using MJ remotely

magicJack Tips and Tricks

Moderators: Bill Smith, Pilot

mobajwa
MagicJack Newbie
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu Jan 17, 2008 2:58 pm

using MJ remotely

Post by mobajwa »

did anyone look into using MJ remotely on some other host machine.
kumar
Dan Should Pay Me
Posts: 806
Joined: Thu Nov 15, 2007 4:29 pm
Contact:

Re: using MJ remotely

Post by kumar »

mobajwa wrote:did anyone look into using MJ remotely on some other host machine.
What do u mean?
Kumar
Will not be on forum until after June 15th.
AlaninKY
Dan isn't smart enough to hire me
Posts: 270
Joined: Mon Nov 12, 2007 3:59 pm
Location: Louisville, KY USA
Contact:

Post by AlaninKY »

You can connect remotely to another computer and even dial a phone number on the magicJack softphone remotely, but how are you going to talk on the magicJack from a remote location?
garybritt
MagicJack Contributor
Posts: 62
Joined: Thu Nov 15, 2007 2:45 pm

Post by garybritt »

AlaninKY wrote:You can connect remotely to another computer and even dial a phone number on the magicJack softphone remotely, but how are you going to talk on the magicJack from a remote location?

A really really really really long phone cord?

A Navy Seal Satellite phone plugged into the magicjack and relayed to your location by an NSA satellite?

??

Gary
User avatar
strndedinalska
Dan isn't smart enough to hire me
Posts: 230
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 4:39 am
Location: Alaska

Post by strndedinalska »

I'd just use a cordless phone. I'm about to switch mine around and put my cordless on mine since I'm on the magic jack more than I am my regular phone these days. That's the easiest and most logical solution.
User avatar
SpamBox
Dan isn't smart enough to hire me
Posts: 417
Joined: Fri Dec 14, 2007 4:31 am
Location: Rocky Mountains Front Range

Post by SpamBox »

Maybe he mean like using it in a callback?
You're at work, don't have long distance at work, so you call your mj at work, have it do a callback.


Sorry MJ not that sophisicated! Try Asterisk or even more easier GC
testing123
Dan Should Pay Me
Posts: 703
Joined: Tue Nov 13, 2007 2:36 pm
Contact:

Re: using MJ remotely

Post by testing123 »

mobajwa wrote:did anyone look into using MJ remotely on some other host machine.
Use PCAnywhere

Or VMware Server (allows you to "remote desktop" into other VM's running on other hosts) for FREE.

Or maybe even the actual MS Remote Desktop (don't know for sure on this one).

Or CA remote control.

Or Citrix (this would have to be large-scale environment) -- no "normal" non-geek is actually running Citrix (Client & Server) at home.

etc.
digitalnomad
Dan isn't smart enough to hire me
Posts: 184
Joined: Wed Dec 26, 2007 9:13 pm

Post by digitalnomad »

SpamBox wrote:Maybe he mean like using it in a callback?
You're at work, don't have long distance at work, so you call your mj at work, have it do a callback.


Sorry MJ not that sophisicated! Try Asterisk or even more easier GC
SpamBox-

How would you set this up to originate a callback scheme with a regular cellphone (not a smartphone and data plan)?

I know you can do it with T-Mobile Favs, and GC with Click2Call...is there another way (for free of course) without burning cell minutes.

Essentially two leg call like an international callback scheme. Diagram it if you can, if it's possible or if you know of links. Someone was asking me if you could do this with a FXS to FXO box...I don't think so.
digitalnomad
Dan isn't smart enough to hire me
Posts: 184
Joined: Wed Dec 26, 2007 9:13 pm

Re: using MJ remotely

Post by digitalnomad »

mobajwa wrote:did anyone look into using MJ remotely on some other host machine.
Sounds like a dedicated box running Asterisk as a server to me. Not a bad idea, and not that expensive from what I have read.
testing123
Dan Should Pay Me
Posts: 703
Joined: Tue Nov 13, 2007 2:36 pm
Contact:

Post by testing123 »

digitalnomad wrote:
SpamBox wrote:Maybe he mean like using it in a callback?
You're at work, don't have long distance at work, so you call your mj at work, have it do a callback.


Sorry MJ not that sophisicated! Try Asterisk or even more easier GC
SpamBox-

How would you set this up to originate a callback scheme with a regular cellphone (not a smartphone and data plan)?

I know you can do it with T-Mobile Favs, and GC with Click2Call...is there another way (for free of course) without burning cell minutes.

Essentially two leg call like an international callback scheme. Diagram it if you can, if it's possible or if you know of links. Someone was asking me if you could do this with a FXS to FXO box...I don't think so.
You could do it ... if MJ supported ATAs

Certain ATAs can function as a "gateway" and join multiple lines w/ Password protection. Inbound on one port; outbound on the other port -- no call back needed
digitalnomad
Dan isn't smart enough to hire me
Posts: 184
Joined: Wed Dec 26, 2007 9:13 pm

Post by digitalnomad »

@ Testing 123-

That's what we are talking about. I can't pay you though. Where is the hack...
testing123
Dan Should Pay Me
Posts: 703
Joined: Tue Nov 13, 2007 2:36 pm
Contact:

Post by testing123 »

digitalnomad wrote:@ Testing 123-

That's what we are talking about. I can't pay you though. Where is the hack...
LOL, it is not necessarily a hack ... you have to use Linksys Sipura 3000/3102 (approx. $75 USD) ... I posted this several times in this forum.

Here is the Proof Of Concept: Unlimited Anytime Minutes. You can apply this concept to connect up two VOIP lines or VOIP + PSTN or VOIP + Cellular to make a Local Call to your device and have it use the VOIP for Call-Out.
digitalnomad
Dan isn't smart enough to hire me
Posts: 184
Joined: Wed Dec 26, 2007 9:13 pm

Post by digitalnomad »

That's a beautiful hack...thankee.
mobajwa
MagicJack Newbie
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu Jan 17, 2008 2:58 pm

Initial post explained

Post by mobajwa »

sorry.. i should have been more clear in my initial post.

Here's what got me thinking in the first place. Im at work on my IM. I access my home computer using vnc or something and dial the number. The I initiate a conference on IM so I can talk using my Im at work.. something like

MJ ( Home PC ) patches in to IM (Home PC , e.g GoogleTalk or Teamspeak) and then I can do a voip call between my Home PC and Work PC IM.


Hope I explained it better this time !


