[GUIDE] SIPdroid & Google Voice setup (updated 3-12-2010)

Ok, installed SIPdroid, pressed "New PBX linked to my GoogleVoice" button on bottom. Is the password supposed to be a new password for PBXes, or your GoogleVoice password? What is my SIPdroid password below that?

No matter what I put, I get a gray box telling be to wait, then another blank gray box, then nothing happens.

Should I just set it up on the PBXes webpage?



More questions:
What is the GV callback app for? I already use the official GV app by Google (used only for voicemail until now) and I have now told it to place all calls using GV. Is that not enough?

If this works reliably, I would like to switch to TMobile's Data Only plan for $40/mo. Have others done this? If so does your phone work just as good as a real voice plan?

I still wish someone could just make it all work through GMail like on a PC without ever having to mess with this SIP stuff and 3rd party accounts, but if it works I will take it.


FYI: I'm looking in to all this mostly because TMO pissed me off by charging me for tons of minutes I am not using. 3 days ago I was 4 min over, 2 days ago I was 168 min over, 1 day ago I was 304 min over, and today I am 348 min over. The thing is, according to TMO themselves, I have only used 34 min in the last 3 days, yet they say they cannot do any math until the billing cycle closes, at which point I will not be able to switch plans back-dated, so I went ahead and switch to unlimited loyalty for $75/mo, but I should not need to pay the extra $10/mo since I know I never get near my 1000min unless they are cheating me, which they are. I can't wait to switch to $40/mo unlimited data and tell them to shove the voice charges.

I think I'm giving up on this for tonight. Since the auto setup in SIPdroid didn't work, I manually created a PBXes account. I setup SIPdroid but it gives error 404 in registration. Additionally, I don't get how to setup PBXes really. I have no XMPP option under Add Trunk (paid users only?), but I can get to it by clicking Add SIP, and then just changing the end of that URL from SIP to XMPP. However, when I try to save that, it gives a DB error. The trunk is added, but when I click to edit it if gives the same DB error. After hours of searching I have found no walk-through (that post announcing the feature has very little info). Please post instructions if you got them.



Side note: I like that PBXes cut out having to use yet another 3rd party by adding XMPP support, but they are still a 3rd party themselves. Can't someone make an "XMPPdroid" app for android instead of using SIPdroid? I know I can figure this all out (with a little help from you fellow XDAers and Google), but it all seems just way more complex then it needs to be.

rpmccormick said:

Ok, installed SIPdroid, pressed "New PBX linked to my GoogleVoice" button on bottom. Is the password supposed to be a new password for PBXes, or your GoogleVoice password? What is my SIPdroid password below that?

No matter what I put, I get a gray box telling be to wait, then another blank gray box, then nothing happens.

Should I just set it up on the PBXes webpage?



More questions:
What is the GV callback app for? I already use the official GV app by Google (used only for voicemail until now) and I have now told it to place all calls using GV. Is that not enough?

If this works reliably, I would like to switch to TMobile's Data Only plan for $40/mo. Have others done this? If so does your phone work just as good as a real voice plan?

I still wish someone could just make it all work through GMail like on a PC without ever having to mess with this SIP stuff and 3rd party accounts, but if it works I will take it.


FYI: I'm looking in to all this mostly because TMO pissed me off by charging me for tons of minutes I am not using. 3 days ago I was 4 min over, 2 days ago I was 168 min over, 1 day ago I was 304 min over, and today I am 348 min over. The thing is, according to TMO themselves, I have only used 34 min in the last 3 days, yet they say they cannot do any math until the billing cycle closes, at which point I will not be able to switch plans back-dated, so I went ahead and switch to unlimited loyalty for $75/mo, but I should not need to pay the extra $10/mo since I know I never get near my 1000min unless they are cheating me, which they are. I can't wait to switch to $40/mo unlimited data and tell them to shove the voice charges.

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

In the sipdroid setup, it's your gmail password (which will also serve as your password on the website), and the sipdroid password is one you make up for when you enter your pbxes account info in sipdroid.

Not sure why you're getting nothing after registering - maybe try again with a new username?

I would probably recommend the sipgate setup before pbxes (pbxes its basically logging into your gmail account to make calls....many have issues, and who knows if google will kill it...)

The purpose of the GV callback app is to make your outgoing calls free with the sipgate setup. I think sipgate has decent rates for outgoing - if you prefer the simplicity of no callback.

