Frequently Asked Questions
What is VOIP?
Voice over Internet Protocol is a technology that allows voice data to be transmitted over the Internet. Using a broadband Internet connection and subscribing to a VoIP provider such as Euphoria allows a person to make and receive phone calls over the Internet.
Does VoIP Work in South Africa?
Yes it works very well. Big corporate companies in South Africa have been benefiting from the quality and the cost savings of VoIP for years. The voice quality is crystal clear, usually better than traditional fixed line and mobile calls, but the quality can depend on many factors like bandwidth and Internet connections over the distance of the routed call.
Why should I choose VoIP for my business?
VoIP is a great way to reduce phone bills and to improve the professional appearance of a small office. Many business voip features are included, such as a multi level digital receptionist, across office and branch transfers, hunt groups and call Queuing. These features can make the customer facing presence of a small business much more streamlined, professional and efficient.
Why should I choose VoIP for my home?
VoIP is a great way to reduce phone bills, to call family and friends for less and those using Euphoria for free. It is especailly a great way to stay in touch withl family and friends internationally for less than a local fixed line call. Other features such as voicemail to email, online account management, realtime prepaid billing as well as not having to change your number if you move residence make Euphoria a great choice for the home.
What is a Hosted (Cloud) PBX?
A Hosted (Cloud) PBX is a VoIP business phone system where the "PBX Hardware" resides with Euphoria. Rich in features, a hosted (Cloud) PBX can save significant upfront hardware charges because the PBX software/hardware sits remotely at Euphoria’s facility and is shared amongst a number of of clients. It removes the costs and hassled for any onsite support call outs. The connection is made through the Internet.
What kind of Internet Connection do I need to use VoIP?
1. You will need a broadband connection with a speed of at least 128 kbps (like ADSL) to ensure good call quality and successfully use VoIP. A broadband connection is 'always on', thereby ensuring that you can receive and make calls with minimum interruption.
2. If you have a dial-up you will be very fortunate to achieve decent call quality.
3. We use a audio compression called G729 that requires only 32Kbps (that’s the same as using 1MB of data every 4.2 minutes (252 secs) on the phone. This ensures crystal clear Internet phone calls.
5. Depending on how you use your Internet connection, you want to make sure that you have enough bandwidth left over for typical Internet traffic (e.g. emails, web browsing, file downloads).
6. If you are unsure of how your Internet connection will be able to cope, try testing your connection for VoIP at http://www.speedtest.net/
How much technical skill is required to set-up and use the service?
Virtually none. The VoIP telephones phones are plug and play and it arrives ready to make and receive calls the instant they’re plugged into a broadband connection with DHCP, right out of the box.
Does my computer need to be on when I am on the VoIP phone?
The computer does not have to be turned on, for your VoIP phone to work, as your VoIP phone will be plugged directly into the router (LAN). If however you are using a Softphone, the computer will have to be switched on.
What are the advantages of Euphoria (VoIP)?
There are several advantages to VoIP over a traditional phone service, such as, price, portability, and extra features. Long distance calling is extremely cost effective with Euphoria boasting some the lowest International calling costs in South Africa. A person can pick an 087 number, rather than be locked into certain area codes and prefixes. Many features are offered as part of the entry level account, such as call waiting and voicemail to email others such as call transfer, digital receptionist, call forwarding, hunt groups, call blocking and recording are part of the hosted (cloud) PBX solution.
Are VoIP calls cheaper than using a regular telephone service?
In most cases call rates from your Euphoria account are significantly cheaper that traditional telephone services. Calls between branches and other Euphoria users are free for the foreseeable future; while calls from your Euphoria account to traditional landlines or cell phones are still cheaper than offered by cell phone and traditional fixed line networks.
Does my account offer voice mail?
Yes business users have a voicemail facility. Your voicemail is accessible from anywhere in the world, as long as you have an internet connection. Voice mails can be delivered directly to your email inbox as small sound file attachments.
What is a Softphone?
A softphone is the general term used to describe a VoIP phone connection where software is installed, is used to create a phone connection on a computer . The PC device acts as the phone with a virtual phone displayed on the screen. A head set is needed for good conversations, one with both a microphone and head speakers. A decent free softphone available is X-Lite from Counterpath If your happy using Softphones, we suggest paying for a softphone that includes the G729 audio codec to imporve the quality of your calls.
