Activating Your Service


The process of activating an Internet phone service is fairly straightforward. If you have ever made an online or telephone purchase, you already know everything you need to know to activate your VoIP service.

A typical activation

Let's begin by assuming that you have purchased an Internet phone kit in the store. This is a common scenario for those who prefer to see and hold a device before buying it. It is also very economical, as the device is often free after rebates.

Purchase

When you select a TA in the store, you will make a few choices. You'll decide whether you want a simple TA or an Internet gateway that includes VoIP functionality. You might also make your final choice among competing VoIP services.

If you have been reading right along to this point, you should be prepared to make this decision. If you still have questions, however, don't make your decision in the store. Spend a little more time reading and researching service plans before going back to the store. The guys and gals in the store are helpful inasmuch as they are there to help you buy something. Whether the something you buy is the best choice for you is another topic entirely!

Activating your TA

When you get home, you'll unpack your new TA. Prominently placed in the box will be a poster or booklet describing the setup process (Figure 5.2). As you read the instructions, you will see that a call or Internet visit to your provider is required to establish service. This contact registers your device with the service provider's network and registers your bank card with its subscription system.

Figure 5.2. The Linksys quick-start guide for the PAP2 telephone adapter


Once again, if you have any questions about the best subscription option for you, back away, and do a little more research. Don't be distracted by the sexy front-page graphics and offers. Work out the minutes you are likely to use and what a lesser plan would cost, even with overages. You might be surprised to find that the "unlimited" plan is not the best deal.

During registration, you will be asked to enter the 12-digit MAC address located on the TA device (see the sidebar in this section). This number also frequently appears on the product packaging to enable the provider to activate kits without opening the box (Figure 5.3). Look for the bar-code sticker saying something like MAC ID: or MAC:. Enter the entire code, including zeros, in the registration screen.

Figure 5.3. Locating the MAC address on your product packaging


When you complete the registration process, your setup guide will direct you through the completion of your installation.

Establishing Communications

After registering your TA, you will proceed to power on the device to establish communications.

After powering on the device, watch the status lights. The lights will blink as the power-up sequence continues; eventually, they will reach a state where they will be on most of the time, with only intermittent flickering as communications between the TA and the VoIP provider's systems take place. When this state has been reached (usually, within a minute), you are ready to make your first call.

Note

If you purchased a TA that is already activated, you will begin here.


Your first call

If you are like me, you are ready to make your first call and have to think for a minute about who to call first! You are proud of having set up this service but don't want to embarrass yourself by calling someone you know and having the call go badly.

My advice? Call a bank or some organization with a phone tree. This will allow you to listen to call quality and use touch tones to activate menu options. If the phone tree can make out the touch tones, chances are that your friends and family will hear you just fine. Now hang up and call someone to brag about your new phone service.

What is a MAC Address?

A Media Access Control address is a unique hexadecimal (powers of 16) number that identifies a network device on a network. MAC addresses are constructed by combining a manufacturer's code with a unique sequence of numbers assigned by the manufacturer.

When your TA communicates with your VoIP provider's systems, the provider recognizes this address as the one you entered in the registration screen. For this reason, it is very important that you make sure you entered this sequence in your screen correctly. If you entered this address incorrectly, it will take a call to the VoIP provider's technical support staff to correct the problem.




Fire the Phone Company. A Handy Guide to Voice over IP
Fire the Phone Company: A Handy Guide to Voice Over IP
ISBN: 0321384865
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2004
Pages: 94
Authors: David Field

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