Most major softphone clients can be used with a Skytel phone line. Our engineers recommend Counterpath’s X-Lite softphone, which has been tested in our labs.

To install an X-Lite softphone:

1. Go to X-Lite and download X-Lite for Windows or Mac.
2. After downloading the softphone client, build the Account tab as follows (leave all the other tab settings as default):
   1. Type in a unique extension number
      Note: A separate extension number must be used with the softphone.You cannot use an extension already assigned to an existing phone in your office.
   2. Type in your Skytel PBX URL.
   3. Type in your extension password (the extension’s “secret” device password, created in your PBX).

→ Tips

•    Use a headset with a microphone for best sound quality.
•    Some anti-virus programs may affect performance.
•    The softphone will not ring if your computer is off or in sleep or hibernate mode, etc.
•    Voice Carrier is not able to troubleshoot softphone issues on your computer.
•    Use a separate extension number for each softphone.

Log into the phone’s web portal (enter the phone’s IP address in a browser).

1. Enter your Skytel PBX URL found in the “Domain” and “Proxy Server” fields. Example: your-company.voicecarrier.com
2. Enter the extension number found in the “Display Name” and “User ID” fields.
3. Enter the “secret” device password.

Download instructions for registering popular SIP phones (Linksys, Cisco, Aastra) to Skytel.

Want to add a SIP phone to your iPhone or Android? Skytel recommends the iPico UC mobile client. Installation steps are:

1. Create a separate, unique extension in your PBX for the mobile SIP client
2. Download iPico UC software from the iPhone App Store
3. After the app has been installed, click Settings in lower right-hand corner of the main page
4. Click Settings again, then fill in User and Proxy information. Use screenshot below as your guide. The Password is the “Secret” code entered in the PBX for this extension. The Domain and Proxy address is your PBX URL.

We also recommend the Bria softphone for Android based phones.  It can be located in the iPhone App Store, or at the following link:  http://www.counterpath.com/bria-android-edition.html

Skytel warrants all our phones for up to one year from date of purchase. To obtain a Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) please  send an email to rma@skytelglobal.com with the following information:

• Full name, company name, and phone number
• The phone make and model
• The phone’s MAC number (found on the back of the phone)
• The extension the phone is connected with
• Full description of the problem you are experiencing with the phone

Skytel will contact you and attempt to fix the problem remotely. If the phone needs to be replaced, the agent will provide shipping instructions to return the unit to our warehouse and we will ship you a replacement phone at no cost.

Plugging in Your VoIP Phone

Skytel phones arrive fully configured with the extension number and line assignments already programmed. Simply plug your phone into an electrical source and connect it to your office network as you would connect a computer.

→ Tip: Some phones include a network connection on the phone so a computer and phone can be connected to the same network connection in a daisy-chain. If you have this feature on your phone, first plug the phone into the network and then plug the computer into the phone.

→ Tip: Skytel pre-configures the time zone on your phone to your business’s main office location. If necessary, you can adjust the zone from the phone’s display.

Testing Your Phone

Once your phone is connected to your network and plugged, you can immediately test to see if it is properly accessing the VoIP system.

*43 –Echo Test:

Press * 43 on your phone’s keypad, and everything you say will be repeated back to you by the VoIP network. This test gives you a sense of the latency between your phone and the VoIP network. End the test by hanging up, or by pressing the * key by itself.

*65 –Extension Test:

Press *65 on your phone’s keypad, and Voice Carrier’s Network will say that phone’s extension number back to you on the handset. If you get a fast-busy tone, the system is telling you that the phone is not connected properly, or that it is not registered.

→ Tip: Most phone and voicemail functions use the star key * and the pound key #. The keys are to the left and right of the zero “0” on most phone keypads.

In rare instances, it may be necessary to change a phone’s IP address from Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) to static. To do this, you will have to access the phone’s internal administrative interface (this is not the same as your Skytel web portal). See your phone manual for more information.

For Yealink Phones

1. Press the silver “OK” button on the phone to get the phone’s IP address. ! Do not press and hold – this will pop up a reset function. If you accidentally access reset, press Cancel.
2. Type that IP address into a web browser as if it were a URL.
3. Enter your username and password (usually admin and admin – it is possible to change this for security purposes by going to the Security tab, but we do not recommend you do this.)
   1. Once you are in the phone’s internal interface:
      1. Select the Network tab
      2. Check Static IP Address
      3. Type the IP information into the five fields shown
      4. Click Confirm to save.

The VoIP phones provided by Sklytel can be easily configured to provide speed dialing. There are two ways to do this: 1) through the Skytel PBX system or, 2) configure the non-number keys (and soft keys) to act as speed dial buttons.

Speed Dial Numbers on the Numeric Keypad

Speed dial numbers let you access a four-digit number (e.g., another extension), a seven-digit number (e.g., an outside number), or even an eleven-digit number (e.g., number including 1+area code) by pressing only one or two digits on your phone’s keypad.

