[Electron]

Hello all

I have been reading these forums with great enjoyment; and, I have doing some searches trying to figure out what is the best way to make moblie to landline calls using VoIP.

From what I have read so far, it looks like making calls on a GPRS phone ( like one of thees which I think is covered locally with att wireless) using some SIP account with somebody like Free World Dialup would be the best way to go -- but I am honestly not exactly sure --- as I am completely new to this (though I have been using Vonage for over a year now for my home telephone).

I would appreciate any advice or guidence that anyone could offer. I REALLY would like to start making VoIP calls using my moblie phone (as cheaply as possible would be nice -- i.e. no phone minutes charges).

Regards -- Jason

[djkeit]

GPRS phones are tricky.

They are not all the same. Different GPRS classes correspond to different upload and download max speeds, and you need at least 16 kbps both ways to make decent calls.

Therefore, you need at least a 3+2 GPRS phone. 4+1 simply won't do as the upload speed is a miserable 9.2 kbps, at best.

On top of that, you have to consider bandwidth costs. If you buy an unlimited plan, or use a free provider like FWD, calls are not yet free. An avarage call, using a low (8kbps) codec uses up 1-2 kb/s of bandwidth and that's 60-120 kb every minute. If you pay your GPRS bw, say, 1c every 10kb, your Mobile VoIP call is costing you 6-12 c/min. (even when you receive a call).

Most prepaid cards will actually charge 1c/kb and therefore from 60c/min to 1.2 $/min!!!

Not to mention that you might be unreachable if there's no coverage and/or the call might drop or be unintelligeble if you don't have enough bw.

Brief, go for that if and only if you can get an unilimted GPRS plan AND free phone calls (unlimited call plan).

X-ten VoIP client for PPC cannot work over GPRS (it only supports 711 codec which require 80kbps).

For nokias, check buzz2talk client. I don't know what codec uses but seems ok. The best phone you can use it with is a 7650 which is 3+2 gprs phone but i dunno if its a tri-band phone (i.e. works in NorthAmerica)

[jlroberts9914]

DJKEIT,
Can the sipura 3000 be employed with its PSTN to VoIP, Voip to PSTN gateway setup for pass-through with cell phones(two) in this situation. If so would broadvoice or somebody be better suited for that than FWD.

[djkeit]

Originally Posted by jlroberts9914

DJKEIT,
Can the sipura 3000 be employed with its PSTN to VoIP, Voip to PSTN gateway setup for pass-through with cell phones(two) in this situation. If so would broadvoice or somebody be better suited for that than FWD.

If you need to call your sipura to get access to another VoIP provider and/or the PSTN line then i think FWD would be better.

If you refer to my example (a VoIP client installed on the GPRS enable phone), then using a free provider like FWD would enable you to call your sipura for free (or course, you pay for bw).

the only advantage of using BV or another similar provider is to get a DID for your client. you might be interested in this or you might now, that depends on what you want exactly)

If you have a VoIP client running on your mobile, and enough bw, I don't think there's any need to bridge it using a sipura 3000 though.

That's what you would do if you do not any VoIP client runing on your mobile BUT you mobile has free unlimited (or cheap) local calls. In this situation you would call the sipura 3000 on the PSTN (or local DID) and that will allow you to access the gw to dial long distance/int'l numeber for free/very cheap.

However, since most clients are available for FWD, you still need a 3000 (the FWD mobile client calls the sipura using VoIP and GPRS, the 3000 answers and gives you PSTN or line 1 dialtone, you make the outbound call)

[Electron]

Thank you so much for the information. I think that I am understanding this correctly. But, to be sure, let me give you an example of what I am looking to do:

I will get a local unlimited GPRS plan, buy a Nokia 7650 GPRS enabled phone, and then install the buzz2talk client software so that I can access my FWD SIP account.

In this example I just mentioned, the total cost would be $369.00 for the Nokia phone, and then $29.95/mo for the unlimited GPRS connection. Am I correct? Am I missing anything?

One other question, are you aware of any other Nokia GPRS phones that are 3+2 gprs other than the Nokia 7650 (meaning anything less expensive...)??

Thanks again for all of your help

[Electron]

Does anyone know if the Nokia 3650 is also a 3+2 GPRS phone?

[Electron]

Another question (I hope this isn't the 100th time somebody has asked this here...):

It appears to me now that FWD does not seem to be a VOIP to PSTN service provider? If this is the case, then I would need to use a provider that is VOIP to PSTN, such as BV; and then, using a VoIP client on my Nokia 3650 I could dial out to regular phone numbers (am I correct?).

The other way to make VoIP calls from my mobile would be to use the buzz2talk client on a Nokia 3650 phone to call a sipura 3000 - then using a VoIP tp PSTN service provider like bv I could dial out to regular phone numbers.

I'm sorry if I sound confused, but I actually am to a point -- and I am hoping that the experts here will shine some light for me

[djkeit]

Ok, the plan was alright.

However, I think yuo are from the US. The 7650 only works on 900/1800 networks and therfore not in the US.

The 3650 is a triband phone. The only freq. that works in the US is 1900. This means that, although is a 3+1 phone, the upload rate is 14.4kbps.

Considering you need around 8kbps for upload (assuming buzz2talk uses 729 or similar codec) it might still be workable.

It should be possible especially since the 3650 supports HSCSD. If this techinology is also supported by your network, it provides better quality.

Brief, a 3650 + HSCSD/GPRS + buzz2talk + fwd + sipura3000 do work but perfect quality is not garanteed (especially if you use the phone while moving or in a low signal area).

unfortunatly buzz2talk is only available for 3+1 and 4+1 gprs phone (the only 4+2 phone is the 7650 but only works in europe).

i will send them an email to ask what codec do they use.

If anyone is using BUZZ2TALK, can you please give us some info about it?


PS: for 9.99 a month, you'll be able to have a local incoming number for your mobile client, with voicemail (to your email inbox, as wav files) and free unlimited incoming calls. (otherwise is 15.99 or at worse 19.99)

For another 19.99, you also get free unlimited long distance and most international calls from your mobile client. (9.99 unlimited instate)

[Electron]

Maybe a more simple approach would be to have a mobile phone with quite cheap local minutes, a sipura3000, and a VOIP to PSTN service provider like perhaps Dialpad (which at this moment seems like they would be cheaper than about anybody else out there -- plus I make a lot of International calls).

If I went this route, I could also replace my Vonage with Dialpad for Home use as well.

Does this all make sense?

Just for reference sake:

Currently I am paying:

Vonage: $80-200/mo (mostly becasue of the Intl. calls - mostly to Slovakia)
T-Mobile: $90/mo (1,500 nation-wide anywhere minutes -- total is after taxes and overage)


With new VOIP setup described above:

T-Mobile: $49.95/mo
Dialpad: $50-100/mo (estimated --- in addition to the lower rate, there is the added benefit of being able to make cheaper {and more} mobile calls within the US and Canada, plus I will gain the ability to make Intl. calls from my mobile)

Of course with the new plan I would need to purchase a new Sipura-3000, which would be $100.00 (quite a bit cheaper than buying a new Nokia 3650 phone).

Please let me know if what I have said completely lines-up with reality (since I am new to this thing).....

[jlroberts9914]

19.99 for unlimited: local, long distance, and int'l on Broadvoice
Djkeit clarify technical aspect of using dock and talk through any VoIP on 3000 or any other provider. For GPRS.
Dumb question how will calling on pstn divert to voip convert to data and/or voice be acomplished or is this a mute point(seamless?).
OK checked BV is out Slovakia isnt included, its 9 cents a minute