Free VoIP Calling Using Google Voice + Sipdroid

[johnbrain]

How's Grooveip voice quality? The reviews I read were not good.this solution worked for me 'out of the box.'

For what reasons would groove IP be a Better solution?

 

[gabba-hey]

How's Grooveip voice quality? The reviews I read were not good.this solution worked for me 'out of the box.'

For what reasons would groove IP be a Better solution?

Groove Ip works for me with no issues, other than the latency issue, which latency happens with Sipdroid also (I have that also). It's VOIP, there WILL be latency, that's something your going to have to live with. Depending on your connection speed, the lag will vary. Usually not too big of a deal, but for calling from Europe back to the US for free, I can deal with lag.

Moving away from Sipdroid, as, my first EVO died, Sprint sent me a replacement, had to reinstall my apps, blahblahblah. When I reinstalled Sipdroid, I never could get it to connect - the little red connection dot stayed red , no matter what I tried (should be green when logged in).

Groove IP worked for me, synced with Google Voice during setup, worked like a champ with no additional BS that came with setting up Sipdroid. Yes, "right out of the box", so to speak. Took less than 2 minutes to set up.

Yes, it cost $4.99, big deal, it is worth more IMO.

 

[lexluthor]

Groove IP worked for me, synced with Google Voice during setup, worked like a champ with no additional BS that came with setting up Sipdroid. Yes, "right out of the box", so to speak. Took less than 2 minutes to set up.

Yes, it cost $4.99, big deal, it is worth more IMO.

I actually bought GrooveIP the other day when it was $1.99 in the Amazon App store. Haven't really tested it too much, but seems to be a much more elegant solution than what's in this thread.

 

[rd1]

The process the OP described was made entirely redundant by the release of GrooVe IP.

Is it entirely redundant? What about for those that may want to use multiple numbers or multiple phones either now or in the future?

Personally I use Pbxes with GV as well as an Australian number via SIP and a direct SIP line. And all calls go to both to Sipdroid on my phone and to my laptop softphone. My impression is that there's no easy way to set such things up with Groove IP.

I would agree though that Groove IP seems easier for those who know they'll only ever want a single number and a single phone without the extra features of Pbxes.

 

[BrianFX]

Is it entirely redundant? What about for those that may want to use multiple numbers or multiple phones either now or in the future?

Personally I use Pbxes with GV as well as an Australian number via SIP and a direct SIP line. And all calls go to both to Sipdroid on my phone and to my laptop softphone. My impression is that there's no easy way to set such things up with Groove IP.

I would agree though that Groove IP seems easier for those who know they'll only ever want a single number and a single phone without the extra features of Pbxes.

It's funny you say this as I'm now in the same scenario and am switching to iOS predominantly for Talkatone and its multi-line google voice ability.

Recently went 100% google voice for both personal & biz lines, and of course that presents an issue with Groove IP (being single-line only). Also, my Epic is having terrible sound quality issues with Groove IP (I tested it on another Epic and the problem is centric to just my device).

Rather than get a warranty replacement for my Epic, or go with the Pbxes/SIP route, it's just easier to get an iPhone and go with Talkatone Pro. Really hoping a prepaid iPhone gets announced on 10/4, otherwise I'm going to have to get one off ebay.

 

[camerons]

Running sipdroid 2.4 beta, Optimus V 2.2 and pbxes free account. Set up with google voice via gtalk (gmail) and worked perfectly inward and outward on wifi and 3g. After several weeks I can still make outbound calls ok but the inward gets a female intercept asking for a pin number. Can't figure out if this is Google or pbxes or what. Calls show up on pbxes activity log and look like they are being sent to my sipdroid xxx-200 account. Anybody else having issues like this?

 

[camerons]

Running sipdroid 2.4 beta, Optimus V 2.2 and pbxes free account. Set up with google voice via gtalk (gmail) and worked perfectly inward and outward on wifi and 3g. After several weeks I can still make outbound calls ok but the inward gets a female intercept asking for a pin number. Can't figure out if this is Google or pbxes or what. Calls show up on pbxes activity log and look like they are being sent to my sipdroid xxx-200 account. Anybody else having issues like this?

More data. It was Google voice pin request. I had no pin but when I put one in now I land in vm. It is still set to forward to Google Chat and from there it should go on to my sipdroid. I removed the GV forward and it reappeared after making one outgoing call. Can't figure out why it will not forward....

