FAQ IP Centrex/PBX Voice Mail Conference Follow-Me Callback SMS Messaging Virtual Office Calling Cards   General Information What is VoIP? What is AriesNetphone? What is a caller-id? Will AriesNetphone save me money? How do I use AriesNetphone softphone? When calling other parties, do they also need AriesNetphone or another VoIP service? Do I need my computer running in order to receive calls? Can I use AriesNetphone from anywhere in the world? Will the AriesNetphone service interfere with my DSL or cable modem data connection? What are Service Numbers? How can I get a Private Service Number? How can I get a Public Service Number? How can I release a Public Service Number? How can I access AriesNetphone's services through my Public Service Number? What if I forget my AriesNetphone service number? Is there a difference between using DSL or Cable modem when using AriesNetphone? Which one do you recommend to use? Do I need a fixed/static IP to use AriesNetphone? Does the person I call have to use AriesNetphone? Can I assign a static IP address to the telephone adapter? Is there an annual contract? Can I receive collect calls? How do you bill calls to regular phones? Do I need a computer to use AriesNetphone? Which telephone adapters are compatible with AriesNetphone? Which IP phones can I use with AriesNetphone? Is my AriesNetphone number listed in a phone book? How do I make an international call? Can I use AriesNetphone phone during a power outage? How does the sound quality compare to my current phone? Are calls made through AriesNetphone secure? Where is AriesNetphone available? Can I receive calls with AriesNetphone? How do I receive phone calls with my AriesNetphone service? Is there an activation fee? What is the minimum subscription term period? How are payments done? How do I sign up for AriesNetphone? What payment methods are available? Do I need a PIN and a password? How do I check my account balance? Can I use AriesNetphone softphone if my computer is behind a firewall? What connections will AriesNetphone work with? Do you have a support phone number? What is VoIP? VoIP stands for "Voice over IP" or "Voice over Internet Protocol." It uses the Internet and data networks to send and receive calls and faxes. Because it uses your existing high-speed Internet connection, it offers great savings on long distance and international calls. What is AriesNetphone? AriesNetphone is a local and long distance calling service provided by Aries Network, Inc. That uses the latest technology to combine voice and internet networks to provide quality, reliable and cost-effective inbound and outbound long distance calling solutions. You can use your regular phone or cell phone as well as AriesNetphone's softphone to use all of its services. What is a caller-id? Caller-id is an unique number that is provided to you at sign-up. Through it, other AriesNetphone members can call you directly on your softphone (if it is running). Will AriesNetphone save me money? Yes. Individuals and corporations with moderate to large long distance or international call usage can enjoy significant savings, depending on call volume – 20%, 30%, or 50% or more. How do I use AriesNetphone softphone? The softphone is an application that runs only on Microsoft Windows platform. It is an application ('.exe' file) that can be downloaded from ariesnetphone.com. In order to run it, you will need a headset with a microphone. When calling other parties, do they also need AriesNetphone or another VoIP service? No. Using AriesNetphone, you can connect to parties using any telephone technology. Do I need my computer running in order to receive calls? It depends. If you are using the AriesNetphone softphone, your computer must be running in order to receive calls. If your computer is not on or you are unavailable, the call will be directed to your Voicemail. If you are using a device that works without a computer such as an IP phone or a telephone adapter, calls will be directed to that device; unanswered calls will be directed to your Voicemail. Can I use AriesNetphone from anywhere in the world? Yes, your AriesNetphone account provides you with complete portability. You can access AriesNetphone from anywhere in the world using AriesNetphone’s softphone or a phone adapter. To access AriesNetphone’s softphone, simply log into your account and press the phone icon. The softphone automatically installs. To use a phone adapter, just plug it into any high-speed Internet connection and place calls. Will the AriesNetphone service interfere with my DSL or cable modem data connection? The AriesNetphone service routes your incoming and outgoing voice calls right alongside the data being sent to or from your computer. Thus, you can make and receive calls while you use your computer to access the Internet. AriesNetphone uses advanced audio compression techniques to minimize the data traffic caused by voice calls and maximize the bandwidth available for your other Internet traffic. What are Service Numbers? AriesNetphone uses two types of service numbers - private and public. A Private Service Number is generated when you subscribe for any of AriesNetphone's services. That number is associated with a specific service and uniquely identifies both the service and the subscriber. Private Service Numbers are directly accessible from within AriesNetphone, i.e. if you or your friends dial a private service number using AriesNetphone's softphone they will be connected to the service. A Public Service Number is an actual telephone number that can be dialed from any phone. You need a public service phone if you want to access a given service from outside AriesNetphone. How can I get a Private Service Number? To get a Private Service Number simply subscribe for any of AriesNetphone's services and such number will be provided. To subscribe, go to www.ariesnetphone.com and log in to your account. Select the Control Center page, check the checkbox corresponding to a service of your choice and press the Update Services button. The page will refresh and you will see the assigned private service number next to the selected service. How can I get a Public Service Number? To get a Public Service Number, go to www.ariesnetphone.com and log in to your account. Select the Control Center page, click on the Request Service Numbers button, and