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Cellular Phone Forum / Providers / Alltel / February 2008$52 per Month Unlimited on Sprint, using Voicestick
I know that this has been mentioned in the past, but with the new emphasis on "unlimited" plans, and the fact that Sprint SERO pricing is now essentially available to all, I think that it's worth mentioning again. $52/month Unlimited Wireless Service Using Sprint and Voicestick 1. Get the $30 (plus taxes and fees) SERO plan on Sprint. 2. Add "Sprint to Home" for $5/month extra. 3. Sign up for an unlimited Voicestick Account at $200/year ($16.67 per month)*. 4. Use your Voicestick number as your "home" number for "Sprint to Home." 5. Give out your Voicestick number as your cellular number. 6. Have Voicestick forward calls from your Voicestick number to your Sprint number. These calls will use no Sprint minutes because they're from your "home" phone number. 7. For calling out, dial your Voicestick number from your Sprint phone, (it's a free call because it's to your "home" number). Voicestick recognizes this number (since you've programmed it into their system) and now you can call any number in the U.S. or Canada as part of your Voicestick unlimited plan. You can program your phone book in your cell phone to dial the access number, pause, and then dial the actual phone number, so you can easily automate the whole procedure. There are side benefits as well. When traveling outside the country with a prepaid phone on a local carrier you can program Voicestick to send your calls to that phone rather than your Sprint phone. You can also easily take advantage of Voicestick's low international rates without having to use a service such as One-Suite. While you're training your callers to call your Voicestick number instead of your cellular number you'll still be able to receive calls on your regular Sprint cell phone number (which you can port from another carrier). Unfortunately you can't port your cellular number to Voicestick. * Note that the $16.67/month Voicestick account isn't really required. You can use their "NextToNothing" account and pay 2¢/minute (minimum $1/month). The break-even point for the $16.67/month service is 833 minutes per month ($16.67/$0.02). Reference Sites --------------- Voicestick: "http://www.voicestick.com/" Sprint Sero: "http://delivery.sprint.com/m/p/sprint/epc/epclanding.asp" SERO E-Mail Addresses (not all work): "http://tinyurl.com/2fkgul" The main downside of this approach is that I wouldn't trust Voicestick -- or any of the other "consumer" grade VoIP providers -- to not occasionally garble and drop calls. Granted, the same thing can happen with regular cell calls, although there it's due to getting in a bad area that the cell tower can't hear well, whereas with VoIP you're at the mercy of what the Internet in general is up to and may lose calls with no warning whatsoever. So... fine for calling home or friends or whatever, not acceptable for business users, in my opinion. > The main downside of this approach is that I wouldn't trust Voicestick -- or > any of the other "consumer" grade VoIP providers -- to not occasionally garble [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > So... fine for calling home or friends or whatever, not acceptable for > business users, in my opinion. Actually there's a bigger issue with this for CDMA users, it's the loss of encryption security as the call passes through Voicestick. For GSM users, calls and texts are already insecure so sending the call through Voicestick isn't going to matter much. You never want to do any banking or credit card ordering on a GSM phone. See "http://www.darkreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=146616" for details. "Joel Koltner" <zapwireDASHgroups@yahoo.com> wrote in news:kWnvj.8499 $ea6.6321@en-nntp-01.dc1.easynews.com: > So... fine for calling home or friends or whatever, not acceptable for > business users, in my opinion. No so, Skype. http://skype.com/security/security/ http://www.skype.com/security/files/2005-031%20security%20evaluation.pdf "2.3 Session Cryptography All traffic in a session is encrypted by XORing the plaintext with key stream generated by 256-bit AES (also known as Rijndael) running in integer counter mode (ICM). The key used is SKAB. Skype sessions contain multiple streams. The ICM counter depends on the stream, on salt, and the sequency within the stream." http://skype.com/security/ http://skype.com/security/business/ http://skype.com/download/skype/windows/business/ Add to this your computer being used as a supernode on Skype and even more confusing data occasionally runs through your IP. With 256-bit encryption and multiple streams, Skype is MORE secure than any Sellphone or POTS, even if the Skype connection is over the Sellphone data. Skype audio, even on EVDO, sounds just like you're on a landline, but without the analog hissing and sputtering noises....to any place that has broadband. > Skype audio, even on EVDO, sounds just like you're on a landline, but > without the analog hissing and sputtering noises....to any place that has > broadband. That hasn't been my experience with VoIP. On international calls, VoIP is fine oh, say... 90% of the time. But the other 10% of the time I get random disconnects, horribly distorted speech, and other artifiacts. It may be the Internet in general, it may be my particular provider, who knows? But the point is that -- for the average user -- there IS no way of knowing, so it's a bit