 

[camerons]

Yikes! Must be how the planets are lined up..... Suddenly began to work and I haven't done anything different that I know of. Excuse the ring (-:

 

[Gyan Andrew]

I had been looking around for how to do free VoIP calling on my Droid X.

I came across this thread here
http://androidforums.com/android-ap...ipgate-gv-app-free-calls-sipsorcery-down.html

Apparently this process is outdated and there's a much easier process now.

I'm not sure that many people know about this yet. I know it took me a while to find this myself, so I figured I'd post here.

Here's the article that explains why the process is easier now and how to do it.
http://blog.kylehasegawa.com/google-voice-voip-on-android-just-got-a-lot-easier-with-pbxes-peering

Quick Summary of the directions.

Get a google voice number and install google voice app.

Install sipdroid (free in market)

Run sipdroid and click the link at the bottom that says new PBX linked to my google voice

Verify your google voice account email is correct and enter your google voice password below (yes, you are giving them your password). Enter your pbxes.org password below that (that's creating a new password, so it can be anything).

Click Configure or Save. I don't recall exactly what it says at that step.

If you want to be able to receive calls as well, you must have Google Chat enabled on the Google Voice website. Go to google voice->voice settings->phones and make sure you have a google chat account there and that it's enabled for forwarding.

Make and Receive VoIP calls using sipdroid. When you make outbound calls, your google voice number will appear as the caller ID. With inbound calls, as long as you have google talk checked off as a forwarding number in google voice and you have sipdroid running, sipdroid will "ring" and you can answer the call over VoIP.

Call history will appear in Google Voice AND on pbxes.org (even if sipdroid isn't open).

You might also have to check off the 3g option if you want to to work on 3g as well as wifi.

I haven't really tested the quality. Would love to see some comments on that.

Seems like this would certainly be nice to use if you are overseas with no cell connection, but can get on wifi. Or maybe if you run out of minutes in a month.

Could be some security implications here and the need to trust pbxes.org, I suppose.

I have used Google Voice but i personally believe it still does not offer the voice quality that many of the other SIP based VoIP services offer. You can try.

Axvoice
Vonage
Ooma

They all offer a much better voice quality.

 

[paulhusker]

2nd link in your post doesn't work..could you please re-post the correct one..Thanks

I have used Google Voice but i personally believe it still does not offer the voice quality that many of the other SIP based VoIP services offer. You can try.

Axvoice
Vonage
Ooma

They all offer a much better voice quality.

 

[mujeebmanu]

good

 

[botzen67]

I started using SIPDROID and PBXes to make VOIP calls to/from my GV number. It works great, but I have one problem. Since I hooked up PBXes my incoming GV calls no longer ring on my PC via Google Chat. Seems like PBXes "hijacked" the connection.

Anybody know how to configure it so it will ring both SIPDROID and my PC at the same time?

 

[RazzMaTazz]

Many months ago I set up SipDroid, Google Voice, and a free PBXes.org account. It worked fine for many months. However, for the last few weeks, whenever I start SipDroid (with a WiFi connection) it won't register. I get a red dot in the notification area and it says, "Registration failed (404 Not found)". I get the same error if I try to run it over a 3G connection. When I go to PBXes.org's website, and log in, my (free) account seems to be in good standing. Can anybody help?

I'm running SipDroid v2.3 on an Optimus S and Android 2.2.1. Nothing has changed on my end since the days when it worked.

 

[RazzMaTazz]

SipDroid is once again working with my free PBXes.org account. I'm not sure if this is what fixed it (because I didn't try SipDroid until after I did this) but from my PC, I:
1) Logged into my PBXes.org account.
2) Clicked on the "Personal Data" section (found on the left sidebar of PBXes.org).
3) Made a trivial change to the mailing address.
4) Clicked on the "Submit & Start" button (near the bottom of the page).

Again, I have no idea if that fixed the problem or if it was already working, but when I went to use SipDroid (over WiFi), it registered, I got the green dot in the notification area, and I was able to make/receive calls. I'd be interested to hear if this solved the problem for anyone else, or if it's unrelated and PBXes.org is just up again or something.

 

[Intercepter]

Is there a difference between using grooveip+googlevoice and cm7 voip+pbxes.org+google voice? using grooveip is blocked at a certain wifi connection.

 

[dbasch]

I managed to get it working! For those that may be experiencing the same problem, here's what I tried:

A week ago, I put the new "2-Step Verification" process into effect on my Google Account. There is an option within that to generate "Application-Specific Passwords". When I generated one for "Sipdroid", and plugged it into the PBXes.org-> Setup -> Extensions -. Sipdroid <200> -> Device Options -> Password AND PBXes.org-> Setup -> Trunk -> GTALK/bingo@gmail.com -> password I got the red dot back.

