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Frequently Asked Questions
Why use Spiderphone instead of other conference call companies?
The short answer is because you see who's talking, you control each line of the call, you can dial both in and out of your conference, you have more security, you can give PowerPoint presentations over the web, and you save significant amounts of money.
Back To Top Do I have to make a reservation?
No. You can start a conference on-demand at any time from the web
or from your telephone. From the web, you do this by selecting Setup a
call on the home page - the default time is to start the call now. From the phone, you do this
by dialing the main system number just as you do to join a conference,
but instead of entering the standard conference code, you enter your
secret Account PIN (which you can find under Manage my
account). After asking you to confirm that you want to start a
new conference, the system will instantly set up a call that others
can now join using your regular conference code.
Note, however,
that at this time, special reservation options such as recording or
panel discussions with silent audience can only be selected when
reserving or starting your call from the web.
Back To Top How many people can be in one call?
At this time our normal limit is 160 participants per call (dialed
in or out in any combination), but larger conferences are available by
arrangement.
Back To Top Can I give PowerPoint presentations to people without PowerPoint?
Yes. When you
upload your PowerPoint file to the conference call, it is converted
into secure web pages that all your participants will be able to view
(one for each slide). Nobody, not even the presenter, needs to have
PowerPoint or any other special software. You will just need a web
browser and telephone that you can use at the same time.
Back To Top What if nobody is by a web browser when the conference call starts?
You don't need the web to participate because you can call in from
any telephone. If nobody has a web browser, you have a traditional
conference call and you won't be able to see who is connected or who
is talking. If possible, it's a good idea for at least one
participant with a browser to join the call so that person can check
who is on and can drop, add, and mute lines as necessary to help the
call run as smoothly as possible.
Back To Top What if my browser disconnects in the middle of a conference call?
Do not hang up from the call. Simply go to the home page and click Join a call.
After entering your identification information, select I am already dialed in to the call and follow the instructions there.
Back To Top Is the voice part of my conference call secure?
Your voice does not travel on the Internet. Our bridges are
connected to the public switched telephone network through
high-density digital lines at a secure facility directly co-located
with a major telephone carrier switch. The facility is guarded, under
video surveillance, has card-key access only, and equipment is in a
locked cabinet. It is unlikely that anyone taps our telephone
equipment, but if a participant on your conference call has a tapped
line, or if a participant is using an analog cellular phone, then the
security of your call may be compromised.
Back To Top Is it possible for an Internet hacker to spy on my conference and see who is participating?
No. All private information about your conference is transmitted
over an SSL encrypted connection. This is the same method of
encryption that financial institutions use to protect customer account
data, credit card numbers, and online stock trades. All your phone
numbers, names, credit card data, and conference access codes are
always encrypted before we transmit them over the Internet. The text
of instant chat messages is not encrypted, however. This makes the
instant messages sent during a conference slightly vulnerable to
sophisticated attack, but these messages are more secure than normal
email sent over the Internet.
Back To Top Can someone join my conference call without my knowledge?
No. You hear a distinctive sound every time someone joins the
conference, and each telephone connection into your call is displayed
on the web page, along with its phone number and calling location if
available. It is not even possible for a Spiderphone operator to join
your conference without your knowledge.
Back To Top What information do you collect about me, and how is it used?
Spiderphone is careful to preserve the privacy and security of
customer data, and we participate in the Council of Better Business
Bureaus' BBBOnLine Privacy Program. See our privacy and security policy for more
details.
Back To Top How does my web page get control of my phone line?
When you join on the web, you receive a unique, secure temporary
"star code" that you enter on your phone in addition to the normal
conference access code. As soon as you enter this star code on your
phone, your browser can use this code to control your phone line, and
if you have host access, it can also control the other phone lines in
the conference.
Back To Top What are the differences between "panelist" and "audience" access codes?
Those with panelist access codes can add, mute, rename,
or hang-up anyone on the call. In addition, they can dial additional
participants and terminate the conference. Those with audience
access codes enter and leave the conference silently, and can not
speak unless unmuted by a participant. They can see who is on the
call and who is talking, and they can rename, mute, and hang-up
their own phone lines but not anyone else's. For interactive
discussions, we recommend that you give everyone the panelist code
so they can help manage the call if necessary. Note that the
panelist access code will not allow people to reserve or
make calls using your account because your account password is
needed to do that.
Back To Top Can the system show who's talking in a room full of people with a speakerphone?
No. The system can only show you which line is talking, so
anyone talking in that room will show up as the room talking. There
is no reliable way for the system to automatically identify individual
speakers sharing a single phone line.
Back To Top What if I reserve the wrong amount?
If you reserve too much time and never use it, you may prevent
other people from making calls they could have otherwise made. You
can change a reservation you've made if something causes you to need
to reschedule or otherwise change your conference call. Simply select
View a reservation from the home page.
If we have the capacity, your conference call will be extended
automatically when you use more time or ports than you reserved.
Back To Top My conference call is noisy. What can I do?
Speakerphones are the most common source of noise in conference
calls. Encourage everyone to use their handsets or put their
speakerphone on "mute" when they are not talking, and you will have a
much clearer conference. Cellular phones are another common source of
noise. If one of your participants has a noisy cellular phone
connection, you may see this line appear as the active talker during
periods of silence. Try muting this line from the web page. Muted
participants can speak again whenever they want by pressing any
digit on their phone, or you can unmute them yourself from the web
page.
Back To Top Can I use the same access code for multiple calls?
Yes. Your account has fixed access codes
that are used by default for all your conference calls, so you can
have the same code from one conference call to the next. You also
have the option to use unique access codes for any conference if you
don't want to give out your regular codes, or if you need to schedule
more than one conference for the same time. It is also possible to
change your fixed access code at any time from the Manage
my account link on the home page. And don't worry about anyone
else making unauthorized calls with your account just because they
know your regular access code. The account password or account PIN is
required in order to set up new calls.
Back To Top Where does the name "Spiderphone" come from?
Conference call gurus refer to each phone line connected to a
conference bridge as a "leg." Spiders have lots of legs, and of
course they're on the web.
Back To Top
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