Wifi and VOIP

srichman · 08/24/2009, 06:54 AM

I'm going to Europe next month. If I'm at a Wifi hot spot, is there a way for me to make calls on my Pre?

Am I correct that I won't be able to text?

Thanks.
Sheldon

kgilbertsen · 08/24/2009, 07:21 AM

I'm sure someone who knows better will jump in, but this is my understanding. WiFi will let you access the internet, but calls can't be made using WiFi. Texting will depend on what each carrier's arrangement is with Sprint. This is the explanation I got from Sprint before going to Korea and India earlier this month. And it seemed accurate. I could not always text, but it did work most places we visited. One problem I did have with WiFi occasionally was that before you could use some hotspots they required that you send an SMS to a particular address. Well, sometimes that worked and sometimes it didn't. If I were to do it all over, I'd rent a cell phone and be done with it

srichman · 08/24/2009, 07:28 AM

BTW, I'll be in Warsaw, Poland. I have an old Motorola phone that takes a SIM, so I could use that. But I thought I'd save myself the trouble.

Elysian893 · 08/24/2009, 08:06 AM

Install MyTether and bring a laptop, then use VOIP through the laptop.

palandri · 08:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by srichman

BTW, I'll be in Warsaw, Poland. I have an old Motorola phone that takes a SIM, so I could use that. But I thought I'd save myself the trouble.

You're probably best off taking your old GSM Motorola phone with you.

If something like Skype (VOIP) was available for the Pre, and you had a Skype account, you could make calls from a WiFi connection.

n1900 · 08/25/2009, 12:07 AM

+1 would like to see a native (i.e. local) Skype app.

I'm in Ukraine at the moment, using my Pre at various WiFi hotspots for mobile web surfing and push email. No phone calls or SMS.

I'm not saying it's impossible. But very simple to use a cheap Nokia with pre-paid SIM for voice calls/SMS. And I refuse to roam for CDMA at Sprint international rates.

webOZ · 08/25/2009, 02:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elysian893

Install MyTether and bring a laptop, then use VOIP through the laptop.

Think this one through:

1) Connect Pre to wifi access point.
2) Launch MyTether
3) Connect laptop to Pre

yeah... now laptop is connected to the wifi access point via the Pre!

Not making fun - I think you just missed a couple details in his question. He wants to use his Pre to make a VOIP call via wifi. If he has a laptop he can connect directly to the wifi and do as he pleases.

Anyway, Pre/VOIP = not possible, yet.

getmoneyeveryday · 09/03/2009, 02:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by webOZ

Think this one through:

1) Connect Pre to wifi access point.
2) Launch MyTether
3) Connect laptop to Pre

yeah... now laptop is connected to the wifi access point via the Pre!

Not making fun - I think you just missed a couple details in his question. He wants to use his Pre to make a VOIP call via wifi. If he has a laptop he can connect directly to the wifi and do as he pleases.

Anyway, Pre/VOIP = not possible, yet.

isn't google talk VOIP?

kgilbertsen · 09/03/2009, 03:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kgilbertsen

I'm sure someone who knows better will jump in, but this is my understanding. WiFi will let you access the internet, but calls can't be made using WiFi. Texting will depend on what each carrier's arrangement is with Sprint. This is the explanation I got from Sprint before going to Korea and India earlier this month. And it seemed accurate. I could not always text, but it did work most places we visited. One problem I did have with WiFi occasionally was that before you could use some hotspots they required that you send an SMS to a particular address. Well, sometimes that worked and sometimes it didn't. If I were to do it all over, I'd rent a cell phone and be done with it

Just got my bill from Sprint. It included an additional $100+ for data roaming! After calling customer service and talking with a supervisor, they first offered to waive half the charges and finally waived them all as a 'one time courtesy'. I thanked them and assured them I'd never be using the phone while traveling again - I'd simply rent a phone somewhere else. fwiw.

Disaster · 09/03/2009, 03:21 AM

With Google Voice you could do text messages, but there isn't a VOIP app for the Pre yet.

getmoneyeveryday · 09/03/2009, 04:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Disaster

With Google Voice you could do text messages, but there isn't a VOIP app for the Pre yet.

That's exactly the kind of app I'm looking for, I thought Google Voice could do that.. VOIP via wifi or evdo.

I'm gonna put up an app request and donate $10 to anyone who gets started on the app and couple dollars more for finishing it. I support the idea of having a VOIP app cuz all I see is Google talk I want to be able to use gizmo5 on the pre instead of the netbook to get all my incoming calls. and make it compatiable with a Bluetooth headset..

coolgreany · 09/04/2009, 07:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elysian893

Install MyTether and bring a laptop, then use VOIP through the laptop.

If you have a laptop then just use Skype with the laptop. What good would the Pre be in Europe anyway as it's CDMA (except for wifi but just use laptop's wifi for VOIP)?

coolgreany · 09/04/2009, 07:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kgilbertsen

Just got my bill from Sprint. It included an additional $100+ for data roaming! After calling customer service and talking with a supervisor, they first offered to waive half the charges and finally waived them all as a 'one time courtesy'. I thanked them and assured them I'd never be using the phone while traveling again - I'd simply rent a phone somewhere else. fwiw.