The "hack" posted sounds cool but that involves using an other phone to call in which I don't want. It's funny how the recommended service in the hack is sunrocket. Maybe thats why they went down !
trodecke
magicJack Apprentice
Posts: 19
Joined: Tue Dec 18, 2007 1:54 pm
Location: Oklahoma City, OK

Post by trodecke »

Audio across remote connections like that is, at best, scratchy. Just try streaming a song or video through a Citrix connection. ;) As long as whatever you used to "remote control" the PC at home support audio mapping then it should work. Whatever you'd use would have to support all audio mapping, not just playback. In other words the Mic/Line In on the host PC would have to be mapped to a Mic/Line In port on the remote PC. I don't think RDP (terminal services) or VNC support that.
kumar
Dan Should Pay Me
Posts: 806
Joined: Thu Nov 15, 2007 4:29 pm
Contact:

Post by kumar »

People's just put in your pocket and take it wit ya. Wats wrong with that?
Kumar

OH yea can the hack be done a 2102?
Thanks
Kumar
Will not be on forum until after June 15th.
testing123
Dan Should Pay Me
Posts: 703
Joined: Tue Nov 13, 2007 2:36 pm
Contact:

Re: Initial post explained

Post by testing123 »

mobajwa wrote:sorry.. i should have been more clear in my initial post.

Here's what got me thinking in the first place. Im at work on my IM. I access my home computer using vnc or something and dial the number. The I initiate a conference on IM so I can talk using my Im at work.. something like

MJ ( Home PC ) patches in to IM (Home PC , e.g GoogleTalk or Teamspeak) and then I can do a voip call between my Home PC and Work PC IM.


Hope I explained it better this time !


The "hack" posted sounds cool but that involves using an other phone to call in which I don't want. It's funny how the recommended service in the hack is sunrocket. Maybe thats why they went down !
This would be extremely difficult to get working correctly AND get decent voice quality.

You are probably better off attempting SSH Tunneling from Work -> Home (w/ the MJ on the work PC) ... even this would be sketchy performance ...

This would enable you to Initiate/Answer MJ Calls at Work but use your "home" network/IP w/o work being able to decipher the packets. YMMV
kumar
Dan Should Pay Me
Posts: 806
Joined: Thu Nov 15, 2007 4:29 pm
Contact:

Post by kumar »

kumar wrote:People's just put in your pocket and take it wit ya. Wats wrong with that?
Kumar

OH yea can the hack be done a 2102?
Thanks
Kumar
Anyone?
Will not be on forum until after June 15th.
User avatar
SpamBox
Dan isn't smart enough to hire me
Posts: 417
Joined: Fri Dec 14, 2007 4:31 am
Location: Rocky Mountains Front Range

Post by SpamBox »

kumar wrote: Anyone?
Unfortunately, no. The 3000 is the only one capable. Unless you want to build your own router/asterisk box
digitalnomad
Dan isn't smart enough to hire me
Posts: 184
Joined: Wed Dec 26, 2007 9:13 pm

Post by digitalnomad »

What be the 2102 and the 3000?
testing123
Dan Should Pay Me
Posts: 703
Joined: Tue Nov 13, 2007 2:36 pm
Contact:

Post by testing123 »

SpamBox wrote:
kumar wrote: Anyone?
Unfortunately, no. The 3000 is the only one capable. Unless you want to build your own router/asterisk box
SpamBox unless you get an old 3000 I believe those are discontinued, replaced by the 3102 (and you definitely want the 3102-NA which is the unlocked version).

I am not sure if the 2102 can do this -- I don't think so, but I am unsure.

For good basic info check specs www.voxilla.com

Best price I have seen was approx $75 USD w/ a few dollars for shipping (better than Voxilla price)
kumar
Dan Should Pay Me
Posts: 806
Joined: Thu Nov 15, 2007 4:29 pm
Contact:

Post by kumar »

digitalnomad wrote:What be the 2102 and the 3000?
ATA (Analog Telephoen Adapter) used for VOIP w/o computer
Kumar
Will not be on forum until after June 15th.
kumar
Dan Should Pay Me
Posts: 806
Joined: Thu Nov 15, 2007 4:29 pm
Contact:

Post by kumar »

SpamBox wrote:
kumar wrote: Anyone?
Unfortunately, no. The 3000 is the only one capable. Unless you want to build your own router/asterisk box
ok I can do Asterisk....I think with the "Fon" router you can flash it and add up to 41 voip services....So if i have a asterisk box/computer what do I? Also do i need the dock n talk...cuz that is pricey
Kumar
Will not be on forum until after June 15th.
digitalnomad
Dan isn't smart enough to hire me
Posts: 184
Joined: Wed Dec 26, 2007 9:13 pm

Post by digitalnomad »

This thread is getting interesting now. I am going to tag along with ya Kumar. Asterisk box is a worthy goal.
User avatar
SpamBox
Dan isn't smart enough to hire me
Posts: 417
Joined: Fri Dec 14, 2007 4:31 am
Location: Rocky Mountains Front Range

Post by SpamBox »

testing123 wrote: SpamBox unless you get an old 3000 I believe those are discontinued, replaced by the 3102 (and you definitely want the 3102-NA which is the unlocked version).
I stand corrected, should of said 3000 series
kumar
Dan Should Pay Me
Posts: 806
Joined: Thu Nov 15, 2007 4:29 pm
Contact:

Post by kumar »

digitalnomad wrote:This thread is getting interesting now. I am going to tag along with ya Kumar. Asterisk box is a worthy goal.
Yes, got the cost of a new spa 3000 ($75+) out now what about this dock n talk....Its a tad pricey, eh?
Thanks
Kumar
Will not be on forum until after June 15th.
digitalnomad
Dan isn't smart enough to hire me
Posts: 184
Joined: Wed Dec 26, 2007 9:13 pm

Post by digitalnomad »

It looks like interesting concept, but is it really necessary? Looks like you can skirt the cell phone docking station, as it is not necessary. Just a convenient appliance. Why not just forward, or route your cell phone number?

Help me on your line of thinking here, Kumar.
kumar
Dan Should Pay Me
Posts: 806
Joined: Thu Nov 15, 2007 4:29 pm
Contact:

Post by kumar »

digitalnomad wrote:It looks like interesting concept, but is it really necessary? Looks like you can skirt the cell phone docking station, as it is not necessary. Just a convenient appliance. Why not just forward, or route your cell phone number?

Help me on your line of thinking here, Kumar.
yes but how else do we connect the cell phone so when u call itm it connects u to asterisk thing and you can dial out?
Thanks
kumar
Will not be on forum until after June 15th.
digitalnomad
Dan isn't smart enough to hire me
Posts: 184
Joined: Wed Dec 26, 2007 9:13 pm

Post by digitalnomad »

@ Kumar-

I read about this docking station, and still can't understand why anyone would want to do this...looks like the calls would still burn minutes on your cell plan. What am I missing?

I want free or near free. Not more hardware...solve it with software. HA

Just get a wireless router and a wi-fi enabled cell phone = free cell calls from home, better signal.
kumar
Dan Should Pay Me
Posts: 806
Joined: Thu Nov 15, 2007 4:29 pm
Contact:

Post by kumar »

digitalnomad wrote:@ Kumar-

I read about this docking station, and still can't understand why anyone would want to do this...looks like the calls would still burn minutes on your cell plan. What am I missing?