GV Callback simply initiates a Google Voice callback to your sipgate # that will connect to your outgoing number when you dial out...hence your outgoing calls are technically incoming calls--and therefore, free.

rpmccormick said:

I think I'm giving up on this for tonight. Since the auto setup in SIPdroid didn't work, I manually created a PBXes account. I setup SIPdroid but it gives error 404 in registration. Additionally, I don't get how to setup PBXes really. I have no XMPP option under Add Trunk (paid users only?), but I can get to it by clicking Add SIP, and then just changing the end of that URL from SIP to XMPP. However, when I try to save that, it gives a DB error. The trunk is added, but when I click to edit it if gives the same DB error. After hours of searching I have found no walk-through (that post announcing the feature has very little info). Please post instructions if you got them.



Side note: I like that PBXes cut out having to use yet another 3rd party by adding XMPP support, but they are still a 3rd party themselves. Can't someone make an "XMPPdroid" app for android instead of using SIPdroid? I know I can figure this all out (with a little help from you fellow XDAers and Google), but it all seems just way more complex then it needs to be.

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

The only way to link pbxes to GV for free is through the sipdroid app. With a free account, you won't have the option on the web to add google.

wvcachi said:

The only way to link pbxes to GV for free is through the sipdroid app. With a free account, you won't have the option on the web to add google.

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

Am I SOL now that I created a PBXes account manually with the same username as my gmail? I can't find an option in PBXes to delete account.

rpmccormick said:

Am I SOL now that I created a PBXes account manually with the same username as my gmail? I can't find an option in PBXes to delete account.

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

No, not at all. Just create a different username: it'll automatically link it to your google account on your phone, regardless of what other accounts you've created.

...and yeah, that's an eyebrow-raising thing about pbxes - their advice for deleting a free account?...buy a premium account for 1 month, then you'll be able to delete it. I kid you not. Part of the reason I lean towards the sipgate option.

You seem to know what you are talking about, so I don't mean to contradict you, however, I have learned the following tonight:

1) Unless the SIPdroid method is different, a paid PBXes account connects through google over XMPP directly. (I read some post that said the old method of having a ipkall or other basically logs in to your google account, but setting up an XMPP trunk should be a clean way of doing it.)

2) You can delete your free PBXes account (under "Personal Data")



I deleted the account and tried again. Then I tried using a different username too. I'm still getting the the same empty error (noted as a SIPdroid bug by another user 33hours ago here)

I guess I may try your preferred method, but having yet another phone number SIP account and using the call-back thing just sounds a lot less clean to me compared to pbxes XMPP.

Again, it would be soooooo nice if someone invented an XMPPdroid app so we could skip all 3rd party SIP bs.



Thanks for all your help though. I learned a lot.

rpmccormick said:

You seem to know what you are talking about, so I don't mean to contradict you, however, I have learned the following tonight:

1) Unless the SIPdroid method is different, a paid PBXes account connects through google over XMPP directly. (I read some post that said the old method of having a ipkall or other basically logs in to your google account, but setting up an XMPP trunk should be a clean way of doing it.)

2) You can delete your free PBXes account (under "Personal Data")



I deleted the account and tried again. Then I tried using a different username too. I'm still getting the the same empty error (noted as a SIPdroid bug by another user 33hours ago here)

I guess I may try your preferred method, but having yet another phone number SIP account and using the call-back thing just sounds a lot less clean to me compared to pbxes XMPP.

Again, it would be soooooo nice if someone invented an XMPPdroid app so we could skip all 3rd party SIP bs.



Thanks for all your help though. I learned a lot.

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

Yeah, you did your homework - I learned a few things myself...

The problem I had with pbxes wasn't with registering, it was that as soon as I tried to make an outgoing call, it failed with the google voice lady's "your call could not be completed..." error. Then I get the same message when I dial out from gmail for up to a day after that! It happens every time, so it sounds like it's google interpreting pbxes' call attempt as a security violation and temporarily blocking all gmail calling.

That's why, even if some people are having success with this setup, I'm skeptical about the long-term prospects of a 3rd party dialing out via google this way: Google may not like it, and Google has the ability to block it.

I understand the sipgate + GV callback seems a little clunky...it might be the best 100% free option right now though.

For what it's worth, sipgate charges 1.9 cents/minute for outgoing, so that's still a reasonably cheap option that doesn't require a callback. You can have incoming and outgoing being your Google Voice number, so the sipgate number is basically for account purposes only.

I'm using GV + gizmo5 + sip sorcery--which is 100% free and phenomenal...but unfortunately neither gizmo nor sipsorcery is taking new registrations now.

Sipgate could replace gizmo in that setup, but there's no known sip sorcery alternative. If you think it's worth it, the owner of sip sorcery has an invite for sale on ebay for $50. That's a lotta loot for something that used to be free, but, on the flip side, you won't pay for another call after that.

