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I am not an iDevice user, but I believe iPod restricts communications to services such as FaceTime. Google does not support calls from iOS, but it does support them from Android, Windows, and OSX.
I have used Google Voice to make and receive calls from my Windows computer for about 2 years now. In fact, my cell phone is turned OFF when I am home. My computer stays ON almost 18 hours a day.
I looked into this and it seems computer-to-computer and computer-to-phone calls are made through Google Chat (part of GMail). I may try this at home. I still think GV is out of loop for communication. It just handles voice-mail, call forwarding, etc.
I looked into this and it seems computer-to-computer and computer-to-phone calls are made through Google Chat (part of GMail). I may try this at home. I still think GV is out of loop for communication. It just handles voice-mail, call forwarding, etc.
True.
As hair-brained as this sounds:
* You first get a free phone number (and manage forwarding options) on Google Voice
* You make/receive calls using Google Talk, Google Chat, or Google Mail
* You send and receive text messages using Google Voice
* You listen to voice mails on Google Voice
* You can make calls using Google Voice but you must choose between using Google Talk or a linked phone
-- Google Voice will first call you on Google Talk or the linked phone; it then places the actual call
* You can forward text messages and transcripts of voice mails to an e-mail address
* You can receive calls on a linked phone if forward calls to a phone
-- If Google Talk/Chat/Mail is running, an incoming call rings there as well as on a linked phone (if forwarded to) . You can pick up the call anywhere.
* You can make and receive calls on an Android device using Groove (Lite), an Android app; you can send and receive text messages using the Google Voice app
-- Groove Lite and Google Voice (apps) are free
An Android phone is the most convenient method of using Google Voice, because it allows a single phone to be used to make and receive calls, and send and receive text, with both the phone's number and the Google Voice number.
* You first get a free phone number (and manage forwarding options) on Google Voice
Thanks, SMUR, this has all been very helpful for me. One question - I have only a Tracfone (pay as you go phone), and I have had three phone numbers assigned by them before I finally gave up. The biggest problem that makes the phone almost worthless is that 2,947 people before me have had this same phone number, and all my minutes are used up on incoming calls, mostly bill collectors/computers, for these other people. I can't keep it on because of this, and even when off, the many daily voice mail messages eat my minutes up as well. Tracfone has no solution except to keep getting new numbers.
Since Skype doesn't work here, I would like to check out Google Voice, but am wondering if you have had the same experience with the phone number being re-assigned a million times. Also, if you have tried Skype and Google Voice, how is the sound quality between the two? As I said earlier, Skype sounded like we were talking underwater, making it worthless as well.
I've had Google Voice for a couple years and can't remember ever getting a wrong number. Maybe it happened once or twice, but I don't remember. Sound quality on calls placed through Google Voice were marginal a couple years ago. It was hit-or-miss. There would be delays or echos. Lately it seems fine. Disclaimer: I'm not a frequent user of GV for making/receiving calls.
I've had Google Voice for a couple years and can't remember ever getting a wrong number. Maybe it happened once or twice, but I don't remember. Sound quality on calls placed through Google Voice were marginal a couple years ago. It was hit-or-miss. There would be delays or echos. Lately it seems fine. Disclaimer: I'm not a frequent user of GV for making/receiving calls.
Thanks, SMUR, this has all been very helpful for me. One question - I have only a Tracfone (pay as you go phone), and I have had three phone numbers assigned by them before I finally gave up. The biggest problem that makes the phone almost worthless is that 2,947 people before me have had this same phone number, and all my minutes are used up on incoming calls, mostly bill collectors/computers, for these other people. I can't keep it on because of this, and even when off, the many daily voice mail messages eat my minutes up as well. Tracfone has no solution except to keep getting new numbers.
Solution: Use google voice.
First, have Tracfone turn off your voicemail feature on your account; let Google voice handle the voicemail.
In the settings screen on voice.google.com is a setting for "Caller ID (incoming): Display my google voice number", so you'll know which calls are the wrong number calls directly to your Tracfone. If the Caller-ID doesn't display your Google Voice number, don't answer the phone.
Lastly, configure Google Voice to only forward calls from your contacts to your Tracfone, all other calls could go to a landline or just to voicemail.
...I have only a Tracfone (pay as you go phone), and I have had three phone numbers assigned by them before I finally gave up. The biggest problem that makes the phone almost worthless is that 2,947 people before me have had this same phone number, and all my minutes are used up on incoming calls, mostly bill collectors/computers, for these other people. I can't keep it on because of this, and even when off, the many daily voice mail messages eat my minutes up as well. Tracfone has no solution except to keep getting new numbers....
I guess the phone-number problem could happen with any carrier, but I see how that problem affects your bottom line particularly with TracFone.
If you are willing to give up the advantage of TracFone's roaming across GSM/CDMA networks, you could try T-Mobile or AT&T's pay-as-you-go. For example, T-Mobile has a $2/day for unlimited calls, texts, web, and air time. There is also a more economical $50/month prepaid plan. I know AT&T has comparable plans.
