Nexus 4, Google Voice, and the T-Mobile $30/mo plan

[schooner]

Just want to make sure I've got this right. I have done a bit of reading on it.

Here's the scenario. I am currently on AT&T with a number that I have had forever, so I want to keep that number. I have a micro SIM from TMO, and a Nexus 4.

I port the ATT number of to GV, then forward the calls to the TMO number, which rings via the TMO SIM in the Nexus 4. I then contact TMO and turn off the voicemail so that GV will act as the voicemail.

Do I have this right? Anything else I need to know?

 

[Charapa]

Yes...similarly to what you have done, I've added GrooveIP (the paid version = great configs, though the free one is adequate) - the 100 min are not enough for me - which manages the calls, the program has worked really well in my N4. Review your calling habits & on that basis configure GVoice & GrooveIP or equivalent app.

 

[schooner]

Yeah, I plan on looking into GrooveIP, but I want to make sure I have the basics down just for getting the phone up and running first.

 

[6tr6tr]

Just want to make sure I've got this right. I have done a bit of reading on it.

Here's the scenario. I am currently on AT&T with a number that I have had forever, so I want to keep that number. I have a micro SIM from TMO, and a Nexus 4.

I port the ATT number of to GV, then forward the calls to the TMO number, which rings via the TMO SIM in the Nexus 4. I then contact TMO and turn off the voicemail so that GV will act as the voicemail.

Do I have this right? Anything else I need to know?

That's good. One "warning", for me (and a lot of other people), even with good speeds, VOIP has not worked well on TMobile's HSPA+ network. It's been 50-50, which makes for a lot of annoyed people who don't want to take your VOIP calls.

 

[Google_Superuser]

4g voip didn't work well for me and I don't have steady enough LTE coverage. The way I have it set up is I give out my GV number. That number also forwards to my T-Mobile number. That way if I am on wifi grooveip is on and picks it up if I am out and on data, grooveip is off and the normal dialer picks it up. This doesn't work if you make a lot of calls on the road but if you use it as your main home/work number it eliminates a lot of cell minutes for me.

 

[Tall Mike 2145]

Remember, Google Voice is still a telco call, so it will drain your minutes. There is no functional "WiFi calling" app for T-Mobile's network for the N4 at this time.

GrooVeIP does work, but it is compromised by a couple facts. First, you need to have a decent enough data connection. It works fine for me when I have a solid HSPA+ connection, and degrades a bit if it's a more traditional 3G non-HSPA connection. Generally, it works very well over WiFi, so if you are or can be on wireless, then that's your best option. Also, you need to make sure you set your echo cancellation appropriately. What I've found is this:

GrooVe IP -> Settings -> Main Menu:
? Allow 3G/4G Calling [Enable]

GrooVe IP -> Settings -> Audio/Echo Settings -> Echo Cancellation:
? Adaptive Echo Canceler [Enable]
? Post Processing [Enable]
? Echo Tail [200 ms - 400 ms]

GrooVe IP -> Settings -> Audio/Echo Settings:
? Speaker Volume [0]
? Microphone Volume [-10]

GrooVe IP -> Settings -> Miscellaneous -> Notifications:
? Enable all of them

GrooVe IP -> Settings -> Miscellaneous -> Startup:
? Autostart [Enable]

GrooVe IP -> Settings -> Miscellaneous:
? Allow Rotate [Disable]
? GrooVe IP Call Log [Enable]
? Native Call Log [Enable]

You'll want to restart GrooVe IP (I'd personally reboot the phone as well) and this should work. Oh, and as a side note, the prepaid plans through T-Mo do NOT let you use GV's voicemail in lieu of T-Mo's. If people call your GV number, they'll get GV voicemail. If they call your T-Mo number, they'll get your T-Mo voicemail.

 

[Mister Android123]

I've also thought about doing this for quite some time as well. Considering how T Mobile's coverage is a bit shaky for me, I opted not to do it. I'm currently paying 68.75 monthly for their unlimited plan with a discount for being a city employee. I do not have insurance on the phone and I have the Nexus 4 so I do not have LTE either. 30 dollars is a huge difference than 70 but for now I am already happy as I was coming from AT&T where I was paying 130.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4

 

[schooner]

My thought on this is that with an unlocked phone, its crazy to go post paid, especially when I really dont make a lot of calls and do much more text and data. Plus, it seems that the different MVNOs keep coming out with more and different deals, and prepaid makes it easy to switch. This way, instead of porting my number over and over every time, I just pop in the new SIM and forward to the new number from GV.
The other upside is that this way GV takes care of voicemail which I can check on my computer rather than using my minutes.

 

[CoMoNexus]

One "warning", for me (and a lot of other people), even with good speeds, VOIP has not worked well on TMobile's HSPA+ network. It's been 50-50, which makes for a lot of annoyed people who don't want to take your VOIP calls.

I tried using the Vonage Extensions app, but for the first few months, it would generate error messages, lock up or turn the screen black. And when I could make a call, the quality was poor.

But in the past few weeks, the app's stability and the call quality both have improved dramatically. Vonage must have heard all of the complaints, and I'm grateful for that.

I live in a market with HSPA, not HSPA+, and Vonage Extensions works fine at those speeds. Maybe GV has higher requirements.