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  1. #1
    Larry
    Guest
    cicada <[email protected]> wrote in news:c445fcc4-f5a9-4e1f-be9e-
    [email protected]:

    > I'm buying a new cell phone and wonder if cell phones with the wi-fi
    > feature can do this. If a phone can go online through its wi-fi, is it
    > also possible to make very cheap voice calls using services like Yahoo
    > Messenger or Skype or anything simialr on the cell phone?
    >
    > I think it might save me a little money when the included minutes on
    > my plan run out.
    >
    > If it's possible, is it model or company specific? Is it an easy

    setup?
    >


    Of course it's "possible". But, if you were in the sellphone business
    selling sellphones and selling sellphone service, and you had a hand in
    controlling the phones that you sell via their operating systems, the
    firmware....Would you let the users have any kind of VoIP software
    installed that let them bypass YOUR major revenue stream, using the
    phone, itself....or would you have it hobbled all up so no user short of
    a serious hacker with time on his hands could ever install his own
    software on YOUR sellphone to bypass your little box office in his
    pocket?

    Of course you wouldn't, not unless you were totally stupid.

    You'd do everything in your power to prevent the users of ANY of your
    sellphones from ever using any kind of messaging, VoIP like Skype
    software YOU are charging THEM to use....especially after virtually
    giving them the fancy phone for a pittance for agreeing to let you into
    their checkbook each month for 2 years to recover your money and make a
    tidy profit.

    =================================================================

    There ARE, however, NON-sellular alternatives.....

    You could install Skype or one of the VoIP programs on your laptop, if
    you had one.

    You could buy one of the VoIP wifi phones like:
    http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/24/n...0w-wifi-phone-
    with-skype/
    It connects directly to your wifi router and Skype is built right into
    it. You simply turn it on and put your username and account number into
    it and it's ready to call, assuming you have a usable Skype account, the
    same one you have for your computer. You can run 10 Skype
    phones/computers/tablets on ONE number all at the same time, anywhere on
    the planet that has internet....unlike the lies sellular has told you
    for years that it's not possible to have 4 phones all ring using the
    same number simultaneously. They want you to BUY 4 phones with 4
    numbers, of course, not 3 "extensions"...(c;

    The only trouble with my Netgear, or any, of the Skype phones has been
    its inability to logon to any free wifi that REQUIRES a webpage to gain
    access, like at Chick-Fil-A, the airports, many restaurants that want
    you to look at their spam before letting you use wifi, or those places
    they give you a card you have to use on the webpage for access with
    username/password to restrict access to only customers.

    Disappointed wtih my Skype phone for traveling around on wifi, I
    searched for a solution. Nokia had one and you should NEVER GET ONE!
    If I hadn't found mine, I would have been perfectly happy with just
    having a wifi phone I could use, sometimes. Instead, Nokia sold me the
    N800 Linux Tablet, a real 800 pixel wide pocket computer that connected
    with either WIFI or Bluetooth DUN to a tetherable sellphone. Big
    mistake. I'm now a total addict far beyond using Skype, which it will
    do in the damnedest places because of its super-sensitive wifi
    transceiver, the best I've ever encountered. I can sit in Denny's cafe
    stealing free wifi from the hotel across the parking lot! It's that
    good. Now "connected", you CAN logon to the free wifi through the
    webpages because the tablet has a special Firefox web browser, not all
    hobbled up like a sellphone browser or iPhone that won't play Flash or
    Javascripts or other things sellphone companies hate that uses
    BANDWIDTH, a dirty word in any sellphone store. Now connected and
    logged on, click on Skype and you have the world at your finger tips.
    There's also Gizmo, Fring, a dozen other Linux VoIP and instant
    messaging on over 20 IM systems available to talk to any of them through
    ONE application.

