iPad solution for cheaper calls than Telkom [Solved]

I recently replied to a question on the MyBroadBand forums. Ettiene69 asked: “Is there any VOIP App or service provider which I can use on my iPad, which IS ACTUALLY CHEAPER than normal Telkom or Cell Phone Rates?”

I provided this 3 step solution:
Step 1: Install the MobileVoip app (available for iPhone, iPad, iPod, Symbian, BlackBerry, Android, Windows Phone):  iStore link here: http://itunes.apple.com/app/mobilevoip/id362528311?mt=8
 
Step 2: Register and purchase 10 Euros of any Voip provider - for South Africa I recommend Rynga: http://www.rynga.com/calling-rates.html#letter-S
Rates comparison:
Rynga rate for South Africa (Landline)  FREE (for 120 days, then R0.31c per minute)  [Telkom rate is R0.57c per min]
Rynga rate for South Africa (Mobile)    R0.558 per minute [Telkom rate is R1.35 per min]
Telkom rates from here:  http://www.telkom.co.za/general/pricelist/automaticexchanges_worldcall.html
See Rynga’s rates list here: http://www.rynga.com/en/calling-rates.html

Step 3: Purchase data for your iPad - for low usage per month, I recommend CellC prepaid:
http://handytechtips.blogspot.com/2012/04/winner-of-no-contract-non-expiring-pre.html 

Remember to add the CellC data costs per minute to your total call cost comparison… Working on about 1MB per minute for a voice call – add CellC’s rate of 16c per minute to the call:

Rynga rate for South Africa (Landline) FREE+16c per minute (for 120 days, then 31c+16c=47c per minute) [Telkom rate is R0.57c per min]
Rynga rate for South Africa (Mobile) 56c+16c=72c per minute [Telkom rate is R1.35 per min]


So, with all 3 steps done you should be able to take your iPad anywhere in South Africa, start up the MobileVoip app and make calls cheaper than using Telkom and cell phone rates :) :)
At home or when within range of WiFi point, switch to WiFi and save even more. 

Let me know if it works for you.

What’s the cheapest way of calling Israeli cell phones from South Africa?

A reader asked this question so I did a bit of research: 
I would recommend using your computer (with mic and headset via your PC’s ADSL Internet connection) to dial out using software called: Rynga
See here for the rates: http://www.rynga.com/en/calling-rates.html#leti 

Calls to Israeli landlines are free for the 1^st 120 days after buying 10Euros of airtime – after the 120 days is up, it’s cheaper than using SkypeOut.
Israel  (Landline)         FREE for 120 days: then 0.21 ZAR cents per minute
Israel  (Mobile)           0.43 ZAR cents per minute.

VOIPbuster software is also an option, but they don’t offer free calls to Israel landlines:    
http://www.voipbuster.com/en/calling-rates.html#leti
Israel  (Landline)         0.12       ZAR cents per minute
Israel  (Mobile)            0.83       ZAR cents per minute

If you have Skype then you can use their SkypeOut service (more expensive than the above)
ie: call from your PC to Israeli cell phone:  http://www.skype.com/intl/en-us/prices/payg-rates/?currency=ZAR#cc=IL
Destination:     Price:
Israel   ZAR 0.20 per minute
Israel - Mobile ZAR 1.15 per minute







You can also call from your cell phone (obviously more expensive than above using your PC:
This one you pay VAS (Value Added Service) call rates: http://www.3g.co.za/content/view/90/51






See here for other and more detailed info:
http://handytechtips.blogspot.com/2010/09/120-free-days-of-calls-to-major-cities.html
http://handytechtips.blogspot.com/2009/08/voipbuster-over-skypeout-verdict-read.html
 
Calling cards: http://handytechtips.blogspot.com/2010/01/cheap-international-calls-from-south.html 
http://handytechtips.blogspot.com/search?q=dect

Polycom IP SoundStation IP 5000 call lasts exactly 20 seconds and then disconnected [SOLVED]

A colleague had this nasty problem that he managed to solve – he found lots (hundreds) of people on the Internet had the same problem but there were no solutions out there – so I convinced him to share how he solved the nasty problem:

The problem:
Polycom IP SoundStation IP 5000 - calls last exactly 20 seconds and then they are disconnected.

The logs on the SwitchVox PABX showed the following error when tracing the SIP messages passing between PBX and Polycom IP 5000.  This is the error code that I suspected was causing the issue:

(Critical Response) -- See doc/sip-retransmit.txt


It took a while, but changing the protocol that IP5000 uses to connect to the PABX from TCP/IP to UDP seems to have fixed the problem - now the calls work properly :)
It now also connects to the SwitchVox PABX immediately compared to previously when using TCP/IP it took at least 10 seconds. 
So now, once the phone is plugged in and boots up, it immediately connects and calls longer than 10 seconds are now no problem!

 


For others trying to figure out how to log onto the phone’s web page to change the settings:
use username (upper case ‘P’):  Polycom
and
password:  456 
(This is the default username and password)

Walkie Talkie on your phone: Push To Talk (PTT) using data channel on any network in South Africa

Use your BlackBerry or Android phone or PC to instantly talk to a group of users – just like using walkie talkie radios!  All of this for free (just pay for the bandwidth)!  I suppose you could call it a VOIP app, since the voice does get converted to IP packets – but what’s different with this app is that the voice gets transmitted to a group of people and it comes over their phones’ speakers – like an intercom system!

