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Troubleshooting

Headsets, Cameras, and Phones

Communicator includes tools to help you troubleshoot some common problems. From the menu, choose “Help > Troubleshooting.”

Startup and Performance Problems
Network Configuration
Dropped and and Failed Calls
Phone Calls
Video

Testing Audio and Video Devices

You can verify that your microphone, speakers and camera are working and can set the volume to a comfortable level without having to actually place a phone call.

Select the microphone you want to use, then speak into it. Use the sound level meter to judge the mic volume.
Select the speakers you want to use, then press the “Play” button to hear a test sound.
Adjust the volume to a comfortable level.

Testing the Network Connection

You can verify that you are successfully connected to your network.

Press the “Test Network Connection” button to check your connection and display your firewall NAT type.

Testing Audio Quality

While you are on a call, you can test the quality of the audio. To perform a valid test, you must be on a connected call, not merely attempting a call.

Press the “Test Audio Quality” button to check your connection with the SIP server, audio sending/receiving, and audio quality.

Diagnostics

Only use the functions in this section if instructed to do so by a Phone.com Customer Support Representative.

To start logging Communicator activity and send a logging report:

Click the “Start Logging…” button; the first Logging window will appear.
Select the problem you are experiencing and click “Start Logging.”
Once you receive a confirmation that logging has started, click the “Finish” button.
Perform the actions you want to capture (e.g. try to make a phone call).
When done, click “Stop Logging.”
The “Submit report…” button does not work at this time, but follow the next few steps to submit the information.

If you haven’t done so already, create a support ticket with Phone.com. Find the text file that was just created and attach it to the ticket.

Windows XP users:
C:\Documents and Settings\<user>\Local Settings\Application Data\PhoneDotCom\Communicator\<user>\Logs\

Windows Vista or Windows 7 users:
C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Local\PhoneDotCom\Communicator\<user>\Logs
Mac users: Press the “Open Reports Folder” button on the Diagnostics window.

Licenses

When you purchase a Communicator extension, you receive one license key. This means that you can install Communicator on only one computer. If you need to use the program on more than one computer, you will need to purchase an additional Communicator extension for each one.

If you get a “license key exceeded” or “license key revoked” message when you start the program, or to move (migrate) Communicator to another computer, contact Phone.com Customer Support.

Where can I report bugs?
Please contact Customer Support to report any issues that you’re experiencing with Communicator.

Troubleshooting: Startup and Performance Problems

Login Fails (All Operating Systems)

If you are certain that the username and password have been entered correctly and you still cannot log in, your computer may be rejecting the HTTPS certificate on the login server.

Communicator uses the OS-specific store to look for root certificates. This means that computers running IE9 vs. IE8 or Windows 7/Vista/XP can exhibit different behavior.

Windows XP SP3 users: Make sure to install the “Update for Root Certificates (June 2011) (KB931125)” package.
Mac OS X users: Make sure that you have installed any available system updates.

Communicator Starts Automatically Even When I Chose Not To (Windows)

If you have chosen not to start Communicator when Windows starts, but the program starts anyway, follow these steps:

Verify the settings in “Preferences > Application” and make sure that the “Launch when Windows starts” option is not checked. If this is enabled, simply disable it and click “OK” to apply the changes. If it is already disabled and you still experience this issue, proceed with the next step.
From the “Start” menu, select “Run…” (or press [Win]+[R] on your keyboard).
Type “msconfig” and click the “OK” button.
Under the “Startup” tab, locate the item titled “Communicator,” and uncheck the box next to it. Do not change any other items, at the risk of affecting other applications.
Click the “OK” button, then click the “Exit Without Restart” button.
The next time you start Windows, Communicator should not start automatically.

The Interface Doesn’t Display Properly (Windows XP)

If your Windows XP computer uses the Mobile Intel® Express graphics chipset, you may see problems such as windows showing through other windows, buttons disappearing when you hover over them, or ghost images remaining behind.

This is a known issue with WPF-based graphics and this line of hardware. Communicator will still operate correctly in this state when the Windows XP graphics acceleration is turned down. Follow these steps:

Go to the Windows XP Control Panel, and select the “Display” options.
Select the “Settings” tab, then click the [Advanced] button.
Select the “Troubleshoot” tab, and adjust the Hardware Acceleration slider down to “None” at the left of the scale. You can also select an intermediate value, but you will need to test to see what works in your case.
Click the “OK” button when complete.