    The new version of the tablet has a keyboard that slides out:
    http://arstechnica.com/reviews/hardw...810-review.ars

    Oh, hell, you might as well see the free software the hackers wrote for
    it from maemo.org. Wade through here:
    http://maemo.org/downloads/updated/OS2008/275/

    You might have a question, that's already been answered I'm sure here:
    http://www.internettablettalk.com/

    They moved the school over to here when it got too big:
    http://www.tabletscene.com/
    The instructional videos are there, too, to help you feed your
    addiction.

    Seeing as you just want a Skype phone, you can ignore the video camera,
    still camera, internet radio and television you can see on it, the built
    in REAL GPS, not some sell-me kluged up sellphone crapware that will
    place you on a Google Earth or Virtual Earth satellite map in the
    parking space your car is in at the mall. Ignore the Garnet VM (virtual
    machine) that turns it into the latest Palm Pilot that will run all the
    Palm OS software, tens of thousands of titles, thousands freeware....or
    one of the damned virtual game machines you can play games with while
    you're making your Skype call, disgusting whoever you were talking to on
    the phone. There's hundreds of native games, too, none of them designed
    for 4-year-olds like iPhone's Run-Bunny-Run. When you get bored with
    them, you'll need a Wii remote the boys have running on it. Just be on
    the lookout for a Wii Remote on the cheap from some kid's blown Wii base
    for later.

    Oh, I'm sorry, you just wanted a Skype phone...Here:

    http://www.3skypephone.com/english/

    How boring. The tablet's only $80 more on the street....cheaper if you
    can find an N800, now discontinued, which runs the same software...(c;

    Sellphones are all hobbled up and only a few of them make Bluetooth
    modems. Otherwise they all SUCK, including stupid iPhones!






    See More: Calling over WIFI on a cell phone possible?




  2. #2
    Todd Allcock
    Guest

    Re: Calling over WIFI on a cell phone possible?

    At 20 Oct 2008 03:41:07 +0000 Larry wrote:

    > > I'm buying a new cell phone and wonder if cell phones with the wi-fi
    > > feature can do this. If a phone can go online through its wi-fi, is it
    > > also possible to make very cheap voice calls using services like Yahoo
    > > Messenger or Skype or anything simialr on the cell phone?
    > >
    > > I think it might save me a little money when the included minutes on
    > > my plan run out.
    > >
    > > If it's possible, is it model or company specific? Is it an easy

    > setup?
    > >

    >
    > Of course it's "possible". But, if you were in the sellphone business
    > selling sellphones and selling sellphone service, and you had a hand in
    > controlling the phones that you sell via their operating systems, the
    > firmware....Would you let the users have any kind of VoIP software
    > installed that let them bypass YOUR major revenue stream, using the
    > phone, itself....or would you have it hobbled all up so no user short of
    > a serious hacker with time on his hands could ever install his own
    > software on YOUR sellphone to bypass your little box office in his
    > pocket?
    >
    > Of course you wouldn't, not unless you were totally stupid.


    Then I guess all carriers selling Windows Mobile phones are stupid, since
    there are a plethora of VoIP apps that run on Windows Mobile devices;
    Skype, Fring, SJPhone, NCH Pocket Talk, XLite, etc.

    Several Nokia phones include a SIP VoIP client out-of-the-box, and Symbian
    devices run Fring.


    None of the above examples require the phones to be "hacked" to install/use
    VoIP.


    T-Mobile's "HotSpot@Home" phones offer unlimited calling over WiFi (not VoIP,
    but the similar UMA) for $10/month.


    > You'd do everything in your power to prevent the users of ANY of your
    > sellphones from ever using any kind of messaging, VoIP like Skype
    > software YOU are charging THEM to use....especially after virtually
    > giving them the fancy phone for a pittance for agreeing to let you into
    > their checkbook each month for 2 years to recover your money and make a
    > tidy profit.



    While most operators prohibit VoIP over cellular, the OP is discussing VoIP
    over WiFi. Why would the carriers care if you consume your own broadband
    data?


    > There ARE, however, NON-sellular alternatives.....
    >
    > You could install Skype or one of the VoIP programs on your laptop, if
    > you had one.



