Everyone knows Skype, cheap calls from your computer or special Skype phone, how cool is that! But wouldn’t it be way cooler if you just could use your latest Nokia phone with that unlimited data plan or home WiFi network to make the same cheap internet calls?
Well you can! Unfortunately Skype is throwing up some wall to prevent this (no disrespect to their business model). There are more VoIP providers on the net than Skype alone, one of them is VoipBuster. And VoipBuster is (one of) the solutions that enables you to make those cheap local and international calls using just your Nokia phone to which you are so attached :).
This guide shows how you can setup the Nokia Internet Telephony application that is available on the latest Nokia models (if someone can find a complete list with compatible phones let me know!) to make very cheap local and international calls using the VoipBuster as the SIP server.
When you’re lucky and completed the guide successfully you’ll be able to make true internet calls as the image above shows!
Some prerequisites:
- A VoipBuster account
- A phone that support SIP
- An unlimited dataplan (if you plan on using 3G instead of WiFi connections)
- Some patiences when you don’t get it right the first time
For the impatient ones here are the settings right away:
Phone -> Settings -> Connection -> SIP settings
- Profile name: VoipBuster
- Service profile: IETF
- Default access point: choose a WiFi connection (I don’t recommend a 3G connection due to software issues)
- Public username: your_voipbuster_username@voipbuster.com
- Use compression: no
- Registration: When needed
- Use security: no
- Proxy server: don’t need to change anything here
- Registrar server
- Registrar server address: sip.voipbuster.com
- Realm: voipbuster.com
- Username: your_voipbuster_username
- Password: your_voipbuster_password
- Transport type: Auto
- Port: 5060
Phone -> Settings -> Connection -> Internet tel. settings
- Profile name: VoipBuster
- Sip profiles: VoipBuster
Read on for the full guide (with many screenshots !)… there is “surprise” at the very bottom for those that are unfortunate and don’t have the latest gadget phone that support SIP
Go to you’re phone settings.
open up the connection settings,
and move on to the SIP settings.
Add a new SIP profile.
These are the default settings for a new SIP profile.
Change the default profile name to VoipBuster, leave the Service profile at IETF.
Select a default access point. In this case I’ve selected my home WiFi network.
I’ve tested it with a 3G connection and it works but is a major bug (feature?) in the Nokia Internet telephony application, once you’ve connected thought a 3G connection there’s no (easy) way to disconnect… so be warned.
By the way it’s shame you can’t select an access point group in the SIP profile like in most other application. This means that if you want to use multiple default access points you’ll need to create multiple SIP profiles with each one having an different default access point set.
Your public username is your VoipBuster username with @voipbuster.com attached.
These are the default settings for the registrar server.
Set the registrar server to sip.voipbuster.com
Set the registrar realm to voipbuster.com.
Set the registrar username / password to your VoipBuster username / password.
After saving the profile you should see a the new VoipBuster SIP profile.
Next we need to create a new telephony profile.
Create a new profile.
Change the default name to something like VoipBuster.
The VoipBuster SIP profile you’ve just created should be selected automaticly but just check for sure.
Open up the Internet telephony application and it should start detecting services (=WiFi netorks) immediately.
If the application didn’t connect automaticly to the default access point (the one you’ve provided in the SIP profile) you can connect manually.
Take a look in the Internet Telephony settings.
You can change the preferred call type to Internet call which will result in using internet calls when you’re in range of your default access point. So when you enter you home or office WiFi network the phone can automaticly switch to internet calls.
Setting the login type to automatic will cause the Internet telefphony application to immediately initiate a connection when the application is starter. When the login type is set to manual you’ll always need to select an WiFi access point before an connection is initiated.
Connecting to the VoipBuster SIP server using my home WiFi network.
A SIP connection is in place (see the internet phone icon in the statusbar on the right hand side of the screen). Now just select an entry in your phonebook, choose call and there you have it, you can select to call using an internet call.
That’s all … now go start making those phone calls that you know you’re mobile operator won’t be happy with! Who doesn’t want to call to Malawi (Africa) for a mere $0.03 a minute :)
And now for the surprise…
Don’t have a phone that support SIP? Too bad, but there is hope!
The freely downloadable Fring application supports SIP and has a wide install base for many different phones! Just setup the VoipBuster SIP profile in Fring and you too can make those cheap calls!
