[kwlug-disc] Favourite free sip registrars?

Fri Sep 13 11:27:18 EDT 2013

I currently use voip.ms.  It's not free, but it is pay as you go.
Currently I spend about $25 every three-four months for my 519 number.
They charge $5.95 / month for the phone number and in US/Can it's something
like $0.0052 per minute.  (0.52 cents)

Example:  In April I spent 04h 41m 39s on the phone.  It cost $1.58875 for
that time.

I've never found a reliable 'free' solution that doesn't cost some amount
of money initially.  For a while, you could pay Fongo $50 for plain old SIP
access and use whatever device you wanted, but that changed.  Now it's an
ATA you purchase and I can't comment on their reliability.

I just use a small PC as an asterisk server and a Linksys ATA to let my old
fashioned phones work, but you could just use a free SIP softphone to talk
directly to voip.ms...

On Fri, Sep 13, 2013 at 9:47 AM, Khalid Baheyeldin <kb at 2bits.com> wrote:

> The original discussion, for those who don't have a home but can get WiFi,
> so can get some sort of phone service.
>
> The discussion was sort of "forked" for folk like me who want to get rid
> of $34 per month with Bell for a land line (need to find a solution for
> monitored alarm, and get a plan with a higher bandwidth cap).
>
> Remember that Magic Jack has free calling to any number in the USA and
> Canada, anywhere. So it is not limited to calling another Magic Jack
> customer. It is a good deal for $2.5 a month.
>
> I have been using Magic Jack for 8 months, and relatives have been using
> it for more. The version I use does not require a computer (but requires an
> ethernet internet connection). I installed one for my mom, signed up for a
> year of service (USD $20), and a local Canadian number (226 area code, for
> an extra USD $10 per year).
>
> It works well. Very reliable and sound is very clear. Only issues I had
> were:
>
> 1) I could not sign up when visiting Egypt, but that is perhaps the credit
> card not Magic Jack themselves. Once I came back, sign up worked on the
> first attempt.
>
> 2) My mom was on a cheap low upload speed DSL internet plan. She could
> hear me well (download speed was fine), but I could not. Once she upgraded
> to the next tier, the sound quality was excellent.
>
> There is a newer version that supports WiFi. Still requires a credit card
> and an annual plan, so not suitable for the original question, but ideal
> for regular folk who want to ditch a land line. If you need 911, then your
> cell phone has that.
>
>
>
>
> On Fri, Sep 13, 2013 at 8:02 AM, unsolicited <unsolicited at swiz.ca> wrote:
>
>> Remember: Was looking for free sip registrars / free phone for those with
>> low or no income.
>>
>> If I understand what I have read correctly ...
>>
>> The MagicJackPlus and Fongo Home Phone idea look intriguing (let alone
>> with Android app) - take your doohickey with you wherever you go.
>> Fongo (freephoneline) is $5/month forever. Or free forever with softphone
>> app only, to many cities. (But the service has 'gone to the dogs' - I'll
>> guess the business model hasn't been able to break even.)
>>
>> MagicJack is $80 one time (http://www.canadacomputers.**
>> com/product_info.php?cPath=30_**413&item_id=043770<http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=30_413&item_id=043770>),
>> free for 6 months, then $30 annually. But - calls between MagicJack holders
>> are free without charge forever. [Incoming calls are free, but will be long
>> distance costing for the caller.]
>>
>> Intriguing (but still not the free solution I was hoping for). Granted,
>> even with a free sip registrar, the called party must also be using VoIP.
>> i.e. Anyone VoIP registered would be reachable by any other VoIP user, even
>> without registration, but to receive a call you'd need a registrar. (And
>> with sipbroker would be reachable from landlines.)
>>
>> Calling real phone numbers (PSTN) would not be possible. It would be
>> with, say, $25 to voip.ms - at which point you would no longer need a
>> registrar - voip.ms would be your registrar. (voip.ms says all voip to
>> voip calls are free. But you must have a non-zero balance - although that