of a crapshoot. On the other hand, with *just* a cell phone, barring known areas where simply lack coverage, the call quality is more like 99.9%. So, again... fine for calling friends and family, not something I'd want to run a business over. >> Skype audio, even on EVDO, sounds just like you're on a landline, but >> without the analog hissing and sputtering noises....to any place that [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > So, again... fine for calling friends and family, not something I'd > want to run a business over. I wonder if Skype works better because of its careful 256-bit encryption, which must also be transmitted in perfect code or it isn't going to be accepted. I've never heard any distortion, etc., on Skype because Skype's software has automatic gain control. Skype sets the audio level, itself, instead of depending on the user. Even the cheapest 99c microphone from the thrift shop, what I use at home, sounds great. Skype over wifi or sellphone data is, of course, subject to being intermittent if, for instance, some idiot you're trying to talk to doesn't have BROADBAND and is trying to use Skype on a dialup or low bandwidth sellphone circuit that's fading in and out. That has nothing to do with Skype, though. It DOES have to have its data in a timely manner like any streaming audio. However, the 500ms awful latency of a sellphone data circuit over bluetooth DUN doesn't seem to bother it at all. Running a business on Skype wouldn't be any worse, but possibly better, than making business calls on your sellphone with it cutting in and out from the crappy coverage of the average sellphone carrier's poorly laid out system. Skype on your desktop or over your wifi doesn't have sellphone dead zones or dropped calls. Skype at the office over Ethernet to broadband sounds much better than the deskphone next to the computer if you're calling Timbuctoo on POTS. > The main downside of this approach is that I wouldn't trust Voicestick -- or > any of the other "consumer" grade VoIP providers -- to not occasionally garble [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > So... fine for calling home or friends or whatever, not acceptable for > business users, in my opinion. Perhaps, but many businesses use VoIP themselves these days (but under ideal balanced network conditions vs. those at home) and, using the Voicestick "bridge" as Steven described is only "semi-VoIP," like using a cheap calling card these days. It's a cell call from you to their system, VoIP from their system to the terminating phone company (hopefully, again, under better conditions than a home broadband connection!) It's worked well for me when I've used it for international calls. Hi Todd, > Perhaps, but many businesses use VoIP themselves these days (but under > ideal balanced network conditions vs. those at home) That's a big difference in my mind. :-) I probably am too pessimistic about this based on personal mediocre experiences with VoIP for international calls. ---Joel > > Perhaps, but many businesses use VoIP themselves these days (but under > > ideal balanced network conditions vs. those at home) > > That's a big difference in my mind. :-) I agree. I guess the point I was trying to make, was I'm less leery of using VoIP if it's being used commercially as a "backhaul" by a provider (like an LD/calling card company) than if I'm using it at home on a flakey consumer broadband connection. > I probably am too pessimistic about this based on personal mediocre > experiences with VoIP for international calls. My experience is similar- I've made a lot of lousy quality LD calls from home via VoIP on my own equipment, but have received decent service using low-cost LD providers like OneSuite who I assume uses VoIP themselves as a method of connection, and through Voicestick's "cellular bridge" service. The weak link in the VoIP chain, IMO, is on the consumer's end. Eliminate that (by using POTS or cellular) and VoIP seems to work a lot more consistently, at least for me! "Joel Koltner" <zapwireDASHgroups@yahoo.com> wrote in news:dFGvj.16168 $Gv.4746@en-nntp-07.dc1.easynews.com: > Hi Todd, > [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > ---Joel If your business calls Skype to Skype, instead of POTS to POTS, and both ends have reliable broadband, which business normally does, the directly connected computers will provide much more secure (with 256 bit encryption of Skype) and only 2 conversions, right in front of you, from end to end. If you call him on POTS, you have the odd noises of analog telephones buzzing and clicking until it gets to the POTS point of being converted, noise converted too, to data. On the other end, more POTS noise is introduced between their data to analog conversion point and the desk phone it's connected to, adding more to the distortions and noise of the POTS link. Some people have complained to me about their Skype sounding funny or being distorted. Because I got them on Skype, I feel partly responsible for this problem so I go look. The cheapest plastic shitty free computer speakers that came with the box is 99% of the problem. A speaker 1" across is terrible! I fixed one not long ago by simply plugging the nice little stereo on his desk next to the computer into the computer audio output, junking the crap speakers into his wastebasket. He couldn't believe how great Skype sounded over a real hi fi! My computer is the center of my home entertainment system, here. It is permanently connected to a 300W/channel hi fi whos radio hasn't been listened to in 10 years and a pair of 12" REAL floor speakers, not these little plastic boxes Best Buy sells for a stereo these days, which are CRAP! Skype sounds like you're talking over a big stereo, not a tin can in my living room....