Why Does Skype Suck?

ThePresident

Banned
Feb 15, 2009
237
6
0
I just paid $40 the other day to get an assigned number and now when people call me they get "You Have Reached a Non-Working Number." I submit a support ticket, and I get an auto-response up-sell. Are you fucking joking.

Any ideas?

I hate the GUI, worst design I've seen.
 


I actually just built my own free VOIP for the house. (I have it going to two Google Nexus S's so I actually use that as my wifi-landline at home.) Combine that with a network with all of my movies and two terrabytes of movies wirelessly shared for every device in the house and you have a winner.)

I literally just lol'ed and threw away another Vonage solicitation.

If I get enough requests I'll write how I did it tomorrow.
 
Skype has always sucked, but since its been acquired by Microsoft it sucks almost infinitely more, if you want support-well you're fucked.
 
I actually just built my own free VOIP for the house. (I have it going to two Google Nexus S's so I actually use that as my wifi-landline at home.) Combine that with a network with all of my movies and two terrabytes of movies wirelessly shared for every device in the house and you have a winner.)

I literally just lol'ed and threw away another Vonage solicitation.

If I get enough requests I'll write how I did it tomorrow.

Absolutely interested in knowing how you did this. SIP? Asterisk at home? What did you do cough up the goods.
 
Google Voice + Gmail = free incoming and outgoing calls. Fuck Skype.

I wish I could get this but apparently Google Voice is not available in my country.

Would definitely like to hear about other solutions.
 
I wish I could get this but apparently Google Voice is not available in my country.

Would definitely like to hear about other solutions.

Router -> VPN -> USA = WIN

It's actually probably easier for you to just find a VoIP provider in your country.
 
Skype is a great way to talk to clients, but damn I hate the look and feel of it so much. I can't idle on that shit. I only log on when someone wants to talk. The UI is ugly as sin and the navigation is horrible.
 
With Skype I often get bad call quality when I am calling out to land lines in the U.S. Sometimes there is static, other times you can hear parts of some other call cutting in. Is that normal? Cuz it sucks.
 
Absolutely interested in knowing how you did this. SIP? Asterisk at home? What did you do cough up the goods.

This is pretty much what I did, then just tied it to the Nexus S's using the Sipdroid app

How to make and receive free calls over the internet using Android

-----------------------
Here are the steps.

1) Sign up for Google Voice. If you buy the phone, you'll get an invite.

2) Get a free SIP account here: https://secure.dns-hosting.info/register_sip_account.phtml
You'll end up with a SIP phone number, something like this: 2223334444@sip2sip.info.
You'll need your password again for step 4.

3) Get a free IPKall phone number here: http://phone.ipkall.com/
You'll be asked for your SIP info. Enter it like this:
SIP Phone Number: 2223334444
SIP Proxy: sip2sip.info
Remember your IPKall number, because you'll need it for step 6.

4) Get a free PBX account at https://www4.pbxes.com/index_e.php. My pbx username is "ctrager", which I'll be using for step 5.
a) Add an extension - use "100" for the extension and remember the password.
b Add a trunk. You'll use your SIP info again.
c) Add an inbound route
d) Add an outbound route
The screenshots below show you how to do the configuration. I don't know what anything means. If by chance I've screwed up with these screenshots, see the guide that I followed:
There are also screenshots at [GUIDE] SIPdroid & Google Voice setup (updated 3-12-2010) - xda-developers

5) On your phone, download sipdroid. Go to "Settings", "SIP Account Settings" and enter the following:
Authorization Username: ctrager-100 <-- this is your pbx username and your pbx extension
Password: Your pbx extension password.

6) You should now be able to receive incoming calls to your IPKall number. Add it as one of your phones on Google Voice. If all goes well, your Android device will ring, like a real phone. But, me, I had trouble getting Google to accept the confirmation number I was typing. I tried using this too, holding the phone up to the computer speaker: F r e e U K - FreeUK Broadband -. I can't remember which worked, the tone generator applet or my phone itself, but after several tries it worked.

You're done. So, now, if somebody calls your Google Voice number, it will ring your IPKall number, and then your SIP account, and I think then to your PBX account, and then via sipdroid, your phone will ring. To make an outgoing call, use the Android browser to go to Google Voice, call the number from the web page, and Google Voice will first call you back to make the connection.

I used Dolphin Browser to make a custom bookmark straight to Google Voice then put those icons on the first screen so I can just use that like an app to initiate a call.
 
Superb details.

This is pretty much what I did, then just tied it to the Nexus S's using the Sipdroid app

How to make and receive free calls over the internet using Android

-----------------------
Here are the steps.

1) Sign up for Google Voice. If you buy the phone, you'll get an invite.

2) Get a free SIP account here: https://secure.dns-hosting.info/register_sip_account.phtml
You'll end up with a SIP phone number, something like this: 2223334444@sip2sip.info.
You'll need your password again for step 4.