This app is available for download from here: http://loudtalks.com/download and best of all it’s FREE.  This allows public groups of up to 100 people – if you want to create private groups, then there’s the “Loudtalks Mesh or “Loudtalks Cloud” products. 

The Cloud product is free to try out for up to 10 users, then there’s payment options to go larger groups up to 1,000 people. 
In short, if you have your own server, then go for the Loudtalks Mesh option – else Loudtalks Cloud – which doesn’t require a server and is very quick to set up.
See here for a comparison:  http://loudtalks.com/compare_products

 

Some of the features of the app are:
Loudtalks conversations are nearly as fast as face-to-face and possibly the fastest way to communicate online.
With Loudtalks you can voice message two, three or even a hundred people simultaneously.
Re-play your conversations when you want from the voice history.
Unlike traditional VoIP applications you don't have to use a headset with Loudtalks.
Loudtalks works over WiFi and 3G, and can be used on GPRS and EDGE.
Touchscreen-friendly
Real-time, low latency
Public channels
Voice-activated transmission (VOX) support

Currently, the app is available for BlackBerry and Android phones as well as PC (Windows and Linux using Wine):
BlackBerry - point your phone to: http://loudtalks.com/bb Note: that it does not use BIS – so if you are not using WiFi, then you will pay for the bandwidth used.  Depending on your wireless provider and service plan using the app may cause data charges even if you have "unlimited email and browsing" BIS data plan.  The app uses 110kB per minute talking, and 20kB per hour when idle.  Regardless of your service plan you can always use the app on WiFi for free.
Android: http://market.android.com/details?id=com.loudtalks 
PC: http://loudtalks.com/download
iPhone: iOS version will be released later this year (2011)

How to get going?:
Install the app then create an account and username,
then add contacts – once approved,
then you can try talking by pressing the PTT button (for BlackBerry it’s the convenience button on the LHS of the phone; for Windows it is F7) – keep that button down to talk, and release it to listen.  

You can also create your own public channels that other people can search for and join.

I’ve tested the application with Vodacom in South Africa and has worked with WiFi and the Vodacom network on BlackBerry 9700 Bold and 8520 Curve.  
Users with 3G handsets should enable the WAP2SR in the Options->Connection menu – this will reduce the high battery consumption.

If you get stuck, here’s a FAQ for BlackBerry users: http://loudtalks.com/bb_faq

Let me know if you have managed to successfully use the app – and for what purpose.  I am going to suggest this for the local neighbourhood watch in my area.

Follow LoudTalks on Twitter here: http://twitter.com/loudtalks

Other similar apps that I’ve found are:
http://hipvoice.com/pricing Blackberry and other “rugged devices”, and not free
http://blabbelon.com Windows and iPhone
http://heytell.com Android and iPhone
http://voxer.com iPhone (soon Android)
http://www.itikl.com Android and iPhone (free)

Where to download VoipBusterMate and SkypeMate for USB phones

Following from my previous postings on cheap (and sometimes free) international calling using VOIP (Voice over Internet) and USB phone handsets, I was distressed to find that the http://yealink.net/skypemate/download  and www.skypemate.net download sites are getting fewer and fewer.  (The original location that my posts referred to are now no longer available to download the software)
So, I decided to make the downloads that I have on my local computers available here:
SkypeMate_4.0.2.2.zip
VoipBusterMate3.0.2.48.zip

I also see that some are available here too: http://www.usbphoneworld.com/fido.html

Previous posts that explain how to connect your DECT cordless telephone to make VOIP calls:
* My DECT cordless phone is now actually working with Skype and SkypeOut and VoipBuster and VOIP calls – cool, and so convenient!
* Hooray, I’ve found a way to use my cordless DECT phone to make Skype and SIP VoipBuster calls – Solved :)
* 120 free days of calls to major cities, then rates at cheaper than SkypeOut

VoipRaider like VoipBuster, but there’s no Mate :(

Another great service with great PC-to-Phone (like Skype’s “SkypeOut”) calling rates is VoipRaider.  Now I’m looking for a VoipRaiderMate - like VoipBusterMate for use with a USB adapter so that I can make International calls using my DECT cordless phone as described here.


If you know of a location for downloading VoipRaiderMate then please add a comment or email me asap.

Or, perhaps there’s a way of making VoipBusterMate work with VoipRaider – they seem very similar!

Cheap International calls from South Africa using Calling Cards (no computer necessary): another HTT calculator to compare offerings

Yes, I’ve blogged about VOIP and SkypeOut and VoipBuster and NimBuzz and Fring and Dect-to-Voip but all of those require a computer or cell phone, and Internet connection (preferably ADSL or 3G/Edge).  Some of my readers and friends have asked for a much simpler way of making international calls and save money – in fact they are already using calling cards. 
Calling cards are more expensive than using your ADSL connection (probably slightly more than paying for the data charges on your cell phone unless you have a data bundle), but the low cost (relative to Telkom), simplicity and convenience of using a calling card from any phone is a very good option for a lot of people.

This blog article attempts to find a few services that are available in South Africa and compares their rates:
(Please note that I haven’t tried any of these web services, although I have purchased some physical calling cards from ‘Talk Time’;
Also, rates are taken from the services’ web sites and might differ from their actual charges;
Don’t forget to consider the costs of the local call to the calling card’s local service number (that’s the cost of the Telkom call) – call at Call-More-Time {weekends and on weekdays: after 19h00 to 06h59} else get a Telkom ‘Closer Plan’)

   
 

Please note that HTT has not tried any of these services so cannot guarantee their services at all.  Quality of call, and rates might not be as depicted on their web sites.