I want free or near free. Not more hardware...solve it with software. HA

Just get a wireless router and a wi-fi enabled cell phone = free cell calls from home, better signal.
Check your PM
Will not be on forum until after June 15th.
mobajwa
MagicJack Newbie
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu Jan 17, 2008 2:58 pm

PM ???

Post by mobajwa »

@kumar

can u please post a response publicly.. might be helpful for a lot of us newbies :)
kumar
Dan Should Pay Me
Posts: 806
Joined: Thu Nov 15, 2007 4:29 pm
Contact:

Re: PM ???

Post by kumar »

mobajwa wrote:@kumar

can u please post a response publicly.. might be helpful for a lot of us newbies :)
Well all I was saying in the PM was to meet in the chat....and in the chat we found no solution to get around using the "Dock n talk" which is like $150. So if anyone else knows how to do it..please post....but "privately" me and digitalnomad got no where.
Kumar
Will not be on forum until after June 15th.
MagicJake
MagicJack User
Posts: 48
Joined: Wed Nov 21, 2007 7:39 pm

Post by MagicJake »

SpamBox wrote:
kumar wrote: Anyone?
Unfortunately, no. The 3000 is the only one capable. Unless you want to build your own router/asterisk box
Spambox I think there is a way to get an FXO port without buying a 3000 series unit or setting up an asterisk box. :)

Hint: Search for "FXS to FXO Converter" on ebay.

Using this small device you can call in on one line and use the VOIP line (e.g. magicjack) to call out with unlimited long distance. It also permits you to optionally set a numerical password up to six digits if you want so others can't use it.

Also, if you put a magicjack in a remote country and connect a PSTN line from the remote country to the magicjack through this device (assuming the remote country's phone line is compatible with standard US specifications) you could call the magicjack number from the US and get a dial tone in the remote country to call out there for free. Or people in the remote country could call the local PSTN number and be connected to a US dial tone through the magicjack to call anywhere in the US for free. But international calls are pretty cheap without this unless you're calling Cuba or something like that.

(This WON'T connect to a cell phone without the Dock-n-talk though.)

Does this help??
MagicJake
MagicJack User
Posts: 48
Joined: Wed Nov 21, 2007 7:39 pm

Re: PM ???

Post by MagicJake »

kumar wrote: Well all I was saying in the PM was to meet in the chat....and in the chat we found no solution to get around using the "Dock n talk" which is like $150. So if anyone else knows how to do it..please post....but "privately" me and digitalnomad got no where.
Kumar
For the cell phone dock there's also this device.

http://www.xlinkgateway.com/

It's pretty slick looking and the blue tooth is built-in rather than an add-on. But it's still a bit pricey like the Dock-n-Talk though.

I haven't used either one but they claim to be superior in their comparison chart:
http://www.xlinkgateway.com/about_Xlink ... way.html#1

[s]Their ITC-BTTN model INCLUDES a FXO jack which could connect directly to your magicjack or your house phone wiring with a standard RJ11 phone wire. In that case you may not need the SPA3000 or the FXS to FXO converter or the Asterisk box. Xlink is a little sketchy about what you can do with the FXO connection so I'm not sure but I'd guess it would allow you to call in from the remote cell phone to the local cell phone and connect through the ITC-BTTN to the magicjack to call out.[/s] This would give you unlimited outgoing cell phone if you have unlimited cell to cell. It would be interesting to try this out.

Edit: The ITC-BTTN does have a FXO connection but I downloaded the User's Guide pdf and it turns out that the FXO connection only provides a choice at the location local to the xlink unit to call out with standard phone hardware using either your regular land line or your cell phone (actually one of up to three). So to do the unlimited cell phone you still need the FSX to FXO converter.

I think this would also work for unlimited incoming calls to your cell phone. People would call your magicjack number and the FSX to FSO converter would I think connect to the xlink box to call out from the local cell phone to your remote cell phone. Again, you'd have to have unlimited cell to cell with one cell phone dedicated to this setup, and the FXS to FXO converter would have to work the way I think it does. One neat thing is that I think the caller ID would work out. I think people would see your magicjack number when you call them for free from your cell phone with this setup. And when they call back that number (your magicjack number) they should get your cell phone.

.[hr]
Last edited by MagicJake on Tue Jan 29, 2008 8:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
testing123
Dan Should Pay Me
Posts: 703
Joined: Tue Nov 13, 2007 2:36 pm
Contact:

Post by testing123 »

@MagicJake: Good stuff!

@ digitalnomad: For this to work you either Need Free "M2M" minutes (if using the Cell to Cell+DocNTalk approach as in the POC I posted) OR if you use the Cell to FXO/FXS number (MUST be in your "Friends & Family" or MyFAVs or whatever which is Free on your plan).

Therefore:
Cell -> Other Cell (Free) -> PSTN/VOIP = FREE UNLIMITED Cell minutes Calling wherever your VOIP can call, OR
Cell -> PSTN # that is in Cell Plan -> VOIP = FREE UNLIMITED Cell minutes Calling wherever your VOIP can call

Various Cell providers have different Plans, etc. For example Sprint has a highly undocumented feature that allows you to designate a single # (for $8/mo) as a Home # -- all Calls To/From are free.

This concept should also be Free for Outgoing from your Cell and incoming (from your PSTN) to that Cell.
digitalnomad wrote:@ Kumar-

I read about this docking station, and still can't understand why anyone would want to do this...looks like the calls would still burn minutes on your cell plan. What am I missing?

I want free or near free. Not more hardware...solve it with software. HA

Just get a wireless router and a wi-fi enabled cell phone = free cell calls from home, better signal.
Last edited by testing123 on Tue Jan 29, 2008 2:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.
digitalnomad
Dan isn't smart enough to hire me
Posts: 184
Joined: Wed Dec 26, 2007 9:13 pm

Post by digitalnomad »

Looks good, anybody actually tested this themselves? Just don't want to invest in a concept. Anyone in this thread that is...not just articles or blog theory.

Another way to look at it is if you are a heavy cellular user, the payback on the equipment would only be 3-4 months at the most.
Last edited by digitalnomad on Tue Jan 29, 2008 5:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.
testing123
Dan Should Pay Me
Posts: 703
Joined: Tue Nov 13, 2007 2:36 pm
Contact:

Post by testing123 »

digitalnomad wrote:Looks good, anybody actually tested this themselves? Just don't want to invest in a concept. Anyone in this thread that is...not just articles or blog theory.
Ha ha, testing, who does testing? I'd like to know too.
MagicJake
MagicJack User
Posts: 48
Joined: Wed Nov 21, 2007 7:39 pm

Post by MagicJake »

Thanks testing123.
digitalnomad wrote:Looks good, anybody actually tested this themselves? Just don't want to invest in a concept.
I think we're all thinking the same thing LOL!!!

I did notice that Xlink offers a 30 day money back trial on their box. I don't know how reputable they are though. If you pay with a credit card I think you'd be covered to get a refund if you had to send it back. You might loose some shipping is all.