    ...or any number of WiFi-equipped phones.

    > You could buy one of the VoIP wifi phones like:
    > http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/24/n...0w-wifi-phone-
    > with-skype/...


    > The only trouble with my Netgear, or any, of the Skype phones has been
    > its inability to logon to any free wifi that REQUIRES a webpage to gain
    > access, like at Chick-Fil-A, the airports, many restaurants that want
    > you to look at their spam before letting you use wifi, or those places
    > they give you a card you have to use on the webpage for access with
    > username/password to restrict access to only customers.



    Another advantage of using a WiFi cellphone- you can login with the phone's
    browser, then run the VoIP app.


    > Sellphones are all hobbled up and only a few of them make Bluetooth
    > modems. Otherwise they all SUCK, including stupid iPhones!



    Larry, it's time to learn a new song. Just because you're stuck on a CDMA
    carrier that excercises too much control ver their phones, doesn't mean
    everyone else is- Nokia, and other manufacturers, make a number of
    unlocked, non-carrier branded phones not controlled or hobbled in ANY way.





  3. #3
    Steve Sobol
    Guest

    Re: Calling over WIFI on a cell phone possible?

    On 2008-10-20, Todd Allcock <[email protected]> wrote:

    > T-Mobile's "HotSpot@Home" phones offer unlimited calling over WiFi (not VoIP,
    > but the similar UMA) for $10/month.


    And the handoffs are seamless, as I posted in the T-Mo newsgroup a couple
    days ago. The wife got me a Hotspot@Home phone as a replacement for my Nokia
    6133, whose display flaked out three weeks after the warranty expired.

    My only problem is that right now, I have to have my home wifi open - the
    phone supposedly supports WEP and WPA, but I haven't gotten it to work with
    WEP or WPA yet. I'm going to call T-Mo about that, this week.

    The WiFi calling is great in case you're in an area where the cellular
    signal is less than wonderful. And if you don't care about unlimited WiFi
    calling, you can pay NOTHING and still use the service; the minutes are just
    deducted from your bucket, like they are when you call over the cellular
    network.

    > While most operators prohibit VoIP over cellular, the OP is discussing VoIP
    > over WiFi. Why would the carriers care if you consume your own broadband
    > data?


    [ snip ]

    > Larry, it's time to learn a new song. Just because you're stuck on a CDMA
    > carrier that excercises too much control ver their phones, doesn't mean
    > everyone else is- Nokia, and other manufacturers, make a number of
    > unlocked, non-carrier branded phones not controlled or hobbled in ANY way.


    He's been told that already. He doesn't care. Why let facts get in the way
    of a rant?


    --
    Steve Sobol, Victorville, California, USA
    It's all fun and games until someone starts a bonfire in the living room.




  4. #4
    Todd Allcock
    Guest

    Re: Calling over WIFI on a cell phone possible?

    At 20 Oct 2008 18:07:57 +0000 Steve Sobol wrote:

    > > T-Mobile's "HotSpot@Home" phones offer unlimited calling over WiFi (not

    VoIP,
    > > but the similar UMA) for $10/month.

    >
    > And the handoffs are seamless, as I posted in the T-Mo newsgroup a couple
    > days ago. The wife got me a Hotspot@Home phone as a replacement for my

    Nokia
    > 6133, whose display flaked out three weeks after the warranty expired.


    Interestingly (though not really applicable in your case) T-Mo's billing
    system is primitive enough thathey don't change the call type for billing
    purposes on hand-off. If you have free WiFi calling, you can start a call
    on WiFi, hop in your car and drive off (handing off to GSM), talk for two
    hours on cellular, and the whole two hour, one minute call is billed as a
    "free" WiFi call. (Of course the converse is true- answer a call on GSM
    in your driveway, walk into the house and talk for two hours on WiFi, and
    the whole call comes out of your cell minute bucket!)


