Frequently Asked Questions (Installation)

1. What hardware or equipment do I need?
2. What OS do I need?
3. How do I know what kind of modem is installed on my PC?
4. What is a voice modem and where can I get one?
5. How do I import my license file?
6. Does the shareware version contain all the same feature as the full version?
7. Is there a time limit on the shareware license?
8. Why do I get a message saying it cannot find a voice capable modem?
9. Why do I get a message saying it failed to connect to Voicent Gateway?
10. Can I use the Voicent software with Voice of Internet Protocol (VOIP) service?
11. How can I download the program and install the program on another computer that is not connected to the internet?

1. What hardware do I need?

In general, for small call volume, your computer should be at least a Pentium IV computer with 1.5 Gig of memory. Then, you need to decide what type of phone service you are going to use:

If you use VOIP (SIP or Skype) internet dialing services, all you need is broadband Internet connection. No special hardware needed.

If you use regular phone line, Vonage, or MagicJack, you must purchase a voice modem from Voicent online store and install it on your desktop computer. Then connect the computer to the phone line. If you use a laptop, you need an USB voice modem. For more information on laptop, see Laptop Modem - FAQ.

If you use Voicent product for a business with large call volume, you need to have more powerful computer and more internet bandwidth. The following information gives you the calculation of exactly how much you need.

Bandwidth Requirement

128 Kbps (Kilo bit per second)  upstream and 128 Kbps downstream per line.

Each calling instance requires 128Kpbs upstream and 128Kpbs downstream since voice is two way communication. Normally the limitation is upstream bandwidth. For example, if you have 1.5 Mbps (Mega Bit per second) downstream and 512 Kbps  (= 0.512 Mbps) upstream, you can run maximum 4 calls (512/16/8 = 4, one byte is 8 bits) simultaneously.

Memory Requirement

20 MB or 70 MB (Megabytes) per line

Each SIP based VOIP line instance uses 20MB; if you use Skype, each Skype instance uses 50MB. It is strongly recommended to have enough memory for your computer. Otherwise, the performance will suffer greatly. For a 32-bit operating system like Windows XP, you can have a maximum of 4GB (Gigabyte) memory. If you have the maximum 4GB RAM, there may be 3GB available to be used for dialing activity. (1GB for Windows itself and other applications). With 3GB, you could run up to 40 simultaneous Skype lines or up to 100 SIP lines.

CPU requirement

The CPU requirement largely depends on the number of lines used. But it also depends on the usage of speech recognition, text-to-speech, and caller interactions. The more CPU power you have, the better the audio quality and responsiveness. For example, if you use a 4 line system for autodialing, you can use a Pentium Duel Core CPU. For a 10 line system, get a Quadcore Pentium or Xeon CPU. For more than 10 lines, it is strongly recommended to get computers with duel processors and each processor with Quadcore CPU.

Additional Requirement for predictive dialing

Predictive dialing (AgentDialer) requires a more CPU and bandwidth than auto dialing (BroadcastByPhone) does. This is because the call transfer mode is different. For predictive dialing, the call transfer has to be done immediately with a screen popup, and the call audio is redirected to an agent’s computer immediately. The server computer redirects the call in real time to and from the agent’s computer. For predictive dialing, if an agent’s computer is not on the same local area network (LAN) as the server computer, then additional 128 Kbps is required.

2. What operating system do I need?

Voicent software product supports Windows XP/Vista.

Windows XP supports internet VoIP (Voice Over IP) line and analog phone line (a voice modem is required). Windows Vista supports VoIP(SIP, Skype) internet dialing only.

3. How do I know what kind of modem is installed on my PC?

Please refer to Voice Modem FAQ for more information.

4. What is a voice modem and where can I get one?

A voice modem provides phone jacks on your computer so your computer can connect to a regular phone line or to a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) line. A voice modem is capable of playing and recording audio over a telephone line. You can get a Voicent voice modem  from our online store.

Please refer to Voice Modem FAQ for more information.

5. How do I apply and import my license file?

If you have purchased the product, your product license file will be sent to you through email. However, you must request your product license with your Voicent Gateway ID. To apply, please select Help à Request Product License… from the program main menu.

