\System32 folder.
3. Clear the cache in Internet Explorer
4. Go to www.Electops.net and login as usual
The new software will be automatically downloaded and installed
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Placing a call:
| Q |
I cannot hear anythig through my speakers/headset although I can make a call and the person I call can hear me. Why is this? |
| A |
This is usually because you are using Electops behind a NAT or proxy server or a firewall. Please ensure that you use Electops on a computer that doesn't connect to the internet using any of these methods.
If you find your problem is not related to the above then it may be that your Internet Service Provider blocks the use of Internet Phone applications across their network. Unfortunately there is no solution to this. Further help on this topic is available from Microsoft.
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| Q |
The person I am calling cannot hear me, but I can hear them clearly. Why? |
| A |
See the question above. NAT or firewalls can cause 1-way audio in either direction.
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| Q |
The person I am calling hears an echo on the line? What is causing this? |
| A |
Echo is usually caused by incorrect microphone / speaker settings. Run the 'audio tuning wizard' as described in the section above, to ensure you have the optimum settings. Echo is often eliminated by using a headset or handset, instead of regular desktop speakers as it prevents the other side hearing themselves in your speakers!
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| Q |
The sound quality is poor. Is there anything I can do to improve it? |
| A |
There are many factors that can cause this. A full list is available from Microsoft.
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| Q |
I get an error message saying 'No telephone environment'. What does this indicate? |
| A |
There are usually 2 reasons for this:
- Microsoft Netmeeting is not installed on your computer. It MUST be installed for Electops to function. You can check this by going to your Accessories folder under the start menu where it will usually be located if it is installed. Netmeeting can be downloaded from here.
- You already have another PC to phone application running on your PC. Please close any other of these types of applications.
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| Q |
The call duration show in the call logs is longer than the call I actually made. Why? |
| A |
You must click 'disconnect' when you have finished your call. This disconnects you from our network. Failure to do this could lead to additional costs being incurred.
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| Q |
I get an error message saying 'Phone call rejected'. What does this indicate? |
| A |
There has been a problem with your call. There could be many reasons for this, including:
- The number you dialed was incorrect or in an incorrect format. Remember to dial the full international number without any prefix, spaces, brackets etc.
- There was a network problem to this destination
- The number you dialed does not exist
- There is a problem with the telephone network in the country you called
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Didn't find the answer to your question? Since our dialers use Microsoft Netmeeting technology, additional help can be obtained from the Microsoft Netmeeting website.
If you still don't find the answer to your question, please email us at: support@Electops.net. Please remember to include your username in all emails to us, so we can investigate your problem
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