Freezing After Clicking on Something (Windows)

If the Windows version of Communicator is locking up and becoming unresponsive, especially after clicking a menu or adjusting the application, it may be related to the Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) Font Cache.

To resolve the issue:

Run services.msc
Stop the “Windows Presentation Foundation Font Cache 3.0.0.0″ service.
Delete FontCache3.0.0.0.dat, located in:

Windows XP: %systemdrive%\Documents and Settings\LocalService\Local Settings\Application Data
Windows Vista: %windir%\ServiceProfiles\LocalService\AppData\Local

Restart the “Windows Presentation Foundation Font Cache 3.0.0.0″ service.

Running Very Slowly (Mac)

On a Mac running Leopard 10.5.8 on slower hardware, opening HD video may degrade the performance of Communicator.

Change from HD resolution to standard resolution via the “Preferences > Media Quality” settings.

Crashing At Startup (Windows XP)

Communicator running on Windows XP may crash at startup due to a Microsoft .NET framework issue. To resolve this:

Open the Windows XP Control Panel.
Go to “Add/Remove Programs” and check “Show Updates.”
Uninstall all updates relating to KB960043. Reboot after each uninstall if necessary.
If still shown, uninstall update for KB967634. Reboot if necessary.
Uninstall update for KB977354. Reboot if necessary.
Go to Windows/Microsoft Update and install any detected high priority updates for .NET. Reboot if needed.

Communicator should now start.

Crashing When Updating Settings (Windows)

Communicator running on Windows may crash when updating settings due to a Microsoft WPF issue. This is a very rare occurrence. To resolve this issue:

Open the Windows Control Panel.
Go to Regional and Language Options
Select the Languages tab, then click the [Details...] button
Select the Advanced tab, then check the box to “Turn off advanced text services.”
Click the “OK” button until you have exited out.

Transparent Menus (Windows 7)

If you are using Communicator in Windows 7 and some of your menus appear transparent in places, or if you have strange outlines, it is likely that you are using an NVIDIA-based graphics chipset and the drivers need to be updated.

Please visit the NVIDIA driver download page to get the latest drivers for your system.

Non-Functional USB Video Adapters

Some USB video adapters may not support the advanced video rendering such as transparency that standard video cards support. Communicator requires full DirectX 9.0c support. If you have a USB video adapter, such as for laptops to drive external LCD displays, please try disconnecting the USB video adapter if Communicator fails to start or if the rendering on the display (using the USB video adapter) is creating an issue.

Crashing When Changing Audio Settings (Mac)

If Communicator is crashing on a Mac when adjusting audio settings, or sending an audio sound when using USB headsets, it may be that the Universal Access option under System Preferences has the “Play stereo audio as mono” option checked under the Hearing settings.

Removing the “Mono audio” setting from Mac OS X universal accessibility settings should resolve this issue.

Troubleshooting: Network Configuration

Your network will consist of a variety of components, each with its own unique features and configurations. Though Communicator is designed to work with all types of routers, you may encounter special issues with getting your network to work with VoIP properly; certain features of your network might need to be modified.

Here are some general rules for configuring your network. Consult the user guide for your network component, or contact the manufacturer’s support department if you need specific guidance.

SonicWALL® TZ-Series Users

If you have a SonicWALL® TZ-series network appliance, contact Phone.com Support first; we have prepared a basic configuration guide. Contact SonicWALL Product Support if you require further assistance.

Disable SIP Application Layer Gateway (ALG)

Disable any SIP Application Layer Gateway (ALG) features. Routers with SIP ALG enabled can interfere with SIP VoIP packets, preventing them from ever reaching your computer; thus, Communicator might not ring on incoming calls.

If you have a router where this feature cannot be disabled:

Consider putting your computer in the DMZ. Though this will expose your computer to the internet, it eliminates the SIP ALG issue for that computer, while still using your current network hardware. Most consumer routers can only assign one computer to the DMZ.
Consider purchasing a router where disabling this feature is possible. This way your computer can remain behind the protection of the router’s firewall.