Download HTT’s calling card calculator – download and read the “ReadMe” worksheet for instructions: HTT’s PhoneCallingCardsRatesCalculator
Note: the spreadsheet also compares VoipBuster and SkypeOut rates – did I say that VoipBuster rocks??!!! 
That DECT to VoipBuster solution is really convenient too :)




HelloHowzit: is dedicated to provide a low cost, high quality phone service offering discounted overseas international telephone calls.

Phone IT also known as: http://www.hellohowzit.com or http://www.phonehome.co.za 

They sell international phonecards for inexpensive international calls.  I think this is the service that provides the “Talk Time International Calling Cards”. 
Access numbers are: 011 - 232 9792 or 011 - 555 9600 or 021 – 673 6730

They also have a dial through service using the 087 8063555 access number, which is useful if you have free cellphone minutes to use up.

International phonecard rates start at R0.36 to most land line destinations. See the website for a whole list of countries.

Free R50.00 signup bonus on new South African call-through accounts!
This offer is valid for a limited time when opening a new R300 account.

The CARE project calling cards:
Make Free International Calls from you mobile or landline and support The C.A.R.E Project.  Save time and energy by using our free service and pay local call rates.  Use you mobile free minutes to effectively make free calls to overseas destinations. YES... It's FREE and support a charity organisation as well!
”
C.A.R.E (Caring. Assisting. Reaching. Empowering) is a non-profit organization formed to combat poverty and assist those less fortunate in realizing their potential towards self-empowerment.  The organization aims to do so by providing food and other products to poverty stricken communities, and advocating programmes for self- development and sustainability.
“

Dial the local access number (010 590 4444) and make free calls to over 60 countries. It's that SIMPLE!
Cellphone free minutes do apply, no PIN required, pay local mobile or fixed line rates.

All profits will be used to fund their social development projects which include:
  *) Funding and support of an orphanage
  *) Homeless feeding schemes
  *) Other social development projects to be initiated

1. How does it work ?
  i) Dial our local access number, 010 590 4444
  ii) Wait for the voice prompt
  iii) Dial your Destination number follows :
         00 <country code> <destination number>   e.g    00 44 207 3457654  (UK London)

2. What's the catch ?
Well... There is no catch.  You dial our access number, we obtain rebates from the service providers and the profits are used to fund social development and charity projects.

3. How much does it cost ?
Calls to global destinations are FREE!

Calls from your mobile provider depends on local call rates available on the package you have subscribed to.
Free mobile minutes may apply. This is not a premium rated service and you will be charged at local cellular rates to call our access number.  Peak and off peak rates apply thus determining the Free destinations available.

Calls from your Telkom landline to our access number are charged at R0.78 per minute during peak hours and R0.40 during off-peak.

4. Do I need a PIN number ?
NO. You do not require a PIN so call at your convenience

HTT comment: excellent rates to a limited list of 127 countries (and some cell phones).



Telesaver Phone Cards
http://telesaver.co.za/pricing.htm

HTT comment: Excellent per minute rates BUT, beware: the cards expire: R50 expires 6 months after first use.  R20 expires 1 month after first use.  Recharging makes a card last for an extra 6 months per R50.
The rates listed are awesome!  Some are even better than VoipBuster!

HippoCom allows payment by credit card.
The International Pre-Paid Calling Cards are available in R25, R50 and R80 denominations. These cards allow you access to all our international destinations at the lowest prices.

Access Numbers: 031-251 8100 and 031-765 2248

See here for their FAQs: FAQs

  
Phone4You allows payment by credit card.
Web site is (still) undergoing an upgrade but shows the rates and compares them with Telkom rates (and % saving).

Updated on 09Jan2010 @ 17h00: added WorldChat and SunDial telecom (and updated WorldChat to calculator .xls)
{Didn’t change the verdict tho)


WorldChat: allows payment by credit card
Calls are billed per minute.

Denominations of airtime: R25, R50, R100, R200

Please note all cards expire within 90 days of initial use.
R200 cards will expire 180 days after initial use
A trick: to add another 90 days credit to your expired card & have access to your expired airtime, recharge online.  Even by recharging with the smallest denomination (R25 for which you'll only pay R22.50) you will get access to your expired credit as well as the extra credit you have recharged by!

Access numbers:
  *) Durban     031 2048090
  *) Johannesburg     011 2312800
  *) Cape Town      021 4871040
  *) Tollfree (but rates per minute to International countries is higher): 0800 1WORLD (0800 196753)



SunDial telecom:
Per minute charge varies according to the calling card denomination that you have purchased – the more expensive the card, the lower the per minute rate.

The advertised web site is not working: http://www.calltheworld.co.za/ rather use: SunDial telecom

Access numbers:
Nationwide Share Call 0860 104649 – you pay for a local call (to Telkom) – this is NOT toll free.
CellSave 087 941 5000

Cape Town 021 402 0164
Johannesburg 011 252 1157
Pretoria 012 313 6930
Nelspruit 013 752 9524
Vereeniging 016 420 6447
Klerksdorp 018 406 2018
Rustenburg 014 590 2002
Standerton 017 727 8261
Kimberley 053 838 2040
Bloemfontein 051 411 0781
Durban 031 582 8218
Port Elizabeth 041 397 9805
East London 043 700 3005

Calls can be made to the 087 Cellsave access number from your cellular phone to use your free minutes (you receive a 30c discount on the per minute rate.) 
All calling card and subscriber calls made to the Toll Free access number (you don't pay local call charges)

See here for rates: SunDial telecom rates

HTT verdict: based on a random selection of countries (listed in the default filtered list in the spreadsheet) it is obvious that the Telesaver International Phone Card rates are the best – but, if you don’t use up your card within the expiry time, then you will lose your money! 
{R50 expires 6 months after first use. R20 expires 1 month after first use. Recharging makes a card last for an extra 6 months per R50.}
Don’t forget though, if you have ADSL, then VoipBuster is the best and cheapest!

