Free phone options incoming & outgoing

[markov]

Anyone have any tips for 100% free phone setups?
I took nyphonejacks advice and setup an IPKall phone number. I connected it to a free callcentric account, tied it all to the free X-Lite phone software and can now receive incoming calls to a free  permanent phone number.

But still no outgoing calls..

So I setup a Google Voice account and tied it to my IPKall number. I was able to verify the number and successfully make a free outgoing call, but the problem is that its a major pain in the ass.. I had to make the Google Voice verification call several times, and when making an outgoing call, I have to have Google Plus try to ring me several times also. It seems to fail to connect 95% of the time for some reason, and sometimes blocks me from trying again for several minutes.

I don't know if its a Google Voice issue, or something with IPKall, but I'm pretty sure its Google Voice causing the problem.

Anyway, it is a way to get totally free incoming and outgoing calls, and your own phone number... but the annoyance of outgoing calls is enough to make it almost unusable

Tools/sites mentioned:
http://www.ipkall.com/
http://www.callcentric.com/
http://www.counterpath.com/x-lite.html

[nyphonejacks]

buy one of these for your google voice number http://obihai.com/

or set up asterisk to communicate with XMPP (Jabber) i know that it is possible, i just have never done it before since i have not set up an asterisk server yet...

[markov]

that looks pretty cool.. similar to that nettalk duo, minus the yearly cost

i'll have to bookmark that for later.. main reason i'm looking for free options is because i'm unemployed with no unemployment and no savings, so in other words: flat broke

[nyphonejacks]

then you probably have some free time to figure out the asterisk method.. as long as you have a spare PC lying around (who doesn't) and an FXO port, VoIP phone, ATA, or SIP client on a WiFi device like an iTouch, and android phone or GSM blackberry...

[markov]

Might look into that a bit.. I actually don't have much free time despite being unemployed. I've got a lot of projects I work on and being trapped in a boring stupid job for 8 years was hell.. now I'm loving working every day on stuff I'm actually interested in, but still trying to figure out how to turn some of that into $

Anyway.. Don't have any smartphones. I do have an ipod touch, but I'll have to get a special microphone adapter to use it for that, which will cost about $50.. still will probably look into all of that a bit as it seems interesting anyway

[Cyclopath]

Step 1: Make or obtain a redbox
Step 2: Find a payphone
Step 3: Call the operator, 1-800-CALL-ATT, or 1-800-COLLECT
Step 4: Use your redbox to place an operator assisted call

Alternatively,

Step 1: Obtain stolen credit card
Step 2: Find a payphone
Step 3: Call the operator, 1-800-CALL-ATT, or 1-800-COLLECT
Step 4: Use the stolen credit card to make a credit card call

For incoming calls, use the number posted on the payphone. Note that not all payphones take incoming calls.

[markov]

Step 1: Make or obtain a redbox

I actually still have an old radio shack tone dialer and unused crystal laying around..

[Q_]

There is that $0.99 app taht works great

[markov]

I was really just wondering if anyone knew of any tricks like using Google Voice to call a free IPKall number to cheat free outgoing calls

I might see if there are any other services like IPKall that work better since Google Voice doesn't work 90% of the time with this number

[nyphonejacks]

not sure what calling from google voice to IPKall would accomplish...
http://www.ipcomms.net/product-freedid.html also offers free DIDs  opps - just looked at their site, they only offer the DID for free for the first 30 days, then it is $10/mo which seems kind of high to me since that only includes inbound calls, and outgoing calls are "as low as 2c/min"

[markov]

not sure what calling from google voice to IPKall would accomplish...

I use IPKall to get a free incoming phone number. Then I use Google voice to make a free outgoing telephone call to wherever.. but Google Voice has to call you in order to make a call, which is why I have to use the IPKall phone number- to receive the Google Voice "outgoing" call

Dial number in Google Voice -> Google Voice calls my IPKall number -> I get 100% free outgoing calls

Since people can also call you at the washington IPKall number, you get free incoming/outgoing phone service like this

Unforunately, the Google Voice calls fail to connect most of the time. I have to attempt the call many times before it works and sometimes it even blocks me from trying again. I think they may have something programmed to attempt preventing people from doing this kind of thing, because I know there used to be some other website that let you set this same kind of thing up, but then Google bought them and shut it down.

Or maybe the IPKall numbers just don't work very well. I haven't used it much for incoming calls so I don't know

[nyphonejacks]

ah, i get it click to call...

yea they have not done anything with gizmo since they took it over, i was looking forward to SIP integration with google voice

you could always use an obi ATA with google voice which cost about $50 or so, or you could set up an asterisk server with jabber/XMPP to connect with your google talk account to get free calls - right now that is beyond me how to set up..