freephoneline and sipbroker pstn numbers

[akhailtash]

How can someone call a freephoneline number from another SIP network or using SIPBroker access numbers?

I know that freephoneline network number is *8841 but what should I dial after that?

-- Amal

[FONGO_kris]

freephonelinenumber@voip.freephoneline.ca

[akhailtash]

I was talking about calling the PSTN access number for SIP Broker and then entering the FPL number somehow!

freephonelinenumber@voip.freephoneline.ca is for using a computer and another SIP network. I am calling from a regular phone and would like to call the FPL number from SIP Broker.

-- Amal

[FONGO_kris]

FPL Number from PSTN is just like any other phone number, there is not other access codes to access them.

1613XXXXXXX

[akhailtash]

I think you still misunderstood my question. I am not dialing FPL number from a PSTN network. I am dialing SIPBroker number and that can connect me to any SIP network. Usually, DID numbers (FPL phone number) is different from a SIP account number on your SIP network.

I need to know what number I should enter when SIPPhone asks me to enter the SIP number. And that is NOT my FPL phone number.\

Please have a look at: http://www.sipbroker.com/sipbroker/action/pstnNumbers

Freephoneline network number is listed as: *8841

SIP-Code SIP Proxy Provider name
*8841 voip.freephoneline.ca voip.freephoneline.ca

For any other network I would dial the local SIPBroker access number + provider SIP-CODE + [number] or ENUM number

So for example if I am in Bahia Blanca, Argentina, I could dial:

+54-291-485-4001 (SIP Broker access number) then dial
*8841 (freephoneline sip-code)
?????
#

I do not know what's my ENUM number or ???? and it is different from FPL number.
-- Amal

[akhailtash]

There is no way to do this?

-- Amal

[Krazie243]

According to their FAQ:

How Does It Work?

Simply find the SIP-Code for the network you wish to reach in our Network Directory and enter it into your phone followed by your friend's phone number. Your call will be connected, free of charge!

Example:

Your friend uses SIPphone as their VoIP provider. Your friend's VoIP number is 1-747-555-1212. Find SIPphone in the list, which is *747. Simply dial *747-1-747-555-1212 and you're connected!

Basically, using *8841-1-xxx-xxx-xxxx (where the xxx's represent numbers in the phone number) you should be able to reach any Freephoneline number. So if you were trying to reach 15198041234, you would dial *8841-1-519-804-1234 and you would be connected.

Also noted within the FAQ:

Also, if you don't have access to a VoIP phone, you can dial any one of our PSTN access numbers available in over 20 countries around the world. At the voice prompt, just dial the VoIP number as described above.

Which means that you must dial an access number prior to dialing the above format of number. For example, supposing you are using a phone local to Toronto, Ontario and you are calling a Freephoneline number within Ottawa, Ontario. Let's suppose your target number is 613-366-1234. You would dial 1-647-476-FREE and wait for prompt, then dial *8841-1-613-366-1234.


In addition to all that... using your link to look at this - http://www.sipbroker.com/sipbroker/acti ... WhitePages - I found that there are statuses for services where someone tried to use this. There is a red X next to our service indicating that the server is either blocking calls of this kind or there were at least 5 unsuccessful attempts in a row.

[akhailtash]

Well, I still cannot connect using SIPBroker. Does anyone know if FPL is blocking this type of connection and why?

-- Amal

[voip]

Well, I still cannot connect using SIPBroker. Does anyone know if FPL is blocking this type of connection and why?

-- Amal

Amal,

I would assume that FPL is blocking anonymous SIP calls. That is why there is a red X besides voip.freephoneline.ca. I've never SIP Broker PSTN with FPL, but have used it with other SIP provders and it has worked.

It never worked for Acanac either!

But why would you want to use SIP Broker unless you're planning on connecting to some "SIP Agreegator" or you have some mechanism to connect to all your SIP registrations and have them point to one ATA/VoIP box. It is good for a fallback, but the reliability of all providers is just about the same worldwide. Your internet connection has to be the most reliable in the equation!

Good luck!

[akhailtash]

The reason I want to use SIP Broker is to call home when I am on a trip or on the road. Or have family call me.

There is SIP aggregator called MySIP Switch http://www.mysipswitch.com/. It allows you to have multiple SIP providers and connect to one ATA. I have not used it yet, but it sounds interesting.

[Krazie243]

There is one very easy way to make something work for your situation - Follow Me service allows you to forward to any number. You could just forward to any one of the numbers that go to your ATA and that way anyone calling your Freephoneline number will reach you at your ATA.

[akhailtash]

I don't want anyone to find me! lol Follow me is no quite what I want. I want to be able to call home from wherever I am using SipBroker access numbers around the world.

