Is VOIP and data-only connection feasible? - General Questions and Answers

Situation:
I currently live in the US. My end game is to live in Colombia and run an orphanage. This means a regular phone and long distance doesn't make sense. With someone like CallHippo, I can VOIP with a free number, call recording, free inbound, and 200 free minutes outbound and $.01/min. after that. This also enables me to change SIMs with no number porting, and use any Internet connection for calling without meeting any wireless provider requirements. However, it depends on a data connection. However, I've never had cell phone service without data available also, and VOIP requires very little bandwidth. 1GB of data is good for at least 1200 minutes of VOIP.
So my question is, Can you think of an instance anywhere anymore , where I might have voice but not data?
Thanks!

Related

WiFi VoIP?

I've got a Sprint TP2 and was wondering if it ever automatically does VoIP if a WiFi connection is available. I Though it might to save bandwidth on the cell network.
Thanks.
I'm about 99% sure that it doesn't do that. It would need special software to be able to switch the call. Now if you wanted to do that, you could do it with Skype and Skypeout credits though.
No, never.
Keep in mind that carriers don't WANT to save bandwidth on the cellular network. They want to sell you bandwidth and do everything they can to use it up. They can't charge you for using WiFi.
Not only does this not happen automatically, but it's sort of difficult to do it on purpose if you want to. Skype, for example, no longer officially supports WM and existing versions don't like to use the ear speaker properly (though they do work in speakerphone mode).
With the Airave, which uses my personal TCP/IP bandwidth, I not only use cellular minutes but also pay a monthly fee for the privilege. It's not WiFi but rather a femtocell, but still provides an illustration of the basic concept that carriers are in no rush to save you from using their networks and giving them your money.
Was wondering about your comment on the AirRAVE.... this was taken right from Sprint site.
AIRAVE Enhanced Coverage Charge - $4.99/mo. (required per AIRAVE unit)**
Single Line Unlimited Calling Plan (optional) - $10/mo.**
Multi-Line Unlimited Calling Plan (optional) - $20/mo. per account**
Gregg
tornacl said:
Was wondering about your comment on the AirRAVE.... this was taken right from Sprint site.
AIRAVE Enhanced Coverage Charge - $4.99/mo. (required per AIRAVE unit)**
Single Line Unlimited Calling Plan (optional) - $10/mo.**
Multi-Line Unlimited Calling Plan (optional) - $20/mo. per account**
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're making a point, but I can't tell what it is.
I pay $4.99 to use my Airave. By doing so, I use my cellphone as normal within range of the femtocell. "As normal" means that I use my plan minutes the same as at any other location, but with 1x instead of EvDO data.
If I paid extra (as above), I could make and receive unlimited "free" calls through the Airave. Since I've never in my life used my 500 minutes per month, there's no point in my doing so. I've got a perfectly good landline that continues to work during our frequent power outages and does not depend on our somewhat iffy cable internet's reliability, so I never really make calls on my cellphone at home anyway. We mostly have it to support our son's SMS addiction.
try fring
try downloading fring. Free program.

