PBXes.org + GoogleVoice = Free N. America calling

[PSkeptic]

In light of the multiple people asking the same question ("How do I set up SIPDroid with Google Voice?" and other variations), I've decided to write the HOW-TO/FAQ/Guide/etc.

Basically, the goal here is to be able to make and receive calls WITHOUT using your cell minutes, or to turn your non-phone Android device into a phone. The steps are pretty easy, but can be confusing.

Here we go:
1) Set up your Google account for Google Voice. To do this, go to Google Voice Page. Walk through all the steps there FIRST.

2) Now, you MUST download onto your device the OFFICIAL Google Voice app onto your device. Not GV, not GVoice or any of the other variants. Here is the market URL: Official Google Voice App.

3) Step through the configuration for Google Voice after installation. It's really up to you if you want to use Google Voice as your voice mail or not. I prefer it, it's free Visual Voice Mail, and transcribes your VM's, and has a lot of other features

4) Now, go to the market, and download SIPDroid. You must use SIPDroid to set up the initial trunking, since with the pbxes interface, only Pro members can set up a GVoice trunk. But, you MUST have completed step 2 & 3 above FIRST. Here is the market URL: SIPDroid

5) Start SIPDroid. On the bottom of the screen, you should see a "New PBX linked to my Google Voice". Touch that. If you do not see it, uninstall SIPDroid, uninstall Google Voice, and start over.

6) A dialog will show, for "Create New Account".

7) PBXes Name: This does not have to be the same as your Google account, and I would advise to keep it the same, only because it's simpler.

8) Google Voice Name: Already filled in for you. If not, uninstall SIPDroid and Google Voice, and start over.

9) Password: This is your new PBXes password. Not your Google Password. Your Google Password comes next.

10) After touching "Next", it should ask for permission to access your Google credentials. Allow it.

* Caveat, your Google username and password will be stored on pbxes.org!! While, I've found no reason to not trust PBXes, you should be aware of this. Some people suggest to create a separate Google Account for this.

11) Congrats! SIPDroid should be all set, and the initial set up on PBXes is done. However, we're not quite there yet.

12) Log into PBXes.org, using the pbxes login and password you created here. I don't know why, but you will fail auth if you don't log into PBXes first.

Your SIPDroid client and PBXes Account should be all set to go now. Enjoy!

If you have questions, or see this Guide is borked, post in this thread, do NOT PM me in regards to this FAQ. Corrections I see posted about in this thread will get resolved quickly.

vr 1 - Initial writeup (3/15/2011)
* Done from memory, my phone is not available for this right now, so it may contain errors (Probably does).

 

[JLang]

I guess that may work for calls initiated IN N.America to other numbers IN N.America. Not from N.American numbers to numbers elsewhere in the world, or vice versa. So your clear step-by-step is probably, and unfortunately, useless to anybody outside of N.America (95% of the world population), and only of limited use to N.Americans (because they can't use it to call out).

You can also avoid using phone minutes by using e.g. free Mobyler or Skype to call users who also have free Mobyler or Skype installed. Worldwide, so not limited to N.America!
If you're on a phone connection (2G, 3G, CDMA, etc.) it will use your data plan (that's better than your phone minutes). But if you're on WiFi it won't even use that and is totally free!

I prefer Mobyler over Skype because it is much more user friendly to set up and use.

 

[PSkeptic]

I guess that may work for calls initiated IN N.America to other numbers IN N.America. Not from N.American numbers to numbers elsewhere in the world, or vice versa. So your clear step-by-step is probably, and unfortunately, useless to anybody outside of N.America (95% of the world population), and only of limited use to N.Americans (because they can't use it to call out).

Not entirely useless True, GoogleVoice is only available right now to people inside of the United States (A sizable population, to be sure).

People in the United States can call anywhere in N. America for free, via this route. If one were to call outside of N. America, then nominal rates apply (Available here: https://www.google.com/voice/rates).

And, people who reside in the United States, and are traveling abroad can use this to make free phone calls (And receive) anywhere they have a data connection (Be it WiFi or otherwise).

 

[jj2me]

Additions:


[EDIT TO REMOVE ERRONEOUS INFORMATION in #3:]
3) ...

[EDIT: I'M WORKING ON DETERMINING WHETHER THE FOLLOWING IS TRUE, THANKS TO riffdex''s HELP:]

(We can perhaps explain as a note that selecting Google Voice as your voicemail service is required if you want your incoming calls to your VM number to be optionally taken as sipdroid/VOIP calls or as VM minutes calls, as you and riffdex experience. But not until we verify that this is indeed the single setting needed to get that behavior.)


10) [I'd remove your second sentence. Rationale: the username/password is in the clear behind your pbxes.org password. Superuser can see it, so you're trusting there's no (and never will be) malicious hackers with privileges at pbxes.org.]

Add:
"If you decide to use another Google Voice account at a later time, edit your pbxes.org account at node pbxes.org/Trunks/GTALK/[yourGmailAddress] to contain the new Google Voice username/password."

[This needs to be verified that this is all it takes. For me, I had various problems, so I'm not sure if it's also needed to reset your sipdroid app's Sip Account password to the arbitrary password string populated in your pbxes.org account at node pbxes.org/Extensions/Sipdroid<200>.]

[Also, the above wording only describes this sequence: start sipdroid with main google account info, then later change to new GV acct.]

13) "Optional: to allow sipdroid calling from Contacts, follow these instructions by adigo on howardforums for Google Voice Callback installation and use (second and third paragraph)."

 

[Slug]

Please see this existing thread, where the topic has been discussed extensively.