Your experience with $30 5GB plan + VOIP app

[chong67]

This morning I call my parent, everything seems to be fine. I didnt have to yell.

It pays to stand still. I can hear signal fading voice once I start moving.

I use Vonage app.

 

[chong67]

Having this plan and using VOIP is all about tolerance.

For me its about how much I have to wait for the phone to finish ringing before I call back on VOIP.

The other thing is also with the signal quality. Even regular cellphone have this problem too right?

 

[chong67]

My friend said even land line use VOIP. Anyone know about this?

 

[colnago]

This morning I call my parent, everything seems to be fine. I didnt have to yell.

It pays to stand still. I can hear signal fading voice once I start moving.

I use Vonage app.

Do you have Sprint or Verizon as your cell provider? Seems like CDMA networks suffer from QoS issues simply by moving the phone, more so than GSM. However if your cell signal is less than 85-90dBm, VoIP is gonna suffer regardless.

Most "land lines" are supported by digitized voice, in some form or another.

FWIW, I physically disconnected the POTS line coming into my house, and have a Vonage ATA supporting all of my phone jacks. Data supported by Verizon FIOS 15/5. My gf is using Vonage Extensions app on her Nokia to call Europe for free, piggybacking off of our Vonage home service.

 

[finndo77]

I have been using Google voice for a good two years or so now, without many issues (re: the link posted above).

My parents only have VOIP and one of my friends uses VOIP as his home line, I've never had any issues talking to either, although my parents do have intermittent near signal loss when they are not using it, but that could be caused by their service provider (Cox cable).

You should look into the "New LTE" Verizon is supposed to have 100% network support for it by the end of this year (or maybe it was next year...) but if I remember correctly it is voice over ip LTE, full digital calling.

 

[chong67]

I did some cheap high school math and its worthy of a word problem:

If you can get a card for $77 that has a $100 value, what would be an actual value of a $30 plan?

Let x = ...

I use short cut:

x/30 = 77/100

Solve for x = $23.10 instead of paying $30.

A $70 plan would be $53.90

But you have giving T-mobile interest free loan.

We thank you for your support!

 

[chong67]

Can you answer a phone call with VOIP on your phone? Is there such an app?

 

[lightsleeper23]

Can you answer a phone call with VOIP on your phone? Is there such an app?

Yes. With GrooveIP if you have set up a google voice number. People have to call your google voice number though, and you have to set it up in your google voice app. I'm not sure about vonage.

 

[chong67]

Yes. With GrooveIP if you have set up a google voice number. People have to call your google voice number though, and you have to set it up in your google voice app. I'm not sure about vonage.

This I didnt know. I will google it.

I should have port my number that I have since 1981 to Google before I had new service from Sprint to T-mobile last week.

 

[colnago]

Can you answer a phone call with VOIP on your phone? Is there such an app?

With Vonage, its possible to configue "Simu-ring", where any call to the Vonage number will simultaneously call a list of pre-determined numbers. When people call my "home", my cell phone rings at the same time. I believe it will support up to (5) unique numbers.

 

[chong67]

The simu-ring thing, is that on the Vonage real phone? You cant do from the phone app?

 

[NeXuS4]

I see. Did you ever get warning from Comcast about your data limit? I got a phone call from then few years back for going over 250gb. Now their limit meter is off, but dont know when it will start again.

I dont know if you are lying, do you have a real phone beside this VOIP toy?

Lol I've never been accused of lying before. What's the purpose of lying about something so trivial?

 

[colnago]

The simu-ring thing, is that on the Vonage real phone? You cant do from the phone app?

Vonage physical device account has Simu-ring...there are multiple ways of leveraging that account on a mobile device, as well as having a "mobile only" Vonage account.

 

[yfan]

I thought if I have 4G everything would be great. But I am calling my friend to cellphone or land line and they are not using VOIP and sometimes the connection is just not that great. I cant figure this out.

There is one thing I have noticed while calling over VoIP. Sometimes call sound better with a headset on (and the other side says they can hear me much better) as opposed to just holding the phone to your ear. You might try this. It's a trial and error, but it might work for you.

Talkatone has too much ad and the GUI looks ugly and I dont like ads.

Did talkatone suck all your battery juice?

