Using POIVY To Illustrate How To Set Up VOIP Calls on Computer and SIP Devices.

Using POIVY To Illustrate How To Set Up VOIP Calls on Computer and SIP Devices.
Poivy, what is it?
Poivy is a free program that uses the latest technology to bring free and high-quality voice communications to people all over the world. When you use the free Poivy software, you can call regular phones in various popular destinations for free* or call at an incredible low rate to any other phone on the planet. You can also call all your online friends (peer-to-peer calls) as long as you like, for free. Just click here to download Poivy ; the download should take only a few moments depending on your connection speed. The process for POIVY is same for many others like www.justvoip.com,www.skype.com,www.jumblo.com etc

How to Use Poivy
• System Requirements
• Downloading Poivy
• Installation
• Starting Poivy for the First Time
• Making your first Poivy call
• Improving Sound Quality
• Tabs
• Speed-dial text field
• Using a SIP device
• Using other hardware
• Calling with Poivy
• Version updates


System Requirements
In order to use the software, your computer must meet the following minimum system requirements.
Minimum System Requirements:
• PC running Windows Vista, XP, 2000 (with SP2)
• 300 MHz processor
• 128 MB RAM
• 10 MB free disk space on your hard drive
• Sound Card and a headset
• Internet Connection broadband: Cable, DSL, with minimum 64 kbit/s (up/downstream)
However, in order to take advantage of all of the advanced features of Poivy and to experience the best sound quality possible, we highly recommend the following configuration.
Recommended System Requirements:

• PC running Windows Vista, XP, 2000 (with SP2)
• 1 GHz processor
• 256 MB RAM
• 30 MB free space on your hard drive
• Full duplex sound card (most sound cards made after 1998), headset
• Cable, DSL or equivalent broadband connection to Internet

Downloading Poivy
The software is free to download and you can always get the latest version here. If you have any problems using Poivy, please first make sure that you are using the most recent version of the software.
To download Poivy to your computer, simply click the download link. Save the installation file to your computer. Be sure to remember where you saved the file (for instance the Desktop).
Installation
Double-click the installation file you just downloaded to start installing Poivy on your computer.
Poivy starts automatically each time you start windows. With Poivy always running, other users will be more likely to find you online. You can change these settings at any time from Poivy program by selecting "options".
Starting Poivy for the First Time
The first time you start Poivy, you will be asked to choose a User Name and password. The User Name and password fields are required in order to use Poivy. You can choose any name but it must be at least 6 characters in length. If the name is already in use by someone else you will have to try another name.
Making your first Poivy call
For a call to any online Poivy user, simply enter the username in the textbox and click the dial button. For a call to any regular phone, enter the desired number in the textbox and click the dial-button. For all calls, you will be asked to buy credits first. For all other calls, you will be asked to buy credits first.

Please note that when you call a number (even if it's local) you should always dial 00 + country code + area code + subscriber number)
Improving Sound Quality
To get the best possible sound quality, we highly recommend you try the following:
• Use a headset with a built in microphone. Headsets are available for purchase at most computer retailers and will dramatically improve sound quality.
• Tell your friend to get a headset. Note that voice quality is affected by the equipment on both sides of the conversation. The best way to ensure high quality sound is to have a headset on both ends of the conversation.
If you don't have a headset, you are still likely to improve sound quality if you:
• Use headphones instead of your computer speakers
• Try moving the microphone closer or further away from your mouth
• Use an external microphone (note that most laptops use low-quality microphones)
• Update your soundcard drivers
• Note that if you don't own a microphone, you may be able to use a pair of headphones as a temporary solution by connecting these to the microphone jack of your sound card. Try it!
Tabs
Poivy is divided into several tabs, each with a specific purpose.
The Contacts Tab shows other Poivy users which you have added to your Contact List. The icon next to the User Name indicates the Online Status of these users. You can right-click any User Name in your Contact List to see a number of choices for communicating with, or managing this user in your Contact List.
The Dial pad Tab shows you a graphic representation of the buttons you find on any ordinary phone, and they work accordingly.
Speed-dial text field
The Text Box near the bottom of the main Poivy window allows you to call directly by entering their User Name or phone number and pressing enter.
Using a SIP device, If you want to use your own preferred SIP device, but also want to profit from the great Poivy offers, you can click here for information about setting up your SIP device with Poivy.
Using other hardware
Poivy has selected, tested and certified various USB phones, headsets, routers and other hardware for your convenience. Click here for an overview.
Calling with Poivy
There are several ways to call with Poivy:
• From the textbox, enter the User Name of another Poivy user, or the desired phone number and press enter.
• Double-click a User Name in your contact list.
• Use the dial pad to make a call just like you do on a regular phone.
• Or use the keypad on your PC.
Please note that when you call a number (even if it's local) you should always dial 00 + country code + area code + subscriber number
How to Use Poivy with your SIP device
You need a Poivy username and password in order to call via our network. So first sign up with Poivy by downloading and installing the application and create your login.

In order to call ULTRA CHEAP via the Poivy network, enter the settings below:

You can use Poivy with the following types of Sip devices:

SIP ATA (Analogue Telephone Adapter)

SIP Router

xDSL Modem

The most devices are equipped with a combination of the following ports.
Example 1

(this is merely an example layout, every type of device can be different)

Example 2

(this is merely an example layout, every type of device can be different)


(A)DSL: connect your line from your (A)DSL provider (not available on a ATA)

WAN: connect your line from your xDSL modem/router

LAN: port for your (home) network, you can connect e.g. your PC, lap-top or wireless router

PHONE: here you can connect your analogue telephone

LINE: connect your analogue (PSTN) telephone line

USB: you can connect PC or lap-top with a free USB port

Some SIP devices have more than one LAN port and/or PHONE port available.

For the hardware connections from your SIP device look at the above information and your user manual.
After connecting the hardware you have to make sure that your software is installed and configured the right way.

Software configuration
General

SIP port : 5060

Registrar : sip.poivy.com

Proxy server : sip.poivy.com

Outbound proxy server : leave empty

Account name : your Poivy username

Password : your Poivy password

Display name/number : your Poivy username or VOIP number

Stun server (option) : stun.poivy.com



Below are some examples of the software configuration of various popular SIP devices. Please also consult the manual that came with your SIP device

Avoiding call echo
Poivy has a built-in echo canceller which detects and reduces echo during calls. Ongoing echo problems may be caused by:
• Echo occurring from the audio device being used by the person you are calling. To improve call quality they should use a headset rather than loudspeakers. A headset reduces the level of acoustic echo that reaches the microphone.
• Using a webcam microphone; these are especially sensitive and pick up background noise and echo more easily.
• Using loudspeakers. We recommend a low level volume to reduce the chance of the microphone picking up any noise from loudspeakers and therefore creating echo.
Note: the performance of echo cancellation is affected by the level of background noise. Echo cancellation works better in low background noise environments.

Avoiding background noise
Poivy has a built-in noise canceller which helps reduce the level of background noise. To avoid background noise you can:
• Try to find a quiet location to make Poivy calls from.
• Move your microphone closer to your mouth and away from noise sources such as your computer's fan.
• use Poivy Certified headsets, handsets and webcams. Built-in microphones in computers and webcams are more prone to picking up background noise. We recommend you use a stand alone microphone instead.
One way sound
One way sound occurs when one party in a call cannot hear the other.
This may occur for a number of reasons:
Bad sound device settings:
• If you cannot hear the person you are calling or vice versa your sound device settings may be configured incorrectly.
• Check your microphone is not muted. Some microphones have buttons to mute/unmute.
• Alternatively, the speaker volume of the person you are calling may be off or set too low. Both parties in the call need to check their device settings and verify they can hear other sounds made by their computers.
• You may have incorrect sound mixer settings. Consult your soundcard manual or get more advice at Poivy Sound Set up Guide. (Please note: the soundcard used in our guide is serving only as an illustration, your computer does not have to have the same model for Poivy to work.) Alternatively, review more information at Troubleshooter.
• Finally, you can try disabling poivY's sound device auto adjustment. Do this within Poivy by clicking Menu > Tools > Options > Sound Devices � uncheck the box: Enable automated volume control. On the same screen check that the Audio In and Audio Out devices are set to the ones you actually use.

Low bandwidth internet:
• One way sound can be caused by the caller having low internet bandwidth to outgoing destinations. For example, when using dial-up connections, satellite connections (that use dial-up or GPRS for upload) or low-priced ADSL packages.

Personal firewall software:
• Some personal firewalls may block poivy's access to the internet. Due to the way such firewalls are designed, blocking usually occurs after you have upgraded Poivy. This may result in you being unable to connect, inferior call quality or one-way sound. Check your personal firewall settings and allow Poivy to make outgoing connections and accept incoming connections (sometimes called Act as server).

File sharing: • Uploading a file while using Poivy can sometimes affect the quality of the call. It is advised to close all file sharing applications before calling.

Other people affecting the network:
• If using Poivy within a corporate network, one-way sound may be caused because someone else in the network is affecting internet connectivity. It is quite hard to determine this and in most of cases there is little than can be done. However, contacting your system administrator for further assistance is recommended.

Robotic sound / Words cut off / Delay
• The main reason for robotic sound, dropouts in sentences and delay is bad network performance. This could be caused by both issues affecting you or the person you're calling. Poivy is built to be adaptive and to provide the best call quality in all network