MyPCPhone TroubleShooting

The following is a guide to troubleshooting various issues that may arise when using the MyPCPhone
MyPCPhone. Users may find solutions to common problems explained within.

Networking Problems

This guide assumes that the user’s internet connection is working. If that is not the case, please
Contact the appropriate internet service provider.

Login timeout

If the user gets a Login Timed Out error message, they may have entered their username or
Password incorrectly. Double-check these values with the VoIP service provider. Users also may
Have problems contacting a SIP proxy server. Make sure the user’s computer can ping the
Computers listed in Table 3 below. If the user cannot contact any one of these computers, there
May be difficulties with MyPCPhone calls.

Relevant Network Hosts

• Computer SIP Proxy
• Outbound SIP Proxy (If applicable)
• STUN Server
• DNS Server
• X-Tunnels Server (if Applicable)

Ping is a network utility used to determine if a remote computer is alive and reachable across a
Network.

How to ping a computer (Windows):

1. Click the Start button
2. Click Run…
3. Type command
4. Click the OK button
5. The Windows Command Prompt will open
6. At the prompt type ping <computer address>, where <computer address> is the domain
   Name or IP address of one of the computers in the above table.
7. If the result is could not find host, or request timeout, that computer is not available. Please
   Contact the appropriate VoIP service provider for assistance.

How to ping a computer (Mac OS X):

1. Launch the Network Utility found in the Applications/Utilities folder.
2. Click on Ping from the list at the top.
3. Enter the address of the computer and click Ping.

Firewall and NAT issues

If a user computer is behind a firewall, certain ports must be open for MyPCPhone to be able to
Communicate with a VoIP service provider. The required ports are listed below in Table 4. Please
Refer to applicable firewall documentation for help on opening ports.

Standard Ports

Port Type and Number Service

• UDP 3478 STUN
• UDP 5060 SIP
• UDP 8000 RTP
• UDP 8001 RTCP

Two additional ports after 8001 are required for each additional line used. For example, if using a
Second line, UDP ports 8002-3 is used.

If the user computer is behind a firewall from which it is impossible to open such ports, contact
The VoIP service provider regarding firewall traversal solutions such as X-Tunnels.

If the firewall restricts incoming connections, the user may need to use an Outbound Proxy to
Properly receive audio. Ask the VoIP service provider for an Outbound Proxy address and port
Number, and then enter those values into MyPCPhone in the following location:

Settings Menu -> Proxies -> [User’s SIP Proxy] -> <Outbound Proxy> :<Port>
Users must also set the Use Outbound Proxy field (found with the above setting) to Always.
Port forwarding is not required on a user’s NAT.

Multiple IP addresses on the same computer

If a user’s computer has more than one IP address, MyPCPhone may have difficulty choosing the
Correct address for MyPCPhone calls. To set the correct IP address manually, configure the following
Settings as instructed below:

• Settings Menu -> System -> Network -> Auto-Detect IP Address: Unchecked
• Local IP Address: [User Computer’s IP Address]
• NAT Firewall IP Address: [IP Address of the user’s NAT or firewall]

Another solution is to disable all but one network adapter until after MyPCPhone starts.

RPort attribute

Some VoIP providers do not support the “rport” signaling attribute. Check with the VoIP service
provider for details. To turn off “rport” configure the following setting as instructed below:

Settings Menu -> Proxies -> [User’s Proxy] -> Advanced Options -> Use rport: Unchecked

Audio Problems

This guide assumes that the user computer’s sound and video system are working normally, and
that the user has run the Tuning Wizard at least once. To run the Tuning Wizard, right-click over
the dial pad, and select Tuning Wizard.

There are several factors that may affect sound quality when using MyPCPhone. These include the
Quality of the network connection, network device quality, and headset model. Some of the
Common problems experienced are given below, along with some useful tips on how to minimize
Their effect:

Audio contains pops at loud points in voice

Popping sound is a symptom of over-modulation. Ask the other party to decrease their
Microphone slider and/or adjust the microphone gain.

Audio contains bothersome background noise

Significant background noise can be due to the level of the silence threshold. Have the other party
Adjust their silence threshold, which they can do by running the Tuning Wizard

Audio sounds choppy in a conference

Poor conference audio may be caused by upload bandwidth limitations. For example, some sites
Have 1 Mbps download bandwidth, but only 128 kbps upload bandwidth. Under such conditions,
Try multiple hosts for the conference, or have all participants disconnect and switch to a lesser
Bandwidth audio compression codec such as G.729.

Poor sound

Poor or scratchy sound is a symptom of a problem with network connections, or a faulty network
Card. The following issues could contribute to poor sound quality:

• There may be packet loss on the IP network. Check the network performance, latency, and
  Throughput. 200-millisecond round trip latency as determined from a ping should deliver
  Good audio quality.
• Older network devices may have performance problems. Make sure to use the latest driver.
  There is an echo there is an echo

The following tips may be useful for reducing echo heard during the conversation:

• Try using a headset with plugged into the sound card. Another suggestion is to use a
  USB-enabled headset, which bypasses system, sounds by acting as its own sound device.
• If using a boom type headset, note that some boom headsets can create feedback between the
  Boom microphone and the headset earpiece.
• The microphone balance is not muted in the playback section of Windows audio controls.
  When configuring sound, examine the volume control setting.
• Echo will occur if the user’s microphone can pick up sounds coming from the speakers used
  For the MyPCPhone call (when not using an integrated headset).
• The microphone level might be too high or the amplifier might be turned on in the generic
  Windows audio controls.

One-way audio

If a firewall restricts incoming connections, users may get only one-way audio. Configure
MyPCPhone to use the service provider’s Outbound Proxy (if available), as explained under
Firewall and NAT issues earlier in this appendix.

Diagnostic Log

MyPCPhone writes diagnostic information to a log file. Users can view this log file by pressing F9
On their keyboard. The log is rather cryptic, but when having difficulties with MyPCPhone, it may
Become necessary for the user to e-mail the log to their technical support representative.