Make Sure Your Network Isn’t “Double-NAT”ted

Network Address Translation (NAT) is what a router does to get network traffic to your computer. “Double-NAT” is an issue where two routers are placed one after another. This can be a common network setup mistake made when someone (for example) adds a wireless router without replacing their existing modem/router combination device.

A computer that is behind a double-NAT setup can usually still browse the web, while other activities like sending and receiving e-mail might be problematic; more advanced applications (like VoIP) aren’t likely to work at all.

To resolve this issue, you will need to put the modem/router device into “bridged” mode. Most modem/router combination devices allow this, which disables all routing and NAT functions on the device; now only the standalone router will perform these functions.

DSL modem/routers may support “half-bridged” mode, where the modem will take care of the PPPoE authentication but leaves the NAT functions to the standalone router. If “half-bridged” mode is not possible, select “bridged” mode instead, and input the PPPoE authentication details into the standalone router.

Troubleshooting: Dropped and Failed Calls

If you experience dropped and/or failed calls, make sure that your router does not have the SIP ALG feature enabled, or that it is not behind a double-NAT arrangement. See the Troubleshooting: Network Configuration topic for details.

If you continue to experience these issues, please contact Phone.com Customer Support.

Troubleshooting: Phone Call Problems

Other Party Doesn’t Hear Audio

There could be a variety of factors which could lead to having calls where the other party can’t hear you. Check the following:

Verify that your microphone is properly connected and functioning. Unplug it and make sure it’s connected to the correct plug.
Verify that the microphone is the currently selected input device. Go to “Preferences > Devices” to check.
Call yourself and start speaking. To verify that your voice is being detected by your microphone, see if the microphone meter (the green bar on the call panel) is moving up and down as you speak.
Verify the microphone works in another application other than Communicator. You may need to ensure the microphone is selected as the audio input device in that application as well.
If you still have no audio, contact Phone.com Customer Support.

Normal Ring After Selecting a Different Ringtone

If you hear a normal ring, even after selecting a different ringtone, it is most likely because you have the “Also ring the PC speaker” option enabled. While it is impossible to play WAV files through the PC speaker (inside the chassis), you can disable that option so that the ringer is only played through your selected output device (like a headset or speakers).

See the “Preferences > Devices > Other Devices” screen to select the device to play the ringer.

Troubleshooting: Video

Upside-Down Local Video

Go to “Preferences > Media Quality > Video Quality” and enable the checkbox to flip the video signal. See the Preferences: Media Quality topic for more details.

“Your video is not set up or it is being used by another application.”
You may see this error message when making a video call or when you open the video window. Try the following steps in this order.

Make sure your video camera is plugged into your computer. If it is not, plug it in now. The operating system and Communicator should detect the camera within a few seconds.
Choose “Preferences > Devices” and make sure the camera field specifies your camera. Again, after pressing “OK,” Communicator should detect the camera within a few seconds.
If another application is using the camera, try unplugging the camera and plugging it in again. If Communicator does not take control of the camera, you will have to quit or log out of the other application.
Try unplugging the camera and plugging it in again. Try plugging it into a different USB port.
Finally, try upgrading your device with the latest drivers.

Can I Change the Camera Framerate?

The camera framerate cannot be changed. The camera is set to 30fps by default for all video resolutions, except for HD where it is limited to 15fps.

How Do I Select the Camera Resolution?
Go to “Preferences > Media Quality > Video Quality” and select a resolution from the options listed there. See the Preferences: Media Quality topic for more details.

Cannot Configure Camera for HD Video

If your camera supports HD resolutions and you still cannot configure the camera for it, verify your system specifications; your machine might be underpowered.

Processor requirements: Dual-cure CPU at 3.0GHz or faster, or a multi-core processor.
Video hardware acceleration must be enabled (for VGA and HD video resolutions).

Communicator Does Not Send HD Video

Verify that the camera is configured to use HD video resolution. See the Cannot Configure Camera for HD Video topic for more details.

If those settings are configured correctly and you still experience this issue, the cause could be available bandwidth. The sending bitrate should be 2Mbps (minimum) to allow sending of HD video. See the Preferences: Network topic for more details.