There are applications available for smart cell phones that enable you to make and recieve VoIP calls from over WiFi or 3G. Take a look at Acrobits for Iphone. There is a business version available called groundwire which allows you to do call transfer and other features equivalent to an office desktop phone. This is perfect for a manager who is always in WiFi range but moves around the office premises, reception can transfer the call no matter where he is in the building.
What is a Hardware VoIP phone?
A VoIP hardware phone is a replacement for your curent office or home fixed line phone. They come in all shapes and sizes with different features and pricing, please check our online shop for an array of tested and approved phones for use on the Euphoria network. Hardware phones improve the experience of using VoIP as you do not need your PC to use it. The handsets can be placed anywhere in your office or home and used as a complete replacement for your current fixed line solution.
If I lose power will I still be able to make phone calls with VoIP?
Losing power can cause your Internet connection to go down. If this happens you will not be able to make calls unless you are equipped with a back up UPS, which could power the connection for a limited duration. Using a UPS to power your modem/router and VoIP phones should allow an Internet connection to be maintained for a short duration and should suffice for short local outages.
Can I call EMERGENCY numbers such as 10111?
Emergency calling access is available with Euphoria, however it is NOT guaranteed. We suggest relying on a backup prepaid cell phone or prepaid fixed line to make emergency calls.
Can I keep my existing numbers?
Euphoria are able to port most fixed line geographic numbers from Telkom, however restrictions may apply. Secondly you may only use a geographic number of a certain area if your business or home is physically located in that area. Number porting is available to businesses at R 250 ex vat per number.
Should I use a separate Internet connection for VoIP?
This depends on how many simultaneous calls (channels) you require.
2 to 3 simultaneous calls
If your office currently has a 4MB ADSL line with a Quality of service router and up to 10 staff use the Internet for respectfully browsing the internet and emailing you should handle 3 simultaneous calls without any problems.
4 to 5 simultaneous calls
If your office currently has a 10MB ADSL line with a Quality of service router and up to 12 staff use the Internet for respectfully browsing the internet and emailing you should handle 4 to 5 simultaneous calls without any problems.
We would suggest a consultation over the phone to assess your usage with a speed test at a suitable time of day.
If you require more simultaneous calls ranging from 4 to 30 we suggest a dual wan router from Billion and a second ADSL line or E1 that matches your requirements.
A 192k / 384k ADSL line dedicated to VoIP can handle 2 to 3 simultaneous calls
A 256k /512k ADSL line dedicated to VoIP can handle 3 to 4 simultaneous calls
A 640k / 4MB ADSL line dedicated to VoIP can handle 8 to 10 simultaneous calls
A 1MB / 10MB ADSL line dedicated to VoIP can handle 16 to 20 simultaneous calls
A dedicated ADSL line would login directly to our IPC network with a username and password provided by us. You would not pay for any data on the dedicated VoIP ADSL line. It would also increase the quality of the call as your voice data is connected directly onto our national next generation voice network.
How do I cancel my account?
Business Hosted PBX accounts requires a 30 day notice period to cancel accounts. If you wish to terminate your account with us, please email accounts@euphoria.co.za with your cancellation request.
Can I use VoIP for my fax?
We do not recommend the use of VoIP for your fax services, as the fax codecs are not supported in South Africa. However, we do offer free fax2email telephone numbers.
Is the Euphoria service reliable?
Yes, the Euphoria service is as reliable as your Internet connection. It depends on a working broadband connection to place and receive calls. Another way to view it is, Euphoria is as reliable as your email. If the International cable link goes down (SEACOM) you will still be able to make and recieve calls through Euphoria. Lastly if your Internet connection is down, many of your systems stop working, even if people still call you, you probably couldn't help them. If the Internet connection goes down, Euphoria suggests concentrating on resolving it. The right solution would be to install a backup internet connection that you use and pay for when you need it. E.g A second ADSL line and ISP, iBurst or 3G etc
What does it cost to call a Euphoria telephone number?
The costs of calling a Euphoria number are standard costs. When calling from another Euphoria number it is currently free. When calling from a Telkom landline, as of 01/08/2010 the caller is charged the standard national rate of R 0.57c ex vat per minute. When calling from a mobile network, the caller is charged their standard calling rates for using the mobile network. These call charges are largely controlled by the service provider you are using, under normal circumstances they should be equal to your stanard calling rates,
Can I see call costs and duration on my Euphoria account?
Once you log into your Euphoria account page you will be able to access your account balance and the details of individual calls made in real time. In other words if you make call and the immediately login to your account the details of the call will be available instantly.