Sip sorcery handles outgoing google voice calls differently than pbxes: instead of XMPP, they initiate a Google Voice call-back--only it's all done on their server, away from your phone (and almost instantly). So, on your end, the result is a regular outgoing call. . . . but since they're technically using the call-back method, it doesn't require them jacking something google might not want them to be jacking. It's been up and available for quite some time without any problems (the pbxes method is pretty new, and has had many issues).

It can be overwhelming with all these somewhat-complicated solutions just to get cheap or free voip. The way I look at it is that there are many big companies who have a vested interest in keeping these kinds of options away from the average customer. I certainly appreciate Google's setting up a framework for these work-arounds to be possible.

Good luck! I love finding ways to flip the bird to the carriers' rape of charging voice + texting + data separately (and expensively), when you can do everything you need on a phone with just data. Hope you can too!

it works...believe me!

Phone: Motorola Cliq w/2.1-rooted *I know that this is an HTC-based forum! *
Apps: Sipdroid 2.0.1 beta + Google Voice 0.4.2 via Android Market

1. Install and open Google Voice using credentials from Google Account on phone (Google Voice account must be linked to a gmail address)
2. Install and open Sipdroid

3. On Sipdroid, there is a button to link Google Voice, click it
4. Input Google Voice credentials and new PBXes account info and password.
Wait for ok.
5. On Sipdroid, go to Settings and select SIP 1 account and change the settings to enable 3G, WiFi, VPN, etc..
6. Go to Advanced Option and select a STUN server to use (default is good)
7. Go to PBXes Featues and select Improve Audio
Ready to use after going back but calls might not go thru so...

8. Go to to www4.pbxes.com via web browser and log in using new PBXes account
9. Select Personal Data and input the data, but for the Timezone :: Datacenter option, select a time zone that's different than www4 (Something is not right with www4 but Seattle is good-www2) and save the info.
10. After save, go to your new server's address www2.pbxes.com and login to using your account.

11. Select Trunks then select GTALK/gmail address and resave the trunk by clicking Submit Changes.

12. Logout of www2.pbxes.com and login to www.google.com/gmail via web browser using gmail credentials

13. On Gmail, select Settings and then Chat.
14. Change the default "Auto-add suggested contacts" option to "Only allow people that I've explicitly approved to chat with me and see when I'm online". I've read that this option will screw up outbound calling if left alone. To have Gmail used to make calls, you must have your Google talk name selected as one of the forwarding phones in Google Voice-then you will see an option in the Chat settings to enable outbound calling in Gmail.
15. Save the info.
16. Logout of Gmail.

Calling is good to go at this point.

Extra Credit - use the Line 2 on Sipdroid for another Google Voice Account. How?

1. Restore the phone to factory default to erase all info and apps. Backing up your phone is good to do.
2. Repeat 1-4 for the second account to have it's own PBXes account and 8-15 for the PBXes.com and Gmail stuff.

dynasty123 said:

Phone: Motorola Cliq w/2.1-rooted *I know that this is an HTC-based forum! *
Apps: Sipdroid 2.0.1 beta + Google Voice 0.4.2 via Android Market

1. Install and open Google Voice using credentials from Google Account on phone (Google Voice account must be linked to a gmail address)
2. Install and open Sipdroid

3. On Sipdroid, there is a button to link Google Voice, click it
4. Input Google Voice credentials and new PBXes account info and password.
Wait for ok.
5. On Sipdroid, go to Settings and select SIP 1 account and change the settings to enable 3G, WiFi, VPN, etc..
6. Go to Advanced Option and select a STUN server to use (default is good)
7. Go to PBXes Featues and select Improve Audio
Ready to use after going back but calls might not go thru so...

8. Go to to www4.pbxes.com via web browser and log in using new PBXes account
9. Select Personal Data and input the data, but for the Timezone :: Datacenter option, select a time zone that's different than www4 (Something is not right with www4 but Seattle is good-www2) and save the info.
10. After save, go to your new server's address www2.pbxes.com and login to using your account.

11. Select Trunks then select GTALK/gmail address and resave the trunk by clicking Submit Changes.

12. Logout of www2.pbxes.com and login to www.google.com/gmail via web browser using gmail credentials

13. On Gmail, select Settings and then Chat.
14. Change the default "Auto-add suggested contacts" option to "Only allow people that I've explicitly approved to chat with me and see when I'm online". I've read that this option will screw up outbound calling if left alone. To have Gmail used to make calls, you must have your Google talk name selected as one of the forwarding phones in Google Voice-then you will see an option in the Chat settings to enable outbound calling in Gmail.
15. Save the info.
16. Logout of Gmail.

Calling is good to go at this point.

Extra Credit - use the Line 2 on Sipdroid for another Google Voice Account. How?

1. Restore the phone to factory default to erase all info and apps. Backing up your phone is good to do.
2. Repeat 1-4 for the second account to have it's own PBXes account and 8-15 for the PBXes.com and Gmail stuff.

