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User Guide

This user guide covers all of the commonly asked questions; we recommend and ask that you read it thoroughly before seeking further help. All information about your own account is shown in the Control Panel.



Why can't I make or receive calls suddenly?

In the first instance, check your VoIP/Phone hardware or software. Check that it is powered on and operating and also whether it is logged into the DrayTEL server. Check that your passwords are correct.

You should also check that you have adequate call credit on your account if you cannot make outgoing calls. Try calling in/out from different locations (e.g. mobile/landline) to narrow down the problem. If you contact support for assistance, please confirm that you have completed these checks.

How many calls can I make or receive at once?

A DrayTEL Classic (pre-pay) account provides up to 2 simultaneous SIP channels so you can make or receive up to 2 calls at once (assuming that your VoIP hardware/software allows that). If you use call forwarding then that would use both channels (one for the incoming call and one for the outgoing/forwarded leg) so you cannot make or receive other calls when a forwarded call is in progress.

For more SIP channels and inclusive call packages, please see DrayTEL's premium services call plans

Protect your account details

Your DrayTEL IDs and passwords provide access to your account. If you disclose these details to anyone, or they manage to obtain them without your permission or knowledge, they would be able to log into your account and make calls, using up your call credit or running up call charges. This username/password combination must therefore be kept securely at all times - just as you would passwords for any other service (ebay, Amazon, Gmail etc.). You should always choose strong passwords for your account (both the account login password and your SIP ID passwords). Strong would be considered minimum 10 characters, mixed letters and numbers. If you are operating an IP PBX or some other VoIP proxy system, you should also make sure that that too uses strong passwords for its extensions, particularly if they can be accessed from outside your network.

Never leave default passwords on any accounts or hardware - change them to strong passwords. Also, ensure that you always use wireless encryption and beware using your DrayTEL account on networks where someone might be able to sniff your data.

How do I set up my DrayTek VoIP product for DrayTEL?

Please click your closest model match:

Which other VoIP hardware works with DrayTEL?

Any SIP compliant VoIP hardware (router, IP phone, ATA) should work with DrayTEL. Please note that we cannot provide specific technical support for hardware setup - please contact the manufacturer or supplier directly. We do have some setup screenshots for some of the more common models:

For products not listed, configuration normally follows similar methods although config screens and terminology will vary between manufacturers. Here is some general advice:

Which VoIP 'softphones' work with DrayTEL?

If you do not have a hardware VoIP adaptor, you can use your PC, with a suitable headset or speakers with a microphone to make VoIP calls. Several VoIP softphones are available; any SIP compliant softphone should work with DrayTEL. This is a list of some of them that we have tested. We are unable to offer specific support assistance on 3rd party software itself.

How do I set up other products for DrayTEL ?

The setup of your equipment or software will depend on that product and you should refer to its own documentation. The information you need is normally :

If VoIP is free, why do I need to purchase credit?

Calls to/from other DrayTEL/SIP users are free - the calSl is carried across the Internet so if those are the only calls you'll be making, you do not need to purchase any credit but both parties must be using VoIP/SIP and the call must be carried only across the Internet. Calls made to people on regular phone lines or phone numbers which route via the public phone network, are chargeable (see current tariff). Credit is non-refundable and non-transferable (to another user or SIP account) once it has been added to your SIP ID so please do not purchase more than you need or until you are satisfied that the service is suitable for your needs. If you call another VoIP user using their PSTN phone number (i.e. via the regular phone network) the call is not free.

Is there an outgoing Proxy for DrayTEL ?

Yes. If you are using your SIP device behind a firewall, or NAT device, you may need to use the DrayTEL proxy instead of accessing DrayTEL in direct mode. To do this, set your outgoing proxy to nat.draytel.org:5065 (the exact method will depend on your VoIP/SIP device. Do not use the proxy if your VoIP device is on a public IP address. DrayTEL does not operate a STUN server (and equivalent method).

Can I use DrayTEL from PSTN lines?

Yes, you can. If you are not with your VoIP device, you can still take advantage of DrayTEL's low calling rates to call worldwide. This can be from a mobile phone or landline using your inclusive/free minutes where available (alternatively, you will pay for the call to the DrayTEL server, but that is still normally cheaper than international direct dial). To do this, dial 020 7099 8207 and enter your DrayTEL username and password. You can then make calls using your DrayTEL credit at your DrayTEL current tariff.

Why do I need to purchase credit?

