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Best Free VOIP Setup Using SIP (the most standard open-source protocol), the guide could show you how to obtain FREE incoming(with your own call-in number!) & outgoing calls through your softphone with multiple voip providers, including setting up your sip address. As you should saw in my previous post regarding softphones, I did a lot of research including playing around with different software to obtain the best setup for me. I wanted something non-proprietary (and so, way more accessible) but feature-filled (as much as possible). I additionally preferred a method that could work cross-platform, as I do have both Windows & Linux on my computer. Unfortunately I did not find much on Macs (though I do have 1 recommendation below), so I have little to recommend to Mac-users, which includes my sister who has been waiting for a good answer as well. After some downloading & tinkering, I’ve finally found the best way (for me) to communicate through my computer. I believe that using the SIP protocol is the best, as its the most standard pertaining to the open networks to date, including there are many different softphones to choose from. However, it seems that only a small percentage of those actually allow you to choose your own provider (and so, let you know your sip address)! Many pertaining to the sip programs out there actually are just trying to suck you into their group with grand displays of “free!” all over their sites, only to pile on fees later (like Skype did). Well, I have found a way to obtain FREE calls, IN & OUT of my softphone to landlines(most countries) & mobile phones (the U.S.) alike. Yes, yes, it’s true. the method requires a few tricks, including a couple different services. I didn’t spend a penny, including I’m actually pretty surprised myself. I’m sure the won’t last forever though, so hop on the bandwagon while you still can! Summary: 1. obtain a customizable/configurable sip softphone (for instance Ekiga for Linux including X-lite for Windows/Mac). 2. Find a voip provider that offers free outgoing calls (such as Voipbuster, which I use). 3. Find a voip provider that offers a free incoming number (such as IpKall or SipNumber or Stanaphone) or (better for people–from different places–calling you to obtain cheaper rates) just access your sip account through SipBroker’s access numbers. 4. Set up a mother account (for instance at Voxalot) to manage & direct your calls(Note: only needed if your softphone does not provide multiple voip accounts) 5. Configure your softphone to register with your mother account. 6. Set up a sip alias account at sip411.com 7. Give out your “regular” number(for people calling you from regular phones) including your sip address(for calls through the computer) for people to contact you. [Note: you should additionally map your “regular” number to your ip address with other services if you need to have just 1 number for finding you] * establish your “presence” on your website, blog, or myspace? account with clickable icons to contact you #1 - Softphone I used Ekiga (on my Ubuntu) with Voipbuster’s free calling as the default account, then sign up(optional, actually) for SIP Broker’s alias & PSTN-SIP service. If you have both Linux & Windows, like me, you could be able to follow pretty easily, as you could soon see. If you have just Windows, you could have to hope that the beta Ekiga could work well on your computer or use another softphone like X-lite, including if you have just Linux, you could need to borrow somebody’s Windows to download Voipbuster once in order to sign up for their account (Note: you won’t need it after that though). For those of you with Ubuntu Dapper, you probably already have Ekiga installed. For the rest of you (Linux & Windows), please follow the links on my previous post to download Ekiga. Go ahead including sign up for their sip address if you don’t have 1 already (though you don’t NEED to, since you could be setting up other providers later/below). Also, you should log in at ekiga.net including find out your alias number. Write the down, as the could be handy later. For those of you with Mac or Windows, I will suggest X-Lite (which additionally works on Linux, if you need it). It is customizable, easy to set-up, including has a pretty slick interface. It looks like it could be skinnable too (but it’s not!). It additionally seems to read your network including automatically configure itself to work (a real time (and hair) saver). Mac users could additionally try Xmeeting, which additionally has some good reviews. #2 - Free Outgoing Voip Next, you could need to obtain a free account at Voipbuster’s. You could have to download their softphone program (Windows only) & from there you should sign up automatically for your account. do not forget your username & password, including that’s it. Voipbuster’s could be your outgoing voip provider, since it’s typically free (for many countries). Check here, though, for other options, if Voipbuster doesn’t work for you. #3 - Free Incoming Number After that, it’s time to obtain your free incoming number. At ipKall, you should obtain a free number only from Washington State, while at SipNumber, the number is randomized but could most likely never be the local number you want. (you’ll have to pay for a local number) I set up SipNumber for myself including ended up with a particular Iowa area code - not actually that appealing to me. So I found Stanaphone, where I got a local NYC number (212, 718, & 646 are already being billed regarding $15, so I got a free “347″ area code instead). If you are looking for a more stable non-free but still inexpensive solution, take a look at Les.net, which offers numbers to people for a low monthly payment. Voip-info.org lists more bargain voip providers. #4 - Mother Voip Account If your softphone allows multiple sip providers, you do not need the (you could register your multiple voip providers through the option menu), though I will still suggest it. [Correction: After I found out that Voxalot does not transmit instant messages (at least for me, it did NOT work), I’d like to revise this. Although Voxalot’s great for having multiple CALLING plans, your *best* bet is to use a softphone with multiple providers, period. the way you should still have your instant messages, etc, too…I additionally had issues with caller ID & sip presence] You have 1 spot for all your accounts, you obtain free voicemail, including you should set up calling plans. If you switch partitions, change softphone programs, hop to a new provider, etc, you only have to make the change once, in your mother account. Go to Voxalot including set up your mother account there. It seems complicated, but it’s not. Login, click on “Providers” in the right-hand sidebar, including just add your voip providers, 1 by one, with your account names/numbers, passwords, & provider host addresses. After you save, make sure each 1 is ‘registered’, including then you should be ready to go. What’s great regarding Voxalot is that it routes your calls in & out, taking your voicemail if you are out or your computer’s off, including should be a provider itself as well. What’s actually great, is that you should use the “Dial Plans” page to tell Voxalot exactly which provider to use for which kind of call. Here is where you input your free outgoing call provider (such as Voipbuster), so that Voxalot knows to use that provider at the time you need it. For instance, pick begins with from the drop-down menu, type in 1 in the next space, including then pick Voipbuster (or your free voip account) in the last drop-down menu. the tells Voxalot to use Voipbuster(for free outgoing calls) at the time I dial “1″ - whenever I dial ANY U.S. number, basically. (I should additionally do the same thing for “0″ which will tell make it use Voipbuster for international calls as well). #5 - Configure Softphone The first thing you need to do is register your softphone to your mother account. (if you are just using multiple accounts, then you need to register each 1 on your softphone). Go to your options, edit Accounts, or preferences menu, including there should be a button to “ADD” a new client. (This is just like adding providers in Voxalot in #4 above. ) There you could need to input your voip provider’s information, such as your username or #, your password, including it’s voip server, which is typically just —–.com or sip.—-.com. If those don’t work, then try pinging the provider to obtain its exact ip address to input there instead. “Authorized User” is the same as your username or #. You could know if you set up that part correctly, because your softphone could try to register with the provider/s including could tell you if it connected or not. [Note: if you set up a Voxalot account, including it is working correctly with your providers properly ‘registered’, then you just need to configure your softphone to register with Voxalot only] Next you should try some calls to see test your setup (softphone & providers). Try calling yourself (with your free incoming number), including try calling out through your softphone. If you have any problems actually connecting, either way, then you need to check your settings. For instance, I noticed that I need to open extra ports for Ekiga to work properly. You should see my write-up on port forwarding here. Alternatively, you may just need to make sure your firewall is allowing your softphone program overall access, &/or check to see that your port 5060 (typically used for these programs) is open. Other issues with audio, etc, should be more complicated (i.e. I probably won’t know the answer for your problem). #6 - Alias Sip Address Although it seems they haven’t updated their web site in a while including I’m not sure how many people actually use it, sip411.com seems like a great place to set up a particular alias for your sip address. Say you have signed up with voxalot.com, freeworld dialup, sipPhone or ekiga.net. Now you have some username which usually is just a number (in the case of ekiga, I got a name with a number). With sip411, you should pick any username you choose, including use it as a particular alias for your other sip accounts. the way you could always have 1 easy permanent sip address to give out, especially if you have multiple sip addresses or you change your voip provider/s. Another option could be to use SipBroker as a place not only to obtain a particular alias for your sip address (though it has to be a number too), but additionally access codes for people to call you from almost worldwide. For instance, if your friend lived in Washington, DC, they will call 1-202-552-1297 including obtain a particular automated message telling them to input the provider code (for instance my voxalot code is *010) + user number (for instance your voxalot #). If you had set up a particular alias number through sipBroker, your number will be *011-1-alias#. You should look up your provider code # here. SipPhone & FWD have a similar, but smaller, service but even though I tried several times, I could not connect the call to my computer. [note: I’ve since read that those sipphone/fwd access numbers don’t work?] #7 - Go Public! Now that you’re setup to make & receive calls including give out a permanent sip address & telephone number, you are ready to let the world know! 1 way to do the is through online “presence”, indicating to others, usually with some icon, whether you are available or not. Some voip providers out there have code ready for you on your member/account page. You should paste it on the web, if you like. at the time people see that you are online, they should click on it including automatically connect to you (voice or im), of course, only if they are using compatible software. the is why it is crucial that people stay away from proprietary software (like Skype), including stick with open protocols which don’t limit interoperability or stop us from communication.
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