Setup Speed Dial Numbers

1. Lift the handset, or press the speaker button, to get to a dial tone.
2. Press *75 on your phone’s numeric keypad.
3. You will be prompted to “enter the speed dial location and then press pound”. Key in any one- or two-digit number (1 to 9, or 01 to 99) and then press the # key.
4. You will then be prompted to “enter the telephone number and then press pound”. Key in the number to call as though you were actually making the call and then press the # key.
   • This will be the number called when you press the speed dial number.
   • Tip: If you usually need to press a 9 or 8 to get an outside line, don’t forget to include that as well.
5. The system will confirm the speed dial setting.

Use Speed Dial

1. Lift the handset or press the speaker button to get a dial tone.
2. Press the star key, followed by the 0 key, followed by a speed dial location to call the phone number stored at that speed dial location. (*0n or *0nn where n or nn is the speed dial number you had previously configured).

Do your employees need to pickup calls, from different phones, throughout the day? You could instruct them how to use Call Park and Call Pickup, or, you can configure Park and Pickup buttons directly on the Yealink Line buttons. This allows for simple “one touch” park and pickup!

Download instructions for the Yealink T-28.

You can configure many functions from you phone’s web portal. To login:

Note:   “Call Waiting” must be enabled on the phone., otherwise the phone will not accept a click-to-call.

Download instructions for installing Skytel’s Click-to-Call functionality to Outlook.

Yealink phones allow you to import your contacts directly from your Outlook email client.

Download instructions for importing contacts from Outlook to your Yealink phone.

You can set up Call Forwarding using your extension phone’s numeric keypad, or through the Skytel web interface.

There are three types of call forwarding:

• Unconditional – all calls will be forwarded straight to the target number. Your extension phone won’t ring.
• Unavailable – the call will be forwarded after your extension phone rings (if it is not answered).
• Busy – the call will only be forwarded if you’re on the line with another call.

Calls can be forwarded to any number that can be called from your phone – both extensions within the office and outside numbers.

Using your phone’s keypad

Call Forwarding (like most Skytel features) can be specified using “star codes” (two digits preceded by the * key, for example “* 69”).

To set up Unconditional Call Forwarding (which will forward calls immediately):

1. Pick up your phone’s handset or push the speaker button to get a dial tone
2. Press *72 on the phone’s numeric keypad
3. The voice menu will prompt you to enter the extension number to be forwarded
   • Key in your own extension number, followed by the # key
4. The voice menu will prompt you to enter the target number
   • Key in the target number, followed by the # key
5. The voice menu will confirm your number and the target number.

→ Tip – Wait until the voice menu has finished talking before entering the number.

To turn off Unconditional Call Forwarding from the original extension:

1. Pick up your phone’s handset or push the speaker button to get a dial tone
2. Press *73 on the phone’s keypad
3. The voice menu will confirm that forwarding has been deactivated.

→ Tip – It may take a moment for the voice menu to respond.

To turn off Unconditional Call Forwarding from the target (or any) extension:

1. Pick up the phone’s handset or push the speaker button to get a dial tone
2. Press *74 on the phone’s keypad
3. The voice menu will prompt you to enter the original extension number
   • Key in the original extension number, followed by the # key
4. The voice menu will confirm that forwarding has been deactivated.

→ Tip – It make take a moment for the voice menu to respond.

Other types of Call Forwarding

Other types of Call Forwarding can be set up similarly to Unconditional Forwarding.

To see a complete list of phone features, go to the Skytel web interface, and select Feature Codes in the left-side menu.

Using the Web Interface

To set up call forwarding from the Voice Carrier web interface:

1. Log into the Voice Carrier web interface
2. Select Phone Features in the left side menu
3. Under Call Forwarding, type in the numbers you want to forward to for Unconditional, Unavailable, and Busy Call Forwarding (you can select any or all types of forwarding)
4. Check Enable next to the numbers you have entered
5. Click Update to activate your changes.

Skytel’s “Follow Me” lets you route a call to several different numbers. The extension will ring first, then the call will be sent to the other numbers as specified. Any number (including mobile, branch office, home office) can be included in a Follow Me list.

To set up Follow Me routing, first log into your Skytel user portal and select Follow Me.