Calls to/from other DrayTEL/SIP users are free - the call is carried across the Internet so if those are the only calls you'll be making, you do not need to purchase any credit. Calls made to people on regular phone lines, are chargeable (see current tariff). Credit is non-refundable and non-transferable (to another user or SIP account) once it has been delivered (applied) to your SIP ID so please do not purchase more than you need or until you are satisfied that the service is suitable for your needs.

How to purchase more DrayTEL Call credit?

To purchase more DrayTEL Call credit you must first log into your account and select the SIP ID number for the account that needs to be topped up.

How to top-up account

This will take you to the Top-up option, from where you can select the amount of call credit that you would like to top-up.

How to top-up account

After choosing the top-up amount select 'Continue' and this will take you to the 'Shopping Basket', from where you can proceed with completing the order. Once the payment has been processed the call credit will be assigned to the selected DrayTEL account.

How do I get a VAT Invoice for my purchases?

In order to keep our charges low, DrayTEL do not issue or post paper/printed invoices. If you need these, you can download them from the DrayTEL control panel and print them yourself. Invoices are available for a period of 3 months after each purchase. To view/print an invoice, go to Account/Overview in your DrayTEL account and on the right hand side, you will see your recent orders. Click on them to view the order and then see the 'View VAT Invoice' link at the bottom. Please ensure you obtain invoices promptly (within 3 months) if you require them as re-issue at a later date, an administration fee maybe applicable.

How do I avoid paying VAT if I am exempt?

As a UK based operation, VAT is chargeable on all sales to persons within the UK/NI. VAT is also chargeable to all sales within the EU except where a valid EU (non UK) VAT number is provided at the time of purchase (you must set that in your control panel).

Avoid paying VAT if exempt

Sales to persons outside of the UK/EU will not be charged VAT. If a valid EU VAT number is not available or provided or an exempt country is not set at the time of purchase, VAT will be charged and is non-refundable so please ensure the details are set correctly in advance.

Avoid paying VAT if exempt

Can I get a lower value credit topup?

You can buy calling credit in £10 or £20 amounts from your DrayTEL control panel. If you want to buy a smaller amount you can add an instant £1 to your DrayTEL account's calling credit by dialling our Premium Rate number. No credit card is required - you just dial the premium rate number below and you are charged on your regular BT phone bill. Enter your DrayTEL account number and password when requested and the calling credit is added to your DrayTEL account within a few minutes.

VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: Be sure that you have the permission of the person who pays the phone bill for the line you're calling from before calling this number.

Dial : 0911 400 9700

(£1 Call Charge, gives £1 DrayTEL credit inc. VAT). BT Calling rate are correct as at 1st May 2005. Call charges to these numbers from mobile phones or other networks may vary. Check with your provider. These numbers can only be dialled from within the UK. Be sure to have your DrayTEL correct account number and password to hand when calling as the call is charged regardless of whether you enter a valid username/password or not.

How/When does a DrayTEL account expire?

As DrayTEL does not have a monthly subscription, users who no-longer need the service do not need to actively cancel anything or let us know. In order to purge unwanted accounts and free up resources (particularly allocated phone numbers which are a finite resource) we may periodically purge (close) unused accounts. This means that DrayTEL accounts which are not used for a period of 3 months may be closed. Note, we say "may" - we do not do this regularly or as a matter of course. To be considered 'used' you just need to be logged into the DrayTEL server and make or receive at least one call at least once every 90 days - the account will then not be deactivated. If an account is deactivated/closed, any allocated phone numbers will be deallocated to you and any remaining call credit is lost (non-refundable). Allocated phone numbers (for voice calls or fax-to-email) may be de-allocated if they do not receive any calls for 90 days, even if the account is logged in so just make one incoming call (or send a fax if it's a fax-to-email number) to your allocated phone numbers at least once every 90 days to keep them active. Please be sure you remember the expiry system, then it's easy to keep your account live. If you let your account expire, it cannot be re-activated. If you are planning an extended period of absense, please get in touch with us to see if we can hold the account open (you must do this in advance).

Does purchased calling credit expire?

No. When you purchase DrayTEL calling credit, it remains on your account indefinitely - i.e. as long as your DrayTEL account remains live, your calling credit will remain until you use it up by making calls. If your DrayTEL account is closed, any remaining calling credit is lost and non-refundable. See account expiry above for more details.

Which tariff am I on?

There are different DrayTEL calling tariffs - those tariffs cover the cost of calls you make out to the PSTN (regular phone network). Calls made between VoIP devices directly on the Internet, without dialling a PSTN number are free of charge. With all accounts you will get the DrayTEL Standard tariff automatically. On a pre-pay/PAYG (DrayTEL Classic) account, once you buy at least £20 of calling credit, you will be upgraded to the DrayTEL Silver Tariff, which stays active for 12 months. You can check which tariff you are on from the DrayTEL control panel and view the actual tariffs here. Tariffs are subject to change at any time.

Additional Information for Credit/Debit Card Purchases

Sometimes, people will attempt to obtain services using stolen or unauthorised card details. By the time the faud is detected by the legitmate cardholder, the culprits will have spent whatever credit/service they purchased. Certain transaction types carry more risk than others and sometimes our payment handlers will request additional information from you before a credit purchase can be applied to your account. If this does become necessary, we will email you requesting details. We understand that any delay can be inconvenient, but please understand the necessity. We do apologise for any delay this causes; please be assured that we will handle the validation as quickly as possible. Do always ensure that any emails from draytel.org are not blocked by anti-spam measures. Most card purchases do not require these extra checks and credit is normally applied to accounts immediately. If it is impossible or you are unwilling to provide the additional information requested by our payment handlers, you can request that the purchase be refunded to you. For obvious security reasons, we cannot advise you in advance what additional information might be requested or which transaction types attract additional scrutiny. All information provided is treated in the strictest confidence. We appreciate your co-operation.

How to get a phone number to receive calls from the PSTN?

If you want an 0845/056 telephone number for regular PSTN users to be able to call you, you can order 056 here or 0845 here. 056 in an 'area code' for VoIP (and other non location specific services). If you want a UK geographic area code (one starting 01.. or 02 etc.), you can choose any area code once you have purchased L10 of calling credit (request the number online during the order process). You cannot choose the number which will be allocated to you (only the area code). Once a number has been allocated, you can find out what it is from the DrayTEL control panel. Only 1 free geographic number is allowed per DrayTEL account after purchasing £10 call credit. You can have up to three PSTN numbers allocated (e.g. an 0870 and a geographic one), plus a fax-to-email number. Any allocated PSTN phone numbers which doesn't receive a call at least once every 90 days may be de-allocated (just a single incoming call to it to mark it as 'alive' is adequate as long as your DrayTEL account is still open). In reality, we rarely deallocate numbers.

Do I get my phone number forever?

DrayTEL can allocate PSTN phone numbers to you in order that you can receive phone calls from the regular phone network. These may be part of a monthly service charge, or allocated free-of-charge when other services are purchased. Such numbers are provided indefinitely, subject to any expiry policies (see elsewhere in the user guide) however, like all providers DrayTEL cannot guarantee that the number will remain allocated to you forever, for example if Ofcom instigate renumbering, onward telcos alter their service provision or the DrayTEL service or charges change. In such circumstances, DrayTEL would endeavour to give you at least 3 months notice of any planned changes.

How do I use Call Forwarding?

The DrayTEL Call Forwarding facility is available once you have purchased at least L10 of calling credit. You enable the answerphone (voicemail) facility from the DrayTEL control panel. Call forwarding allows you to forward incoming calls onto another destination (any regular phone number, worldwide) if the event of you not answering, being offline or permanently forwarded (all calls). You will be charged for the diverted call at the standard DrayTEL peak rate. You can set a schedule so that the call forwarding (diversion) is only active during a certain time of day. You cannot forward onto another SIP/VoIP address, only to a PSTN phone number (which in turn could be a VoIP/SIP account). Enter the number with the international prefix and full STD code, e.g. 44 20 8999 1234 for a London number (spaces are ignored).

How do I use Voicemail/Answerphone?

Voicemail and Forwarding options

The DrayTEL Answerphone facility is available free of charge, once you have purchased at least £10 of calling credit. You enable the answerphone (voicemail) facility from the DrayTEL control panel. There is a default message which callers will hear but you can record your own personal message if preferred.

You can select the criteria in which the answerphone will take calls - for example when you don't answer, or when you're busy (on a call) etc. The screenshot below shows the options.

When someone leaves a message, it will be emailed to you at the email address you specify in the DrayTEL control panel - that can be different from the main address of your DrayTEL account. The message will be an attachment to the email in 'WAV' format which can be played in Windows Media Player™ and most other players. You can also pick up your messages by telephone - dial 9200# from your DrayTEL phone. You will be asked for your PIN, which you can change/check from the control panel (by default it is the same as your account password). If you are elsewhere, you can check messages by dialling 0845 004 9207 from any regular or mobile phone; enter your DrayTEL numeric account number and password when asked (each followed by the # key). Once connected to the mailbox, press 1 to listen to your messages.

To change your answerphone message (the message callers will hear before the voice prompt), dial into your mailbox (as above) and press option '0' which takes you to the setup menu, then press option 1 to record a new message.

 

How do I listen to Voicemail messages by phone?

