<div dir="ltr"><div><div><div>I currently use <a href="http://voip.ms">voip.ms</a>. 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 <span class="">$0.0052 per minute. (0.52 cents)</span><br>
<br></div><div>Example: In April I spent 04h 41m 39s on the phone. It cost $1.58875 for that time.<br><br></div><div>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.<br>
<br></div><div>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...<br></div></div></div><div><div><div>
<br></div></div></div></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Fri, Sep 13, 2013 at 9:47 AM, Khalid Baheyeldin <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:kb@2bits.com" target="_blank">kb@2bits.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div dir="ltr"><div><div><div><div>The original discussion, for those who don't have a home but can get WiFi, so can get some sort of phone service.<br>
<br></div><div>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).<br>
<br></div><div>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.<br><br></div>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).<br>
<br></div>It works well. Very reliable and sound is very clear. Only issues I had were:<br></div><br>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.<br>
<br></div>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.<br><br><div>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.<br><br></div><br></div><div class="HOEnZb"><div class="h5"><div class="gmail_extra"><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">
On Fri, Sep 13, 2013 at 8:02 AM, unsolicited <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:unsolicited@swiz.ca" target="_blank">unsolicited@swiz.ca</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">Remember: Was looking for free sip registrars / free phone for those with low or no income.<br>
<br>
If I understand what I have read correctly ...<br>
<br>
The MagicJackPlus and Fongo Home Phone idea look intriguing (let alone with Android app) - take your doohickey with you wherever you go.<br>
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.)<br>
<br>
MagicJack is $80 one time (<a href="http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=30_413&item_id=043770" target="_blank">http://www.canadacomputers.<u></u>com/product_info.php?cPath=30_<u></u>413&item_id=043770</a>), 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.]<br>
<br>
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.)<br>
<br>
Calling real phone numbers (PSTN) would not be possible. It would be with, say, $25 to <a href="http://voip.ms" target="_blank">voip.ms</a> - at which point you would no longer need a registrar - <a href="http://voip.ms" target="_blank">voip.ms</a> would be your registrar. (<a href="http://voip.ms" target="_blank">voip.ms</a> says all voip to voip calls are free. But you must have a non-zero balance - although that balance will not be impacted.)<br>
<br>
MagicJack sounds intriguing, but also sounds 'too good to be true'.<br>
<br>
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.<div><br>
<br>
<br>
On 13-09-12 05:54 PM, Khalid Baheyeldin wrote:<br>
</div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div>
Yes, that is one way of doing it, but there is another way.<br>
<br>
If you go here: <a href="http://www.freephoneline.ca/optionalServices" target="_blank">http://www.freephoneline.ca/<u></u>optionalServices</a> and clock on<br>
the "Fongo Home Phone" link, you will see the device, which is just like<br>
the Magic Jack: internet from one port, and RJ11 from the other. It is<br>
$4.95 a month. Magic Jack is $2.5 per month. The international rates for<br>
Magic Jack are cheaper (at least to Egypt) than Fongo's.<br>
<br>
<br>
On Thu, Sep 12, 2013 at 5:43 PM, <<a href="mailto:jvj@golden.net" target="_blank">jvj@golden.net</a>> wrote:<br>
<br>
</div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div>
Text copied from FONGO's website:<br>
<br>
Fongo’s application works on any iPhone or Android based phone or device.<br>
Users receive a new Canadian telephone number, free long distance calling<br>
to most Canadian cities, unlimited airtime, voice mail, caller ID and many<br>
more free features. [ edit ] Fongo enjoys privileged access to Fibernetics,<br>
a Canadian CLEC that owns and operates its own coast-to-coast network in<br>
Canada.<br>
<br>
and<br>
<br>
Fongo works by routing calls over the user’s Wi-Fi or data connection,<br>
eliminating the need for expensive voice minutes.<br>
<br>
BTW: FONGO is a div of Fibernetics hence the priveledged access.<br>
<br>
JohnJ<br></div>
------------------------------<br>
<br>
*Subject:* Re: [kwlug-disc] Favourite free sip registrars?<br>
*Date:* Thu, 12 Sep 2013 17:33:14 -0400<br>
*From:* Khalid Baheyeldin <<a href="mailto:kb@2bits.com" target="_blank">kb@2bits.com</a>><br>
*To:* KWLUG discussion <<a href="mailto:kwlug-disc@kwlug.org" target="_blank">kwlug-disc@kwlug.org</a>><br>
*Reply-To:* KWLUG discussion <<a href="mailto:kwlug-disc@kwlug.org" target="_blank">kwlug-disc@kwlug.org</a>><div><div><br>
Looking at Fongo, it seems like a VoIP to POTS hardware blackbox.<br>
If we are in this territory already, then why not consider MagicJack? I<br>
bought one for my mom in Egypt and she can call me for free (and I can call<br>
her too), for $30 a year ($10 of those are for a Canada phone number that<br>
is local to me).<br>
<br>
--<br>
Khalid M. Baheyeldin<br>
<a href="http://2bits.com" target="_blank">2bits.com</a>, Inc.<br>
Fast Reliable Drupal<br>
Drupal optimization, development, customization and consulting.<br>
Simplicity is prerequisite for reliability. -- Edsger W.Dijkstra<br>
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. -- Leonardo da Vinci<br>
For every complex problem, there is an answer that is clear, simple, and<br>
wrong." -- H.L. Mencken<br>
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</div></div></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Khalid M. Baheyeldin<br><a href="http://2bits.com" target="_blank">2bits.com</a>, Inc.<br>Fast Reliable Drupal<br>Drupal optimization, development, customization and consulting.<br>
Simplicity is prerequisite for reliability. -- Edsger W.Dijkstra<br>Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. -- Leonardo da Vinci<br>For every complex problem, there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong." -- H.L. Mencken<br>
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