After you submitted your license request, you should receive your license file through email within one business day. Your license file is sent as an attached file of the email message. Save the attached file to a folder of your choice, such as C:\temp. Please note that some email programs directly include the license file in the message body instead as an attached file. In this case, please follow instructions in B).

A). In the Setup License dialog, click Manage Licenses … button. Click the Browse button. In the Open File dialog, select license file you saved from the email attachment. Click Install New License Button. The installed license should appear in the Installed Licensed window. Click Done button

B). If your email program included the license file directly into the email message, please select the copy paste lines radio button. Then copy the lines from “######### VOICENT LICENSE BEGIN ##########” to “########## VOICENT LICENSE END ##########” (include these lines); then paste it to the text window below the copy paste lines radio button. Click Install New License button, then click Done.

Voicent Gateway should automatically restart. Now if you invoke the program, the correct license should be displayed in the title bar.

6. Does the shareware edition contain all the same features as the professional edition?

Yes, but every phone call contains a Voicent ad message in the shareware edition. The goal of the shareware is to enable you to try out our software before purchasing it. There is no time limit. You are welcome to use the shareware as long as you want. In addition to the ad message, there are other limitations in the shareware edition. For example, AutoReminder has a maximum 5 appointments per day limitation.

7. Is there a time limit on the shareware edition?

No. You can use it as long as you want. If you decide to purchase a full version, you do not need to re-install the software. All you need to do is import the product license.

8. Why do I get a message saying it cannot find a voice capable modem?

Please refer to Voice Modem FAQ for more information.

9. Why do I get a message saying it cannot connect to Voicent Gateway?

Voicent application programs such as AutoReminder and BroadcastByPhone, Agent Dialer, Flex PBX and IVR studio, are separate programs from the Voicent Gateway. The Gateway is the program that makes the phone calls. In order for the application programs to work, a connection with the gateway has to be established.

Check whether Voicent Gateway has started or not. Click on the gateway icon on the taskbar, the status should be running. If the gateway is still in the process of starting up, please just wait until the status changes to running, and then invoke application program like AutoReminder or BroadcastByPhone again.

If Voicent Gateway failed to start, or if AutoReminder and BroadcastByPhone still cannot connect to a running gateway, please check your firewall and antivirus programs. Windows Vista or XP contains a built-in firewall program that can be accessed from the control panel. These programs might block Voicent Gateway from accepting connections.

The following processes are part of the Voicent Gateway. Please refer to your firewall or antivirus program manuals for ways to unblock the gateway.

vxengine.exe: telephony engine of the gateway
spengine.exe:  speech engine of the gateway
javaw.exe:       VoiceXML interpreter
javaw.exe:       Voicent applications server

Voicent Gateway normally listens on ports 8155, 8255, 8355, and 8455.

If you are not sure whether Voicent Gateway is blocked by your firewall or antivirus program, you can disable or uninstall it first. You can then enable and reinstall it later. To disable the Windows XP firewall, please click the Start button, then select Control Panel, then click Windows Firewall. From the firewall window, select the Off checkbox.

10. Can I use Voicent Software with a Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) service?

Yes, Voicent software works all all type of VoIP service including SIP, skype, Vonage, MagicJack and more. With SIP and Skype, you do not need any special hardware. With Vonage or MagicJack, you need a voice modem installed on your computer to connect the calling.

11. How can I download the program and install it on another computer that is not connected to the internet?

When you download the Voicent program, you must first download the Smart Download program. This is a small executable file that is used to manage the download process. The actual Voicent installation package is more than 80 Meg and it is downloaded one small piece at a time and is automatically assembled upon completion of the download by the small download program.

Here are the steps to download and copy the installation package:

1). Click on the download link from the Voicent download page
2). Run the SmartDownload program. Click the Download button.
3). When the download finishes, copy the Voicent installation package from the download directory to your CD or USB drive. The download directory is shown in the SmartDownload main window and the Voicent installation package is voicent.exe.

Now you can run the voicent.exe program saved on your CD or USB drive on any computer to install the Voicent programs.