Some tips: BEWARE of services that have 0861 access numbers – the rates are probably cheaper BUT they get a kick-back from Telkom per minute of the LOCAL call costs (to the calling card’s access number).


Here’s an excellent (although a bit dated) article from ‘Personal Finance’: Ten ways to cut your phone bill

My DECT cordless phone is now actually working with Skype and SkypeOut and VoipBuster and VOIP calls – cool, and so convenient!

My USB Phone Adapter (TelBox USB to RJ11 converter [USB-B2K]) arrived and now I can use my Panasonic DECT cordless phone to make and receive Skype, SkypeOut, VoipBuster and any other type of SIP calls.  Here’s how I did it for under R400 (including some tricks to get the hash to work):
1) If you haven’t read my first article on the device and the software then read it now: Hooray, I’ve found a way to use my cordless DECT phone to make Skype and SIP VoipBuster calls – Solved :)

2) Unpack the device and the included cables: 1x USB cable, 1x telephone RJ11 cable (no external power needed – gr8!)
3) Connect the TelBox to the USB port on the PC; and take the Telkom line from the cordless phone to the TelBox’s “Line” input; and connect the new RJ11 cable to the cordless phone’s “Line” input and the TelBox’s “Phone” input.  Test the connection by checking for dial tone on the cordless phone – if there’s no dial tone, then you’ve connected the wires up incorrectly (so read step 3 again).
What’s nice is that when the PC is off or TelBox is disconnected from the USB port, then the TelBox turns off and the cordless phone still works (as if there was no TelBox in the loop).

 
4a) For VoipBuster: download and install VoipBuster and VoipBusterMate and purchase credits
4b) Change the VoipBuster audio settings to use the new TelBox device: VoipBuster->Tools->Options->Sound Devices->Audio In=USB device  and  Audio Out=USB device.
4c) I prefer to dial 2 stars (**) to make the TelBox dial using the USB port, so change the settings as follows:
(from “How to Change * Key Used by USB Adapter”):
Close VoipBusterMate: in system tray, right click the VoipBusterMate icon and select Exit.  Click on Start->Run and type in %appdata%
The ApplicationData folder will appear in a window, open the VoipBusterMate folder; Edit the "Custom.ini" file and find the following line (located about 3/4 of the way down): szBoxTurnCommand = *
Change to: szBoxTurnCommand = **
Save and close Custom.ini and restart VoipBusterMate. Now when you want to switch between landline and VoipBuster mode, dial ** on your phone's keypad.
Note: the two stars works better on my setup – it seems that one star is not as reliable as using 2 stars.
4d) Open VoipBuster and create speed dials for the contacts that you want to dial on your DECT cordless phone: VoipBuster->Contacts tab->right click on the contact->Set speed dial->100
Note: I found that my Panasonic KX-TCD430 base station or KX-A143 handset didn’t dial the hash # unless the speed dials were at least 3 digits long!  The hash is needed to tell VoipBuster to “Call”.  I found that using a single digit speed dial, say 1 or 01, would cause VoipBuster (and Skype) to wait until the “Call” button was pressed using the mouse.  I suspect that the handset didn’t dial the hash unless more than 3 digits had been dialled.
4e) Then to make the call, I dial **100# and the TelBox is activated (USB light turns on), and VoipBuster dials speed dial 100 and the call is connected :)  Awesome!


5a) For Skype: download and install Skype and SkypeMate
5b) Change the Skype audio settings to use the new TelBox device: Skype->Tools->Options->Audio Settings->Microphone=USB device  and  Speakers=USB device.
5c) I prefer to dial 2 stars (**) to make the TelBox dial using the USB port, so change the settings as follows:
(from “How to Change * Key Used by USB Skype Adapter”):
Close Skype : in system tray, right click the Skype icon and select Exit.  Click on Start->Run and type in %appdata%
The ApplicationData folder will appear in a window, open the SkypeMate folder; Edit the "Custom.ini" file and find the following line (located about 3/4 of the way down): szBoxTurnCommand = *
Change to: szBoxTurnCommand = **
Save and close Custom.ini and restart SkypeMate. Now when you want to switch between landline and SkypeMate mode, dial ** on your phone's keypad.
Note: the two stars works better on my setup – it seems that one star is not as reliable as using 2 stars.
5d) Creating speed dials in Skype 4.0 is not so easy… since they removed the speed dial feature from this version :(  There are a couple of workarounds for this:  i) Use SkypeSpeedDial from here [250Kb]: http://skypespeeddial.blogspot.com or ii) Use Skype’s Tracer from here: SkypeTracer.
Remember to use a speed dial number >= 100 else some phones will not dial the hash.
Set speed dials for the contacts that you want to dial on your DECT cordless phone.
Note: I found that my Panasonic KX-TCD430 base station or KX-A143 handset didn’t dial the hash # unless the speed dials were at least 3 digits long!  The hash is needed to tell VoipBuster to “Call”.  I found that using a single digit speed dial, say 1 or 01, would cause Skype (and VoipBuster) to wait until the “Call” button was pressed using the mouse.  I suspect that the handset didn’t dial the hash unless more than 3 digits had been dialled.
5e) Then to make the call, I dial **100# and the TelBox is activated (USB light turns on), and Skype dials speed dial 100 and the call is connected :)  Awesome!

