Are these correct steps to set up Nexus 4 to make/receive VOIP calls via Skype (Skype+Google Voice)?

[donrhummy]

I'm going to sign up for TMobile's $30/month data+text-only plan. I want people to still be able to call me at my current mobile number (and see that number as my caller ID) but for all calls to be VOIP calls over Skype. I *think* these are the correct steps, can someone who's done this verify?

1. Sign up for TMobile and take whatever mobile number they give you (doesn't matter)
   
2. Google Voice - pay $20 to use your current mobile phone number: Port your number into Google Voice Instructions
   
3. Sign up for $3/month calling on Skype: Skype Subscriptions
   
4. Purchase a number in Skype: Skype Phone Number
   
5. Set Google Voice to forward to your Skype number: Call forwarding with GV
   
6. In Skype, set caller ID to your GV number Skype Caller ID settings
   
7. (Optional) Make Google Voice handle voicemails by changing call forwarding in Skype to send to GV number: Forward "away" calls to GV

 

[donrhummy]

Has anyone tried this?

 

[WeekSauce]

Not sure about setting up with Skype but wouldn't it be easier and cheaper to use Groove IP.
If you get the paid version you can make calls over T-Mobiles data network.
It uses your Google Voice number to place and receive calls so you only have two numbers to deal with.

 

[donrhummy]

Not sure about setting up with Skype but wouldn't it be easier and cheaper to use Groove IP.
If you get the paid version you can make calls over T-Mobiles data network.
It uses your Google Voice number to place and receive calls so you only have two numbers to deal with.

GrooveIP quality just wasn't good enough. Skype's quality was so good, it sounded like a home VOIP phone. So I'm willing to pay a little extra.

 

[acegolfer]

Re: Are these correct steps to set up Nexus 4 to make/receive VOIP calls via Skype (Skype+Go

I think that should work, even though I haven't done it myself. I'm too cheap to pay $6 a month to use skype.

I heard that skype call quality is very good over 3g because it uses silk codec.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

 

[minnemike]

Re: Are these correct steps to set up Nexus 4 to make/receive VOIP calls via Skype (Skype+Go

Sounds like a great solution - of course for only $20 more you can get unlimited everything thru Tmo's value plan. But if the $20/mo is worth it to you, it's a rad deal.

 

[donrhummy]

Re: Are these correct steps to set up Nexus 4 to make/receive VOIP calls via Skype (Skype+Go

Sounds like a great solution - of course for only $20 more you can get unlimited everything thru Tmo's value plan. But if the $20/mo is worth it to you, it's a rad deal.

TMobile's value plan is a contract. I don't want to be stuck in a 2-year contract.

 

[donrhummy]

Re: Are these correct steps to set up Nexus 4 to make/receive VOIP calls via Skype (Skype+Go

I think that should work, even though I haven't done it myself. I'm too cheap to pay $6 a month to use skype.

I heard that skype call quality is very good over 3g because it uses silk codec.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

I haven't used it on 3G yet, only on wifi but it was the best I've used on wifi. I'll let you know how it is when I get the SIM card.

 

[minnemike]

Re: Are these correct steps to set up Nexus 4 to make/receive VOIP calls via Skype (Skype+Go

TMobile's value plan is a contract. I don't want to be stuck in a 2-year contract.

I thought about that too, but after thinking, there really isn't a better network for me and the N4 in the foreseeable next 2 years I would want. Also, I'm thinking if they get LTE running that would also work with the N4, I want to be grandfathered in in case they no longer offer unlimited.

 

[Tony Huynh]

Re: Are these correct steps to set up Nexus 4 to make/receive VOIP calls via Skype (Skype+Go

I'm a bit confused, why pay $20 to transfer your mobile number to Google voice when you are going to buy a number from Skype and use it as your primary number? Couldn't you save $20 and just ignore that step?

 

[acegolfer]

Re: Are these correct steps to set up Nexus 4 to make/receive VOIP calls via Skype (Sky?

I have used skype a lot on my old phone a year ago. The biggest problem is that it drains the battery so fast. Couldn't last the day.

Not sure whether skype has improved the battery efficiency.

