Still insearch of mobile comms

[davhill]

Hello All,

Apologies for kicking off a new thread that follows on from another but the aim is slightly
different now.

The first bit is at https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

Ok, for simplicity's sake, I'll bullet what's happened.

• I have a Sony Xperia XA1 ultra on O2.

• I have a bad mobile singal at home and need WiFi calling.

• I'm moving to a place with a still worse mobile signal.

• I went to O2 and asked if an unlocked Xperia XA2 Ultra I'd seen on eBay would support WiFI calling.

• O2 lad said 'yes' so I bought the phone.

• Got the phone, no WFC, so went back to O2. The lad claimed he'd said it would work, "If it was an O2 phone".

Lying little st said nothing of the kind - covering his arse with the boss.

• Went back to O2. A more helpful lad tried but no joy, even though WFC is enabled on my O2 now.

• Tried a 3UK card - nothing.

• On O2 lads' advice, took phone to 'Khan', who fixes phones from a stall in the shopping centre. He said his oppo had flashe the phone but all they'd done is a reset/software repair. So, no WFC but no charge.

• Just tried a Vodafone SIM. I called support at first, who said it might work. It didn't.

• Played cooling-off period opt out card at Vodafone today.

• Original O2 sim back in now.

• I've asked on the XDA forum about this. No replies after 10 days.

OK, there seem to be three options now...

1: Somehow put O2 firmware on my new phone (good condition, Android 9).

2: Buy a Voda Sure Signal (pricey) and be saddled with a Voda sim/account.

3: Use VOIP.

It's the last I need to know about now. I've seen some cheap deals (i.e. £2.99 a month) but the two questions are these.

I know I'll get a VOIP number. Is it possible to make incoming calls and messages on the mobile signal redirectautomatically to the VOIP number on a 'live' basis or in real time.

Do I really need to shell out for another phone with WFC or will adding VOIP do the trick?

Thank you, Konfused of Kendal.

[anonymous-user]

Current list of O2 WiFi calling compatible phones:

Sony Xperia XZ2, Xperia XZ3, XZ2 Compact, XZ Premium, Xperia XA2, Xperia XZ1, Xperia XZ1 Compact, Xperia 10, Xperia L3, Xperia 5, Xperia 1

Cant see your phone on there.

[davhill]

I checked on this first, noting that the XA2 was there. I was told 'Ultra' = big screen. If my phone were ex - O2, it would work... allegedly.

[gr1340]

davhill said:

I checked on this first, noting that the XA2 was there. I was told 'Ultra' = big screen. If my phone were ex - O2, it would work... allegedly.

Unfortunately, the thinking here is too simplistic even though totally logic.

I had a Note 9 and Tesco did not update the banking app to work with the phone even though it was virtually the same as the S9 Plus (which the app did work on) with a slightly larger screen.

Very annoying but unless your phone is specifically mentioned then do not expect it to work.

[bristolracer]

Ive just been through similar.

I had a Moto G6 play bought independent and unlocked. Used EE network monthly SIM.
Moved house and no signal
Tried wifi calling,switched on all the settings and no luck it wouldnt work.
Called EE, they tweaked settings on my account and still no joy.

Anecdotally I heard that wifi calling only works on network supplied handsets.
My G6 was flaky anyway,so signed up for a Samsung supplied by EE and bingo got full wifi calling and it works well.

So you may? need a network supplied handset-thats been my experience ~

[OldGermanHeaps]

doesnt seem to be the case with 3 if that helps.
i got my mate 20x sim free from hong kong before it was available in the uk and wifi calling works perfectly.

[davhill]

Thank you, gents,

I've just spent an hour fannying about with a VOIP provider's site (yay.com)
and all I achieved was a message, 'Registration unsucessful: Incorrect username or password'.

So, I download their app and I can't register because my mobile signal is ste.

Previously, I went to the Poundland shop, got a 3UK sim and shoved £10 on it
for WIFi calling...it didn't work.

Thing is, I'm Mr. Patient but I really need a 'How to set up VOIP for dummies' page.

[Paul Drawmer]

I too have non existent mobile signal at home, and 2FA means I'm wandering around the garden trying to get a code for various payment authorisations.