For more details on using the TelBox USB to RJ11 converter: User Guide for USB-RJ11 Adapter (Windows)

Note: the “under R400” applies in my case since I already had a PC with USB port and a wireless phone, so all I needed to purchase was the TelBox USB adapter.

On the TelBox packaging: USB to RJ11 converter; USB Phone Adapter; Supports wireless phones; 1 USB interface to PC; 1 FXS for regular phone; 1 FXO for PSTN call relays; Driver built in; No external power needed.

International calling from your South African PrePaid cell phone: if you’re with Vodacom, then you’re getting ripped off!

If you have a Vodacom PrePaid cell phone, then here are some tips to avoid the very high Vodacom call charges (R10 per minute).  One could use an MTN SIM card and save over R6.51 per minute!  Or dial a local CellC number and save over R6.40 per minute – here’s how:

A friend asked me how much it was to call Italy from his MTN Prepaid cell phone – here are the outcomes from my investigations:
Vodacom PrePaid cell phone to Italy from a PayAsYouGo phone is R10 per minute. http://www.vodacom.co.za/pkgcr.do?action=getpkgmenus&pkgTypeId=2&pageId=21

{If you had a contract: Vodacom Talk120: International Calls (Per minute):
Off Peak: 0.99 + Telkom Off-peak (landline = 0.83; mobile = 2.82) ===> Off peak to a landline: R1.82 per minute; Off peak to a mobile: R3.81 per minute.
Peak: 2.10 + Telkom Peak (landline = 0.99; mobile = 3.19) ===> Peak to a landline: R3.09 per minute; Peak to a mobile: R5.29 per minute.
http://www.telkom.co.za/products_services/internationalcallservice/cost.html
}

 

For MTN PrePaid Classic: it costs (per minute) R3.49 to dial a mobile phone directly in Italy, and R2.90 to a landline in Italy (billed on a per second basis).
http://www.mtn.co.za/Travel/International%20Calling/Pages/default.aspx?index=2 

Wow, seems like MTN is MUCH cheaper than Vodacom…. But still, VoipBuster to Italy landline is free for 120 days!  See here for more details: http://handytechtips.blogspot.com/2009/08/voipbuster-over-skypeout-verdict-read.html

You could also dial this CellC number (084 198 0001) and speak to over 60 international countries for no extra cost: http://handytechtips.blogspot.com/2008/10/make-cellc-call-and-speak-to-over-60.html . This works for landlines only in Italy.
{Works for cell phones in these countries: USA (most networks); Canada; China; Singapore; Hong Kong.}

Costs of calls to CellC:
For Vodacom pre-paid Vodago to CellC: to Value-Added Services Off-Peak: R1.08; Peak: R3.60 http://www.vodacom.co.za/pkgcr.do?action=getpkgsgroups&pkgTypeId=2&pkgGroupId=8&packageId=17

For Vodacom contract Talk 240 to CellC: Value-Added Services Off-Peak: R0.98; Peak: R1.88 http://www.vodacom.co.za/pkgcr.do?action=getpkgsgroups&pkgTypeId=1&pkgGroupId=1&packageId=4

For MTN PayG Classic to CellC: Peak: R2.85; Off peak: R1.60 per minute.

See here for details of MTN’s peak and off peak calling times: http://www.mtn.co.za/Support/faq/NewSubscribers/Pages/MakingTakingcalls.aspx

So, HTT’s verdict:  since my friend was already with MTN (whew), his cheapest option to call a landline in Italy @off peak times is to dial the local CellC number which would cost R1.60 per minute. 
At peak times he should rather dial direct (ie: MTN call) @R2.90 per minute (the CellC number’s cost is R2.85 but the call setup time (while you’re keying in the international number on the CellC call) will use up time and nullify the 5c per minute savings).
If he needed to call a cell phone in Italy (the CellC number doesn’t cover cell phones in Italy yet) then he would need to dial directly @R3.49 per minute.

HTT’s verdict for other Vodacom PrePaid users: rather than paying the R10 per minute, get an MTN SIM card for your international calls.

But, for all of you that read this far… these costs can be slashed further if you use VOIP – even on your cell phone.  Install NimBuzz and configure a SIP connection using your VoipBuster account.  Then for the 1st 120 days you’ll pay nothing for landline calls to major international cities except for the data costs (R2 per MB on prepaid if you don’t have a data bundle). See here for more info:  VoipBuster over SkypeOut: the verdict? Read this for hands on tips on saving on your phone bill

Hooray, I’ve found a way to use my cordless DECT phone to make Skype and SIP VoipBuster calls – Solved :)

Further to my posting “VoipBuster over SkypeOut…” where I ask the question “How do you make calling over VoipBuster as convenient as using the DECT cordless Telkom phone? (for less than R600)”, I think I’ve found the answer for R348 R255. The box is called SkypeBox or Telbox or ‘Yealink USB-B2K’ USB adapter and, since it’s a USB device, it needs to be plugged into a computer (and that’s why it’s such a cost effective solution) that will connect to the Internet and runs the VOIPbuster software.  (I see that no external power is required – so that’s 1 less cable to plug in!)