Here's another interesting link:

"A Marriage Made in Heaven: Sprint Cellphone + Asterisk@Home = Unlimited U.S. Cell Phone Calls for $5"
http://nerdvittles.com/index.php?p=124

.
kumar
Dan Should Pay Me
Posts: 806
Joined: Thu Nov 15, 2007 4:29 pm
Contact:

Post by kumar »

Ok, i give up...LOL
Kumar

PS nice link magicjack :D
Will not be on forum until after June 15th.
digitalnomad
Dan isn't smart enough to hire me
Posts: 184
Joined: Wed Dec 26, 2007 9:13 pm

Post by digitalnomad »

I agree, Kumar.

It is getting a tad confusing. There should be a way to do this without having to buy extra equipment, extra cell phones, etc.

Look who wrote the post...Forrest Gump.
kumar
Dan Should Pay Me
Posts: 806
Joined: Thu Nov 15, 2007 4:29 pm
Contact:

Post by kumar »

Yep....I would just pay for a $10 more expensive plan if I needed the minutes. But yelling my sister to get off the cell and use the magicjack still works:D. Last month i actuly rolled over minutes for the first time in 5 months...I think I will be successful this month too....
Peace
Kumar
Will not be on forum until after June 15th.
testing123
Dan Should Pay Me
Posts: 703
Joined: Tue Nov 13, 2007 2:36 pm
Contact:

Post by testing123 »

MagicJake wrote:Thanks testing123.
digitalnomad wrote:Looks good, anybody actually tested this themselves? Just don't want to invest in a concept.
I think we're all thinking the same thing LOL!!!

...

Here's another interesting link:

"A Marriage Made in Heaven: Sprint Cellphone + Asterisk@Home = Unlimited U.S. Cell Phone Calls for $5"
http://nerdvittles.com/index.php?p=124

.
Very interesting article MagicJake.

So I read your link (A Marriage Made in Heaven ...), and obviously, my link (Unlimited Anytime Minutes).

And then read Voxilla Sipura 3000 Config thread.

It seems to me 4 basic ways to do this bridging:

1) Voicestick (or any other VOIP that provides this service) - If you are the pay for it and get the service type of person,
they call it I2Bridge. Not a plug, I have no association w/ them. I found their site while doing this reading

2) Asterisk / Trixbox, etc., of course - If you are a tinkerer and like TOTAL control etc. (and have a lot of time)
The ultimate solution for control, tweaking etc. With great control, comes great responsibility

3) Linksys/Sipura 3102 (or older 3000) - If you are a tinkerer but don't want to have to setup a Server/eat electricity etc. (See voxilla link above, one of many)
Save some trees, get the functionality in one lower power appliance

4) Other (lower model) Linksys/Sipura + any of these FXS/FXO converters as mentioned earlier - If you are #3 above but also very cheap (er, um, "frugal") LOL
Seems to be the "poor man's approach"

Let me know if this makes sense.

I will try #3 first (very soon) with other VOIP I have (since MJ does not support ATA).
Eventually I will try #2 (and possibly even #4)
MagicJake
MagicJack User
Posts: 48
Joined: Wed Nov 21, 2007 7:39 pm

Post by MagicJake »

testing123 wrote: Very interesting article MagicJake.

So I read your link (A Marriage Made in Heaven ...), and obviously, my link (Unlimited Anytime Minutes).

And then read Voxilla Sipura 3000 Config thread.

It seems to me 4 basic ways to do this bridging:

1) Voicestick (or any other VOIP that provides this service) - If you are the pay for it and get the service type of person,
they call it I2Bridge. Not a plug, I have no association w/ them. I found their site while doing this reading

2) Asterisk / Trixbox, etc., of course - If you are a tinkerer and like TOTAL control etc. (and have a lot of time)
The ultimate solution for control, tweaking etc. With great control, comes great responsibility

3) Linksys/Sipura 3102 (or older 3000) - If you are a tinkerer but don't want to have to setup a Server/eat electricity etc. (See voxilla link above, one of many)
Save some trees, get the functionality in one lower power appliance

4) Other (lower model) Linksys/Sipura + any of these FXS/FXO converters as mentioned earlier - If you are #3 above but also very cheap (er, um, "frugal") LOL
Seems to be the "poor man's approach"

Let me know if this makes sense.

I will try #3 first (very soon) with other VOIP I have (since MJ does not support ATA).
Eventually I will try #2 (and possibly even #4)
Yes testing123, everything you're saying looks right to me, including your comments in italics. I hope it's okay if I add my comments as well.

1) Voicestick:

I have Voicestick. Don't like 'em. They lured many into their "Next to Nothing" plan when they first offered it with a "bait and switch". The plan involved 1.9 cents/minute outgoing, no monthly charges, and free incoming calls. And you could port your numbers. It uses PREPAID funds. After I and many others paid them prepaid funds and we ported our numbers, Voicestick then went ahead and charged us monthly fees against our funds we had ALREADY PAID and charged us 1.1 cents/minute for incoming calls which they sold as "free". They began debiting these fees from our prepaid funds without even sending an email saying that they were now charging monthly fees nor offering a refund of fees prepaid. So people's prepaid funds dwindled with the monthly fees, and if they don't pay they'll loose their ported number. My brother is an attorney and I learned a long time ago that this kind of changing of terms of service AFTER a customer has already paid is not a legal contract; even if the original terms say they can do it and you agreed, it's STILL not a legal contract. But companies such as cell phone companies do it anyway because they know no one will bother to sue them over it. I have two accounts still active with Voicestick but I'll leave them behind as soon as I decide where I want to port my numbers which I have had for many years.

As far as the I2Bridge, I have tried it a while ago and it works as described. You can call your voicestick number from your home phone then enter the US number you want to call and you will be connected by VOIP. The way it works is that you go to the Voicestick web portal and activate I2Bridge for your account. You MUST specify the phone number of the one phone you will be calling FROM.(e.g. your home phone or your cell phone). You will only get the "Please enter the number you want to call" message if you call FROM the number you specified. It uses caller ID so you can't be set to block caller ID. So this is a limitation. If anyone else calls your Voicestick number it will ring your Voicestick phone on your ATA and you can answer it.

Another thing they don't tell you is that the I2Bridge will cost you 3 cents per minute if you're on their per minute plan. They charge you not only the 1.9 cents/minute for the outgoing call but also the 1.1 cents/minute for incoming. I had to contact their customer service after trying out the I2Bridge to ask why my funds were being depleated faster than they should be to find out about this. And they did not provide an itemized list of your charges for your phone calls like other companies so they keep the charges a bit of a mistery and it is imposible to figure out where your prepaid funds are going including the monthly fees which just come out of your account without showing up on any invoice. Maybe they changed that part since I haven't checked for a long time. But if you subscribe to the monthly US plan for $20 per month PLUS TAXES AND FEES, then you will not be charged further for I2Bridge calls within the US. If you bridge to international destinations you will pay the per minute international rate for that destination.