    > The WiFi calling is great in case you're in an area where the cellular
    > signal is less than wonderful. And if you don't care about unlimited WiFi
    > calling, you can pay NOTHING and still use the service; the minutes are

    just
    > deducted from your bucket, like they are when you call over the cellular
    > network.



    That's what I'm looking forward to, if/when they ever offer an H@H WinMo
    device. With My Faves, I already leave several hundred minutes on the
    table each month, but coverage wherever there's WiFi would be great,
    particularly when roaming- in January I'll be in Cancun, and could use the
    hotel's free WiFi for H@H calling out of my plan minutes. (If there's
    still no H@H WinMo phone by then, I'll be using Fring to make VoIP calls.
    That's workable, but not as seamless as H@H. Either way I'm not spending
    $1.49/minute to roam!)






  5. #5
    Larry
    Guest

    Re: Calling over WIFI on a cell phone possible?

    Todd Allcock <[email protected]> wrote in
    news:[email protected]:

    > Larry, it's time to learn a new song. Just because you're stuck on a
    > CDMA carrier that excercises too much control ver their phones,
    > doesn't mean everyone else is- Nokia, and other manufacturers, make a
    > number of unlocked, non-carrier branded phones not controlled or
    > hobbled in ANY way.
    >
    >


    You are talking out your ass, Toddy! Alltel has never complained of my
    27GB/month usage last month...not a word. All they say is they are not
    responsible for anything to do with my Linux tablet tethered to my
    sellphone. My CDMA carrier provides about 600-800Kbps after business
    closes and about 400-500Kbps during weekday afternoons, just fine, even in
    Greeleyville, SC, way out in the SC boondocks...full EVDO!

    Others are not so lucky. Many are on ATT or some other GSM/PCS carrier
    with only narrow corridors along interstates and in the cities. Hell, ATT
    doesn't have 3G in Summerville, SC, IN THE CITY area that is Charleston.
    The phone won't even work 3 miles from the interstate.

    My carrier has no control over my internet device at all....just the way I
    like it. He can only turn it on and I pay or off and I stop.

    Which carriers will let you put NON-Carrier phones on and keep the NON-
    carrier firmware the factory delivered with it with everything turned on??
    I know they'll let foreign phones on the system....AFTER they burn their
    firmware into them.....




  6. #6
    Todd Allcock
    Guest

    Re: Calling over WIFI on a cell phone possible?

    At 21 Oct 2008 01:45:57 +0000 Larry wrote:

    > > Larry, it's time to learn a new song. Just because you're stuck on a
    > > CDMA carrier that excercises too much control ver their phones,
    > > doesn't mean everyone else is- Nokia, and other manufacturers, make a
    > > number of unlocked, non-carrier branded phones not controlled or
    > > hobbled in ANY way.
    > >

    >
    >
    > You are talking out your ass, Toddy! Alltel has never complained of my
    > 27GB/month usage last month...not a word. All they say is they are not
    > responsible for anything to do with my Linux tablet tethered to my
    > sellphone.


    If I'm "talking out of my ass" why do you think you need a tethered device?
    Why not just use an Alltel smartphone? If Alltel is okay with your 27GB
    of tethering, they'll be okay with 27GB of on-phone data use as well.

    > My CDMA carrier provides about 600-800Kbps after business
    > closes and about 400-500Kbps during weekday afternoons, just fine, even

    in
    > Greeleyville, SC, way out in the SC boondocks...full EVDO!



    That's why I said you were "stuck" with them- in exchange for superior
    coverage in your area, you use a carrier with a less "open" network than
    AT&T or T-Mo, who'll allow the use of any compatible device sold anywhere.


    > My carrier has no control over my internet device at all....just the way

    I
    > like it. He can only turn it on and I pay or off and I stop.



    And how is that different than my WinMo phone? T-Mo can't turn off the WiFi,
    or shut off the bluetooth. They could turn off my cellular data (by
    disabling it from the account- not the device), but so could Alltel shut
    off yours, ending your ability to tether the tablet.

    > Which carriers will let you put NON-Carrier phones on and keep the NON-
    > carrier firmware the factory delivered with it with everything turned

    on??