Download the manual here [410KB]: USB-B2K USB adapter manual

In fact, this box of tricks seems to have created software drivers (in 2007, 2008 already!) so that it can interface to the following VOIP services: SkypeMate, VoipBusterMate, VoipBusterMate, MSNMate, YahooMate, X-TenMate (for X-Lite, X-Pro or eyeBeam), SJphoneMate, GoogleTalkMate, Net2phoneMate, NortelMate: 

For a full list, click on the VOIP product logos on this page: Yealink Easy VOIP ‘Solutions page’.  Once you have clicked on the VOIP provider logo, the instructions appear at the bottom of the screen along with the Yealink compatible hardware :) and links to download the software (eg: VoipBuster) and the ‘Mate’ driver (eg; VoipBusterMate):

From the USB-B2K manual: “USB Adaptor is analog telephone adaptor with one USB interface to PC, 1 FXS for regular phone and 1 FXO for PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) call relays.
All cordless phones and regular phones can be used to make and receive Skype call.  Phone can be used to make regular call at the same time.  Phone rings for all incoming Skype and PSTN calls. Skype or PSTN calls is switched by pressing phone key (*).
Supports DECT, 2.4G, 900M and any other wireless phones; Make/Receive both Skype calls and regular PSTN calls; Auto-detection and auto-switching to Skype or PSTN calls; Phone rings for all incoming Skype and PSTN calls; Use the phone keypad to dial.”
{Note: the manual refers to Skype calls, but has obviously not been updated for the other VOIP software products like VOIPbuster}

As you can see, there are a 11 hardware products listed in the VoipBuster compatible devices offered by Yealink.  I’m not really interested in corded USB/normal phones since then I may as well use my headset.  So, the devices that I will look at purchasing are the USB-B2K adapter or the USB-B3G adapter or the USB Wireless phones (USB-W1DL or USB-P8DH).

So, let’s find some online prices in South Africa:
SkypeBox or Telbox or ‘Yealink USB-B2K’ USB adapter:
R220.00 (+R35 delivery fee) from www.bidorbuy.co.za
R335.00 (+R40 delivery fee, else collect from Cape Town) from www.pcshopping.co.za
R348.00 (+delivery fee) from www.nanoelf.co.za

USB-B3G: (I couldn’t find any available online)

USB-W1DL USB Wireless phone:  
R683 (plus delivery fee, else collect from Cape Town) from www.voicesource.co.za

USB-P8DH: (I couldn’t find any available online)

Note: these are USB devices – which means that they need to be plugged into a computer that’s on and running the VOIP software (eg: VoipBuster and VoipBusterMate).  This brings the price down… if you want a stand-alone device, then they will be more expensive (about R900)

Please note that I haven’t actually purchased any of the above devices – if/when I do, then I will provide feedback.

Here’s a (bit old) discussion thread: SIP Phones/Skype phones and where to get them?

VoipBuster over SkypeOut: the verdict? Read this for hands on tips on saving on your phone bill

I’ve now proven to myself that SkypeOut has been beaten by price hands down! Further to the HTT calculator comparing rates of SkypeOut to FreeCall, the voice quality and reliability of the VoipBuster service has me so impressed that I’m searching for more hardware so that I can call using a cordless phone.

Oh, the 3 reasons why I eventually decided to go with VoipBuster over FreeCall: 1) VoipBuster offers 120 free call days (others offered 60 days); 2) I could purchase airtime using my credit card; 3) Airtime purchase could be done directly with VoipBuster so there were no middle-man charges.


Download (for your PC) and register for free to create your VoipBuster account [3.5MB]:  Download VoipBuster here.
You can even make some free trial calls (limited to 1 minute each) without even purchasing any credit.
Purchase credits here: Purchase VoipBuster credits

I have even set up my Symbian cell phone to call using the VoipBuster SIP settings.  I was surprised however that the Nokia 6110 Navigator allows you to enter the SIP settings but doesn’t come with the Internet Phone application to actually use the SIP connection!  WTF!

So, NimBuzz to the rescue – which allows you create a SIP connection and call your contacts using this SIP connection (that’s VOIP over your data 3G connection).  This way, you can make a long distance call using your mobile phone’s data package…. and with Vodacom’s free bandwidth offer until end Aug 2009, you could really call for free!

BTW: if you aren’t using NimBuzz, then you’d better rush over to their web site and see how this amazing free program allows you to see all your Instant Messaging services in one place.  As on Aug 2009 v2.0.3.1535:  these are the communities supported by NimBuzz: AIM, Facebook, Gadu Gadu, Giovani, GoogleTalk, Hyves, ICQ, Jabber, MySpace, Orkut, schulerVZ, Skype, studiVZ/meinVZ, Twitter, Windows Live Messenger MSN), Yahoo Messenger.

Nimbuzz Mobile lets you call, chat, message, and send files, for free.  It combines all your buddies from Skype, MSN, Yahoo, ICQ, AIM, Google Talk and more.  One login, one contact list, all accounts.  There are other Instant Message aggregators out there, but none (that I know of) that include Skype as well.
If that wasn’t enough… you can even download the PC version of NimBuzz that allows you to login on your PC (and save your cell phone’s battery and data bandwidth).
Oh, wait, there’s more: if you’re at an Internet Cafe, or a friend’s PC and you don’t want to download and install anything, then there’s a Web NimBuzz version – just use your browser to log on to NimBuzz.com from anywhere. It’s free.
For those of you that have web sites or blogs, then add the NimBuzz widget and stay in touch with your visitors.