1. Check Enable to activate Follow Me.
2. Your extension (1803 in this example) will be listed first. Type in other extensions and/or phone numbers, each on their own line. End the last number with a hash mark – #
3. Select how long your extension phone should ring before call is routed on.
   → Tip: Most ring cycles are four seconds. To make sure the extension number rings at least once before the call is forwarded, set this number to greater than four.
4. Select how long the other numbers in the list will ring. (the original extension’s phone will continue ringing as well).
   → Tip: Set the Follow Me list’s ring time to less than 16 seconds to prevent the call from going to voicemail or an answering machine.
5. Optional:  Click Use Confirmation to screen callers! Your caller will be asked to say his or her name. When you answer the ringing phone, you’ll hear the name, and have the option to:
   • Press 1 to accept the call
   • Press 2 to send the caller straight to your extension’s voicemail box
   • Press 3 to send the caller to the “torture” menu (they will hear silence for 5 minutes)
   • Press 4 to play a polite “don’t call” message (“this number is not in service”)

skytel phone systems support three-way calling. To create a three-way call, start with an ordinary two-way call and  add a third party using one of the methods described below.

→ Tip: Three-way calls can include outside numbers, but every outside number will need its own outside line. If you are on a three-way call with two outside numbers, you will be taking up two outside lines.

→ Tip: It is possible to daisychain three-way calls to include more than three parties. However, as the number of parties on the line goes up, the call quality may go down. For large conference calls, we suggest you use the Skytel Conference Bridge.

→ Tip: If you originated a three-way call and you hang up, both other parties will be disconnected.

Creating a Three-Way Call

To initiate a three-way call:

1. Press the Conf key** (this places the other party on hold)
2. Call the third party’s extension or phone number
3. When the third party picks up, the three-way call will be established

**The phones provided by Voice Carrier have a Conf key, either as a dedicated button or as a soft key. If your phone has a Conf soft key, a button associated with your phone’s display will be labeled “Conf” when you are on a call. The button may be labeled something else at other times.

Some phones may also include a soft key labeled Split. Using this key during a three-way call will put the two other parties on two separate lines, and let you switch back and forth between them. Press Conf again to recreate the three-way call.

Your Skytel system can be set up to play back the name of an incoming caller when you answer a call. Once you hear the name, you will then be given four choices:

• Press 1 to immediately accept the call
• Press 2 to send the caller straight to your extension’s voicemail
• Press 3 to send the caller to the “torture” menu (they will hear silence for 5 minutes)
• Press 4 to play a polite “don’t call” message (“this number is not in service”).

The screening feature can only be enabled via the Voice Carrier web portal.

To set up call screening:

1. Log into your Skytel web portal, and select Phone Features in the left-side menu
2. In the Call Screening pull down menu, select either Disable, Memory, or No Memory
   • If you select Memory, callers will be asked to say their name the first time a call is received from that number, and the same name will be played back every time a call comes in from that number
   • If you select No Memory, callers will be asked to say their name every time they call.
3. Click the Update button to save your changes.

If your office mate is away from their desk and you want to take a call ringing on their phone, press *8 on your Skytel phone and pick up the handset to answer the call.

Note: Your administrator will need to log into the PBX and add 1 to the “callgroup” and “pickupgroup” fields in your extension’s Device Options.

Calls can be transferred to another extension, an outside number, or directly to a voicemail box. You can also transfer calls from a mobile phone, if the call was forwarded from within your Skytel system.

Transfer Call to Another Extension or Outside Number

1. While the call is in progress, press the Transfer button (or the Tran soft key on the phone’s display screen)
2. Key in the extension or full phone number of the phone you are transferring to, followed by the # key.
3. Press the Transfer key again to send the caller onto the destination number (a “blind” transfer). Or, remain on the line for “warm” transfer options:
   1. The destination phone will ring. You can at that point talk with the person who answers, for example to tell then the name of the caller waiting to be transferred
   2. Press the Transfer key again to complete the transfer.
   3. If the the destination number doesn’t pick up, or declines the transfer, press the Cancel key to abort the transfer and return back to the original caller (the original caller may then be on hold – take them off hold to continue the call).

Call Transfer From Your Mobile Phone

If your mobile receives a Follow-Me call via the Skytel system, you can transfer it by pressing ##.

You will be prompted with “Transfer”. Key in the extension or outside number you want to transfer the call to, followed by the # key.

Park a Call

1. Dial ##XX (XX = Parking Lot Extension).  For example, if you created your Parking Lot extension as 70, you would dial ##70.

2. Wait 2-5 seconds for the system to confirm the Parking Lot extension.

Retrieve a Call

Dial the Parking Lot number from the phone you would like to pick the call from. Example 70

Each extension can be enabled to record calls. Setup is done by the Administrator or the extension owner from their User Portal. Three settings are available, for incoming or outgoing calls:

1. “Always” to record all calls automatically
2. “On-Demand,” where the user would press *1 to start the recording, or
3. “Never” record calls on this extension

To play back a recorded call, log into the User Portal. From the Call Monitor section, the user can:

• Click to Play the recording, or
• Download the .wav file

Note: Download the .wav file to your computer to save important conversations (a 10 minute call will download to a 9MB .wav file).  Voice Carrier will store approximately 2,000 MB of your company PBX’s most recent recordings, however, the number of days can be affected by recording load, PBX capacity, and other factors.