I went back in and reverted the "Extension" password to the 'main' password for the account (the one I would use, for example, when logging into GMail)--but left the TRUNK password stay as the new 'application-specific password' (the one I generated as part of the new "2-step verification".

So: Extension = Main Password GTALK TRUNK = new 'app-specific password' generated by Google as part of their new '2-step verification process.

When I tried to make an outgoing call--it went through!

I don't understand yet WHY this fixed the problem I was having--but the couple of calls I made sounded great.

Given that the pbx subscription I signed up for is costing me $5.45 per month, I'll have to decide if it's worth the money for 2,000 minutes worth of talk time. (That's pretty cheap per minute!) I get 300 talk minutes as part of my Virgin Mobile plan--but I think you can only buy add'l minutes in $10 chunks?

So far, this was mostly a "proof-of-concept" for me: Could I get it to work at all--and if I did, how well would it work...

Hmmm... Now I'll have to see if I can RECEIVE calls via Sipdroid/GTALK...

THANK YOU!

This was driving me crazy.

I always forget that I have two factor authentication turned on.

 

[engrmp]

Hi folks,

So, I have GV+SIPdroid+PBXes working on my Epic4g. I'm in the US now and can call the GV number (10 digit: 571-xxx-xxxx) from my home phone and it works fine. I can call my home phone from SIPdroid (10 digit: 703-xxx-xxxx) and it works fine.

But, I can't figure out how this is going to work when I get to Germany... what number do I dial:
- if I'm in Germany and want to call my home phone, do I dial as if I'm using a local phone in germany (country code, etc)? Or, since the GV number is US, do I just dial 10 digit: 703-xxx-xxxx?
- and, if I'm in Germany and want to call a local German phone number, do I dial as if I'm using a local phone in germany (local phone number)? Or, since the GV number is US, do I dial as if I'm in the US (country code, etc)?

Thanks, in advance

 

[RazzMaTazz]

It depends on your SIPdroid settings. When your phone has a useable data connection (typically WiFi, but potentially also 3G depending on your SIPdroid settings) SIPdroid will register with PBXes.org and you'll get a little green circle in your notification bar. Let's call that being "VOIP-registered".

For inbound calls, if you're VOIP-registered, people can call you at your Google Voice number, just like you were in the USA. However, if your phone doesn't have a data connection (SIPdroid isn't registered with PBXes.org, and no green circle), then nobody can reach you through SIPdroid and any inbound calls to your Google Voice number will go to your Google Voice mail.

For outbound calls, if your phone is VOIP-registered then it's possible to call to the US & Canada through SIPdroid by dialing the 10-digit phone number (just like you would from within the US & Canada). But your SIPdroid settings determine whether or not your phone defaults to dialing via SIPdroid (VOIP) or through a cellular network. From within SIPdroid, if you go to "Settings" and then "Call Options" and then "Preferred call type", your options will be as follows:

* Sipdroid only. (It will only use SIPdroid. Maybe a good choice for visit to Germany if you want to avoid accidental cellular charges and you only want to call over WiFi.)
* Sipdroid, when available. (SIPdroid when VOIP-registered. Otherwise cellular.)
* Phone. (Cellular unless manually dialed through SIPdroid or a "+" is put after the number.)
* Always ask. (It'll prompt you at each call, cellular or VOIP.)

If you're in Germany and you want to dial a local German number, you'll have to do that through a cellular plan using the local dialing pattern. You can't dial Germany through SIPdroid + Google Voice. (However, there's probably some other way that you can dial local German numbers though SIPdroid and some German equivalent of Google Voice.)

 

[engrmp]

Thanks RazzMaTazz,

I'm traveling to Germany and would like to use my Epic4g even though it does not have GSM. So, I was hoping that I could use GV+SIPdroid+PBXes (wifi only; SIPdroid only) to call back to US and to call local German numbers.

I understand that international calls via Google Voice will cost 10c/min so I've loaded up $30 of credit. I would keep the phone in "Airplane Mode"+wifi to save power and prevent the phone from trying to use a cellular net.

My understanding is that I could use this setup to dial local German numbers while in Germany. I just tested this from the US by calling 089/23615050 (GV+SIPdroid+PBXes; wifi only; SIPdroid only)... it seemed to work. But, am I fooling myself????

I can't tell what dialing sequence I need to use: full country codes (because my SIPdroid number is US) or local sequence (whatever that is) because the wifi connection is local/German.