>> balance will not be impacted.)
>>
>> MagicJack sounds intriguing, but also sounds 'too good to be true'.
>>
>> I'm guessing there's advertising and/or other irritants - but you get
>> what you pay for, and it may be acceptable, for the cost, to some.
>>
>>
>>
>> On 13-09-12 05:54 PM, Khalid Baheyeldin wrote:
>>
>>> Yes, that is one way of doing it, but there is another way.
>>>
>>> If you go here: http://www.freephoneline.ca/**optionalServices<http://www.freephoneline.ca/optionalServices>and clock on
>>> the "Fongo Home Phone" link, you will see the device, which is just like
>>> the Magic Jack: internet from one port, and RJ11 from the other. It is
>>> $4.95 a month. Magic Jack is $2.5 per month. The international rates for
>>> Magic Jack are cheaper (at least to Egypt) than Fongo's.
>>>
>>>
>>> On Thu, Sep 12, 2013 at 5:43 PM, <jvj at golden.net> wrote:
>>>
>>>  Text copied from FONGO's website:
>>>>
>>>> Fongo’s application works on any iPhone or Android based phone or
>>>> device.
>>>> Users receive a new Canadian telephone number, free long distance
>>>> calling
>>>> to most Canadian cities, unlimited airtime, voice mail, caller ID and
>>>> many
>>>> more free features. [ edit ] Fongo enjoys privileged access to
>>>> Fibernetics,
>>>> a Canadian CLEC that owns and operates its own coast-to-coast network in
>>>> Canada.
>>>>
>>>> and
>>>>
>>>> Fongo works by routing calls over the user’s Wi-Fi or data connection,
>>>> eliminating the need for expensive voice minutes.
>>>>
>>>> BTW: FONGO is a div of Fibernetics hence the priveledged access.
>>>>
>>>> JohnJ
>>>> ------------------------------
>>>>
>>>> *Subject:* Re: [kwlug-disc] Favourite free sip registrars?
>>>> *Date:* Thu, 12 Sep 2013 17:33:14 -0400
>>>> *From:* Khalid Baheyeldin <kb at 2bits.com>
>>>> *To:* KWLUG discussion <kwlug-disc at kwlug.org>
>>>> *Reply-To:* KWLUG discussion <kwlug-disc at kwlug.org>
>>>>
>>>>   Looking at Fongo, it seems like a VoIP to POTS hardware blackbox.
>>>> If we are in this territory already, then why not consider MagicJack? I
>>>> bought one for my mom in Egypt and she can call me for free (and I can
>>>> call
>>>> her too), for $30 a year ($10 of those are for a Canada phone number
>>>> that
>>>> is local to me).
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Khalid M. Baheyeldin
>>>> 2bits.com, Inc.
>>>> Fast Reliable Drupal
>>>> Drupal optimization, development, customization and consulting.
>>>> Simplicity is prerequisite for reliability. --  Edsger W.Dijkstra
>>>> Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. --   Leonardo da Vinci
>>>> For every complex problem, there is an answer that is clear, simple, and
>>>> wrong." -- H.L. Mencken
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> ______________________________**_________________
>>>> kwlug-disc mailing list
>>>> kwlug-disc at kwlug.org
>>>> http://kwlug.org/mailman/**listinfo/kwlug-disc_kwlug.org<http://kwlug.org/mailman/listinfo/kwlug-disc_kwlug.org>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> ______________________________**_________________
>>> kwlug-disc mailing list
>>> kwlug-disc at kwlug.org
>>> http://kwlug.org/mailman/**listinfo/kwlug-disc_kwlug.org<http://kwlug.org/mailman/listinfo/kwlug-disc_kwlug.org>
>>>
>>>
>>
>> ______________________________**_________________
>> kwlug-disc mailing list
>> kwlug-disc at kwlug.org
>> http://kwlug.org/mailman/**listinfo/kwlug-disc_kwlug.org<http://kwlug.org/mailman/listinfo/kwlug-disc_kwlug.org>
>>
>
>
>
> --
> Khalid M. Baheyeldin
> 2bits.com, Inc.
> Fast Reliable Drupal
> Drupal optimization, development, customization and consulting.
> Simplicity is prerequisite for reliability. --  Edsger W.Dijkstra
> Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. --   Leonardo da Vinci
> For every complex problem, there is an answer that is clear, simple, and
> wrong." -- H.L. Mencken
>
> _______________________________________________
> kwlug-disc mailing list
> kwlug-disc at kwlug.org
> http://kwlug.org/mailman/listinfo/kwlug-disc_kwlug.org
>
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://kwlug.org/pipermail/kwlug-disc_kwlug.org/attachments/20130913/16a6b133/attachment.htm>