 

Select Outband Info DTMF for Voicemail

Instead of listening to messages on your PC via email, you can collect your messages from your VoIP telephone - the phone logged into your DrayTEL account, or from a regular phone line or mobile phone. To do this, dial 9200 from your VoIP handset/device (plus # or 'send' normally, depending on your hardware) or dial 0845 004 9207 from a regular line (call charges apply to 0845 calls).

You will be asked for your Voicemail password (and also your DrayTEL account number if you use the 0845 service). By default your voicemail password is the same as your SIP password, but you can change it and it is displayed on your DrayTEL control panel. Dial the 5 digit passwork without any other keys (e.g. # or send). If the numbers appear not to be recognised, check that your VoIP device is sending DTMF tones as 'Outband (RFC8233)' method. On the Vigor routers, for example, this is selected from the VoIP setup menu.

Once you have entered the correct Voicemail password, you will be at the voicemail main menu. If you have never collected messages via this method before, you will have all previous messages waiting for you - which could be a lot, and you will probably want to delete them.The Voicemail menu is built in a tree style, with menus and sub-menus. The currently supported functions are below:

Voicemail Menu

How do I use Call Forwarding?

The DrayTEL Call Forwarding facility is available once you have purchased at least £10 of calling credit. You enable the answerphone (voicemail) facility from the DrayTEL control panel. Call forwarding allows you to forward incoming calls onto another destination (any regular phone number, worldwide) if the event of you not answering, being engaged or offline (see screenshot above). You will be charged for the diverted call at the standard DrayTEL peak rate. You can set a schedule so that the call forwarding (diversion) is only active during a certain time of day. You cannot forward onto another SIP/VoIP address, only to a PSTN phone number (which in turn could be a VoIP/SIP account). Enter the number with the international prefix and full STD code, e.g. 44 20 8999 1234 for a London number (spaces are ignored).

How to check your outgoing call history

You can check your call history (showing calls made to the PSTN) from the DrayTEL control panel. Click on 'SIP IDs' select the appropriate SIP ID and then click on 'Call Logs'. Call logs/history are available for 90 days so if you require a permanent record of your call history, please download your call history at least every 90 days as they will not be available after that time. To download the records, click the 'Download CSV' checkbox, select the period required and then press the 'Get Logs' button.

How do I withhold my Caller ID?

For calls to the PSTN via DrayTEL, dial *141 immediately before the destination phone number. You can test this by dialling your own mobile phone with and without the *141 for example. For direct VoIP/SIP calls which don't go via the DrayTEL server, *141 does not work; the SIP protocol will deliver your SIP address (but not your PSTN number).

Can I make calls to Skype users?

Unlike most VoIP services, Skype™ is a 'closed system' - they use their own protocols and only Skype users can only make and receive VoIP calls from other Skype users. You can call Skype users from DrayTEL by using the person's Skype-In telephone number, if they have one, which is charged at regular DrayTEL rates (according to country/area code). Skype users can call to you, using the Skype-Out service to your PSTN phone number. These calls are not free.

How do I use Group Calling?

Group Calling on DrayTEL is available on your account free of charge once you have purchased at least £10 of calling credit. Group Calling allows incoming calls to your PSTN telephone number (note : not direct SIP/VoIP address calls) to be routed simultaneously to up to two other DrayTEL accounts, thus making more people available to answer your incoming calls.

Group Calling does cannot integrate (work) with all other service features so you should plan carefully. Group Calling is setup and controlled from the DrayTEL control panel. Click on the link shown adjacent to your PSTN phone numbers. In the next screen, select the number which you wish to add other users to and click 'display'. Three 'extensions' will be shown; the primary one and two extensions which you can select. Enter DrayTEL account numbers into those boxes as required. Be sure that the users of those DrayTEL accounts know that you're adding them to the group and that you enter the numbers correctly.

Group calling   Group calling

What is the difference between Multi-Device Calling and Group Calling?

With Multi-Device Calling, the same DrayTEL account is logged in at multiple locations. Each phone makes and receives calls on the same account and share the same calling credit. All phones will ring on an incoming call.

With Group Calling, you can include up to two other DrayTEL accounts to receive incoming calls to the same allocated PSTN phone number at the same time. All phones ring but each location/person still has their own DrayTEL account.

Please note each DrayTEL SIP ID can make/receive up to 2 calls simultaneously. To increase the number of calls that can be made simultaneously please view our SIP Trunking services.

Password Recovery

If you have forgotten your DrayTEL account administration password, you can retrieve it from here. It will be emailed to you at the email address registered for your account. If you have lost your SIP ID password, you can view these on the DrayTEL admin control panel (on our web site).