    AT&T and T-Mobile. Remember with GSM there's no "activation"- your SIM
    card is your "NAM" and can be instantly moved from device to device without
    involving the carrier. If I want to go you beach and not worry about salt
    and sand getting into every nook and cranny of a $300 PDA? Pop the SIM
    into my 6 year-old Nokia candybar. No calling my carrier and begging for a
    quick ESN change.

    > I know they'll let foreign phones on the system....AFTER they burn their
    > firmware into them.....



    I've used several AT&T devices (new AT&T, old ATTWS and Cingular) on T-
    Mobile, all with the original AT&T firmware. I've also used T-Mo devices
    on AT&T. Neither AT&T nor T-Mo prohibit the use of _any_ compatible
    equipment, though both "threaten" to offer limited technical support for
    devices they don't sell, which is understandable, IMO. Again, GSM carriers
    activate SIMs, not phones; the phone is just a dumb "shell" that holds the
    SIM. Think of it like a driver's license- the state licenses YOU to drive,
    not your vehicle. You can hop into any vehicle "compatible" with your
    license and drive it without telling the state what vehicle you're driving
    at the moment- your car, a friends', a rental, etc. Likewise, my SIM is
    allowed to "drive" any phone from any carrier, with any firmware, on my
    account.

    Again, stop thinking all carriers have the same draconian policies.
    They're not all Verizon, you know!





  7. #7
    Steve Sobol
    Guest

    Re: Calling over WIFI on a cell phone possible?

    On 2008-10-21, Larry <[email protected]> wrote:

    > You are talking out your ass


    Like you do, frequently?

    I don't give a rat's ass what you think about Sprint's or T-Mobile's policies.
    You don't know jack-**** about either carrier because you've never used either
    carrier. Verizon is a whole different animal; we all know you used Verizon for
    quite some time. But your rants and presumptions about companies whose
    services you've never used are not only (quite often) wrong, they make you
    sound ignorant at best, and at worst, like a doddering fool who just *****es
    because he feels like *****ing, not because his rants have any basis in fact.

    If your rants were based on actually using either of those carriers, I'd have
    nothing to say, now would I?

    > Which carriers will let you put NON-Carrier phones on and keep the NON-
    > carrier firmware the factory delivered with it with everything turned on??


    T-Mobile, asswipe. Like the time my mother-in-law bought a used CINGULAR
    Razr off eBay and popped her SIM in it and used the phone. T-Mo and Cingular/
    AT&T lock their phones initially, so they'll only accept the original carrier's
    SIMs, but T-Mo will unlock a phone at no charge after you've had it for (I
    believe) 90 days, and I understand AT&T has a similar policy.

    I think AT&T will also allow unlocked phones on their network - but
    I'm not sure, and unlike you, I don't assume things about carriers
    I've never used. I'm sure the people over in alt.cellular.cingular could say
    for sure.


    --
    Steve Sobol, Victorville, California, USA
    It's all fun and games until someone starts a bonfire in the living room.




  8. #8
    Dennis Ferguson
    Guest

    Re: Calling over WIFI on a cell phone possible?

    On 2008-10-21, Larry <[email protected]> wrote:
    > Which carriers will let you put NON-Carrier phones on and keep the NON-
    > carrier firmware the factory delivered with it with everything turned on??
    > I know they'll let foreign phones on the system....AFTER they burn their
    > firmware into them.....


    AT&T and T-Mobile. In over 8 years with one or the other of those
    carriers I've used unbranded or foreign carrier branded phones purchased
    in Asia almost exclusively. They can't (and won't, anyway) touch the
    firmware since they never touch the phone. They give me the SIM,
    I put the SIM in the phone and use it.

    These days I only like to buy phones which support the Euro 3G band
    and with firmware which can display Chinese characters. AT&T mostly
    doesn't sell phones and/or firmware like that so there is nothing
    they could do to the phone in any case.

    Dennis Ferguson



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