Before you spend real money, test out the battery life running skype 24/7.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

 

[donrhummy]

Re: Are these correct steps to set up Nexus 4 to make/receive VOIP calls via Skype (Skype+Go

I'm a bit confused, why pay $20 to transfer your mobile number to Google voice when you are going to buy a number from Skype and use it as your primary number? Couldn't you save $20 and just ignore that step?

A lot of people already have my current mobile number and I want people to keep using that number. You might then ask me, "Why not put that number into Skype's caller id?" Because then people can't call me at that number. They'd only be able to call me at the Skype number, which means I'd have to give everyone my new number (and anyone with my card and my old number who I might not remember to give the new number to would get an unreachable number). Using Google Voice and my ported number allows:

1. Everyone to reach me at my current mobile number (despite me answering the call with skype)
2. I can call everyone and have my number show up as my current mobile number
3. Google Voice can still ring all my phones (and handle voicemail)

 

[donrhummy]

Re: Are these correct steps to set up Nexus 4 to make/receive VOIP calls via Skype (Sky?

I have used skype a lot on my old phone a year ago. The biggest problem is that it drains the battery so fast. Couldn't last the day.

Not sure whether skype has improved the battery efficiency.

Before you spend real money, test out the battery life running skype 24/7.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

I have done testing with Skype on wifi (and just running in the background) and unfortunately, it's still a battery hog. I have no idea why. It shouldn't need to do much when idling. I wonder if this is the IM feature causing the issue?

 

[acegolfer]

Re: Are these correct steps to set up Nexus 4 to make/receive VOIP calls via Skype (S

I have done testing with Skype on wifi (and just running in the background) and unfortunately, it's still a battery hog. I have no idea why. It shouldn't need to do much when idling. I wonder if this is the IM feature causing the issue?

Do you know that skype uses p2p protocol? Even if you are not using it, it may still transmit data for other users.

I did a battery test today. After full recharge, I had both skype and sipdroid running. By noon, skype used 15% and sipdroid used 3% of battery.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

 

[6tr6tr]

Re: Are these correct steps to set up Nexus 4 to make/receive VOIP calls via Skype (S

Do you know that skype uses p2p protocol? Even if you are not using it, it may still transmit data for other users.

I did a battery test today. After full recharge, I had both skype and sipdroid running. By noon, skype used 15% and sipdroid used 3% of battery.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

I've found the same thing. Skype is a major battery hog. It might use P2P, but it still doesn't need to use that much battery. When I had it idling, it didn't even use 1MB of data over a few days, yet it still was 10% of the battery drain. So it's probably not the p2p transmitting data.

(BTW, P2P is not transmitting data for other users. That's bittorrent. Bittorrent is a P2P technology, but P2P is not bittorrent and doesn't require allowing other users to use you as a seed. That's a bittorrent-only idea)

 

[acegolfer]

Re: Are these correct steps to set up Nexus 4 to make/receive VOIP calls via Skype (S

I've found the same thing. Skype is a major battery hog. It might use P2P, but it still doesn't need to use that much battery. When I had it idling, it didn't even use 1MB of data over a few days, yet it still was 10% of the battery drain. So it's probably not the p2p transmitting data.

(BTW, P2P is not transmitting data for other users. That's bittorrent. Bittorrent is a P2P technology, but P2P is not bittorrent and doesn't require allowing other users to use you as a seed. That's a bittorrent-only idea)

Thanks for correcting me. If skype is not transmitting any data for others while idling, then it must be using a higher frequency to send keep alive packets.

 

[kgjulie]

@donrhummer -- Yes, what you have described works. I have the exact same setup:

1) Ported my existing cell number to GV for $20
2) Already had Skype # with Caller ID set to cell (now GV) number. Unanswered Skype calls forward back to GV number and GV voicemail. Skype unlimited subscription is $30/year and which gets you 1/2 off a Skype online number, so thatn ends up being another $30 for a total of $60/year for unlimited US + Canada incoming + outgoing calls on computer or cell phone.
3) Bought a T-Mo Sim activation kit online for 99 cents, activated it on the $30 T-Mo unlimited data + text + 100 min plan
4) Put Sim into Google Nexus 4, set up Google Voice and Skype app, and am happily enjoying saving about $50/month on my cell phone bill.

