Cell calls using Wi-Fi)

[Wish-I-Were-Fishn]

If you have no cell coverage, but are connected to a wi-fi network can you make a cell call?

If so, I must be doing something wrong because it won't work on my phone (My-Touch).

[DTro]

I'm pretty sure you cannot. However, I wonder if you could do something like Google Voice. Just a thought.

[LwnmwnMan2]

Skype?

*** edit *** Now that I think about it, where would you be that you couldn't use your cell, but have wi-fi access?

Anywhere you could have wi-fi would certainly have cell coverage.

*** secondary edit *** I suppose if you were out of minutes, or trying to not use minutes, you could Skype. This is where you need to move to Verizon, since all mobile to mobile (Verizon) calls are free, plus you get 10 additional numbers. Our plan has dropped from roughly 1800 minutes / month to just over 500 minutes / month for 5 phones.

But then again, maybe you've got more friends than I do. I had to add 411 to my 10 friends list just so I had someone to talk to.

[Shack]

Yes you can. Fonercaller, Vixtel, Truephone, Vopium are just a few I know of. I have used it for work while down south staying in a motel/hotel when I knew I had to call someone downsouth with no cell coverage long-distance. What I have found is not enough for me to pay anything or even still have the app on my phone. You for sure can text & MMS via wifi. Skype and Face Time calling should be able to be done also, but your phone has to be set up for that and the person you ate calling also.

[pureinsanity]

You cannot make a call when using WiFi with basic firmware.

[Wish-I-Were-Fishn]

I was staying at a resort that had free wifi, but no cell coverage. I was very surprised that wifi couldn't work to make a call.

[pureinsanity]

I dont think you can text or send MMS over wifi either. Its strictly used for internet connection

[spearchucker]

I was staying at a resort that had free wifi, but no cell coverage. I was very surprised that wifi couldn't work to make a call.

I don't know why anyone would think this would work? They are 2 different technologies going to different head end companies.

[Skeeter21i]

It can be done but will depend on phone. I replaced an old Blackberry this past June with another one and it has wi-fi capability for text, mms and calls. I didn't have to download any apps or anything extra. I have no cell signal where I live but my phone works through my wi-fi network. Spent a week in Sioux Narrows with no cell coverage and my phone worked just fine through the resorts wi-fi. Some cell companies won't allow wi-fi calling so if you have cell signal then you will probably be blocked from calling and texting through it.

[spearchucker]

So it is essentially a VOIP call then right? That would be similar to SKYPE or Google voice/talk thing.

[pureinsanity]

My opinion VoIP sucks! We have vonage here at work and man is the service junk! specially when it comes to faxing over VoIP

[Skeeter21i]

Yep, VoIP it is. The bit I've used my Blackberry with it this summer I've been happy with the results. Have been on some VoIP calls that have been horrible though.

[upnorth]

VoIP is very dependent on decent stable bandwidth with low latency. Each call takes roughly 50-80 kb of dedicated bandwidth. If it can't get that much and has to compete with data you are going to get choppy calls. That gets you into the world of QoS(quality of service) that basically acts as a traffic cop and holds data back and lets VoIP traffic pass first. Complex nasty stuff. So if you have 5 PCs sharing a low end DSL line with 5 phones you are going to have times where you are going to get some choppy phone conversations. So in a nutshell, if you have a great link, VoIP itself is great.