3) Get a free IPKall phone number here: http://phone.ipkall.com/
You'll be asked for your SIP info. Enter it like this:
SIP Phone Number: 2223334444
SIP Proxy: sip2sip.info
Remember your IPKall number, because you'll need it for step 6.

4) Get a free PBX account at https://www4.pbxes.com/index_e.php. My pbx username is "ctrager", which I'll be using for step 5.
a) Add an extension - use "100" for the extension and remember the password.
b Add a trunk. You'll use your SIP info again.
c) Add an inbound route
d) Add an outbound route
The screenshots below show you how to do the configuration. I don't know what anything means. If by chance I've screwed up with these screenshots, see the guide that I followed:
There are also screenshots at [GUIDE] SIPdroid & Google Voice setup (updated 3-12-2010) - xda-developers

5) On your phone, download sipdroid. Go to "Settings", "SIP Account Settings" and enter the following:
Authorization Username: ctrager-100 <-- this is your pbx username and your pbx extension
Password: Your pbx extension password.

6) You should now be able to receive incoming calls to your IPKall number. Add it as one of your phones on Google Voice. If all goes well, your Android device will ring, like a real phone. But, me, I had trouble getting Google to accept the confirmation number I was typing. I tried using this too, holding the phone up to the computer speaker: F r e e U K - FreeUK Broadband -. I can't remember which worked, the tone generator applet or my phone itself, but after several tries it worked.

You're done. So, now, if somebody calls your Google Voice number, it will ring your IPKall number, and then your SIP account, and I think then to your PBX account, and then via sipdroid, your phone will ring. To make an outgoing call, use the Android browser to go to Google Voice, call the number from the web page, and Google Voice will first call you back to make the connection.

I used Dolphin Browser to make a custom bookmark straight to Google Voice then put those icons on the first screen so I can just use that like an app to initiate a call.
 
Anyone ever try Ooma?

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Ooma-Telo-Free-Phone-Service/dp/B002O3W4LE"]Amazon.com: Ooma Telo Free Home Phone Service: Electronics[/ame]
 
With Skype I often get bad call quality when I am calling out to land lines in the U.S. Sometimes there is static, other times you can hear parts of some other call cutting in. Is that normal? Cuz it sucks.

I use Skype everyday. This happened maybe at first but not anymore.

This is pretty much what I did, then just tied it to the Nexus S's using the Sipdroid app

How to make and receive free calls over the internet using Android

-----------------------
Here are the steps.

1) Sign up for Google Voice. If you buy the phone, you'll get an invite.

2) Get a free SIP account here: https://secure.dns-hosting.info/register_sip_account.phtml
You'll end up with a SIP phone number, something like this: 2223334444@sip2sip.info.
You'll need your password again for step 4.

3) Get a free IPKall phone number here: http://phone.ipkall.com/
You'll be asked for your SIP info. Enter it like this:
SIP Phone Number: 2223334444
SIP Proxy: sip2sip.info
Remember your IPKall number, because you'll need it for step 6.

4) Get a free PBX account at https://www4.pbxes.com/index_e.php. My pbx username is "ctrager", which I'll be using for step 5.
a) Add an extension - use "100" for the extension and remember the password.
b Add a trunk. You'll use your SIP info again.
c) Add an inbound route
d) Add an outbound route
The screenshots below show you how to do the configuration. I don't know what anything means. If by chance I've screwed up with these screenshots, see the guide that I followed:
There are also screenshots at [GUIDE] SIPdroid & Google Voice setup (updated 3-12-2010) - xda-developers

5) On your phone, download sipdroid. Go to "Settings", "SIP Account Settings" and enter the following:
Authorization Username: ctrager-100 <-- this is your pbx username and your pbx extension
Password: Your pbx extension password.

6) You should now be able to receive incoming calls to your IPKall number. Add it as one of your phones on Google Voice. If all goes well, your Android device will ring, like a real phone. But, me, I had trouble getting Google to accept the confirmation number I was typing. I tried using this too, holding the phone up to the computer speaker: F r e e U K - FreeUK Broadband -. I can't remember which worked, the tone generator applet or my phone itself, but after several tries it worked.

You're done. So, now, if somebody calls your Google Voice number, it will ring your IPKall number, and then your SIP account, and I think then to your PBX account, and then via sipdroid, your phone will ring. To make an outgoing call, use the Android browser to go to Google Voice, call the number from the web page, and Google Voice will first call you back to make the connection.

I used Dolphin Browser to make a custom bookmark straight to Google Voice then put those icons on the first screen so I can just use that like an app to initiate a call.

+rep for a great free option!

I'm going to get another router and put DD-WRT on it. Use it for VoIP and get some SIP phones.

It sucks because it's VOIP and it's shit. PSTN for life...

Not really bra. PSTN is going to be history eventually just like analog tv.


No I have never tried that. For $200 it's not a bad offer since almost 2000 people on average rate it over 4 stars. Not sure it would work where I am thought (Costa Rica).