I had been using the Skype app and online number on my iPhone for at least a year for making and receiving wifi calls. Now on the Nexus, it is working great. On wifi the sound quality is excellent. I have had it set up on T-Mo for only a few days so I can't comment on whether using it on their data connection makes a noticeable difference. On my iPhone, I never noticed that battery life was compromised, but I charged every night, and kept spare chargers in the car, at the office, in my bag, etc., so battery life was not ever really a concern.

The only tip I have to offer is that if you have Skype open & running on your computer, your cellphone won't ring (at least, mine wouldn't). I have to make sure I'm totally signed out of Skype on any other devices and only have it running on the device I plan to answer on.

I am really happy with this setup on the Nexus. I haven't (and won't be) giving out the new T-Mo number. Everyone calls me on my cell number or my Skype number (the numbers have different area codes so different friends and family use them depending on where they're located to make it a local call for them). Incoming caller ID works great, voice mail is great. The only "extra" thing I have in my setup vs. yours is an Obihai device so I can have a "landline" too. I have 3 school-age kids and the cell phone bills were starting to be higher than the car payment, so I opted for the Obi. Obi is made to work with GV, but I have not figured out how to have it work with Skype (other than forwarding Skype back to GV if not answered in 10 seconds).

Best of luck, let me know if you have any tips for making it work even better!

 

[donrhummy]

Thanks for the amazing reply! I have some questions...

@donrhummer -- Yes, what you have described works. I have the exact same setup:

1) Ported my existing cell number to GV for $20

How long did this take to go through? I did this and it's been about 19 hours and I'm still waiting.

I had been using the Skype app and online number on my iPhone for at least a year for making and receiving wifi calls. Now on the Nexus, it is working great. On wifi the sound quality is excellent.

Is the sound great for the people you call? I actually had to dump Skype for outgoing calls and use Vonage instead. While everyone sounded near-perfect to me 100% of the time (on TMobile and wifi), the people I called had the following experience:

30% of the time, they heard me with good quality
45% of the time they heard me with so-so quality where they had to concentrate a bit but could understand me (but they were not happy)
25% of the time during at least a part of the call, they could not understand me at all

This occurred on wifi as well as TMobile. (My Wifi is consistently 50mbps down, 10mbps up, and TMobile - 12mbps down, 1.5 - 2mbps up) The quality was so inconsistent for my outgoing voice that Skype is not an option. (Incoming voice - i.e. what I hear - was great 95% of the time)

I then started using Vonage and I've found it to be good quality about 80% of the time, ok about 10% of the time and unusable about 10% of the time. That's good enough for now. But they only allow outgoing calls, not incoming.

I have had it set up on T-Mo for only a few days so I can't comment on whether using it on their data connection makes a noticeable difference.

Now that you've been using it a bit more, have you noticed a difference from wifi? (Not on what you hear, but what the people you call hear)

On my iPhone, I never noticed that battery life was compromised, but I charged every night, and kept spare chargers in the car, at the office, in my bag, etc., so battery life was not ever really a concern.

This was also a problem for me. Skype ate 10-13% of the battery even if I wasn't making any calls. Vonage has never even shown up on the battery stats page so it has to be under 1%.

Obihai device so I can have a "landline" too.

I've been thinking about getting one. Can you tell me what the quality is like for you and the people you call? I had a friend with this and the quality was very poor but that was 2 years ago.

 

[djkleric]

How long did this take to go through? I did this and it's been about 19 hours and I'm still waiting.

It took my port about 2 and a half days SMH

 

[acegolfer]

Re: Are these correct steps to set up Nexus 4 to make/receive VOIP calls via Skype (Skype+Goo

This was also a problem for me. Skype ate 10-13% of the battery even if I wasn't making any calls. Vonage has never even shown up on the battery stats page so it has to be under 1%.

You can't compare battery consumption between skype and Vonage. The latter doesn't require constant connection.

Comparing skype between iOS and android is fair. IOS skype uses push notification but android doesn't. That's why skype on android is a battery hog. I don't think msft is going to change that any time soon.


Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2