[Q] Classic Dial up with no PC

Hi,
I sometimes need to travel to places with just GSM. I want to establish a connection to the internet using classic dial up as in 56k modem type connection. I would Ideally like to do this with an android phone but i'm open to suggestions.
Any Ideas?
AW: [Q] Classic Dial up with no PC
With 2G (GSM) you should already have a data plan incorporated. Just start the browser.
If your mobile has a modem of course...
<i9001 0x07 board running ivendor CM10beta3 on CastagnaITkernel 10.6 with i9001XXKPO baseband>
Takalani said:
Hi,
I sometimes need to travel to places with just GSM. I want to establish a connection to the internet using classic dial up as in 56k modem type connection. I would Ideally like to do this with an android phone but i'm open to suggestions.
Any Ideas?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You want that connection for your mobile of for your laptop? What phone do you have?
inherit said:
You want that connection for your mobile of for your laptop? What phone do you have?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No PC. just straight out dialup connection to connect my phone to a classic dialup network. I currently have an SG3. I travel to places where i have just GSM. I don't want to take a PC with. I just want to be able to dial into a server the old fashion way through my phone, for my phone.
Takalani said:
No PC. just straight out dialup connection to connect my phone to a classic dialup network. I currently have an SG3. I travel to places where i have just GSM. I don't want to take a PC with. I just want to be able to dial into a server the old fashion way through my phone, for my phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, as far as I know, you have to obtain connection settings from your phone carrier. Bhere is no difference between GPRS, EDGE, 3G and HSDPA, except speed! Connection setting are the same and the phone will switch automaticaly to the best connection. Google the internet for the settings for your location and your carrier.
inherit said:
Well, as far as I know, you have to obtain connection settings from your phone carrier. Bhere is no difference between GPRS, EDGE, 3G and HSDPA, except speed! Connection setting are the same and the phone will switch automaticaly to the best connection. Google the internet for the settings for your location and your carrier.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I want to dial the old DialUp way. Dial through GSM to an internet service provider through a telephone number like a classic fax 56k modem.
GPRS won't work because i there is no coverage.
I want a way to do good old classic v92 56k modem type dialing
Takalani said:
I want to dial the old DialUp way. Dial through GSM to an internet service provider through a telephone number like a classic fax 56k modem.
GPRS won't work because i there is no coverage.
I want a way to do good old classic v92 56k modem type dialing
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, if there is no coverage.... this means that you cannot use your phone at all. The lowest transfer rate is GPRS, and it can by dialed IF you have any signal prom you phone carrier. So, if you can use you phone to make calls, you can cake a GPRS connection. I don't think if there is any phone company that allow dialup connection other that in they own network, and if they allow... well, it will cost big money.
So, I repeat: if you can make phone calls, this means that you have signal from your telephone company and you can make a dialup connection if you know the correct settings! Connection speed depends on signal and phone performance!
Takalani said:
I want to dial the old DialUp way. Dial through GSM to an internet service provider through a telephone number like a classic fax 56k modem.
GPRS won't work because i there is no coverage.
I want a way to do good old classic v92 56k modem type dialing
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why?
Sent from my EVO using xda premium
inherit said:
Well, if there is no coverage.... this means that you cannot use your phone at all. The lowest transfer rate is GPRS, and it can by dialed IF you have any signal prom you phone carrier. So, if you can use you phone to make calls, you can cake a GPRS connection. I don't think if there is any phone company that allow dialup connection other that in they own network, and if they allow... well, it will cost big money.
So, I repeat: if you can make phone calls, this means that you have signal from your telephone company and you can make a dialup connection if you know the correct settings! Connection speed depends on signal and phone performance!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
3rd world country, anything is possible, including GSM with no GPRS . I don't mind paying voice call rates for a data connection.
change the way the question is asked
Background info. I just switched to AT&T a week ago. I can only afford a 1GB data plan (retired). Before I changed to AT&T (stay with me) I had a Verizon "unlimited data plan", (would take too long to explain why I switched). Anyway, I forgot to change the settings, in the phone, to turn off the "Mobile Network" so I burned through 90% of my data plan in 1 week.
I have a crazy idea. I have unlimited "talk" on my plan. So I want to use the "talk" minutes on my plan for my Galaxy S3 to access the internet through free Dial-up", so I won't go over on my "data Plan" limit. Don't want to link to a PC.
Note to ALL Cellular providers: You guys brought the "Smartphone" to market and hyped them to get us to buy them and use them. Then you hyped "unlimited" data. Then we started using our smartphones and a lot of data. Now your networks can't support the data usage, so you started charging more and more for the data and took away the unlimited plans to limit the data usage. Shame on you!!
sdiCharge said:
Background info. I just switched to AT&T a week ago. I can only afford a 1GB data plan (retired). Before I changed to AT&T (stay with me) I had a Verizon "unlimited data plan", (would take too long to explain why I switched). Anyway, I forgot to change the settings, in the phone, to turn off the "Mobile Network" so I burned through 90% of my data plan in 1 week.
I have a crazy idea. I have unlimited "talk" on my plan. So I want to use the "talk" minutes on my plan for my Galaxy S3 to access the internet through free Dial-up", so I won't go over on my "data Plan" limit. Don't want to link to a PC.
Note to ALL Cellular providers: You guys brought the "Smartphone" to market and hyped them to get us to buy them and use them. Then you hyped "unlimited" data. Then we started using our smartphones and a lot of data. Now your networks can't support the data usage, so you started charging more and more for the data and took away the unlimited plans to limit the data usage. Shame on you!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think you'll find a way to trick AT&T... "talk" minutes use voice connection so I do not think you'll be able to make a dial-up connection using your "talk" minutes. If you're going to manage this, many phone companies will have to change their rate plans!
1GB should be enough for a commonly used: email, chat, news...

