Phone Calls Over WiFi
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Our phone system has an app we use that allows our users to connect back to the phone system from anywhere in the world and make calls over WiFi. Works perfectly.
I was wondering, if an individual wanted to do this, what app/software is everyone currently using?
I know you could use WhatsApp/Skype/FaceTime, but I am looking for a way to call actual, regular phone numbers, not just people with accounts on those systems.
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Any soft phone that can connect to a PBX can do this.
Zoiper is one suggested around here. It can connect to a PBX you control -
@Dashrender said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
Any soft phone that can connect to a PBX can do this.
Zoiper is one suggested around here. It can connect to a PBX you controlI recommend ZoIPer because it has worked well for me even when the phone is inactive.
It has a WTF! OMG! Drain all the battery setting that will force the app to continually update to the PBX for you.
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I'm looking for something that would not need to connect to a PBX. Purely for non-business usage.
Does such a thing even exist?
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@BRRABill said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
I'm looking for something that would not need to connect to a PBX. Purely for non-business usage.
Does such a thing even exist?
And then how in the hell would it make a phone call FFS?
Do you think this is fucking magic?
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T-Mobile and AT&T offer wifi calling if your phone can do it. iPhone 5s or newer for T-Mobile. I assume it is similar for AT&T. No idea on what Android phones support this.
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What about hosted SIP?
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@BRRABill said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
I'm looking for something that would not need to connect to a PBX. Purely for non-business usage.
Does such a thing even exist?
No, because a PBX is needed to make the calls connect to the PSTN. Something has to be the translation point.
I used a PBX at home for this, works great. Provides a lot of cool functionality even for home use and you can provide access to family and friends, get video calling, control blacklists and all of that business type stuff that normally you can't get at home.
I also have T-Mobile Wifi calling.
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@scottalanmiller said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
@BRRABill said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
I'm looking for something that would not need to connect to a PBX. Purely for non-business usage.
Does such a thing even exist?
No, because a PBX is needed to make the calls connect to the PSTN. Something has to be the translation point.
I used a PBX at home for this, works great. Provides a lot of cool functionality even for home use and you can provide access to family and friends, get video calling, control blacklists and all of that business type stuff that normally you can't get at home.
I also have T-Mobile Wifi calling.
Asterisks or something else?
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@thwr said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
@scottalanmiller said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
@BRRABill said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
I'm looking for something that would not need to connect to a PBX. Purely for non-business usage.
Does such a thing even exist?
No, because a PBX is needed to make the calls connect to the PSTN. Something has to be the translation point.
I used a PBX at home for this, works great. Provides a lot of cool functionality even for home use and you can provide access to family and friends, get video calling, control blacklists and all of that business type stuff that normally you can't get at home.
I also have T-Mobile Wifi calling.
Asterisks or something else?
Yes, using Asterisk. It's nice because family members can each have an extension, you can use it for family to family calling, you can have desk phones, soft phones, use it from anywhere in the world, etc. Very nice to have, especially for travellers.
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@scottalanmiller said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
@thwr said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
@scottalanmiller said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
@BRRABill said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
I'm looking for something that would not need to connect to a PBX. Purely for non-business usage.
Does such a thing even exist?
No, because a PBX is needed to make the calls connect to the PSTN. Something has to be the translation point.
I used a PBX at home for this, works great. Provides a lot of cool functionality even for home use and you can provide access to family and friends, get video calling, control blacklists and all of that business type stuff that normally you can't get at home.
I also have T-Mobile Wifi calling.
Asterisks or something else?
Yes, using Asterisk. It's nice because family members can each have an extension, you can use it for family to family calling, you can have desk phones, soft phones, use it from anywhere in the world, etc. Very nice to have, especially for travellers.
Yep, great piece software. You can virtually route between anything.
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Yes, totally flexible AND free. You can run it hosted for $5/mo with several different IaaS providers if you want to go that route. Or you can run it at home or at the office.
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I love having features like blacklists and extension numbers. You can basically eliminate spam calls like you can with email. It brings telephony for home use into the current era.
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@scottalanmiller said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
I love having features like blacklists and extension numbers. You can basically eliminate spam calls like you can with email. It brings telephony for home use into the current era.
I really surprised that someone hasn't offered this to home users yet.
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@Dashrender said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
@scottalanmiller said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
I love having features like blacklists and extension numbers. You can basically eliminate spam calls like you can with email. It brings telephony for home use into the current era.
I really surprised that someone hasn't offered this to home users yet.
PBX hosting isn't trivial. Like with most things, the best home user services are normally the commercial ones. No reason to need a consumer product for this.
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@scottalanmiller said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
@Dashrender said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
@scottalanmiller said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
I love having features like blacklists and extension numbers. You can basically eliminate spam calls like you can with email. It brings telephony for home use into the current era.
I really surprised that someone hasn't offered this to home users yet.
PBX hosting isn't trivial. Like with most things, the best home user services are normally the commercial ones.
But businesses don't advertise to consumers for this product.
No reason to need a consumer product for this.
You don't think consumers would like this? Would buy this? Something like this is the ultimate in portability. I have no idea of SMSing can be made to work with it, that would be about the largest drawback (though some others would say that e911 being broken would be a bigger drawback).
With a service like this, you could convert your cellphone into a data only device. of course the Cell companies would hate that, less billable for them.
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@Dashrender said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
@scottalanmiller said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
@Dashrender said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
@scottalanmiller said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
I love having features like blacklists and extension numbers. You can basically eliminate spam calls like you can with email. It brings telephony for home use into the current era.
I really surprised that someone hasn't offered this to home users yet.
PBX hosting isn't trivial. Like with most things, the best home user services are normally the commercial ones.
But businesses don't advertise to consumers for this product.
Consumers who care seek out products, they don't use what they are told to buy. I don't see this as a problem for customers who want a product like this.
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@Dashrender said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
No reason to need a consumer product for this.
You don't think consumers would like this? Would buy this?
That's not related. Consumer products are generally for non-discerning customers (we are all this in most categories, it's not a criticism.) Discerning consumers look for best of breed and know to look at professional or business products. Not having a consumer product makes it better for those users, not worse.
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@Dashrender said in Phone Calls Over WiFi:
I have no idea of SMSing can be made to work with it, that would be about the largest drawback (though some others would say that e911 being broken would be a bigger drawback).
Yes it can. Which is a big deal since you can't do SMS with traditional phones. e911 works the same as 911 does for any PBX. So what's the issue there?