This would definately work if you're willing to pay around $25 per month in Voicestick charges so long as you have a cell phone plan that would allow you to call your voicestick number with no per minute charges; but only for outgoing. This solution has the advantage that you need only the Voicestick "line" since it does the bridging. The other three solutions require two lines; one for in and one for out to be bridged.

2)Asterisk / Trixbox, etc

My comments are the same as yours. Great capabilities but lot of time and effort (I've never done it) and a lot of electricity. I posted elseware on the forum about the electricity calculation. If you leave an appliance powered on 24/7 it will cost you around $1.20 per watt per year. In other words, leaving a 150 watt computer on all the time will cost you approximately $180.00 per year. This translates to $15.00 per month. Your computer may use more than 150 watts, especially if you leave the monitor on. You would get some benifit in the winter from a little heat generated, but if you air condition in the summer it will cost you an additional $6.00 per month for an air conditioner compressor to remove the heat generated by a 150 watt appliance left on 24/7. Alternatively a Linksys SPA2102 ATA would cost you less than $0.50 per month since it uses only about 4.5 watts including the inefficiencies of the power adaptor which gets a little warm and contributes some to the loss. (I know that it's 4.5 watts for the SPA2102 because I measured it a while ago. It's about the same if you're on the phone or not).

3) Linksys/Sipura 3000 (or 3102)

This is probably the most "elegant" and tidy solution of all. One ATA with one FSO jack and one FXS jack. So the one device acts as the ATA and does the bridging. I don't have a 3102 so I've never tried it but I'm defenately interested to see how you make out.

4) Other (lower model) Linksys/Sipura + any of these FXS/FXO converters as mentioned earlier.

Definately the cheapest which makes it attractive to me LOL. And it should be able to be configured fairly quickly and easily. You could use the converter and connect your PSTN line with your magicjack usb device and you should be in good shape even without an ATA. You can run your magicjack from a laptop to reduce the electricity to around 20 watts or so. If you're using two VOIP accounts that both support ATA such as a SPA2102 you can configure the two lines of the 2102 for the two voip providers (or two lines from a single provider) and simply connect the FXS to FXO converter between "Line1" and "Line2" of the ATA. It appears that this solution would be bidirectional; outgoing and incoming for the cell phone dock. I'm not sure about solution #3. Solution #2 could definately be bidirectional.
----------
Options 2,3, and 4 require two lines, VOIP or otherwise in order to bridge them to get remote access. I have another idea of a way that you would only need one paid providor (e.g. magicjack) to do the remote access bridge with the limitations that it is only for outgoing, and that you are in one of the many cities that has a complementary (free) PSTN to SIP gateway phone number. If you're doing this for the cell phone free minutes then you don't even need to live in one of those cities so long as your cell phone plan allows you to include a US phone number that you can call for free. I think Sprint may restrict you to only your home registered number which wouldn't work. But I think the T-Mobile "faves" would work.

Here's how it would work:
FreeWorldDialup (FWD) will give you a SIP phone account free of charge. They have been doing this for probably ten years now and it has always been free. This is better than using Gizmo for two reasons. Gizmo uses STUN to connect your calls but FWD uses SIP proxy servers similar to MagicJack which is much less problematic getting the VOIP to work through a router on your network. Additionally Gizmo has been getting quite trickey lately trying to hide fees and charges. FWD will not jerk you around. It is run by Jeff Pulver, a pioneer in VOIP who has a solid track record. You don't need to provide a credit card.

Okay, so what does this do for you?? Well it doesn't exactly give you a regular phone line, but something close enough to use for the incoming leg of your bridge. If you have a standard ATA you can configure it to ring when someone calls your FWD "SIP" number and you can answer the phone connected to your ATA like a regular incoming call. There's never a charge for this. The thing is that a SIP phone number is NOT a PSTN phone number. These numbers have special dedicated area codes that can only be called using the internet. The area code for FWD is 393. A SIP phone number can not be called from a PSTN phone; at least not directly. But many kind souls around the world are providing complementary (i.e. free) PSTN to SIP gateway phone numbers to allow us to call SIP numbers from regular PSTN phone lines as often as we like free of charge. If you call one of these many gateway numbers you are then asked to enter your SIP number that you got from FWD. So if you call into one of these gateway numbers then enter your SIP number provided to you for free from FWD you can bridge this incoming call to your Magicjack USB device for example. So you don't need to involve your home PSTN line for the incoming leg. And rather than using the gateway numbers you could also use a softphone or a regular hardware phone with an ATA from anywhere in the world to call your sip number and bridge to your magicjack so long as you had broadband access and a PC.
MagicJake
MagicJack User
Posts: 48
Joined: Wed Nov 21, 2007 7:39 pm

Post by MagicJake »

Here are some free US PSTN to "SIP" gateway numbers:

Atlanta 1-678-918-5026
Atlantic City 1-609-840-8027
Baltimore 1-410-372-4173
Chicago 1-708-437-9040
Connecticut 1-860-256-4170
Dallas 1-469-449-2560
Fort Worth 1-817-886-2285
Houston 1-832-631-1597
Los Angeles 1-323-908-4167
Miami 1-786-206-4270
New York 1-347-427-9019
N New Jersey 1-973-494-5586
S New Jersey 1-609-873-8119
Philadelphia 1-610-879-1419
San Francisco 1-415-354-1083
Seattle 1-206-219-5789
Washington, DC 1-202-742-5739

And here are some more US plus many international ones. (If you're traveling abroad you can call one of these numbers and bridge to your magicjack in the US). The sponser's name is after the number just for reference.

Argentina
City PSTN Number Sponsor Notes
Bahia Blanca +54-291-485-4001 camundaNET
Bahia Blanca +54-291-485-0407 Callcentric
Buenos Aires +54-11-5258-8228 LLAMADA IP.COM
Buenos Aires +54-11-5273-4001 camundaNET
Buenos Aires +54-11-5258-2353 Callcentric
Cordoba +54-351-569-4001 camundaNET
Cordoba +54-351-568-1875 Callcentric
La Plata +54-221-446-4001 camundaNET
La Plata +54-221-448-0363 Callcentric
Mar del Plata +54-223-432-1701 camundaNET
Mar Del Plata +54-223-432-2608 Callcentric
Mendoza +54-261-476-4001 camundaNET
Mendoza +54-261-405-8387 Callcentric
Neuquen +54-299-436-7713 Callcentric
Rosario +54-341-527-4001 camundaNET
Rosario +54-341-527-0372 Callcentric
San Luis +54-2652-35-3004 Callcentric
Santa Fe +54-342-437-5609 Callcentric

Australia
City PSTN Number Sponsor Notes
Adelaide +61-8-7421-2359 Voxbone
Brisbane +61-7-3018-2881 Voxbone
Melbourne +61-3-8807-2174 Voxbone
Perth +61-8-9282-3229 Voxbone
Sydney +61-2-8307-8846 Voxbone
Sydney +61-2-8307-3881 Voxbone

Austria
City PSTN Number Sponsor Notes
+43-720902010 Sip-Fon

Belgium
City PSTN Number Sponsor Notes
Antwerp +32-3-747-00-20 Packetnet
Antwerp +32-3-555-23-23 3Stars Net
Antwerp +32-3-8080100 Callcentric
Bruges +32-50-580109 Callcentric
Brussels +32-2-747-00-20 Packetnet
Brussels +32-2-888-23-23 3Stars Net
Brussels +32-2-8080352 Callcentric
Ghent +32-9-2980106 Callcentric
Liege +32-4-2680133 Callcentric
Namur +32-81-280141 Callcentric

Brazil
City PSTN Number Sponsor Notes
Belo Horizonte +55-31-3231-2840 Voipsharing
Brasilia +55-61-3717-2840 Voipsharing
Curitiba +55-41-3941-2840 Voipsharing
Florianopolis +55-48-3717-0707 Voipsharing
Porto Alegre +55-51-3251-2840 Voipsharing
Rio de Janeiro +55-21-3521-2840 Voipsharing
Rio de Janeiro Mobile Tim +55-21-8178-5162 Voipsharing
Salvador +55-71-3717-0600 Voipsharing
Sao Paulo +55-11-3511-5700 Voipsharing

Bulgaria
City PSTN Number Sponsor Notes
Blagoevgrad +359-73-519080 Netfinity Ltd
Blagoevgrad +359-73-580161 BGOPEN.NET
Burgas +359-56-919080 Netfinity Ltd
Burgas +359-56-981201 BGOPEN.NET
Dobrich +359-58-580311 BGOPEN.NET
Haskovo +359-38-580101 BGOPEN.NET
Plevin +359-64-970080 Netfinity Ltd
Plovdiv +359-32-570080 Netfinity Ltd
Plovdiv +359-32-580101 BGOPEN.NET
Ruse +359-82-580191 BGOPEN.NET
Shumen +359-54-981131 BGOPEN.NET
Siven +359 44 580191 BGOPEN.NET
Sofia +359-2-4918880 Netfinity Ltd
Sofia +359-2-4802401 BGOPEN.NET
Stara Zagora +359-42-919080 Netfinity Ltd
Stara Zagora +359-42-980101 BGOPEN.NET
Sunny Beach +359-554-70181 BGOPEN.NET
Varna +359-52-919080 Netfinity Ltd
Varna +359 52 980111 BGOPEN.NET

Canada
City PSTN Number Sponsor Notes
Abbotsford +1-604-755-3458 Link2VoIP
Calgary +1-403-775-2208 LES.NET
Edmonton +1-780-628-3504 LES.NET
Fort Mcmurray +1-780-747-2065 Link2VoIP
Grand Prairie +1-780-833-2565 Link2VoIP
Halifax +1-902-482-3738 LES.NET
Hamilton +1-905-390-1547 Link2VoIP
Kelowna +1-250-469-9037 Link2VoIP
Kingston +1-613-887-2383 Link2VoIP
Kitchener +1-519-957-1904 LES.NET
Lethbridge +1-403-388-3611 Link2VoIP
London +1-519-937-1450 Link2VoIP
Medicine Hat +1-403-488-3600 Link2VoIP
Montreal +1-514-908-9707 Link2VoIP
Oshawa +1-905-674-6127 Link2VoIP
Oshawa +1-289-222-FREE Voice Network Inc
Ottawa +1-613-686-1602 LES.NET
Quebec City +1-418-948-3307 LES.NET
Red Deer +1-403-755-8510 Link2VoIP
Sherbrooke +1-819-780-2742 Link2VoIP
St. Catherines +1-905-378-2953 Link2VoIP
Toronto +1-647-476-FREE Voice Network Inc
Trois Rivieres +1-819-840-5332 Link2VoIP
Vancouver +1-604-628-4266 LES.NET
Vancouver +1-604-630-9700 Link2VoIP
Victoria +1-250-412-6019 Link2VoIP
Waterloo +1-519-772-5767 Link2VoIP
Whistler +1-604-966-2036 Link2VoIP
Windsor +1-519-968-2444 Link2VoIP
Winnipeg +1-204-480-4085 LES.NET

China
City PSTN Number Sponsor Notes
Shanghai +86-21-31001856 Jephone Communication

Denmark
City PSTN Number Sponsor Notes
National +45-69-122-199 FONET

Dominican Republic
City PSTN Number Sponsor Notes
Santo Domingo +1-809-202-4981 dgtec

France
City PSTN Number Sponsor Notes
Paris +33-1-72-09-04-04 www.digitrad.com Must press # after dialled number
Paris +33-1-79-99-79-99 Moi Telecom

Germany
City PSTN Number Sponsor Notes
Munich +49(0)-89-121409114 SIPSERVICE
National +49-1803-5350033033 Sip-Fon

Greece
City PSTN Number Sponsor Notes
Athens +30-21-30322745 Donated by emoci

Ireland
City PSTN Number Sponsor Notes
Dublin +353-1-4361726 Blueface
National 0766-020026 Blueface

Israel
City PSTN Number Sponsor Notes
National +972-73-2444-216 Amro Computers
National +972-77-5664-165 Amro Computers

Italy
City PSTN Number Sponsor Notes
Milan +39-02-320626925 Donated by emoci
Rome +39-06-916504919 Donated by emoci
Trento +39-04-611862006 Amro Computers

Mexico
City PSTN Number Sponsor Notes
Guadalajara +52-33-8525-2520 AJ-TEL Communications Network
Mexico City +52-55-8525-25-20 AJ-TEL Communications Network
Monterrey +52-81-8525-2520 AJ-TEL Communications Network

Netherlands
City PSTN Number Sponsor Notes
Utrecht +31-30-711-0327 iXcall Wait for second tone.