[Q] Virtual number... what?

So, I just purchased a Nexus 4 and I'm very happy with my purchase.
There is a carrier here in Mexico that was offering last month a HSPA+ 21 plan for just $12 per month, 3GB (unlimited... after the 3Gb they reduce the speed). But the plan was for data only. They provided one of those MiFi devices.
What I did was just remove the SIM card from the MiFi device and cut it to micro-Sim size (they provided a regular size SIM) and then I put it on the Nexus 4 and used the correct APN settings. The Internet is working perfectly.
But... they provided a phone number with the plan. I think all plans needs to have a phone number associated with it, right?
Anyway... the plan only includes data, and I can't make calls (well, I have a Skype Unlimited plan, so I can make VOIP calls) but surprisingly, I can receive calls.
But, here is the but... I only can receive calls from cell phones from the same carrier! I called my carrier and they told me that the associated phone number was not meant to receive calls, that it was a virtual number (to be honest, they were completely clueless).
So, is there something I could make with this virtual number to be able to receive phone calls from landlines?
Thanks.
It sounds to me as if the cellular provider has internal, non-routable phone numbers that they assign to data-only subscribers.
These articles on Wikipedia might help to give you a background of the PSTN system
Public_switched_telephone_network
Telephone_exchange
Trunking
PLMN
From the Public Land Mobile Network page:
The PSTN is largely governed by technical standards created by the ITU-T, and uses E.163/E.164 addresses (usually called telephone numbers) for addressing. A number of large private telephone networks are not connected to the PSTN, and are used for military purposes (such as the Defense Switched Network). There are also private networks run by large companies which are linked to the PSTN, but only through controlled gateways such as private branch exchanges.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So, chances are that they operate a private network that is reachable by their customers but not linked to the PSTN, and your phone number is on the private network.

Why don't phones fall back to any data connection?

Hi Folks,
I have what may be a considered a silly question but as someone who often visit's people in bad service areas this is something I've always wondered. Why don't phones 'fall back' to a Wifi connection if no cellular service is available?
Voice calls could go over a 'backup' VoIP service. - Digital service is digital service. It's all packets shuffling around and shouldn't matter whether is a cellular network or IP network.
MMS is already basicly email that could in theory go over any data network not just the APN.
SMS is even more basic than MMS, I'm guessing it would be trivial to move messages to an IP based network.
Whenever I plan on visiting someone who lives in a black hole (aka no service), I tell my friends to text my Google Voice number as it goes over Wifi. If they need to call me they can call my Google Voice number which forwards to my Skype In number that runs over VoIP on an Android app.
Is it just a money thing with the carriers? Why make your customers suffer through no or spotty service when you could just move everything OFF your network and on to something more reliable for them?
Your thoughts?

How can VoLTE be used to much benefit?

VoLTE seems to me to be much ado about very little. I know what the technology does, but I also read from the wireless providers the limitations such as:
- Both ends must use VoLTE. Many phones have it off by default.
- It only works with another phone on the same wireless provider's network. What are the chances of that?
- If the phone is not a carrier's branded phone, you do not get VoLTE or VoWi-Fi.
- It cannot be used with landline connections.
- Even if the call does go VoLTE/HD Voice, you will be billed for the same number of calls or minutes.
- If you force VoLTE by enabling VoWi-Fi, and be able to make and receive domestic calls for free while abroad, any international local calls or data will be billed at the very expensive international roaming rates.
- If you use a local SIM while International, you will get inexpensive local calls, but unable to use VoLTE to send or receive calls from home for free.
VoLTE seems Mickey Mouse when you have apps like Signal where you get secure chat, secure calling, and secure video conferencing, without being charged by the text, being charged by the call or by the minute, with the only dependency is a data connection.

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