Not sure why FPL blocks other SIP networks!
-- Amal

[Krazie243]

The Freephoneline system doesn't necessarily block SIP brokers on purpose. Freephoneline is a basic VoIP system that probably hasn't been programmed to allow for that sort of thing yet. Possibly in the future it may be made available, but it is a Canadian service only right now - communication between Freephoneline and other countries is only really possible through an international package. This might change in the future, but that is likely a few months off at the least.

[emoci]

The scenario above would not neccessarily interfere with FreePhoneLine's current service ... let me illustrate:

-I have an ATA with FPL at home (Toronto). Both me and my family use it for incoming and outgoing calls.
-I visited Montreal last month, and the Hotel phone included free local calls to 514 numbers ...
-The ideal situation would be for me to call 514-908-9707 (SipBroker Montreal Access Number, a free call), wait for prompt, then dial *8841-1416477xxxx and I would be talking to home in Toronto without the need for a phone card or paying the hotel ...

Now the issue is how much work would be involved in you allowing incoming SIP URI calls of the 1416477xxxx@voip.freephoneline.ca format from any other third party SIP provider ...?

[Madwand]

Yes, this has to be fixed. I'm now involved with SipBroker and can't understand why freephoneline is blocking anonymous or other network sip based calls.

Something tells me that since the call is not terminating with the PTSN that freephoneline is blocking it because they won't get any revenue for the call. This is quite shocking because my friends in other countries won't call me with a calling card, they'll call me on my other voip line... but it's not my primary one and I'd like to have incoming sip based calling to my freephoneline line.

Kris, any update on this issue? This is going to be a big thing in the future, so I really hope the fpl understands that blocking these calls is not the answer.

[FONGO_steve]

Something tells me that since the call is not terminating with the PTSN that freephoneline is blocking it because they won't get any revenue for the call.

That's a part of the many things that keep us free If we risk a huge influx of calls coming onto the network with no termination fees being earned, then things don't balance out as well.

[Madwand]

I wouldn't mind paying a small fee, perhaps annual for this type of service to be unblocked for my line.

Why do you even have the Sipbroker setup in the first place then?

[FONGO_steve]

I wouldn't mind paying a small fee, perhaps annual for this type of service to be unblocked for my line.

Why do you even have the Sipbroker setup in the first place then?

Let me pass the fee idea around.. we might be able to incorporate something like that.

We have a Sip broker setup? Might have been posted by a user and not a staff member?

[cu2o2o2]

I wouldn't mind paying a small fee, perhaps annual for this type of service to be unblocked for my line.

Why do you even have the Sipbroker setup in the first place then?

Let me pass the fee idea around.. we might be able to incorporate something like that.

We have a Sip broker setup? Might have been posted by a user and not a staff member?

I do not want the fee idea. If you incorporate that, please make it as an option, as I have different (basic) needs for a phoneline.

By the way, I just visited sipbroker and freephoneline has now got a green checkmark

[FONGO_steve]

I do not want the fee idea. If you incorporate that, please make it as an option, as I have different (basic) needs for a phoneline.

It would be optional - like long distance.
Freephoneline itself will always be free

[cu2o2o2]

Thanks, Steve!

Oh, I just called my friend in Calgary, AB from my office Bell line through sipbroker and it works!

I dialed 416-900-3666
after the voice prompt, I dialed *8841-1-403-879-xxxx
and voila, free phone call to FPL in Alberta from a Bell line in Brampton!

How cool is that?

[cu2o2o2]

But then, I do not like the idea of dialing too many numbers.

However, my friends in the US can now call me for free (if they do not mind dialing/remembering those PSTN access numbers)....YAY!

[cu2o2o2]

Damn! I celebrated too soon!

Now that I think of it, they all have cellphones and no landline...oh well

[cu2o2o2]

Something tells me that since the call is not terminating with the PTSN that freephoneline is blocking it because they won't get any revenue for the call.

That's a part of the many things that keep us free If we risk a huge influx of calls coming onto the network with no termination fees being earned, then things don't balance out as well.

Steve,

Maybe you can sponsor multiple DID's in sipbroker so that you will not lose the termination fees

Scroll down to the bottom of the link below.

http://www.sipbroker.com/sipbroker/acti ... 532B07CD47

[Madwand]

Thanks, Steve!

Oh, I just called my friend in Calgary, AB from my office Bell line through sipbroker and it works!

I dialed 416-900-3666
after the voice prompt, I dialed *8841-1-403-879-xxxx
and voila, free phone call to FPL in Alberta from a Bell line in Brampton!

How cool is that?

You're one of the lucky ones. I get "this account number is not valid" and I did it the same way as you did. The phone number I used was ported from Primus about a month ago. I can try my other line, but it's 12:30am at the moment and I'll have to do it later.