Loss of VoIP in Qatar

Posts: 4 · New Forum Member Joined: Dec 31, 2005 Posts: 4

alright .. this is frustrating ..

today I checked my vonage phone and it is again not working properly.

I can hear the other line perfectly but they can not hear me at all.

I am considering cancelling vonage period, because there is no sense in paying monthly for absolutely unusable service Sad

Posts: 2 · New Forum Member Joined: Jan 19, 2006 Posts: 2

I am also unable to talk using voip due to Qtel blocking the ports since about a month. I was using this to Canada for quite some times but not any more. I desperately need this service like any one else I presumed. It is pathetic that they have complete monopoly on ISP & on long distance. My voip provider told me that they are trying for some solution but still not successful yet. I think we have to put pressure on Qtel to open voip. Open for any suggestion.

Posts: 2 · New Forum Member Joined: Jan 19, 2006 Posts: 2

I am still unable to use my VOIP, I was using Deltathree & dailpad and both of them are not working now due to Qtel blockage. Also not getting much help from Qtel. Could some one let me know if any other VOIP works from Qatar at all? I am out of touch with my relatives in Canada since more than one month. Running out of option, desperately need the voip like everyone. Sad

Posts: 2 · New Forum Member Joined: Jan 31, 2006 Posts: 2

My service too has been afftected by Qtel's absudirty. It works, but in a dilapidated state. It seems to work occasionally late at night until real early in the morning. There were a couple instances where it worked for me when I got home in the evening at 7:30. For two days it worked in the evening and I thought the issue it was resolved. Of course I was wrong. I think Qtel may be allowing this sort of sporadic use so that they can tell everyone they're not blocking it, at least not 100% of the time.

The service I use is Packet8. It was working last night after 9pm and this morning arond 5:30.

Has anyone heard anything? How about the petition? Have you all gotten over there and signed it?

Posts: 2 · New Forum Member Joined: Aug 22, 2005 Posts: 2

I also live outside of the USA. My VOIP service lost viability at the beginning of January. My local ISP has no control over the upstream ISP carriers/providers. Apparently what is occuring is that the ISP carriers are sensing VOIP packet streams and "pushing" those packets to the end of the queue. The carriers are not necessarily blocking VOIP traffic but instead are relegating it to the very lowest priority - hence the observation that VOIP service is viable during the late hours and early morning hours but is dysfunctional later in the day when internet traffic is more voluminous.

What I discovered is the Skype is a viable alternative because Skype uses a peer to peer protocol outside the purview of the packet sensing/packet deprioritization schemes being employed by the ISP carriers. Albeit not a 100% VOIP like solution SkypeIN and SkypeOut provide fundamental telephone like communications.

My expectation is that VOIP providers, such as Vonage or Packet8, will make an investment in cloaking the VOIP packet constructs such that the ISP carriers detection of VOIP packets will be obviated - at least until the ISP carriers retaliate with another improved detection algorithm.

Try Skype at least or until the VOIP providers either litigate the ISP carriers in to submission or take it upon themselves to defeat the degradation algorithms with a programatic solution of their own.

Posts: 16 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Dec 11, 2005 Posts: 16

Folks I ve told you many times
Qtel gave an interview and they claimed that everything works fine.

PIck up the phone and call the executive director who gave that press conference and tell him that its not true and ask resolution. DIRECTLY!
Have you tried that. Because I did and he referred me to a technician who is unblocking my VOIP provider..

Posts: 2 · New Forum Member Joined: Jan 31, 2006 Posts: 2

^
So provide us with the name and number of who you spoke with. I call qtel and ask to speak with someone concerning the voip and they connect me and and noone ever answers. No matter what day or time of day.

Who's your voip provider as well?

Posts: 16 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Dec 11, 2005 Posts: 16

http://www.qtel.com.qa/english/index.php?page=Press%20Releases&section=6&mode=fulltxt&nid=199

Qtel's Executive Director for Wireless Services Mr. Khalil Al Emadi said : " VOIP have been operational since the launch of our internet services, especially barQ (ADSL) , and non of the sites which provide voice services, such as messenger and other similar ones have been interrupted.".

You call at the office of this executive director and you challenge to see why he claims that everything is OK

I do not have the phone number handy but you can get it from the 180 information

Posts: 1 · New Forum Member Joined: Feb 08, 2006 Posts: 1

Just registered to these forums.

I too have been effected by this sweeping Port blocking of Qtel. While I do not use VoIP, I can surely sympathize with everyone here. I play on an online gaming community called Everquest2, and as of a couple weeks ago my account seems to be blocked by Qtel. Whats more frustrating is the fact this is a text based game and not a Voicechat based system. Has anyone else experienced this?

This seemed the only place to post as this is really the only active place for this topic to be discussed. While its not a "Vonage" issue, the problem (Qtel) is shared by everyone!

Any help would be appreciated.

Posts: 8 · New Forum Member Joined: Feb 26, 2006 Posts: 8

hello guys,
i can try to get your VONAGE DEVICES working , i have an ASTERISK box in the USA , maybe if you route your thru my box on a non standard port and then to VONAGE it will work , if it does work , then all you have to do is pay me a monthly fee for the hosting , ,,, not much Smile

you can send me reply if interested to : falcn25@yahoo.com