***? Was this roaming in the USA or overseas? Was it data calls or voice? Roaming is supposedly included in the Everything Data plan so is this some other roaming charge?

getmoneyeveryday · 09/04/2009, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by coolgreany

If you have a laptop then just use Skype with the laptop. What good would the Pre be in Europe anyway as it's CDMA (except for wifi but just use laptop's wifi for VOIP)?

Never said I was taking this overseas. Btw I agree with you totally with using wifi and laptop. Sometimes these days people opt for smaller package so you so you're less obligated to bring it with you all the time. As a businessman, there's always an alternative. Seeing the openness with the pre's WebOS. You're underestimating it's potential. We need an app that lets you do VOIP with Evdo or wifi. As for traveling overseas -most definitely wifi.

jhoff80 · 09/04/2009, 03:56 PM

There's no microphone access in the SDK yet, so no VOIP for now.

getmoneyeveryday · 09/05/2009, 12:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jhoff80

There's no microphone access in the SDK yet, so no VOIP for now.

why not just hack into the pre's already built in phone app.. as you would with any of the phone's functions..? All of the hardware is there. how hard can it be?
maybe I wouldn't understand but it's not like you're saying it's impossible. Do you even need mic access via SDK?

MaverickC5 · 09/05/2009, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by srichman

I'm going to Europe next month. If I'm at a Wifi hot spot, is there a way for me to make calls on my Pre?

Am I correct that I won't be able to text?

Thanks.
Sheldon

Sign up for Google Voice. Then down load the Homebrew Filecoaster application . You will have access to several Google applications to choose from.

jhoff80 · 09/05/2009, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaverickC5

Sign up for Google Voice. Then down load the Homebrew Filecoaster application . You will have access to several Google applications to choose from.

Wrong. The Google Voice applications use your voice minutes just like any other call.

arcolino · 09/05/2009, 04:02 PM

so the pre cant make voice over wifi calls? do we just need software for this like skype or something?

jhoff80 · 09/05/2009, 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by arcolino

so the pre cant make voice over wifi calls? do we just need software for this like skype or something?

No, we need APIs first so that developers can write the software like Skype.

08/24/2009, 06:54 AM	#1 (permalink)
srichman Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Arkansas Posts: 45 Likes Received: 0 Thanks: 8 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Wifi and VOIP I'm going to Europe next month. If I'm at a Wifi hot spot, is there a way for me to make calls on my Pre? Am I correct that I won't be able to text? Thanks. Sheldon
	Liked by

08/24/2009, 07:21 AM	#2 (permalink)
kgilbertsen Member Join Date: Dec 1999 Location: Illinois Posts: 214 Likes Received: 0 Thanks: 5 Thanked 5 Times in 3 Posts	I'm sure someone who knows better will jump in, but this is my understanding. WiFi will let you access the internet, but calls can't be made using WiFi. Texting will depend on what each carrier's arrangement is with Sprint. This is the explanation I got from Sprint before going to Korea and India earlier this month. And it seemed accurate. I could not always text, but it did work most places we visited. One problem I did have with WiFi occasionally was that before you could use some hotspots they required that you send an SMS to a particular address. Well, sometimes that worked and sometimes it didn't. If I were to do it all over, I'd rent a cell phone and be done with it
	Liked by Thanked By: srichman

08/24/2009, 07:28 AM	#3 (permalink)
srichman Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Arkansas Posts: 45 Likes Received: 0 Thanks: 8 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	BTW, I'll be in Warsaw, Poland. I have an old Motorola phone that takes a SIM, so I could use that. But I thought I'd save myself the trouble.
	Liked by

08/24/2009, 08:06 AM	#4 (permalink)
Elysian893 Banned Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 1,561 Likes Received: 0 Thanks: 56 Thanked 450 Times in 160 Posts	Install MyTether and bring a laptop, then use VOIP through the laptop.
	Liked by

08/25/2009, 12:07 AM	#6 (permalink)
n1900 Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Virginia Beach, VA Posts: 56 Likes Received: 1 Thanks: 10 Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts	+1 would like to see a native (i.e. local) Skype app. I'm in Ukraine at the moment, using my Pre at various WiFi hotspots for mobile web surfing and push email. No phone calls or SMS. I'm not saying it's impossible. But very simple to use a cheap Nokia with pre-paid SIM for voice calls/SMS. And I refuse to roam for CDMA at Sprint international rates.
	Liked by

09/03/2009, 03:21 AM	#10 (permalink)
Disaster Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 494 Likes Received: 0 Thanks: 0 Thanked 13 Times in 11 Posts	With Google Voice you could do text messages, but there isn't a VOIP app for the Pre yet.
	Liked by

09/04/2009, 03:56 PM	#15 (permalink)
jhoff80 Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Boston-area Posts: 6,973 Likes Received: 116 Thanks: 418 Thanked 1,252 Times in 710 Posts	There's no microphone access in the SDK yet, so no VOIP for now.
	Liked by

09/05/2009, 04:02 PM	#19 (permalink)
arcolino Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 104 Likes Received: 1 Thanks: 0 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts	so the pre cant make voice over wifi calls? do we just need software for this like skype or something?
	Liked by

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