NimBuzz default SIP settings offered (as on Aug 2009 v2.0.3.1535):  A1, MWeb, Vyke, SipGate, Gizmo5, Tpad, TerraSip, Global TeleLinks, Skytel Srbija, XeloQ, ApnaTelelink, Adepto Telecom, VoIP HIT, Voiceglobe, and ‘Other’ (that’s what I use for VoipBuster) by entering the following settings:
    SIP port: 5060
    Registrar: sip.voipbuster.com
    Proxy server: sip.voipbuster.com
    Outbound proxy server: leave empty
    Account name: your VoipBuster username
    Password: your VoipBuster password
    Display name/number: your VoipBuster username or voipnumber
    Stunserver (option): stun.voipbuster.com

Fring also does SIP calls and connects to FaceBook, Twitter, Skype, Google Talk, MSN messenger, ICQ, Yahoo, AIM, orkut, Yandex, WeFi, Last.fm.

Ooops, off at a tangent – sorry.  Let’s get back to VoipBuster… So, I’ve established that using VoipBuster allows calls at a much lower rate than SkypeOut and at very good quality.  For the first 120 days after purchasing credit (minimum of €10 Euro) calls to a lot of countries are free (you only pay for the data bandwidth used).
After the 120 free days period is over (or if you overuse the free service ie: more than 300 minutes per week of free calls, measured over the last 7 days and per unique IP address), then the VoipBuster normal rates apply.  The good news is that even these charged “normal rates” are much lower than Skypeout’s rates – so it’s a win-win situation!  For example: calls to USA on SkypeOut are 19.6c per minute, and on VoipBuster are 11.1c per minute (South African cents).
After the 120 free days, then purchase more credit for more free days or pay the normal rate.  Some people opt to buy more credit to get more free days to use on landline calls to free destinations and conserve their credit to use on cellular calls or calls to non-free destinations.

 

Here’s more details on some clever features from VoipBuster:
SIP setup for some popular SIP devices, VOIPin: get your own regular fixed telephone phone number - for only 1 Euro (not available in South Africa yet), certified VoipBuster devices (and I’m now searching for one of those cordless phones that can support Telkom and SIP), Phone-to-phone (callback service which enables you to make your VoipBuster call on your home or mobile phone), PC-to-PC free calls, VoipBuster mobile (download the app to your mobile phone), VoipSMS client for your Windows mobile phone, send cheap SMS (ZAR 33c per SMS to South Africa), Symbian contact import tool (to import your cell phone’s contacts into VoipBuster for easy dialling)

Come to think of it… the VoipBuster rate to call a South African cell phone is ZAR 88.7c per minute, compare this to the Telkom rate of R1.89 (peak) and R1.03 (off peak) per minute – it’s actually cheaper to use VoipBuster (even if you take the approx. 1MB per minute (ZAR 7c) ADSL data charges into account).

More detail on SIP calling using a wireless phone – the idea is to try and make calling over VoipBuster as convenient as using the DECT cordless Telkom phone.  I have successfully connected the cell phone’s bluetooth headset to my laptop and set up the VoipBuster program to use the bluetooth audio device.  But, the range is limited to about 5m… so, I decided to move my laptop with me, and use the laptop’s wireless LAN to provide mobility.  A more convenient solution would be to use a DECT phone and switch between Telkom and SIP connection – being able to browse through the VoipBuster list of contacts would also be a nice bonus!  So, I’m looking for one of the devices listed under ‘SIP Wireless phones” or “USB Bluetooth phones” or “USB wireless phones” here (or maybe even those ADSL routers or FRITZ!Box Fon).  Sure, there are devices costing over ZAR1,000 but I’m looking for a solution costing less than ZAR600.
Most South African households already have a DECT cordless phone, so, it would be nice to be able to use a similar phone to call your VoipBuster contacts.
Some suppliers are importing the Sedna SE-W3D VOiP/PSTN USB Wireless Handset, with LCD, built in soundcard, Keypad, speaker Phone, rechargeable, up to 50m range, no ext. power required for about R620.00… but, that’s a Skype phone – I need one that’s configurable to use SIP settings.

 

So, in other words, I agree with VoipBuster’s slogan:  “If you like Skype, you will love VoipBuster!”

Licence row puts Skype under shutdown threat

From http://www.ciol.com/News/News-Reports/Licence-row-puts-Skype-under-shutdown-threat/3809123089/0/

Skype, the eBay company, is reportedly on the verge of shutdown due to an ongoing legal battle with its founders.

Recently eBay had said it did not own the underlying technology that powers the service, prompting fears of a shutdown. Though Skype is trying to develop new peer-to-peer technology to replace the code it currently uses, how far would it be successful is still doubtful.

"Skype's business as currently conducted would likely not be possible," eBay said in a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

The filing also said the new software development would be expensive, possibly unsuccessful, and "may result in loss of functionality or customers, even if successful".

If they fail in that attempt, millions of Internet users who use Skype could be forced to find other ways to make phone calls. 
HTT: Like VoipBuster maybe - see this HTT article: A cheaper service than SkypeOut (PC-to-Phone) - another one of HTT's comparison calculators shows what savings are possible

See here for the full article:  http://www.ciol.com/News/News-Reports/Licence-row-puts-Skype-under-shutdown-threat/3809123089/0/

 

PS: first article published with offline blog editor:  http://windowslivewriter.spaces.live.com/default.aspx

Technorati Tags: Skype

A cheaper service than SkypeOut (PC-to-Phone) - another one of HTT's comparison calculators shows what savings are possible

After having used Skype to make PC-to-PC and PC-to-phone calls for several years now, I am very impressed with the quality of the calls, as well as the savings when compared to Telkom call rates.