Talkatone has been very good on battery for me. Granted, I'm not exactly a chatterbox, but I have never had to worry about battery while using Talkatone. Talkatone also had a promo on Christmas day that gave me 6 months free premium and a year of ad-free service, without having to shell out a penny. When that subscription runs out, I'm pretty sure I'll pay for a premium subscription myself - I mean, it's $20 for a whole year, and it has very useful features like automatically turning off call forwarding to my cell number on Google Voice when it launches so that both it and the phone app doesn't ring simultaneously.

I do agree that their Android interface is ugly, though. Wish they would do something about that.

 

[chong67]

I have not been getting callback bc when I use GrooveIP which use GoogleTalk, the phone is routed to Encasino, California.

Now I use Vonage to let my friend know I will be calling and watch out for that Cali number.

 

[chong67]

On my GrooveIP I have to turn on echo cancellation and it helps. What other settings did u do?

 

[epp]

For someone like me who doesn't receive (or make) a lot of calls, the plan is perfect.

I just ported my main cell number from Verizon prepaid back to T-Mobile last week and selected this plan. The number was originally T-Mobile going back to 2005, then tried metroPCS (no CDMA 3G anywhere in New England, used the phone in MA, NH, RI and southeastern CT (all on SID 6548)), then Verizon (was too expensive).

The T-Mobile WiFi calling app works great, I found the calls to be very clear. You just need a strong WiFi signal from the router to the phone.

And yes, using the WiFi calling app uses your minutes, if the phone is not on an unlimited calling plan.

 

[chong67]

I did see the T-moble Wifi app and I disable it.

Wifi calling app uses actual minutes? That is super confusing. I thought it use the data plan.

I do receiver n make call, but I am not a VIP. So those that want to hear me must tolerate.

 

[epp]

When the app turns on and logs in, once the phone has the WiFi signal from the router, the status bar at the top of the screen will scroll, indicating that using WiFi Calling will use minutes on some plans.

When the app is on and connected, incoming calls will use the app as well. I have only made outgoing calls with the app so far.

 

[chong67]

I see. Any advantage of using Wifi phone call vs actual cellphone minutes?

Is it actually using the data?

 

[yfan]

I see. Any advantage of using Wifi phone call vs actual cellphone minutes?

Is it actually using the data?

It's using WiFi data, not your plan data. There is no advantage to you unless you don't get good signal at a given location.

 

[Kamau]

I'm actually considering this today, coming from Virgin Mobile. I have considered also staying with VM and going to the S2 from my current HTC EVO V.
But the Galaxy Note 2 and Galaxy S3 are looking pretty tempting (Hey, its tax time, and I've been a good boy). I think I would just pop in to Best Buy and purchase one unlocked, then go over to Walmart and do the $30/month plan since I talk little, but do use web a lot.
So my question is if I did come over to this plan, how has some of your experiences been with it? In my area, TMO has decent coverage, so I'm not to worried about that. But if anyone here ahs either of those phones, I'd sure like to get your feedback on this before I shell out that kind of dow for one of these phones.

 

[chong67]

You purchasing a phone at BB or doing contract?

 

[Kamau]

You purchasing a phone at BB or doing contract?

Never in this lifetime or the next will I do a contract. I'm gonna be buying then outright so that I can do the $30/month plan.

 

[mogelijk]

I'm actually considering this today, coming from Virgin Mobile. I have considered also staying with VM and going to the S2 from my current HTC EVO V.
But the Galaxy Note 2 and Galaxy S3 are looking pretty tempting (Hey, its tax time, and I've been a good boy). I think I would just pop in to Best Buy and purchase one unlocked, then go over to Walmart and do the $30/month plan since I talk little, but do use web a lot.
So my question is if I did come over to this plan, how has some of your experiences been with it? In my area, TMO has decent coverage, so I'm not to worried about that. But if anyone here ahs either of those phones, I'd sure like to get your feedback on this before I shell out that kind of dow for one of these phones.

T-Mobile has both of those phones packaged for Prepaid ($550 for the GS3, $650 for the Note 2). You might see how that compares to the unlocked prices.

If you do buy the unlocked phone, I'd likely buy the SIM card from T-Mobile and activate it online. If Walmart does have the Activation Kits, I've heard that they charge $8 or more, compared to 99 cents on the T-Mobile website.