New Zealand
City PSTN Number Sponsor Notes
Auckland +64-9-909-7805 Callcentric
Christchurch +64-3-968-0024 Callcentric
Dunedin +64-3-951-7389 Lateral Networks
Wellington +64-4-890-0871 Callcentric

Portugal
City PSTN Number Sponsor Notes
Lisbon +351-211451002 EuroIAX
Oporto +351-221451002 EuroIAX

Romania
City PSTN Number Sponsor Notes
National +40-31-71-00055 Eurovoice

Russia
City PSTN Number Sponsor Notes
Tyumen +7-3452-591002 JSC

Spain
City PSTN Number Sponsor Notes
Baleares +34-97-157-99-12 Adam Telefonia IP
Barcelona +34-93-396-80-00 Adam Telefonia IP
Bilbao +34-94-434-47-90 Adam Telefonia IP
Gerona +34-97-298-29-40 Adam Telefonia IP
Lleida +34-97-398-29-40 Adam Telefonia IP
Madrid +34-91-771-17-20 Adam Telefonia IP
Sevilla +34-95-432-49-40 Adam Telefonia IP
Sta. Cruz Tenerife +34-92-298-29-87 Adam Telefonia IP
Tarragona +34-97-727-19-40 Adam Telefonia IP
Valencia +34-96-112-84-10 Adam Telefonia IP
National +34-902-900-060 Adam Telefonia IP

Sweden
City PSTN Number Sponsor Notes
Malmo +46-40-6905090 Serverhallen

Switzerland
City PSTN Number Sponsor Notes
Basel +41-61-5117717 Sip-Fon
Biel +41-32-5119010 Sip-Fon
Zuerich +41-44-5009109 Sip-Fon

U.K
City PSTN Number Sponsor Notes
Birmingham +44-121-314-8447 Telappliant
Boston +44-1205-230111 Amro Computers
Cambridge +44-1223-858-747 Telappliant
Edinburgh +44-131-516-8747 Telappliant
Leeds +44-113-350-8747 Telappliant
Liverpool +44-151-601-8747 Telappliant
London +44-20-7100-6747 Telappliant
London VoIP +44-56-0002-9247 VoIPtalk
Manchester +44-161-660-8447 VoIPtalk
Nottingham +44-115-871-8347 VoIPtalk
Oxford +44-1865-988-147 VoIPtalk
UK Local Rate 0845-868-6147 VoIPtalk

U.S.A
City PSTN Number Sponsor Notes
Anaheim, CA +1-714-333-0397 LES.NET
Anaheim, CA +1-714-400-0575 Callcentric
Atlanta, GA +1-404-478-6460 Callcentric
Aurora, IL +1-630-405-0745 Callcentric
Baltimore, MD +1-443-455-0697 LES.NET
Baltimore, MD +1-443-524-7370 Callcentric
Birmingham +1-205-757-0797 LES.NET
Boise, ID +1-208-906-1197 LES.NET
Boston, MA +1-617-399-8298 Callcentric
Buffalo, NY +1-716-200-1692 LES.NET
Burbank, CA +1-818-688-2797 LES.NET
Chicago, IL +1-312-205-6444 Callcentric
Cleveland, OH +1-216-619-7794 Link2VoIP
Columbus, OH +1-614-340-8474 Link2VoIP
Dallas, TX +1-214-261-9940 Callcentric
Denver, CO +1-303-997-1197 LES.NET
El Paso, TX +1-915-603-3001 Link2VoIP
Fort Lauderdale, FL +1-954-607-4525 Callcentric
Fremont-Newark, CA +1-510-248-0397 LES.NET
Fresno, CA +1-559-892-0894 Link2VoIP
Houston, TX +1-832-369-6975 Callcentric
Jacksonville, FL +1-904-647-0897 LES.NET
Jacksonville, FL +1-904-239-3990 Callcentric
Jersey City +1-201-984-1823 LES.NET
Keys, FL +1-305-890-1597 LES.NET
Keys, FL +1-305-359-4571 Callcentric
Las Vegas, NV +1-702-553-2797 LES.NET
Long Beach, CA +1-562-366-3171 Link2VoIP
Los Angeles, CA +1-213-514-5397 LES.NET
Los Angeles, CA +1-323-375-2897 LES.NET
Los Angeles, CA +1-213-258-4475 Callcentric
Memphis, TN +1-901-257-2963 Link2VoIP
Miami, FL +1-305-537-5650 Callcentric
Michigan +1-616-608-0509 Timmins Technologies, LLC
Michigan 182 Numbers Telesthetic
Milwaukee, WI +1-414-326-9697 Link2VoIP
Nassau, NY +1-516-717-1635 Callcentric
New Orleans, LA +1-504-613-0978 Link2VoIP
New York +1-646-291-2168 LES.NET
New York, NY +1-646-810-9280 Callcentric
Norwalk, CA +1-562-262-0897 LES.NET
Oakland Berkley, CA +1-510-495-6397 LES.NET
Oakland Berkley, CA +1-510-280-1620 Callcentric
Oakland Trinidad +1-510-544-4497 LES.NET
Ogden, UT +1-801-823-1197 LES.NET
Orlando, FL +1-321-445-0797 LES.NET
Orlando, FL +1-321-251-1890 Callcentric
Palo Alto +1-650-644-1997 LES.NET
Pasadena, CA +1-626-243-2197 LES.NET
Philadelphia, PA +1-267-861-0797 LES.NET
Philadelphia, PA +1-215-279-5938 Callcentric
Phoenix, AZ +1-602-427-5727 Callcentric
Pittsburgh, PA +1-412-360-7797 LES.NET
Portland, OR +1-503-334-0597 LES.NET
Provo, UT +1-801-877-1197 LES.NET
Reno, NV +1-775-562-4697 LES.NET
Sacramento, CA +1-916-313-3897 LES.NET
Sacramento, CA +1-916-307-5151 Callcentric
Salt Lake City, UT +1-801-618-0497 LES.NET
San Antonio, TX +1-210-881-0442 Link2VoIP
San Diego,CA +1-619-393-1797 LES.NET
San Diego, CA +1-619-684-3139 Callcentric
San Francisco, CA +1-415-376-7297 LES.NET
San Francisco, CA +1-415-594-0355 Callcentric
San Jose, CA +1-408-538-2197 LES.NET
San Jose, CA +1-408-625-4997 Callcentric
San Mateo +1-650-523-6897 LES.NET
San Rafael +1-415-223-4197 LES.NET
Santa Barbara, CA +1-805-456-8597 LES.NET
Santa Cruz, CA +1-831-480-3997 LES.NET
Santa Monica, CA +1-310-862-5297 LES.NET
Sarasota, FL +1-941-487-7697 LES.NET
Sarasota, FL +1-941-296-7097 Callcentric
Seattle, WA +1-206-829-6497 LES.NET
Seattle, WA +1-360-526-0602 IPKall
Spokane, WA +1-509-931-0297 LES.NET
Tacoma, WA +1-253-617-4597 LES.NET
Tallahassee, FL +1-850-254-7290 Callcentric
Tampa, FL +1-813-200-5979 Callcentric
Torrance, CA +1-310-294-8397 LES.NET
Tulsa, OK +1-918-398-9841 Link2VoIP
Twin Cities, MN +1-612-604-4274 Callcentric
Walnut Creek +1-925-891-8297 LES.NET
Washington DC +1-202-552-1297 LES.NET
Washington DC +1-202-821-4740 Callcentric
West Palm Beach, FL +1-561-909-2899 Callcentric
Wilmington, DE +1-302-824-0697 LES.NET
Wilmington, DE +1-302-442-7167 Callcentric

Here's the sign up page for FreeWorldDialup: http://account2.freeworlddialup.com/ind ... tion_id=94
(I have no affiliation with Voicestick, Gizmo, or FreeWorldDialup or any other voip providers.)
.
testing123
Dan Should Pay Me
Posts: 703
Joined: Tue Nov 13, 2007 2:36 pm
Contact:

Post by testing123 »

MODS: PLEASE STICKY THIS THREAD!