(c; SMS <scharf.steven@geemail.com> wrote in news:47be075a$0$36394 $742ec2ed@news.sonic.net: > $52/month Unlimited Wireless Service Using Sprint and Voicestick > [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > 3. Sign up for an unlimited Voicestick Account at $200/year ($16.67 per > month)*. Hmm...I found this on Alltel's group so I think it's ok to respond.... Alltel EVDO unlimited is $25/mo plus some taxes. http://tinyurl.com/34hyao "Wireless Internet Kits With a Wireless Internet Kit, simply use your wireless phone as your modem and surf the Internet at high speed. With Wireless Internet solutions from Alltel, you can stay in touch and get more done. Plans Device Price National Unlimited Data Smartphones $10.00/mo. National Unlimited Data All other handsets $25.00/mo." Skype Pro is $3/month no taxes or addons at all. http://skype.com/allfeatures/skypepro/ * Nothing per minute nationwide calls For calls to any phone within the US and Canada* (with no connection fee). * Save up to 60% on a personal online number A SkypeIn number that lets people call you at local rates. * Call transfer Transfer calls to Skype contacts, phones or cell phones. * Save on the move with Skype To Go International calls from your cell phone at local rates. * Voicemail – never miss a call Pick up messages when you’re busy or offline. Just so you don't HAVE to carry some kind of computer around with your Sellphone, you can use Skype To Go for: http://www.skype.com/allfeatures/togo/ 3.9c connection fee plus 2.1c/min to most civilized countries, unless, of course, you're calling a "shared billing" scam like a Sellphone in Europe where you gotta pay HIS bill. To get a separate number so people "somewhere", anywhere you want to put the Skype In number they cover across the planet, you need Skype IN: http://www.skype.com/allfeatures/onlinenumber/ You don't HAVE to have another number where you live! You can have up to 9 different Skype In phone numbers in 20 countries for $60/each/YEAR, but you get a 60% discount on those if you are a Skype Pro subscriber, which would be crazy not to if you want Skype In so we'll price a US POTS number at $24/YEAR! I also have a number in London, UK, just for the hell of it. I'm one of the numbers off a busy pub, which makes for some really hilarious phone calls from England I wouldn't change for the world...(c; Of course, if you overseas friends are on Skype, too, the TOTAL cost of Skype is ZERO....pretty hard to beat. Now with Skype To Go, by the way, you can call them for free from your SELLphone, paying only airtime to your carrier to call Uncle Mahmood in Bahrain with full-motion color video if you plug in the webcam....for free. That should be cheaper. Let's see..... Alltel EVDO UNLIMITED $25/mo Skype Pro 3 Skype In with pro discount 2 Skype to the Sellphone 0 unless you use it... (Skype has no other recurring fees per month) Total cost is the Sellphone plan you like plus $30/month....plus addon taxes on the SELLphone ONLY. Skype has no tax loads or funny business charges. Alltel and Skype are MUCH cheaper than this Voicestick BS, hands down. If you're a REAL cheapskate....you can make it even cheaper! Get an Alltel Smartphone. Call 611 and buy UNLIMITED DATA for it for the princely sum of $10/month. Tether it to your laptop or tablet on USB or bluetooth DUN. UNLIMITED 1X is $10/mo more than your plan...and noone complains about USING it!....(c; The smartphone AND your tethered computer BOTH work just great for $10/month! Skype works great on Alltel 1X because it puts you on EVDO ANYWAYS!....(c; http://tinyurl.com/34hyao So, the CHEAPEST way to call Uncle Fritz in Basel, Switzerland or your girlfriend in Thailand is to GET THEM ON SKYPE! Your cost is ZERO from your home computer....or plan plus $10/mo through the smartphone on Alltel to the tablet or laptop....REALLY CHEAP!! NOONE beats Alltel.....NOONE. ["Followup-To:" header set to alt.cellular.verizon.] > Hmm...I found this on Alltel's group so I think it's ok to respond.... > > Alltel EVDO unlimited is $25/mo plus some taxes. But Larry, you're comparing apples to oranges. Voice+data is what we're talking about here. I want to see voice+data plans. I'm not saying that what you're talking about is a bad idea... I am curious if Alltel is going to do an unlimited nationwide plan too. In Cleveland, Alltel, and GTE Wireless before them, had unlimited $59.99 local plans for a few years. The one problem with NATIONWIDE unlimited on Alltel is that they could end up eating a ton of roaming charges, or have to charge customers for roaming. Why is this a problem? Alltel has no footprint in California. There are three HUGE population centers here: Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco. That's why. > NOONE beats Alltel.....NOONE. It would be great if they were nationwide. Personally, I would consider using them (I used Alltel in Cleveland for a while after GTE divested their Cleveland network to Alltel). And they got a fair amount of coverage by purchasing Western Wireless CellularONE. But...  SignatureSteve Sobol, Victorville, CA PGP:0xE3AE35ED www.SteveSobol.com Geek-for-hire. Details: http://www.linkedin.com/in/stevesobol |
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