When I found an even cheaper service, you will believe me when I say that I was sceptical… but after looking at this other service, so far the figures look good - in fact, the rates to all "my countries" are about 20% less than SkypeOut! This cheaper service even offers free* calls to any regular land-line in various popular destinations (see list below). But, even if your FreeDays run out and you are billed at the normal rates, these "normal rates" are less than SkypeOut's rates!

Now that I've done the numbers comparison, I will need to monitor the voice quality…

So, what is this new service?
It's called FreeCall
Go here to find out more: www.freecall.com

Go here to see the countries where calls to landlines are free and to read the small print on how the FreeCalls are limited: http://www.freecall.com/en/freetrial.html

How to use HTT's calculator to compare SkypeOut with FreeCall:

(Download from here: SkypeOut vs FreeCall Costs calculator )

Worksheet "SkypeCallCosts": lists SkypeOut's call costs in Rands per country
Worksheet "FreeCallCosts": lists FreeCall's call costs in Rands per country
Worksheet "Compare_SkypeVsFreeCall2009": compares SkypeOut and FreeCall costs
Worksheet "TelkomCostsTable2009": for information: Telkom costs
Worksheet "TelkomInternational": for information: Telkom costs for international calls

1) Using worksheet "Compare_SkypeVsFreeCall2009": Change cell B2 to the expected call duration in seconds

2) Column E will give the call cost using SkypeOut

3) Column J will give the call cost using FreeCall

4) Column K shows the saving in Rands when using FreeCall instead of SkypeOut [note: the saving will be more if calling a destination using free minutes]

Column D ("shortlist") can be used to show only your shortlist of countries: set cells in column D to 'Y' and then use the column filter to show only countries on your shortlist.

So, what's the catch?

* Free calls are limited to 60 seconds per call until you purchase some credit - this information was only evident to me in the welcome email received after registration

* Credit can be purchased in Euros (10, 25, 50, 100, 250, 500, 1,000) each denomination includes 90 freedays…. So, I'd go for the 10 Euro bundle each time!
* Bank transfer carries a 0.50 Euro fee

* Purchase of credit using a credit card is not possible on the FreeCall web site although some resellers (https://myaccount.voiparound.com/clx/resellers.php) do accept credit cards (e.g. http://www.hanstel.biz/za)

In investigating this article, I also discovered many more VOIP services that are also cheaper than SkypeOut. In fact they all seem to have a similar business model:

VoipBuster, VoipStunt, InternetCalls, VoipDiscount, FreeCall, VoipCheap, PoivY, SparVoip, NetAppel, SipDiscount, WebCallDirect, LowRateVoip, JustVoip, 12Voip Free, Nonoh, SmsDiscount, VoipWise, SmsListo, BudgetSip, VoipHit, DialNow, CallEasy, InterVoip

http://www.12voip.com even offers free calls to South Africa!

FreeCall Free minutes - limited to 90 minutes

Max 300 minutes per week of free calls, measured over the last 7 days and per unique IP address. Unused free minutes cannot be taken to the following week(s). If limit is exceeded the normal rates apply. With your FREE DAYS you can call for free to all the destinations listed as free! when you have no FREE DAYS left the normal rates apply. You can get extra Freedays by buying credit

Free* calls with FreeCall

Not only can you call your online friends for free, FreeCall also offers free* calls to any regular land-line in various popular destinations

To counter misuse of our network we have limited these free* calls for our trial users. If you want to enjoy longer free* calls to these destinations, just top up your account by buying credit.

FreeCall Freedays

Buying credit entitles you to 90 Freedays. This means you can call all countries marked as "Free" in the rates list for a period of 90 days at no costs. When the 90 days are over, the normal rate will be charged for these destinations. You can get more Freedays by topping up your account with credit.

See here for more details on Free Destinations: http://www.freecall.com/en/freetrial.html

Getting started with FreeCall:

Download the FreeCall software from here: http://www.freecall.com/en/download.html

Install the FreeCall program and the login screen will guide you through the registration process (select "I am a new user")

SkypeOut:

Using SkypeOut means that I can call a “normal” phone over the Internet by using my PC (and mic and speakers). The phone rings in the normal way and is answered as "usual". I pay the SkypeOut rate which is 2 Euro cents per minute! (about 20 SA cents).

The registration process is simple and fast: you can purchase 10 or 25 Euros on a credit card. You credits then get activated within 15 minutes, then you dial the number on the Skype screen and then the phone rings on the other end of the world - wonderful!!!

Notes:

SkypeOut and FreeCall calls to mobile phones are more expensive (but usually cheaper than Telkom rates)

SkypeOut connection fee: http://www.skype.com/intl/en/prices/callrates/connectionfee/

All SkypeOut calls are subject to a connection fee. Connection fees only apply to calls made using Skype Credit. The connection fee is based on your currency, which you can change under your Account, and not on the country you are phoning to or from.

Calls made as part of the US & Canada Skype Unlimited Calling plans are exempt from connection fees.

To use SkypeOut you need to buy Skype Credit.

Some connection fee rates:

Excl. VAT Incl. VAT
Australian Dollar (AUD) 0.059 0.068
Canadian Dollar (CAD) 0.059 0.068
Euro (EUR) 0.039 0.045
British Pound (GBP) 0.029 0.033
US Dollar (USD) 0.039 0.045

Note: SkypeOut nor FreeCall does not and does not intend to support or carry emergency calls.