VoIP Service |
1. What is VoIP? Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is a communication technology that allows you to make phone calls using the Internet instead of a traditional telephone line. Instead of plugging a phone into the wall you plug it into a special Broadband Telephone Adapter that converts phone signals into internet signals. You can also use a personal computer with a software phone (soft-phone) to talk as well. A number of Siprano services take advantage of VoIP technology, including Solo, Family, and SOHO Unlimited. |
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2. Are there any special requirements in order to get VoIP in my home? You must have a high-speed internet connection in order to get VoIP service. For optimal quality, we recommend that you have Cable or DSL service with a minimum 128 Kb up/down speed. Satellite broadband or any service that has significant latency or packet loss is not recommended as it will likely cause jitter and other quality problems. If you are not sure your connection is VoIP capable, there are a number of resources on the internet for testing the quality of your internet connection (e.g. http://www.testyourvoip.com and http://www.dslreports.com ). |
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3. Do I have to buy special equipment to use VoIP? In order to use VoIP service you must have an VoIP enabled device like Broadband Phone Adapters (provided by Siprano free of charge*), native VoIP Phones, and soft-phones. |
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4. Can I use a regular telephone to make and receive VoIP calls? Yes, as long as you have an Broadband Telephone Adapter. An adapter is provided free of charge* to all Siprano customers. |
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5. Can I keep my existing telephone number if I switch to VoIP? Yes, in most cases. Please keep in mind that it will probably take longer to transfer your number than to issue you a new number. Also, you may not be able to move your number if you have DSL. |
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6. How long will it take to transfer my number from another provider? It may take up to 21 days for your existing phone number to be transferred. To avoid interruption in service and loss of your existing phone number, DO NOT CANCEL your existing phone service until your number is switched to Siprano. |
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7. Will VoIP work with my home alarm system? We don't recommend using VoIP to connect a home alarm system. First, it will require modification of your home telephone wiring. Secondly, if there is a power outage or interruption in your Internet service, your home alarm will not work. |
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8. Will VoIP work with my TiVo/DirecTV system? Yes, your system will be able to dial-up through your VoIP line. If the system connects through the internet then the VoIP will not affect it at all. |
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9. What if I have more than one telephone in my house? The easiest way to use VoIP service with more than one telephone is to purchase a cordless telephone system with multiple handsets. You may also connect multiple telephones to your VoIP service by using a multiple jack extension connector plugged into the adapter or by using wireless jacks. |
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10. Can I get 2 (or more) telephone numbers? Absolutely. You can get multiple home phone lines and multiple mobile phones, and you can get additional Anywhere Numbers for either. Check out our Products section for more information. |
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11. Does VoIP service include Call Waiting/Caller ID/Call Forwarding/Call Blocking? |
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12. Can I dial 911 on a VoIP phone? Yes- in some cases. We will register your Telephone Adapter so that the 911 calls made through that adapter are routed to the correct service center for the service address you provided at signup. Please note: 911 is only available from the address for which your phone is registered. If you use your adapter from other than the registered address, we cannot guarnatee that the call will be completed or that an the operator will be able to assist you. Note: Softphones are not 911 capable. |
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13. What kind of adapter will I get? By default you will get a Linksys PAP2 Adapter free of charge*. These adapters provide high quality voice service simultaneous with Internet use. They also provide two telephone jacks so that if you have more than one number, you can plug in two phones or your phone and fax machine. You can also opt to upgrade to a other advanced devices such as routers with built in Telephone Adapters. |
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14. How do I get my Broadband Telephone Adapter? Your Broadband Telephone Adapter will be mailed to you. |
15. Does Siprano come with a calling card? Every Siprano Center can be accessed from any phone by dialing (866) 359-1719. From there you can check messages, lookup contacts, or make phone calls as if it were a calling card. |
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1. Does Siprano really offer wireless service? Yes. Siprano has several wireless plans available both as standalone services and as companions to the home service products. See Products for more details. |
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2. How is this different from wireless service that I could get from other carriers like Cingular, Verizon, and T-Mobile? From a technical standpoint, it's not- Siprano Mobile uses the same wireless and network technology as the other carriers. The difference is the great value and advanced features Siprano adds that other carriers just can't match. |
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3. If I get your wireless service and your home service, will I get two bills? No- all of Siprano's products are fully integrated from both a technical and billing standpoint. For instance, you'll be able to share your personal voicemail box between your home and wireless phones. |
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4. Do I have to get Siprano home service to get Siprano Mobile? No- we have standalone wireless plans as well as companion plans. We do offer discounts, however, for people who have both home and mobile service. |
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5. Why should I get wireless service through Siprano? First, we only charge you for the minutes you use; you don't have to play "plan roulette" trying to guess the best plan without going too far over or under. Second, we fully integrate you home and wireless phones so you have only one personal communication center (Siprano Center) to keep track of on all of your phones. Third, we add powerful features for parents to be able to manage the minutes their children use and who they call. Siprano also lets parents keep track of where their kids are and how fast they are going. |
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6. Why aren't other service providers offering home and wireless bundles with these advanced features? We don't know- ask them. |
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7. Do Siprano phones support short messaging, wireless web, and ringtones? Not currently, but we expect to add these capabilities shortly. |
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8. Can I keep my existing wireless number? Not currently, but we should have this capability soon. |
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1. What is it? Siprano Center is a virtual personal assistant on steroids. Everyone on your account gets their own Siprano Center where they will pick up their voicemails, send and receive emails, and maintain all of their contact information. They can also use the Siprano Center to set up privacy controls that filter out unwanted calls as well as send the calls to other phones. Here's a short list of Siprano Center features:
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2. Can I get more than one Siprano Center on my phone? Yes- each person in your family or sharing the account will get a Siprano Center. |
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3. How much do they cost? Most plans include one or more Siprano Center for FREE. See the Products page for details. |
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4. So if I have a Siprano home line and a Siprano mobile phone, do I have to manage two Siprano Centers? No- unless you really want to. Siprano understands that people may have multiple phones they use, so it can tie one Siprano Center to any number of phones. That way you only have one place to go for all of your messages and contact info. |
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5. How do I get to the Siprano Center? You can access the Siprano Center from and phone or web browser. If you're on a Siprano Phone it's as simple as pressing '0' and following the prompts- from there you can make calls using your address book, listen to voicemail and emails, and more. On the web, you can access your account through the Siprano Center portal. From here you can manage your address book, send and receive emails and voicemails, and more. |
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6. Can I really talk to my Siprano Center? Yes- Siprano Center is fully Speech Recognition capable, so you can use natural voice commands to do anything you need to do on the phone. Better yet, Siprano Center does not require training like many phone handsets and PC programs requires, so you're ready to go the first time you call in. |
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7. What is this "Receptionist"? Since each person on the account gets a Siprano Center, it's common that many Siprano Centers are on a single phone line (for instance, your shared home phone lines). The Siprano Receptionist will ask your caller who they are trying to reach and then send them to the appropriate Siprano Center. This means the caller will be able to leave a message for that specific person or be directed to another |