As an aside, does wifi calling support the SMS text message transmission that 2FA relies on?

[OldGermanHeaps]

yes works for sms

[anonymous-user]

Just getting a Three UK SIM for WiFi calling won't necessarily work.

It depends on your phone, your carrier, and perhaps, if you are on a contract (unknown).

I'm on Three UK, on a sim only contract.

Moto G7 power. No WiFi calling.
Xiaomi Mi 9 . WiFi calling works.

Both phones running stock software, direct from vendor, not Three.

[stevoknevo]

RogerDodger said:

Just getting a Three UK SIM for WiFi calling won't necessarily work.

It depends on your phone, your carrier, and perhaps, if you are on a contract (unknown).

I'm on Three UK, on a sim only contract.

Moto G7 power. No WiFi calling.
Xiaomi Mi 9 . WiFi calling works.

Both phones running stock software, direct from vendor, not Three.

It's all a bit arbitrary TBH - I've got a factory unlocked Google Pixel 2xl on a BT sim only contract and it works despite their site saying it won't, however at our caravan there's zero signal and we connect to the net using our BT hotspot login and create a WiFi network via a Windows 10 PC and WiFi calling is very sporadic - sometimes it works fine, sometimes I can force it to connect by trying to make a call, sometimes it just will not work regardless; my Wife's VF supplied P20 Pro is pretty stable on the same adhoc network? Not a big deal for us as we don't rely on it for work etc, and just use whatsapp/Duo. It connects perfectly at home though on a stable connection.

Edited by stevoknevo on Friday 22 November 11:59

[jeremyc]

davhill said:

2: Buy a Voda Sure Signal (pricey) and be saddled with a Voda sim/account.

Or get a Vodafone sim/account and complain about the service/coverage to get a free Sure Signal?

[maccas99]

Good luck with VOIP - my 2 cents - just get the SureSignal and move to Vodafone - I've been running one for over 5 years in my property and it's been fine. Few issues but none I couldn't deal with.

Unfortunately SMS does not work on all Wi-Fi Calling providers but using a SureSignal removes this requirement.

[Troubleatmill]

If you can get a signal outside your house...... then just get a 4G signal booster/ repeater. Pricey but solves the issue.

https://www.mobilesignalboosters.co.uk/product-cat...

[davhill]

Thanks gents,

This is getting expensive! Is Sure Signal a bargain booster? The other ones at the link are too much for me.

Meanwhile, I'm in touch with the support folks at Yay. com.

Here and at the new place I could use Skype, wottsapp and the like but this doesn't solve the codes via SMS problem.

Both places are in sheep country so I blame them using their laptops on the dark Web. Al Qaedabaa and the Talibaan. Never trust a sheep.

[jeremyc]

SureSignal provides you with your own personal mobile phone network cell site, using your broadband connection for a "backhaul" connection to the network (it's known as a femtocell). So it's not a signal booster as such, but a cell that your mobile phone "roams" to when you are within range. Mine has worked brilliantly.

I pushed Vodafone customer services hard to get me one when their normal network wasn't providing reliable coverage at home (they admitted as much); whilst they originally wanted to charge me a threat of escalation and/or leaving for another network saw them waive the charges.

Of course if you haven't been a customer for long you may not have as much luck.

[davhill]

Thank you, jeremyc, I think you've hit on a solution.

As you know, I've tried Vodafone. I find that although their sim didn't support the WiFi calling for me, the
mobile signal was a little bit better but not enough for me to not opt out.

However, I plan to revisit the shop with a proposal, based on your input, something the staff said
and my own situation.

In a nutshell the plan is this...

(a) It's a verifiable fact that your network doesn't work properly where I live and also where I'm going to be living soon.

(b) I need a reliable connection, especially at my new home, in order to run my business remotely at a distance of 90 miles.

(c) So does my colleague, who'll be next door - he's a top-ranking professional often on call.

(d) So if you'll include Sure Signal in the deal, I'll transfer to Vodafone, as will my colleague and probably several of his clients.

It's cheeky I know but if you don't ask, etc.so we'll see what transpires.