Norseman Posted October 10, 2011 Posted October 10, 2011 I have been here for several years and always I have wanted a way I could call my loved ones back in the good old US of A. There are so many ways to call and most work well. Some on the other hand leave alot to be desired. When I look to do this I want ease of use and something simple. Yes there are ways to make calls for free however who wants to jump through hoops to do it. So here are my simple solutions and there is a free solution in here. Skype. This is probably your best and most reliable source to make phone calls back to the US. It works on a P2P network that provides clean crisp calls on some of the slowest connections. For $60 dollars a year you get a US number and 10 dollars a month unlimited calls to the US and Canada. Note that if you are signing up for this you must use a US IP address or the rates are greater. Skype is available at most internet cafes in the Philippines and most mobile smart phones have an app. Really an easy way to call. Also skype has portable sets where you not longer need a computer on to operate. Plug into the router and outlet. That is it. They sell those at octagon for 1250 pesos. Not to bad. Majic Jack Many people are on the Majic Jack band wagon. You use this to plug into your USB port and can make calls back and forth to the US free of charge after your yearly fee is paid. I find the cost a bit much compared to skype (per min billing) as I do not make enough calls to justify that cost. The downside you need a computer on. However the ease at which this works makes it a simple viable solution. Whistle Voip This is a company many may not have heard of. They will give you a US Phone number and give you free 20 min calls to the US. After that 20 min call you just have to call right back. Unlimited time on incoming calls. It is ad based and has a windows application and smart phone applications. You can avail of the no ads and no call limit for 1.5 cents a min to call. This is what I use. The calls are crystal clear and the service is awesome along with support. There are what I consider the best options for Voip that will be inexpensive and the traveler around the globe. Please note that Majic Jack and Whistle are SIP applications. They use port 5060 and Globe blocks 5060 for some residential customers that have land lines. As the land line is using port 5060. So it will not work. That does not apply to all Globe lines however some do have issues with it. Enjoy 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Lee Posted October 10, 2011 Posted October 10, 2011 Now there is Magic Jack Plus that hooks directly to the modem or router, so the computer no longer needs to be on to use it. I have not bought one yet, but they say you can port your old MJ number to it. I use the good old Magic Jack and have used it all over the world during our travels and found it very reliable for the $39.99 it cost me, and I paid an additional $59.99 for five more years of unlimited calls to the US and Canada ( I think it is more now), and I also put $10 into their long distance MJ bank and occasionally use it to call the Philippines when not there and it has worked flawlessly that way as well. I highly recommend it and wish there had been a way for me to buy stock in the company, since I was one of the first group of users years ago. We have PLDT in our condo in Cebu and the MJ works great, and I also use Smart bro usb device when traveling around the Philippines, but the MJ has not worked well with that device for me, so if you have a very slow connection, IMO the MJ will not work well for you. See the video about it on this page. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jake Posted October 10, 2011 Posted October 10, 2011 Hey Norseman, Wow, this is really a blessing to have a new member such as yourself in giving us valuableinformation about various types of communications available in PI. Along with Kuya Lee'sand Art's advice (dual band cellphones, Skype and MJ), I must continue to do my homework(shopping on Amazon and NewEgg) before my departure. Thank you sir -- Jake Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Call me bubba Posted October 11, 2011 Posted October 11, 2011 at the american 4th of july event, I asked 4 different people(americans) what do they use for call service. 2 had "magic jack" but it was pain to get calls at 2am /2pm there but it had worked well the other 2 just used various services. sypke or other land based services..\ONE service it only seems that I ever talk about and no one else knows about isCALL BACK SERVICE. you set up an account,, call a number in the us, let it ring 2 times. it calls you back. rates ? about 20-25 cents per minute,but the Good thing about 1 call back service is They offer a 800 service, so that special friends,family or banks can contact you if needed,also PLDT budget card offers 1.5 php rate Smart,Red mobile and now SUN has special rates back to the US . also if i am not mistaken this topic/issue has been discussed before. allow me some time to find the previous topics and allow me to post those links,or if some one else knows where this is located . PLEASE post them so others can be aware of the knowledge that awaits them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norseman Posted October 11, 2011 Author Posted October 11, 2011 (edited) about 20-25 cents per minute,but the Good thing about 1 call back service is They offer a 800 service, so that special friends,family or banks can contact you if needed, Wow that is a crazy crazy rate. Whistle offers the exact same thing with follow me. You call the US number back home it forwards to your PH number. The cost is 17 cents a min. However what I do is just tell them I will call them right back and use one of many services that have 1 cent a min calls. Easy as pie. Actually whistle has changed rates it is .9 cents to call the US and Canada with no ads. Free with ads (15 seconds). Edited October 11, 2011 by Norseman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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