Best way to make cheap VOIP international calls?

[fuzzybabybunny]

In the US you can happily use Google Voice and SIPDroid and make all the free VOIP data calls you want.

I'm in China now and I went to set up Google Voice to forward my US number to my Chinese number and it seems that Google Voice does not support international numbers. I also can't dial out using my normal SIPDroid process.

When you're overseas, how do you:

1. Have your phone ring when someone calls your US number?

2. Be able to call out on VOIP? Skype works very well but I'm wondering if there's a cheaper and better way.

3. When you call out, have the other side see you as calling from your normal US number?

 

[pm]

I moved to Poland for ~3 months about 4 years ago and what I did was essentially bring a Vonage box over with me and I plugged it into my router with DSL over there. And it did everything you listed.... but it's not a mobile phone app, it was a physical box. And I carried over a US voltage Panasonic cordless phone (and a big voltage adapter). The whole setup worked really well - the connection was crystal clear and people at work would joke that I wasn't really in Poland, but was hiding somewhere nearby pretending to be in Poland.

I believe - but haven't tested - that Callcentric's Android app will do everything you listed. I think you can also do it with Sipdroid and Callcentric or another similar VOIP provider.

 

[cronos]

I don't think number 1 is possible.

Number 2 and 3 should be possible by using GrooveIP or something similar. I haven't tried SIPDroid but my understanding is it's similar, so you should be able to do it with that, too. You obviously have to have a valid data connection, either through mobile data on your Chinese number or through wi-fi.

 

[pm]

Since Fuzzy mentions Google Voice, I think #1 is possible - just have GV forward to whatever you want to ring over there.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

^

not sure if google voice allows forwarding to international numbers?? i would think random ppl would sign up for US #s if that's the case... like a Chinese botnet.

 

[cronos]

Since Fuzzy mentions Google Voice, I think #1 is possible - just have GV forward to whatever you want to ring over there.

Nope, GV will not forward to international number. It would be crazy if it did

 

[Lifted]

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?p=32766760

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?p=32766760

wow I can't believe I didn't see that. Fuzzy I was in Taiwan the same time you. I had a 10 day sim card with unlimited data and a certain fixed $ for calling.

I honestly think your best bet is to use a local SIM+Skype. Otherwise you should've paid for international roaming.

 

[Anonemous]

It's probably too late but Obihai 110 box? Brought one of these overseas and was able to make/receive VOIP calls using google voice attached to a local US number.

 

[GTaudiophile]

Using my Galaxy Nexus + GrooveIP application: GrooveIP connected through my US Google Voice number over WiFi and I could make free outgoing calls to any US number. This option was free for me and the call receiver. For incoming calls, I had a separate cell with a German number to which anyone could call and it was free for me but not for them (assuming they did not have free international long distance).

 

[pm]

Nope, GV will not forward to international number. It would be crazy if it did

No, I didn't mean it the way that it came out. I'm not saying forward to an international number, but I'm saying that if you can #2 and #3, you have a US number, so just have GV forward to that number.

So, say, I sign up with callcentric, and they give me a number. So then I call out with SipDroid and use my GV voice with it (#2 and #3), but when they call me, I have GV forward to my callcentric number that they assigned me and that I'm using as my VOIP provider.

I can see how it would work in my head, I think, but I'm not articulating it very well.

 

[Muyoso]

I don't see why SipDroid wouldn't work. The way Sipdroid + PBXes.org works right now is that someone calls your google voice number and Google Voice sends out a Gchat notification, which PBXes intercepts and then sends to Sipdroid to answer. I don't see why being overseas would affect any of the internet related steps in that process. If you are in China and someone calls your Google Voice number, its still going to send out the gchat notification, which PBXes is still going to intercept and still send to Sipdroid.

 

[Necrolezbeast]

I use grooveip with google voice On WiFi, also in China... I give out my google voice number, so The way I use it has all those requirements you request... But I assume your google voice number is not the number your contacts are using? I guess you could forward your carrier number to your google voice number and it will work so long as you're on WiFi. For me grooveip has been flawless and a huge convenience, It's much better than paying for Skype or having to wait for people to be online to call

 

[zoiks]

Using my Galaxy Nexus + GrooveIP application: GrooveIP connected through my US Google Voice number over WiFi and I could make free outgoing calls to any US number. This option was free for me and the call receiver. For incoming calls, I had a separate cell with a German number to which anyone could call and it was free for me but not for them (assuming they did not have free international long distance).

I was doing the same thing from Dubai a couple of weeks ago with my Nexus 7. Worked like a charm.

 

[notposting]

Wait, the drug cartels in South America didn't get you?

The Triad or Commies in China will.

edit for on topic-ness: the Obihai 110 box won't be working so easily with GV come May 1st, not sure how long he i staying over there.