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

Thanks for the detailed how-to: finally got it working!

I actually used a combo of this guide, with a few changes from a different forum suggesting to change time zone to www4 - NY (I had tried www2 - Seattle before several times and it didn't work), and to enter server/proxy in sipdroid as www4.pbxes.com. It's hard to say what change made the difference.

I've followed this guide a couple of posts up and so far have had no luck getting it to work. I've tried a variety of combos of server www4,www3, www2.

Any suggestions?

All I get is silence, but every once and a while I get the google voice can't connect lady.

EDIT:

Ok the problem for me was I has VPN checked. All is working great now.
One quick question, does this take care of outbound and inbound calls with no minutes? IE... I setup Google Voice to ring the GTALK address and not my mobile for SIPDROID, and then use SIPDROID for outbound?

I signed up for a Premium PBXes account to get the Google Voice trunk option to work with my PAP2T router and Sipdroid on my Motorola Droid. I was able to get outbound calls working (voice was extremely choppy) but incoming calls didn't work at all. On top of this, even with chat options set to contact list only, my friends on my contact list said they were getting spammed with chat requests and even sent emails that I was asking for chat requests.

I wouldn't recommend working with PBXes either. After paying for a month of premium membership I canceled the PBXes monthly paypal subscription (intending on using my premium account for a month) only to have them cancel my premium account, after I paid for it. Upon emailing them for more information and/or a refund my account was disabled..... I haven't gotten a word from them.

Searching other forums I see other people have had horrible experiences with their customer support or lack there of.

im using sipdroid to connect my googelvoice account automatically to pbx with the sipdroid setup to google voice...i can make out going calls fine but i cant receive incoming?any ideas?

It still works-incoming and outgoing. I don't know what kind of setup you have but my setup is just the same. You didn't have to buy a premium account to hook up G.V; it works without it. I let sipdroid create the account. If you wanted to go premium, I dunno...I never used it so I cant tell you. As for incoming calls, it works but for some reason.I can hear the caller while the phone is ringing. Sipdroid auto-answers it and gives the caller a fake british-like ringtone. I can hear everything they're saying before I pick up....weird.

dynasty123 said:

It still works-incoming and outgoing. I don't know what kind of setup you have but my setup is just the same. You didn't have to buy a premium account to hook up G.V; it works without it. I let sipdroid create the account. If you wanted to go premium, I dunno...I never used it so I cant tell you. As for incoming calls, it works but for some reason.I can hear the caller while the phone is ringing. Sipdroid auto-answers it and gives the caller a fake british-like ringtone. I can hear everything they're saying before I pick up....weird.

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

Ive also let sipdroid create the account.automatically but google voice doesn't forward incoming calls to sipdroid right? Didn't you ned to create a third party sip? I've done that thru sipgate free account with the number they provided but was trying to figure out how to connect that number to sipdroid.

You didn't do smokehouse anythingelse besides letting sipdroid create the account for you and you could receive incoming calls? I only.could do outgoing after that setup.



Sent from my HTC Evo using Tapatalk

sipdroid audio reliability?>

I was able to get incoming and outgoing calls to work just by going through the sipdroid pbx "wizard". However, sipdroid seems to randomly but regularly drop audio- meaning somebody will call, sipdroid will ring, I answer and then no audio. So, it works as a experiment but I would recommend to anyone who needs reliability. Fring on the other hand has been reliable enough- just used sipgate account credentials and have GV forward to sipgate number. However, no outgoing with this option. Sigh....

Using the new Sipdroid/PBXes setup works fine for me for both outgoing and incoming calls (when I'm able to answer them.)

However,
My other phones never ring when I have Google Chat activated as one of my phones in GV. Also, incoming calls never get sent to my google voicemail.

Therefore,
If I'm not logged into Sipdroid, callers hear 1 ring and then silence.

It seems that PBXes accepts the call immediately and GV doesn't have a chance to handle the call properly by forwarding to my other phones or voicemail. In PBXes call monitor I can see the incoming calls, but the 'App' column just says Hangup on these calls.

Anyone know how to solve this?

Thanks.

Are there others here that are using ipcomms? Although I have just registered yesterday, it seems to have better call quality than sipgate. If there are others using it, perhaps we can share our experiences....

security?

Could someone with some knowledge give a brief summary of the security of android SIP? Are user/password sent in the clear? Are the actual voice packets encrypted between the SIP client and SIP server?

echo?

I suspect that the echo people find with SIP/VoiP is a big function of the SIP or DID provider. Is there anyone out there that doesn't have noticeable echo (this echo is heard by the person calling your voip phone)? Are the lucky guys that have sipsorcery accounts immune?