Free DID in Canada

[Hortoristic]

I asked this a year ago, but am asking now to see if any changes...

I have free DID's in USA and UK but need one in Canada so my daughter can call me from British Columbia here in Seattle.

Anyone know of some totally free DID's in Canada?

A harder solution:
I already know using SIPBROKER, my Canadian kid can dial a local PSTN, and enter my voip.ms account number, which would then ring my house - but it's alot of numbers to dial!

She would need to dial the local PSTN: (778) 785-2095 then *462 (identifies DID is with Callcentric), then my Callcentric number: 1-(914) 296-xxxx#

So whole number would be:
Dial: (778) 785-2095 - wait for prompt then dial: *462 1 914 296 0000# (I changed up my Callcentric number a bit for the '0000' part)

[QBZappy]

 
The only one that I know of.

http://www.freephoneline.ca/
"Free Long Distance to Many Canadian Cities • A Real Phone with Number that runs on your computer". If you are going to be tied to the computer and if you already have an OBi it might be simpler to use the "Call OBi" button or the OBiAPP on her computer.

Best solution in my opinion is the following. I have two accounts for several years with no problems.
"VoIP Unlock Key
Purchase the VoIP Unlock Key and instantly receive all credentials required (username and password, etc.) to configure and activate freephoneline on your device. $50.00 one-time fee"

I would be curious to know of any free DIDs myself. If she has a cell she can call your OBi free of charge as well by using the Call Back feature (as long as she hangs up before the OBi picks up).

[SteveInWA]

Why don't you just sign her up for a basic Callcentric account?  It doesn't even need to have a PSTN DID.  Then, she can call your Seattle Callcentric 1-777-xxxx number from her 1-777-xxxx number for free, using either a softphone client or an ATA.

[Hortoristic]

This syntax is working great for her - she can call from any landline or cell phone:

Dial: (778) 785-2095 - wait for prompt then dial: *462 1 914 296 0000# (I changed up my Callcentric number a bit for the '0000' part)

She has GV working on her smartphone, but for some reason is always really choppy.

I can now put her in the trusted callers list, and she can re-dial other USA destination numbers for free by dialing out my OBI.

If I was able to get a free DID like we have here in Seattle like IPKALL or the free DID I have in UK, she could instead just dial one telephone number and my house would ring - instead of first dialing an access number, then my CC prefix and destination number.

[SteveInWA]

Again, why would you go through those unnecessarily complex steps?  Just get her a free Callcentric account, and then she can call your Callcentric number for free.  No SIPbroker stuff needed.

Install CSIPSimple or some other SIP client on her smartphone and configure it with the CC credentials.  Select G.729 CODEC instead of the G.711 CODEC, and she'll have better luck using the smartphone client on WiFi.  Google Voice on third-party mobile WiFi clients like Talkatone or GrooVe IP is awful, because GV only supports G.711, and G.711 was designed before WiFi, and is too sensitive to poor quality networks to work over a crummy mobile WiFi connection.

http://www.callcentric.com/rate/plans/ip_freedom/

[Hortoristic]

Steve - you Rock!  I installed and configured on my Droid with a 2nd CC #, and it seems to be working great!  

Not seeing the g729 codec in app though - seeing many others though?

Thanks for your help!

[SteveInWA]

Sorry, I forgot that the author of CSipSimple decided to comply with patent law, and so he removed the G.729 CODEC from the free app.  G.729 is a patented CODEC that requires a license fee.  Since it's the only other CODEC that CC supports for PSTN use , aside from G.711, it's the only option if you want data compression and thus, more robust connections on calls to actual telephone numbers (not internal 1-777 numbers).

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.csipsimple.plugins.codecs.g729&hl=en

Actually, I also forgot that, if you just want to place calls between the two internal 1-777 CC numbers, you can use any of the CODECS they support.  See this article:

http://www.callcentric.com/faq.php?s_go=1&search=codec&go=Search#100

The G.726 or Speex low-bandwidth CODECs should work better, if you want to go with a free alternative.  Do some experimenting :-)

[CLTGreg]

I'm wondering how much of this goal is based upon chasing the free dragon for the sake of chasing it versus solving a problem and taking another look at fees.

I'm glad there's a solution but what about an Anveo number for $1 per month for 40 minutes per day or less or $2 per month for unlimited?

It would at least bridge a gap until you can help the budget by getting rid of $12 or $24 per year.

Am I missing something? 778 numbers are available.

[Hortoristic]

Yes - you do have some valid points about how much effort to get "free".

I think for myself, having close family in Canada, UK and in USA - getting all calls for free is pretty sweet having had paid big bucks to phone companies years ago.  I probably wouldn't even be paying the $1.50 a month for e911 if I didn't have little kids in the home.

[ateo]

Here is another option in case you want a backup.  Rebtel.com

With Rebtel can get each of you a phone number and you can make call for free.
To call you she calls a local phone number in Canada provided by Rebtel, you answer, then you hang up but she does not, then you dial her number using the local USA number you got from Rebtel, and the conection is made for free.
See more information
http://www.rebtel.com/en/Cheap-Calls/Canada/

[SteveInWA]

Guys, I hate to get crabby, but I already solved the problem.  Free calling either way, between Hortoristic's Callcentric number and the daughter's Callcentric number, simple, easy, with no gyrations and hoop-jumping required.  If calling to other numbers is desired, it works at Callcentric's competitively low per-minute rates.  I agree with CLTGreg on the dragon-chasing.  It seems to be a unique obsession in the telephone techie world.

[CLTGreg]

If you think it's unique to telecom, I dare you to buy a Pebble Smartwatch and not make any changes to it 

Until you complain that your wrist is vibrating too much because your mom is posting too many facebook photos, you haven't lived.

I feel a bit funny here because I want to know why people are doing things so I can learn but I don't want it to seem like I'm saying the idea is dumb. There was someone else that was insisting on setting up E911 manually. Why? I didn't ask because I couldn't answer half the question.

So sometimes I want to know about the motive but I'm not trying to offend.

[Jozef]

I have free DID's in USA and UK but need one in Canada so my daughter can call me from British Columbia here in Seattle.

Anyone know of some totally free DID's in Canada?

Solution is Local Number från Localphone and Callcentric with Intl. DID - iNum.

What is Local Numbers?
Local Numbers allows you to connect straight through to your friends abroad using local landline numbers. Save these numbers to your mobile or landline and call them anytime.
...
1 Sign up and add your friends and family as Localphone contacts
2 You'll get a unique local number for each contact that connects straight through
3 Save these numbers to your phone and call them directly at our low rates

• Sign her up for a Localphone account.
• When you adding a contact select International (iNum) as country and your Callcentric Intl. DID - iNum as phone number.
• In settings for Local Numbers select Vancouver (778) or Victoria (250) in Canada.
• Register your daughter's number.

Now it's time for your daughter to Verify her number.

[jonburton]

I'm wondering how much of this goal is based upon chasing the free dragon for the sake of chasing it versus solving a problem and taking another look at fees.
I'm glad there's a solution but what about an Anveo number for $1 per month for 40 minutes per day or less or $2 per month for unlimited?

For a buck per line with free fax extension and dialing in USA, Canada or Europe-land,
Anveo has so far been great!   People, its a buck billed a buck at a time.
Have not had success doing call 4ward, etc., with anveo but have really not invested lots of time.

This simply remind me of the old days of "Free TV'ers" spending many thousands to get a few unreliable channels for unknown periods of time, sometimes you just wonder why?

[CLTGreg]

I'm wondering how much of this goal is based upon chasing the free dragon for the sake of chasing it versus solving a problem and taking another look at fees.
I'm glad there's a solution but what about an Anveo number for $1 per month for 40 minutes per day or less or $2 per month for unlimited?

For a buck per line with free fax extension and dialing in USA, Canada or Europe-land,
Anveo has so far been great!   People, its a buck billed a buck at a time.
Have not had success doing call 4ward, etc., with anveo but have really not invested lots of time.

This simply remind me of the old days of "Free TV'ers" spending many thousands to get a few unreliable channels for unknown periods of time, sometimes you just wonder why?

You can do call forwarding and just about anything else you can think of with their Call Flow. You'll be going down the rabbit hole when you discover that. But, once the call isn't SIP you'll pay per minute. I did a test last night but forgot to hang up and call back after the test and it cost me $.60. Still, I use it almost exclusively for inbound calls and I don't think it can beat for international available numbers.

[jonburton]

I'm wondering how much of this goal is based upon chasing the free dragon for the sake of chasing it versus solving a problem and taking another look at fees.
I'm glad there's a solution but what about an Anveo number for $1 per month for 40 minutes per day or less or $2 per month for unlimited?

Now i'm finding anveo generates nothing but carrier 500 errors and forget about the service, its non existent!  Anveo can't be counted on for the dial out at all and sorry e ver signed up for.

For a buck per line with free fax extension and dialing in USA, Canada or Europe-land,
Anveo has so far been great!   People, its a buck billed a buck at a time.
Have not had success doing call 4ward, etc., with anveo but have really not invested lots of time.

This simply remind me of the old days of "Free TV'ers" spending many thousands to get a few unreliable channels for unknown periods of time, sometimes you just wonder why?

You can do call forwarding and just about anything else you can think of with their Call Flow. You'll be going down the rabbit hole when you discover that. But, once the call isn't SIP you'll pay per minute. I did a test last night but forgot to hang up and call back after the test and it cost me $.60. Still, I use it almost exclusively for inbound calls and I don't think it can beat for international available numbers.