"Not going anywhere for a while ... grab a Snickers!" :lol: Wow man, you have a lot to say, huh? LOL
kumar
Dan Should Pay Me
Posts: 806
Joined: Thu Nov 15, 2007 4:29 pm
Contact:

Post by kumar »

haha yes...needa get this thread all sticky if you know what i mean.
Kumar
Will not be on forum until after June 15th.
MagicJake
MagicJack User
Posts: 48
Joined: Wed Nov 21, 2007 7:39 pm

Post by MagicJake »

One more thing. If you get a free FWD SIP number and you want people to be able to call it with it's own personal dedicated PSTN US phone number rather than using a gateway and then entering the SIP number, you can use one of the free services which will give you a free US phone number that you can assign to your SIP number. This PSTN number by itself does nothing. It has to be assigned to a SIP number such as FreeWorldDialup.

Ipkall has probably been around the longest; many years. You do NOT get to pick your area code. Washington state 425 area code. They require you to use the incoming number at least once every 30 days or you will loose the number. It is free of charge and therefore they provide no tech support or customer service. A friend of mine is using one and it works pretty well but is not completely reliable.

http://www.ipkall.com/

Another I found but haven't tried is Groovy Tel. Again you do NOT get to select your area code. It's a Tolido Ohio number. 567 area code. They say they'll give you a number you can link to your FWD SIP number and you get use of the number for three years. I just signed up for one. When you sign up you tell them the FWD SIP number you want to ring when someone dials your 567 groovytel number.

http://www.groovytel.com/

Edit: More info regarding GroovyTel:
It looks like they're in beta. I think they're saying that they'll give you a free number for three years and if you pay them $1.00 they'll make it "perminant". And that you can buy additional numbers for a one time charge of $1.00 each. I guess this implies that they'll be in business more than three years LOL. Maybe they just want to get your credit card number. If you do pay them I'd see if they'd take paypal. Anyway they don't tell you this but it appears that your six digit "order number" is your user name for logging on to your account. Edit: Your email address you gave them also works as your user name. end edit. Another thing is that I think the password is truncated at eight characters in length. For example if you type twelve characters when you select your password their system will appear to accept it. But then when you try to log on to your account it will not let you in. If you type just the first eight characters of the twelve character password you selected it lets you in. You find this out when your twelve digit password doesn't work and you click the "forgot my password" thing and they email you the first eight charactors of your password. I guess it's a work in progress. I told a friend about GroovyTel and he was able to get it working with FWD but could not get it to work with Gizmo/sipphone no mater how he tried. Maybe someone else will have better luck with this.
---------------
Edit 3-8-008: It looks like they fixed this problem. Groovytel now works with Gizmo/sipphone. Also, they now let you choose any sip voip provider AND you can forward to POTS phone jumbers, not only sip.
--------------- end edit.
--And one more thing; when you first create the account and set up your PSTN number to ring to your FWD SIP number for example, it may not work until you log on and click the link to change the SIP number you want to forward to and enter it AGAIN. After that it seems to work. I put in just the six digits of my FWD number; no "393" in front and no "1" in front of it. Lastly it looks like they may be charging for minutes at some time in the future but I'm not sure about that. They don't seem to have the requirement of one incoming call each thirty days like ipkall though. The website looks somewhat unfinished. But it's groovy :)

So between the FWD SIP number and the PSTN DID (Direct Inward Dial) phone number you now have a totally free inward VOIP line. You can configure a standard ATA for this such as the Linksys SPA2102 for this and your phone will ring whenever anyone calls your ipkall or groovytel US PSTN phone number. Again, this is inward only and you don't get to pick the area code. You cannot pick up this phone and dial out. But it's not too shabby for a free service.

.
Last edited by MagicJake on Sat Mar 08, 2008 1:08 pm, edited 5 times in total.
kumar
Dan Should Pay Me
Posts: 806
Joined: Thu Nov 15, 2007 4:29 pm
Contact:

Post by kumar »

The easy think i do is set my GC to foward to gizmo project....set up gixmo to forward to <myuser>@voipdiscount.com (when i am using voip discount) and it works great
Kumar
Will not be on forum until after June 15th.
testing123
Dan Should Pay Me
Posts: 703
Joined: Tue Nov 13, 2007 2:36 pm
Contact:

Post by testing123 »

MagicJake: Again, good info.

I have both FWD + IPKALL and Gizmo (on ATA) ... both via GC

Interesting thing is that GC + Gizmo is the ABSOLUTELY the fastest to ring when a call comes in -- beats every other device, including MJs, other VOIPs I have, etc on the first ring.

But, other thing is there is dropouts and some static and random echo (on both) -- even with sophisticated QoS.

But hey it's free.

The question is ... where is the FREE outbound LOL (and before Kumar says it, I know about using the Web Call feature of GC (for now) to get free Outbound).
I want to be able to dial out from a regular phone + ATA REAL CHEAP LOL

EDIT: GroovyTel will also tie to a Gizmo account ... interesting.
MagicJake wrote:One more thing. If you get a free FWD SIP number and you want people to be able to call it with it's own personal dedicated PSTN US phone number rather than using a gateway and then entering the SIP number, you can use one of the free services which will give you a free US phone number that you can assign to your SIP number. This PSTN number by itself does nothing. It has to be assigned to a SIP number such as FreeWorldDialup.

Ipkall has probably been around the longest; many years. You do NOT get to pick your area code. Washington state 425 area code. They require you to use the incoming number at least once every 30 days or you will loose the number. It is free of charge and therefore they provide no tech support or customer service. A friend of mine is using one and it works pretty well but is not completely reliable.

http://www.ipkall.com/

Another I found but haven't tried is Groovy Tel. Again you do NOT get to select your area code. It's a Washington state number. 567 area code. They say they'll give you a number you can link to your FWD SIP number and you get use of the number for three years. I just signed up for one. When you sign up you tell them the FWD SIP number you want to ring when someone dials your 567 groovytel number.

http://www.groovytel.com/

So between the FWD SIP number and the PSTN DID (Direct Inward Dial) phone number you now have a totally free inward VOIP line. You can configure a standard ATA for this such as the Linksys SPA2102 for this and your phone will ring whenever anyone calls your ipkall or groovytel US PSTN phone number. Again, this is inward only and you don't get to pick the area code. You cannot pick up this phone and dial out. But it's not too shabby for a free service.

.
kumar
Dan Should Pay Me
Posts: 806
Joined: Thu Nov 15, 2007 4:29 pm
Contact:

Post by kumar »

VOIP discount...make free for a few months...then just make a new account...works like a charm for me...just make sure u set up a dial plan so it hits one for ya otherwise you need to do 1-xxx-xxx-xxxx...
Peace
Kumar
Will not be on forum until after June 15th.
Post Reply