Useful DrayTEL Service Numbers

The following numbers can be dialled from your DrayTEL phone (normally suffixed with #):

You do need to be logged into the DrayTEL server to access the above service codes. The DrayTEL server normally expects your DTMF signalling (that's the method used for sending dialled digits) to be sent as 'SIP Info' messages so if your keypresses appear not to be recognised for these codes, check the DTMF setting on your VoIP/SIP hardware.

Can I send faxes via VoIP?

Your VoIP hardware may have a phone socket into which you can plug any regular phone; you can therefore also plug in a fax machine. The fax machine will be able to dial calls and answer incoming calls via DrayTEL as they are made just like your telephone does, however fax transmission timing and fidelity is more critical than voice transmission. Therefore, the answer is that fax over VoIP may work, and you may have good results depending on the destination, codec selected and the quality of your Internet connection. Consider a fax-to-email number as an alternative for receiving faxes. There is also a system called T.38, but you would require compatible hardware at each end.

Why is my London number '0203'?

Some years ago, Oftel changed the London area codes from 0181/0171 to 020. For 'convenience' of conversion, inner and outer London were left separated at first, however as the ranges became filled, the distinctions reduced. The London area code is '020' and not 0207 or 0208. This can be demonstrated in that users within London can dial the 8-digit local number, including the 7 or 8, but cannot dial the 7 digit part on its own. Since the filling of the 7 and 8 local ranges, OfCom then released a new local range, starting with '3' for all of London. New numbers are therefore being issued in this range. A number starting 020 3... is a London number; it is not a 'second class' number and does not imply any inferiority.

Can I get my number in Directory Enquiries?

Yes, for a one-off admin/setup charge, we can have your personal or business name added to the national Directory Enquiries databases. Callers to 118 Directory Enquiries, online services will then have you listed.

Is there an SLA ('Service Level Agreement') or guarantee?

Although DrayTEL's basic service is provided free of charge but we still maintain the highest standards of reliability. We have an excellent history of reliable and continuous service and it is our goal to provide an uninterrupted service. DrayTEL's connectivity is provided by multiple independent Internet and PSTN providers, giving us prudent redundancy and we have continuous monitoring of the systems. You are relying on the underlying Internet connectivity so if your own or onward Internet connectivity is congested or interrupted, it can affect performance, however you should normally be very satisfied with the call quality. Whilst this should give you confidence in the quality and performance of our service, there is no specific service level guarantee.

How do I adjust the Answerphone delay?

If you make use of the DrayTEL anwerphone, one of the options is to answer when there is no answer. By default, this will take the call after 10 seconds but you can change that on the control panel. Go to the SIP account 'Settings' tab and alter the 'Ring Timeout'.

Can I get a low credit warning?

At the bottom of the control panel, you can select the threshold at which you will receive a warning email for low credit; i.e. when your remaining call credit falls below the amount you set. The default is £2.00

Can I change my login password?

When you sign up for a DrayTEL account you are allocated a password to log into the DrayTEL web site control panel. This is in addition to your SIP ID passwords (which are used by your VoIP device/software to make calls and log into the server). If you are concerned that you may have let someone know the password or want to change it for any other reason, you can do that from the control panel in the password tab against your SIP ID. Your password must be alphanumeric and also contain symbols for additional security. If you use a short or weak password, it is easier for a thief or hacker to access your account. Please see the earlier section on password security for more advice.

How to get further help

Telephone support is available for customers with a DrayTEL UK Talk call plan or DrayTEL SIP Trunking services (i.e. any monthly contracts). They can call 0845 557 5570 or +44 (0) 20 3384 3570. You will require your service PIN which is visible on your DrayTEL control panel. All other DrayTEL service users (including pre-pay/PAYG) can email their queries about the service to the following address email. Please always state your DrayTEL SIP account number. If you do have a technical problem, do check the advice in this user guide firstly. For specific help with your SIP/VoIP hardware, please contact your own supplier/manufacturer.

What if I'm still not satisfied?

We work hard to offer the best combination of service and value as possible. Our customer services department try to resolve all queries and issues as soon as they can but sometimes some issues can take longer to resolve. If you have liaised with our support departments and still feel that they have not provided an adequate solution (within the scope of the service we provide), we have a special email address which reaches our senior management's office. For this reason, please do not use this address frivolously, or cc it into regular correspondence with other departments. Please use it for escalation only once our regular departments have concluded their assistance and you are still dissatisfied, and not just to hurry things along, for example. The email address is complaints@draytel.org but please take note of the intended use stated, thank you.