Any opinions on eKit SIMs?

[andy]

eKit CS also told me the incoming forward from freephone access is 60 minutes aggregate, not per call; they mentioned the 9 months use requirement as well

07924 - I wondered if those new ones would be on it instead - another thing I wonder is if this will come from all UK networks' included minutes for a while (ok not relevant to most of us here)

Originally Posted by RTuesday

Thanks for that, works great, good price.

My new setup with the ekit Global Premium Mobile, for UK (including IOM) , France, Spain, or Mexico:

1. set up a voipcheap account for this purpose, cost 10 euro (no VAT as I used a non-EU payment).

2. Forward all calls from the voipcheap account to the +44 7924 ekit number (and turn off the voipcheap application on the PC).

3. set up an ipkall.com Washington State number, pointing to myaccountname @ sip.voipcheap.com

4. set up one or more callback services to the ipkall US number.

Result: I can be reached by calling a US number (cheap for most people to call) which costs me Eur 7c/min to receive when in a free incoming country (or can also be reached on the IOM mobile number, free to me). I can also divert my US mobile to the ipkall number, as it's just a domestic divert, when in Mexico. (and 102+ divert the Manx number to my US mobile, when in US).

To make outgoing calls in a free incoming country, using Enlinea Mango it's 5c/min to US/UK, plus the Eur 7c/min incoming (ie. US 15c/min). Couple of cents more on Callbackworld. Gphone can't do a callback to a US number, so I've set that up to callback direct to the Manx number (49c/min) as a backup in case either ipkall or voipcheap fail.

I've just tested this all in IOM, and it works.

But it remains to be seen if incoming is really free in Mexico, or how long it lasts!

Yep, I've done all of that, well not in Mexico, but there are cheaper callbacks ...

Voxalot mobile callback can be used with VC for both legs, or any other choice of VoIP providers (I used Babble for my first calls, with 30 free minutes a day). The Voxalot phonebook needs to be set up in advance though and doesn't do ad hoc numbers (but we might use a callthrough or other forward arrangement as the second number).

Voipbuster has a nice Java mobile callback client. I started a thread about this a while back, but at the time didn't have a phone with the required Java version; now I have a N 6070 and have tried it a bit and will add to that thread shortly. VB rates (€): 5c connect, UK landlines 1c, US and many landlines 0c. And yes, the VB callback will go via the IPKall number and back through the same server on the VC account - but note that it won't do this with certain other DIDs pointed at the VC account, like Freedigits or Voiptalk (there are some odd peering features with Betamax; in fact apparently it usually doesn't work at all)

Also, for UK readers, ReturnCall still has interesting rates though I expect them to go up a bit more. At the moment it uses UK p-sms top-up, and needs caller ID, so might be used with a forwarded contract SIM. The caller ID can be got around (use VB callback to trigger the callback!), but we would need to hope for other credit methods to use IoM SIMs directly with this. Again, twice on the same server, its 2p Uk landline rate can be used to callthrough Voipbuster or 18185 for other destinations ...

And as back-up and not quite as cheap, I've used Voipfone and Mywebcalls a bit, but I want to try out Vyke soon, which like VB has a Java mobile client that can make callback between any two numbers, not just the one in the account details; UK mobile to landlines costs US 18.5c/min; it also sends sms for 2c, my only trial use so far

For other backup possibilities, you might ask Enlinea to add another DID to callback direct to the IoM SIM number

So, overall, I use Voxalot/Voipcheap for commonly dialled numbers and will use Voipbuster/Voipcheap for others, and foresee using Vyke a bit as well

[RTuesday]

Originally Posted by andy

but there are cheaper callbacks ...

Voxalot mobile callback can be used with VC for both legs, or any other choice of VoIP providers ...

Do I understand right, all these other options need mobile internet access, some with Java? I don't have WAP/GPRS when I'm in Mexico (nor a Java phone), so need a simple phone-only solution. 15c/min to UK/US is I think the best I can do, especially from my remote off-grid desert location there. (09 was 10c/min, when it worked). It's cheaper than a local mobile call on the IOM.

I've also used Gizmo Project on my Nokia 770 from some local wifi hotspots, calling via sip broker to relatives who are on voipfone.co.uk. Free, but I have to drive to the hotspots, and some of the internet links are via satellite so long delays.

but note that it won't do this with certain other DIDs pointed at the VC account, like Freedigits or Voiptalk (there are some odd peering features with Betamax; in fact apparently it usually doesn't work at all)

This bit's worrying. But it seems to work so far.

[andy]

Originally Posted by RTuesday

Do I understand right, all these other options need mobile internet access, some with Java? I don't have WAP/GPRS when I'm in Mexico (nor a Java phone), so need a simple phone-only solution. 15c/min to UK/US is I think the best I can do,

Yes those do all involve wap/gprs, so I'm sorry not to be useful.

This bit's worrying. But it seems to work so far.

That's just a problem for the Voipbuster callback with the other two; either will reach Finarea accounts otherwise, well, when dialled from pstn anyway

[RTuesday]

Originally Posted by andy

Yes those do all involve wap/gprs, so I'm sorry not to be useful.

What's really useful about it is it shows most of the new products are starting to involve some form of mobile data access, and that if I stick to my current setup with a very simple non-Java phone I may have problems soon...

I do prefer a phone to be just a phone (plus the Nokia 770 for wifi), but I might be forced to change (and the international sims will need to pay more attention to data as well).