I have used T-Mobile prepaid quite successfully in Southern NH: I forward my Google Voice number to my T-Mobile number but keep the phone turned OFF unless I need to be on the road. I use Google Voice on my computer when at home/office.
Quote:
Originally Posted by C2ShiningC
...
Since Skype doesn't work here, I would like to check out Google Voice, but am wondering if you have had the same experience with the phone number being re-assigned a million times. Also, if you have tried Skype and Google Voice, how is the sound quality between the two? As I said earlier, Skype sounded like we were talking underwater, making it worthless as well.
Their agreements with phone companies gives Skype and Google a broader pool of numbers to assign. Thus, intuitively, it feels unlikely you will face the phone-number problem with them. The call quality is pretty good on both Skype and Google, but Skype is more expensive to make phone calls.
I use both Skype and Google heavily everyday: Skype for heavy-duty work-related interactions with a small number of people to exchange messages, files, and calls (computer-computer); Google for mails, texts, and phone calls.
I
I have used T-Mobile prepaid quite successfully in Southern NH: I forward my Google Voice number to my T-Mobile number but keep the phone turned OFF unless I need to be on the road. .
You must be using it only in southeast NH. I know when I had a t-mobile phone, I got maybe 1 bar in Hollis (depending on which room in my parents house I was in!), and nothing west of there. When I went in to a t-mobile store, we looked at the coverage maps and for pre-paid, they didn't extend much west of Nashua, so all there was in Hollis was just marginal edges. I don't remember whether they botherd with Keene or not, but essentially every town west of Hollis was dead area for T-mobile. and they didn't care because the eastern region was more populated so everyone else didn't matter in their eyes. They also admitted that the pre-pay coverage map was different from the plan coverage, but neither of the two cared about anything outside seacoast and eastern/central.
I had t-mobile for a few years while I was still doing international travel and needed something that would work in Europe. They didn't even offer service where we live and the closest location we could get was Keene. It was a little odd having a cell phone that was only useful away from home but we lived with it. We got very fed up with the poor customer service - they kept giving me incorrect information as to how to retrieve phone messages while in Europe that didn't result in outrageous roaming charges.
I've had the PhonePower for a week and thanks to SMUR, my issue is resolved. Thank you to everyone who put their 2 cents in!
To recap:
I'm running a small business out of my home and need to be able to use a phone occasionally while I am at my PC. I also need to be able to make occasional international calls. Monthly plans for landlines seemed costly compared to the actual amount of time I would be using the phone, since most of what I do is on the internet.
I had had a pay-as-you-go tracfone which was a nice solution until tracfone "upgraded" their service and I was unable to get a signal at the house. Not only do I not get a signal inside the house, the suggestion to go outside didn't work. Never mind that I need to be at my PC while on the phone as opposed to shivering on my deck, I need to go at least 1.5 miles to get a decent signal. So something had to be done.
I selected VOIP with PhonePower. In case anyone has a similar problem I'll post details of my experience.
Price: Their advertised price of $8.33/mo includes one hour of international calling. If you wait long enough for one of their specials to pop up, you can find a deal for $5.99/mo. Bear in mind that since this is phone service, there will be fees tacked on so that your final price will be higher. I ended up paying $211.08 for two years. This will not include any additional charges if I go voer the one hour international.
Hardware / Setup : Included in that $211.08 is shipping cost for their router, which I am leasing. The router has an input and output for the WAN/LAN and two outputs for phone lines. We have a wired router in our home so there were two options for setting up:
1) put the PP router upstream of the existing router
2) put the PP router downstream of the existing router, ie take the LAN cable out of the back of my PC and plug it into the PP router, then hook my PC into the PP router output.
For convenience I tried #2 first. Even after waiting far longer than the required 10 minutes for the system to recognize that I was online and register my unit, I couldn't get a dial tone on my phone. I called PP tech support and they suggested that I may have to put the PP router upstream of the existing router, as the the output from our router may not be sufficient to let the PP router get the information it requires in the form it requires. I tried that and presto, I got a dial tone. I then went back to the setup according to #2 and fortunately it worked.
After one week I have no complaints. I have a two-line phone with line 1 using the house landline and line 2 using the VOIP. I don't notice any the difference in quality between the two. There are some nifty bells and whistles that are too numerous to mention with the VOIP. For example I can access my voicemail from any PC that has Silverlight installed. I can also set it up so that the PP # will ring simultaneously at several numbers, plus some other fancy stuff that is made possible by the fact that this is VOIP as opposed to simple telephony. There may be bells and whistles available from cell phone providers, but for us out in the woods, they are not accessible owing to the lack of signal.
If someone else decides to look at this type of solution, I do recommend checking your connection using the "speedtest" prior to placing any order. I had seen complaints online about poor sound quality and felt a lot more comfortable placing the order after my internet connection passed the test with flying colors. If you go with PhonePower you and I can both get a discount if you let me "refer" you. DM me if you are interested so I can give you my username.
I'm sure the day will come when either their server is down or we are without power which will knock out my VOIP line, but being out here in the wilderness we're used to being disconnected from the rest of the world at times. Now at least most of the time I now have an economical and functional phone number that works indoors.
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