So, I guess my remaining questions are:
1) really! I can't use this setup to call Germany, from Germany (I don't need it to be free)?
2) (assuming this setup will work) using GV+SIPdroid+PBXes (wifi only; SIPdroid only) in Germany, what is the dialing sequence to call a local/German number? IE, Hofbrauhaus shows their number as +49 (0)89 290136-10... is that what I would dial... or just 089 290136-10... or something entirely different (which I might never guess!)?

Thanks

 

[engrmp]

So, another data point:
- like I said I tried calling a German number (from the US) with GV+SIPdroid+PBXes; wifi only; SIPdroid only.
- the number I dialed was 08923615050
- GV phone log shows: +498923615050, 1 minute, 2cent charge (I think the call length was actually only about 10-15 seconds)

 

[RazzMaTazz]

I'm sorry. I'm so cheap that I was only thinking FREE SIPdroid calls! I wasn't thinking about paid GV calls. You're right. You could just put some money into your GV account and make calls to anywhere in the world using their international rates. (I gotta remember that for my own travels because that's a very cost-effective solution!) As far as SIPdroid, PBXes.org, & GV are concerned when you're on WiFi, you're in the USA (even if you're in Timbuktu). Ironically as far as GV is concerned, when you're in Germany, you'd be making an international long distance call from the USA to Germany-- even if you were calling the haus next door!

I hope you have a great trip. I found the Germans to be among the nicest, most tourist-friendly people in Europe. Drink a beer and have a soft pretzel for me!

 

[engrmp]

Thanks much RazzMaTazz,

That's how I thought it would work... all calls effectively originate (outbound) or terminate (inbound) to the GV number (which is US).

I think I'll just have to guess at the dialing sequence (for Germany to Germany) a few times until I get something that works... I think my experiments were helpful... it looks like it might be a logical algorithm (somehow, GV seems to figure out the missing prefix of +,0,49,etc).

I'm looking forward to seeing Munich. I grew up in Germany (although US citizen) in the late 50s. Now I'm taking my college Son, who will be doing research in Heidelberg. We'll spend a week running around Munich and Heidelberg before he starts his work. I'm going to need a phone to call for help if I try to keep up with my Son's desire to visit as many bierhaus' as possible.

Thanks again... much appreciated...

 

[engrmp]

BTW, you had a good point about possible GV-Germany which would give me a "local" phone number (at least German folks could dial a local number to get to me).

I see that there is a GV-Germany... if I have time I'll look into that.

I don't quite understand the role of PBXes in this chain... I wonder if I can get a local-German number via PBXes

 

[RazzMaTazz]

I don't quite understand the role of PBXes in this chain... I wonder if I can get a local-German number via PBXes

You would need to get a local German number from something like Google Voice Germany (but I don't know if such a thing is possible).

I'm no expert but I think it works like this...

Your SIP client (SIPdroid) detects when it has an Internet connection and then automatically registers itself with PBXes.org, sort of like starting a computer-to-computer Instant Messaging session (which is essentially idle unless calls are made to/from SIPdroid).

When you set up a PBXes.org account (probably automatically through SIPdroid) you informed PBXes.org to send your calls down a trunk to Google.

Google acts like a phone company in that they give you an actual, registered phone number that connects to the physical phone lines. When Google gets a call routed from you (through PBXes.org) they connect the call to real phone lines (for free if it's in the US or Canada, or for a charge otherwise).

In the other direction, if somebody calls your Google Voice number, Google sends it up the trunk to PBXes.org, which sends it to your SIP client (if SIPdroid is online and registered with PBXes.org).

The real question is why doesn't Google just integrate a PBX? I think the answer is that if Google integrated a PBX, then most Android users could easily reduce the minutes on their cellular plan and consequently the celllar service providers would lose a lot of revenue, and therefore the cellular service providers would stop selling Android phones. But someday, I think the world will go in that direction. There won't be voice minutes and data. There will just be data. It's all data anyway.

 

[ebucemag]

Hello Everybody.
I want to get rid of my home phone and I had a pretty good idea.
I want to buy 2 Muve ZTE (Android 2.3 phones) from bestbuy for $40 per phone and wanted to set them up using the sipgate/google voice method (which I used to setup my girlfriends phone so I know it works great).

I plan to run the phones off my home wifi and have my google voice number be my home phone... Here is the potential issue. I would like both phones to ring when someone is calling me (both phones to be setup with the same google voice number)... is that possible?

Thanks.