click on the Request New Number button. The page will refresh and you will see your Public Service Number in the upper right part of the page. Please note that Public Service Numbers are not free - you have to pay a monthly fee for keeping them. How can I release a Public Service Number? To release a Public Service Number, go to www.ariesnetphone.com and log in to your account. Select the Control Center page, click on the Request Service Numbers button, and click on the Release Number button corresponding to the Public Service Number that you wish to release. The page will refresh and the Public Service Number will be released. How can I access AriesNetphone's services through my Public Service Number? To access any of AriesNetphone's services through a Public Service Number you have to first link your Public Service Number with the chosen service. To do that, go to www.ariesnetphone.com and log in to your account. Select the Control Center page, click on Request Service Numbers button, check the checkbox next to the service that you want to access through your Public Service Number, and click on the Update button. Now you can access the service of your choice through dialing your Public Service Number. What if I forget my AriesNetphone service number? Your AriesNetphone service number is displayed on your account page at http://www.ariesnetphone.com. Simply go to the web site and log into your account. Is there a difference between using DSL or Cable modem when using AriesNetphone? Which one do you recommend to use? Both DSL and cable modems provide sufficient bandwidth to support the AriesNetphone service. Do I need a fixed / static IP to use AriesNetphone? No, you do not need a static IP address to enjoy the advantages of AriesNetphone. AriesNetphone is designed to work in a dynamic address (DHCP) environment, such as that available with most home gateway routers. Does the person I call have to use AriesNetphone? No, with AriesNetphone you can call any phone number that you can call with a traditional phone. Calls to regular phones are charged on a per minute basis while those to other AriesNetphone users are free. Can I assign a static IP address to the telephone adapter? No, the device is configured to obtain an IP address via DHCP. Is there an annual contract? No, there is no term-commitment. You may cancel your service at any time. Can I receive collect calls? No, you cannot receive collect calls using AriesNetphone. How do you bill calls to regular phones? We bill calls on a per minute basis, rounding up to the next whole minute. There is no minimum call duration. Check our Low Rates here. Do I need a computer to use AriesNetphone? Not necessarily. With a telephone adapter you can use many of AriesNetphone services directly. You will need a computer however if you intend to use advanced features and to manage your account. Which telephone adapters are compatible with AriesNetphone? AriesNetphone currently supports Cisco ATA 186 and Sipura SPA-2000. Which IP phones can I use with AriesNetphone? AriesNetphone currently supports Polycom SoundPoint IP 500 and Grandstream BulgePhone 100. Is my AriesNetphone number listed in a phone book? No, your AriesNetphone number(s) will not be listed in a phone book. How do I make an international call? Dial 011 + country code + number. Can I use AriesNetphone phone during a power outage? Typically, no. All telephony hardware including high-speed modems (DLS or cable), computers and phone adapters require electricity to operate. How does the sound quality compare to my current phone? You'll find the quality is as good, if not better! Because signals are transmitted and received digitally over the Internet, the quality may very well exceed what you're currently getting. Are calls made through AriesNetphone secure? Yes, all calls are sent securely through AriesNetphone's VoIP network. Where is AriesNetphone available? AriesNetphone is a worldwide service. You can subscribe for it and use it from any place connected to the Internet. To use the service with regular phone, please, check for access numbers for your area. Can I receive calls with AriesNetphone? Yes. You can receive calls only on your softphone AriesNetphone software if it runs on your computer. AriesNetphone offers a voicemail service, where you can receive calls if you are not available when called. How do I receive phone calls with my AriesNetphone service? To reach you, the calling party will simply dial your caller id and if your AriesNetphone softphone is running, the softphone rings, you pick it up and start talking. Is there an activation fee? No. What is the minimum subscription term period? One month. How are payments done? To use a AriesNetphone service, you will have to first subscribe for it using the Control Center page. Next you will have to pay the fee for the selected services for one month in advance. The services use "prepaid" plan model of payment. How do I sign up for AriesNetphone? You can sign up online at www.ariesnetphone.com. To sign up What payment methods are available? AriesNetphone accepts credit card payments from Visa, Master Card, and American Express. Also accepted are Paypal payments. Do I need a PIN and a password? When you sign up, you will be asked for your preferred username and password. If this username is available, we will create your account with this username and password. Upon sign up, a PIN number will be provided. It can be used to log into the web site as well as make phone calls. How do I check my account balance? Once you login into the AriesNetphone web site, you are immediatelly served information about your account balance and call activities. Can I use AriesNetphone softphone if my computer is behind a firewall? If you have a router with firewall installed to connect to the Internet or if you using the service in a corporate environment, AriesNetphone provides a NAT traversal feature that allows you to use the softphone in such environments. What connections will AriesNetphone work with? AriesNetphone is compatible with Internet services such as Dial-up 56Kbits/sec, DSL, or Cable. Do you have a support phone number? The best way to get your question answered or problem solved is to email us at support@ariesnetphone.com. If a phone call is necessary, one of our customer service representatives will contact you.