Believe it or not you can keep making phone calls using your Android smartphone even if you ever find yourself in an area with marginal cell service. That’s because the software market makes available even Android VoIP clients that are built to use the available Internet bandwidth in order to help you make phone calls. These Android clients are based on the Voice over Internet Protocol technology (VoIP) that represents an alternative to making traditional phone calls via a smartphone. This alternative is supposed to be used especially when the network signal is weak but you can easily connect to a reliable Wi-Fi network. However, you can also use it in order to keep your monthly phone bill under control.
VoIP Client For Android Phones
If you are getting interested by the minute you should know that in order to set up VoIP on your Android smartphone you can use one of two options: the Session Internet Protocol(SIP) that’s used in most commercial VoIP apps or services like Skype that are designed to use a proprietary internet calling system. Using Skype is extremely simple, because all you need to do is download the Android version of this app on your smartphone and then create an account. The SIP option is not as easy to use, but it has its advantages. That’s why I’ve decided to help you set up on your Android smartphone a SIP VoIP client. These clients are less known but they should definitely be considered.
The first thing that you will have to do is create an account after you choose one of the SIP providers available: Callcentric, Tpad or SIP2SIP. After you choose the provider you will have to browse its website in order to locate the web-based form that allows you to create the account of interest. About the choosing process I can tell you that it should be built around the strengths and weaknesses of each provider that you can choose. After all, your goal is to choose the provider that can deliver the best quality service. Once you are in the possession of the credentials necessary you will have to sign in and wait until the provider sends you the SIP account number that you need. After you safely save that number you are supposed to browse the setup instructions area that you can find on the same website that you’ve used in order to create the account. The settings that matter to you are those related to server, proxy, ports and other similar details.
It’s now time to focus on your Android smartphone and download on it a free VoIP/SIP client such as Sipdroid. Once the download is complete you will have to use the app’s settings menu in order to enter all the details that you’ve found in the setup section of the website where you created your SIP account. You will also have to enter the username and password of your account and a port number that’s usually 5060. In order to make sure no mistakes are involved you need to enter the syntax carefully. When you’re done entering the details required you will have to use the same Settings menu of the Sipdroid app in order to choose WLAN and make sure that the calls received over the phone’s Wi-Fi radio are properly routed. What you will also have to do is visit the Wireless and Networks section of your Android smartphone and make sure that Wi-Fi radio is turned on. Another thing that you will have to do is return to your computer in order to visit the IPKall website and use the form available in order to get a free, incoming phone number that belongs to the Washington state.
VoIP Client For Android Phones
Now that all the settings necessary are in place you need to test the quality of the service provided in order to see if you can improve it or if you are satisfied at all with its capabilities. If you are you should consider purchasing some minutes on the website. What you should also do is try calling your Android smartphone from another device using the IPKall number that you’ve received. If the call is successful you will notice that your smartphone starts ringing using the Sipdroid interface. To make sure that that the smartphone has properly connected to the server you should locate the green notification tray dot that should be displayed towards the interface’s top.
Other SIP clients that you should consider if you aren’t satisfied with the work of Sipdroid are Acrobits and Bria. Acrobits has a pretty good name in the field because it’s able to deliver crystal clear quality during VoIP calls and offers pretty cheap rates for all your phone calls. It also delivers features like support for push notifications on incoming calls, speakerphones and Bluetooth headsets. It can even help you record your conversations and keep track of your call history. On the other hand, Bria can use both 3G and Wi-Fi to make calls and allows you to merge and split calls. It also offers a few advanced security features and even audio encryption.
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