Another HOW TO: free calls

xtoclark

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Jul 9, 2008
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AZB has posted a few steps for making free calls using a smartphone/ ipod touch. I have neither and still wanted to be able to make free calls so I dug a bit and came up with this solution:

Using this solution you can MAKE free calls (To US and Canada) and receive free calls (from anywhere).

What you need:
1) Computer with speakers and a mic.
2) Internet (no dial-up, crappy Dominican DSL at 50kb/s is more than good enough)
3)Google Voice
4)Sipgate

I believe that this solution can be used with a smart phone or ipod touch as well but I will not cover that aspect.

To begin:
1) Create a GV account. It's free and registration is open ( I think, if not I can give out 1 invitation). You will have to use a US/Canadian IP (Hide My Ass! Free Proxy and Privacy Tools - Surf The Web Anonymously for US proxy)

LINK TO GV:https://www.google.com/accounts/NewAccount?continue=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Fvoice%2F&followup=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Fvoice%2F&service=grandcentral&ltmpl=open

After obtaining a GV account and setting up and receiving your US number now you have to set up a sipgate account.

2) SIPGATE:

a) This is the hardest part. You have to have access to a US IP address and a US cellphone. Thus, a simple proxy will not suffice. Sipgate will send you a text-message to your cell pone with a 4 number PIN which you will need to enter when prompted. I had to have a friend recieve my PIN then I set up the account.

LINK TO SIPGATE:sipgate one

b) Now that you have a sipgate account (and yet another US number) you need to download their software (SIP phone). This will act as your virtual phone.

3) Now you need to link your GV #/account with your sipgate #
sipgate1.jpg


a) Go into GV settings and edit the "forwards to:" number. Enter your sipgate # here. GV will call your forwarding number to verify it, you will need to enter the 2 numbers that GV tells you. You will need to have sipgate softphone open to recieve the call and to punch in the numbers.
Sipgate%201.jpg


b) Sipgate softphone should be receiving the call! Accept it, Listen to the GV person,open the dailpad and enter the verification number.
sipgate%202.jpg


4) GV number is verified and you're set! Remember that you need sipgate softphone open to make/recieve calls.

SIPgate%203.jpg

Me calling the Dominican Embassy in USA. They didn't pick up, wasn't surprised :cheeky:

Additional Info:
If the pictures are too small press ctrl+ (zoom).

The way this works is that google is acting as the middle-man. They call you and the other party. Google doesn't actually provide you with a phone (there is talk of them offering a softphone like sipgate with gizmo in the future...) just the number.

Using Sipgate you have free INCOMING calls from US lines. Therefor using a GV US number you have unlimited minutes/calls.

I use this and have been told that it sounds better than when I call using a DR landline/cellphone.

This is free for me, thus free for you. Only thing I ask is that we keep this between "us" (dr1). There is no need to make this widely known (even though sipgate is aware of this practice) and thus blocked by GV or sipgate.

DR motto is: Keep your head down. :chinese: ami'rite or am I?


Last step: enjoy! :cheeky:
 

xtoclark

New member
Jul 9, 2008
219
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ADDENDUM:
Sipgate softphone. Sometimes the other person on the line will complain of static (has happened twice out of many, many times). I believe this is caused by a faulty shutdown of the softphone. Easy fix? Restart computer and then sipgate softphone. On windows 7 sipgate can take a bit of time (~1 minute) to open up. Do NOT click it (or it will close). Just let it do it's thing, it will open.

Forgot to mention some of the best parts:

1) You can send and receive text messages
2)You can set up GV voice mail [HIGHLY reccomended since signing into sipgate w/o a US IP is tough and shouldn't be done].
3)GV voice mail is great, it automatically transcribes your voicemails and also sends you an email alert.

To set up voicemail you have to change a few options in sipgate (go to their website, sign into your account). REMEMBER: use that proxy. How to set up to forward voicemails in sipgate can be found at their site.
 

xtoclark

New member
Jul 9, 2008
219
40
0
Update: Outdated. This method is still valid and available however with the launch of a web-based sip phone from within gMail this method is needlessly tedious.

All this is now simplified into three steps:
1)Open a Google account. Open a Google voice account using friend in USA or proxy.
2)Download browser applet to display sip-phone. You may call from gMail. GV will be your central station (voice mail only, no calling from that screen)
3)Enjoy.


Figured I might as well update this for future searchers, regardless of the lack of interest. :cheeky: