Free Wireless with ADSL questions

[datax1969]

I'm pretty good with computers and networking and all that stuff but I'm a bit of a noob when it comes to mobiles. I'm currently on Z/21INCTEL and I'm thinking of switching to one of the new ADSL2 plans with 100Mb of free Wireless Broadband, probably OTBW. I can't find a complete set of answers anywhere else on the forum, so maybe having all these questions in one place might help others as well as myself. So as not to appear too dumb, I will frame the questions as statements for which I would like confirmation. A simple yes or no as a response to each item should be enough in most cases.

By the way, I only want the wireless for a mobile phone device, most probably an iPhone (I don't need a whole bunch of anti-Apple people telling me to get something else By the time I finally make a move the Google Nexus thingummie might be here and I'll consider that). So all these questions relate only to the mobile phone aspect of wireless broadband.

As I understand it I get a SIM card with which:

a) I won't be able to make outbound calls on the GSM network at all.

b) Outbound calls will be done entirely through some sort of VOIP mobile app.

c) Incoming calls will use GSM and thus won't count towards the wireless data usage.

d) I can port an existing mobile number for use in this way.

e) I have 2 add-on packs with my ADSL service; 100 calls for $5 and 50mins of mobile calls for $5. Will outbound VOIP calls from the mobile device also come from these packs? For example, in one month I could make 20 mobile VOIP calls and 80 calls using ADSL2 VOIP and still pay the same $5? In the same manner I could also mix and match mobile-mobile VOIP and ADSL-mobile VOIP for a total of 50mins and still pay $5.

f) Assuming the answer to e) is yes. How far does the 100Mb get me? Assuming I do no other Internet activities on the phone other than VOIP I believe this is about 10 hours of talk time.

g) Uploads are counted on the wireless plan.

h) Normal GSM based SMS is not possible from the mobile.

i) I can still receive normal SMS.

j) SMS would, of course, be possible using the phone's browser and Exetel's 'Manage SMS' web page in the member section.

k) There's a mobile app for sending SMS, which is probably just a cutesy interface to the aforementioned web page.

l) SMS costs are therefore 5c each or I could get the SMS add-on pack if I send enough of them to make it worthwhile.

m) I will be SIP registered from two different devices (mobile phone + ADSL/VOIP all-in-one modem) simultaneously. Does this matter? Which phone rings if someone tries to dial my DID?


Thanks in advance,

Rob H

[wobblers]

These are all good questions, hopefully Exetel will answer them. The email they sent out re this service is very low in detail.

[jokiin]

As I understand it I get a SIM card with which:

a) I won't be able to make outbound calls on the GSM network at all. Correct

b) Outbound calls will be done entirely through some sort of VOIP mobile app. the only method on this type of service

c) Incoming calls will use GSM and thus won't count towards the wireless data usage. Correct

d) I can port an existing mobile number for use in this way. Correct

e) I have 2 add-on packs with my ADSL service; 100 calls for $5 and 50mins of mobile calls for $5. Will outbound VOIP calls from the mobile device also come from these packs? For example, in one month I could make 20 mobile VOIP calls and 80 calls using ADSL2 VOIP and still pay the same $5? In the same manner I could also mix and match mobile-mobile VOIP and ADSL-mobile VOIP for a total of 50mins and still pay $5. see M below

f) Assuming the answer to e) is yes. How far does the 100Mb get me? Assuming I do no other Internet activities on the phone other than VOIP I believe this is about 10 hours of talk time. 100mb on an iPhone actually goes quite a long way, just VoIP calls would possibly get you that far or maybe further depending on which VoIP app you wanted to run

g) Uploads are counted on the wireless plan. Correct

h) Normal GSM based SMS is not possible from the mobile. Not 100% sure on this, some data SIMs do allow SMS anyway

i) I can still receive normal SMS. Correct

j) SMS would, of course, be possible using the phone's browser and Exetel's 'Manage SMS' web page in the member section. would but a bit cumbersome

k) There's a mobile app for sending SMS, which is probably just a cutesy interface to the aforementioned web page. no, there is a proper SMS app

l) SMS costs are therefore 5c each or I could get the SMS add-on pack if I send enough of them to make it worthwhile. Correct

m) I will be SIP registered from two different devices (mobile phone + ADSL/VOIP all-in-one modem) simultaneously. Does this matter? Which phone rings if someone tries to dial my DID? you need a separate VoIP account, it's free to have and just pay for your usage, this also means you would have free calls between your two VoIP accounts, except any data costs of course

[kenobiajay]

I thought the free wireless was data only, and not voice.

That would mean no mobile number porting and no incoming calls.

[jokiin]

I thought the free wireless was data only, and not voice.

That would mean no mobile number porting and no incoming calls.

you can still port a number to a data SIM, unless something has changed recently they'll also receive incoming calls

[kenobiajay]

you can still port a number to a data SIM, unless something has changed recently they'll also receive incoming calls

Does this post imply otherwise?
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=35392&start=105#p277754

This WB bundle is not available to use in a phone. It is data only. Voice is not enabled.

[datax1969]

Thank you. Those were pretty much the answers I expected. That leaves just two remaining points of clarification:

m) I will be SIP registered from two different devices (mobile phone + ADSL/VOIP all-in-one modem) simultaneously. Does this matter? Which phone rings if someone tries to dial my DID? you need a separate VoIP account, it's free to have and just pay for your usage, this also means you would have free calls between your two VoIP accounts, except any data costs of course

I'm being an extreme tight-ar$e here but anyway, pressing on - even though its two different VOIP accounts, they will appear on the one bill, so surely it would be possible to for Exetel to combine them onto the Add-on pack. Is this already done by Exetel? Can it be done? With my usage I'm probably quibbling about $2, but I think most people would like to have that 100 call buffer spread between the two systems.

Thinking about it more, SMS from either device must be combined into an add-on pack because there is no way to separate the source (well, technically you could, but I'd be logging in to the SMS sending system using my Exetel member number, why bother to check what sort of host is at the other end?). With VOIP, calls are charged based on the SIP login which is the DID number so they are separated at this point - but seeing that they would be combined to end up on the one bill under my Exetel member number, there is no reason why they couldn't be combined to go through the add-on pack system - yes? If its not already done it sounds like a couple of lines of code fix to me.

Secondly, just out of interest, what form does the second DID take? I'm guessing that because there is no way for Exetel to determine the nature of the device at the other end it is a typical 8-digit VOIP number with a NSW (in my case) area code. Could I ask for an 04 area code so it looks like a mobile number when I tell people what my mobile number is? (Although I'd probably tell most people the GSM number, so it doesn't really matter)

[Dazzled]

Exetel VoIP DIDs look like PSTN numbers located at the selected city, though from a different range. Hiding VoIP calls with mobile phone numbers has been discussed here forever, sometimes heatedly, but the carrier will not permit it.

The add-on pack question is one for Exetel billing, but even though Exetel will issue a second DID, you don't have to use one. As most wireless broadband users have their modem in a laptop, with a simultaneously registered ATA at home, two DIDs are needed for two devices. If you unplug your ATA (or your service is down), you can then register a softphone on your laptop or even someone else's desktop, with the same DID, and people travelling often do this.

[jokiin]

you can still port a number to a data SIM, unless something has changed recently they'll also receive incoming calls

Does this post imply otherwise?
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=35392&start=105#p277754

This WB bundle is not available to use in a phone. It is data only. Voice is not enabled.

I don't believe it implies anything, data SIM's can receive incoming calls (normally) unless there is some kind of restriction that has been put in place that wasn't there previously, there are a few questions in that other thread but not quite the same thing that was being asked