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2:44 pm
November 4, 2009
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Well you can't get google voice to forward to your speakout phone just yet, but even before that you might want to try setting up a google voice account so you can play with it. I wrote an article on my blog about that.
Give it a try and let me know how you make out.
http://www.binarysearchtree.com/
Glen Lalonde.
glalonde at gmail.com
12:32 pm
May 1, 2009
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I don't like IPKall. It never worked for me.
Using ipcomms.net and works fine for incoming call.
5:21 pm
July 12, 2009
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I have a Google Voice account that was obtained by proxy in much the same way you did.
I'm going to split my comments into two posts.
Major edit after reading bridonca's post below:
There are comments on several Google voice forums about the fact that Google Voice works with Area Code 403. Allegedly that is the only Canadian area code that does work with GV. (I had tried it with both area code 250 and 204 with no success.)
I checked freephoneline.ca and saw that they offer free phone lines based in Calgary with area code 403 numbers. I got an area code 403 number from freephoneline.ca and set it up. Then I added it to my Google Voice account and it works. I then deleted my IPKall phone number from my GV account and GV is working fine with only my Gizmo5 number and the new Calgary number.
The GV forums suggest that you can't get the verification call to set up Google Voice to an area code 403 number, but once you have the account, you can use it. I already had my account, so I don't know about that. You may need IPKall, ipcomms.net or some other US phone number for that initial setup call.
I agree with mjbad2 that IPKall is a major PITA, but it worked well enough to create my GV account. IPKall is a strange service -- most regular carriers in the US either block calls to their numbers or give it reduced service because they have to pay some extreme fees to have IPKall terminate calls originating on their network. Google will tell you more than you ever wanted to know about how and why they exist.
5:53 pm
July 12, 2009
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If you had a Gizmo5 account before Google bought Gizmo5, you can use it quite effectively with Google Voice. Unfortunately since the purchase, Gizmo5 has suspended account creation.
Google voice will call a Gizmo5 number directly using the 1-747-nnn-nnnn number assigned to the Gizmo5 account, so you can set your GV accout to call your Gizmo number. GV will call either your computer or a SIP gateway set up for Gizmo5 just like it will call any US based phone. You can also forward your Gizmo5 account to any phone you want in Canada or the US and it will use your call out minutes (at the rate of 1 cent per minute) as long as you have call out credits. Not quite free but close.
Gizmo5 dropped its call out rates to 1 cent per minute after the Google takeover, and as long as you continue have the account, you can buy time -- even if you had no credits at the time Google purchased the company.
You have to keep one regular phone associated with your Google Voice account besides the Gizmo5 number, and you need a US number for the initial setup. It won't let you do the setup with your Gizmo5 number. I used an IPKall number for the setup, and now have my area code 403 number as the alternate number. (See the post above.)
8:44 pm
April 22, 2009
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Oh my! Well, I am going to add my stupid VOIP tricks to the mix. 🙂
Get a freephoneline.ca account. You can get a phone number from most major cities in Canada, but let's pick Toronto as an example. You can then forward your Toronto freephoneline number to your Calgary Speak out phone number. Result, local call for residents in Toronto and Calgary.
I found 2 other American phone number providers, though neither support sip, VOIP on the browser. However, they should do fine for google voice registrations.
11:45 pm
July 12, 2009
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Thanks for the suggestion of freephoneline.ca. We might differ as to whether we think their list of free phone numbers contains "most major cities in Canada" or not :wink:. However it does offer Calgary numbers and I edited my post above to reflect that my new Calgary number works with Google Voice. I can now follow your suggestion and forward my Calgary number and/or my Google Voice number wherever I want it. Thanks.
2:25 pm
May 1, 2009
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bridonca said:
Oh my! Well, I am going to add my stupid VOIP tricks to the mix. 🙂
Get a freephoneline.ca account. You can get a phone number from most major cities in Canada, but let's pick Toronto as an example. You can then forward your Toronto freephoneline number to your Calgary Speak out phone number. Result, local call for residents in Toronto and Calgary.
I found 2 other American phone number providers, though neither support sip, VOIP on the browser. However, they should do fine for google voice registrations.
tried voxox and will not work...tried working around setting but failed again...
got Calgary number and gvoice worked...forwarded to my Toronto number as suggested above. Worked flawless:smile:.
6:51 pm
November 4, 2009
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Many thanks, I also used freephoneline.ca to get a 403 number than fowarded that to my 416 number and setup google voice to forward to the 403. Thus google voice hit's my 416 cell phone. I updated my site with details.
Many thanks.
Glen Lalonde.
http://www.binarysearchtree.com
1:19 pm
July 12, 2009
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I was linking this thread in another thread, and I realized I had figured out a few more things in the interim.
The recent addition of free outbound calling from Google Chat Voice actually uses the Google Voice system. Loging in to Google Voice once you have the Chat application installed no longer takes you to the page saying that "Google Voice is not available in your country". You actually do log in to Google Voice however if you try to change the settings or add a phone, it won't work. It shows "Your Google Voice Number CLIENT_ONLY" and it will not open any of the links to change the service nor add a phone.
Whether the return value of having a Google Voice number in the US that you can use to answer calls in Canada is worth the work required as described above to get it it will vary on your personal situation. For those of us posting above, I think it was more about harnessing the technology than about making phone calls.
AFIAK Google voice still will not forward calls to any Canadian numbers other than those with a 403 area code.
freephoneline.ca also has limits on what area codes and cities you can forward their numbers to without incurring charges. Their site lists the cities that their service works in. There are a few cities that you can call for free besides the ones in which you can get a free number. Winnipeg and Halifax are available -- Victoria is not. Their differentiation is based on the old Telco landline long distance charts. For example calling or forwarding a freephoneline call to Winnipeg Manitoba is free, a call to Brandon Manitoba is not despite both being in Area Code 204.
12:19 pm
May 17, 2010
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Correct me if I'm wrong Ron.
It seems that all of Glen's efforts and yours are simply to find a way (through forwarding calls) to pay for local calls instead of long distance, correct?
Your efforts aren't to find a way for free calls with SO right?
3:37 pm
July 12, 2009
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There is no way to make free calls on SO.
However if there is a free VOIP service that you could run on wifi, from the phone, you could use that instead of the SO service when you were in range of a wifi signal. It wouldn't be that good for incoming calls because you would only receive calls if actually connected to the wifi signal.
For me, the exercise really just started to get Google Voice in Canada.
There is really no difference as far as the charges go for me -- if someone in the US calls me and it comes to my SO phone I pay the incoming call rate whether they call direct or through Google Voice.
However for the calling party, there is a difference. Lots of US phone carriers include US long distance in their packages but charge international rates to call outside the US, even to Canada. A friend of mine has an iPhone on ATT -- she can call all over the US as part of her plan but pays a premium to call me. By my having a US number, she can call me much more easily.
If i were in the US, I could consolidate several phones into one voice mail, and I could have Google Voice ring my home phone, cell phone, and any other phones I wanted at the same time, so I could be reached wherever I am on whatever phone is convenient to answer at the moment.
