[kwlug-disc] Favourite free sip registrars?

Fri Sep 13 13:04:22 EDT 2013

To be fair, the fixed monthly fee for unlimited (3500 minutes), 2 
channels, is an option. Since I'll never talk for 396 minutes in a 
month, I'd go for the $0.99 per month, $0.01 per minute plan, unlimited 
channels. And that's only if one gets a DID.

You can call out for a $25 deposit, $0.0052/minute, Canada, and not 
worry about the DID. People will still get you at sip://me@voip.ms, and 
VoIP to VoIP is free.

But then, this was only ever about calling out to non-PSTN, anyways - 
there's no way for a caller to know where these people will be at at any 
given point in time, to know if they're currently connected.

As for hardware thingie ... wi-fi and one's android phone. Done.

- assuming one has one, and the knowledge transfer.

Or laptop softphone at home, headset, and/or one of those usb / phone 
adapters. Or just use the builtin mic/camera/speakers.

Remember - $0/month income. At least for the case of the OP.

On 13-09-13 11:55 AM, Khalid Baheyeldin wrote:
> The fixed monthly fee for voip.ms is more than double what MagicJack is
> ($5.95 vs. $2.5), but it is not a lot of money. Their rates to Egypt are
> somewhat cheaper than what Magicjack offers ($0.12 for voip.ms vs. $0.14 or
> $0.15 for MagicJack).
>
> Still missing is a hardware "thingie" that connects the regular phone's
> RJ11 to the router. There are lots of options and that makes it more
> confusing (too much choice). I don't want to run an Asterisk server, rather
> some embedded little thing.
>
>
> On Fri, Sep 13, 2013 at 11:27 AM, Colin Mackay <zixiekat at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> 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
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> ______________________________**_________________
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>>>>>> kwlug-disc at kwlug.org
>>>>>> http://kwlug.org/mailman/**listinfo/kwlug-disc_kwlug.org<http://kwlug.org/mailman/listinfo/kwlug-disc_kwlug.org>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> ______________________________**_________________
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>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
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>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> 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
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>>>
>>
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