Spark Wifi calling on domestic VDSL

Forums › Spark New Zealand (including Skinny and BigPipe) › Spark Wifi calling on domestic VDSL

PrivateBoxNZ

3 posts

Wannabe Geek

PrivateBox

#242265 18-Oct-2018 12:21

Good morning,

I'm looking for some advice on a simple to use Wifi calling app, or similar.

My house runs on Spark naked broadband (copper) and Spark cell phones (Samsung Galaxys), and we do not have landline.

The Spark cell phone coverage in the house ranges from OK to miserable depending on where you stand, but the naked (cable vdsl) broadband via the router is strong everywhere.

I'm doing more and more work from home and as I spend a lot of time on the phone, I need a good phone line that doesn't become garbled or drop out.

Therefore is there anyway I can easily swap my phone from cellular calling to Wifi calling when I'm at home? I've looked at a cell booster, but they're blimmin expensive and I thought I'd explore Wifi calling before I head down this path.

Any advice or insights on this is greatly received.

1 | 2

meow
13249 posts

Uber Geek

Moderator

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2110440 18-Oct-2018 12:27

The only provider that does WiFi calling is 2degrees and it is seamless. Spark don't have WiFi calling and don't have any plans to get this either.

Basically your options are to switch to 2degrees or look at Vodafone with their Sure Signal option. Personally, I think 2degrees is the more seamless of the two options here.

Michael Murphy | https://murfy.nz
Referral Links: Quic Broadband (use R122101E7CV7Q for free setup)

Are you happy with what you get from Geekzone? Please consider supporting us by subscribing.
Opinions are my own and not the views of my employer.

Linux

11428 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2110443 18-Oct-2018 12:33

@PrivateBoxNZ Wi-Fi calling on 2Degrees works great and free roaming!

https://www.2degreesmobile.co.nz/help-and-support/mobile/products-and-services/wifi-calling?icn=wifi

John

hio77

12999 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

Lizard Networks

#2110444 18-Oct-2018 12:34

michaelmurfy:

Spark don't have WiFi calling and don't have any plans to get this either.

That's a little harsh sounding.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/99852218/Wi-fi-calling-review-the-verdict-on-wi-fi-calling

is an official comment here regarding wifi calling.

Is wi-fi calling the future?

So far only 2degrees offers wi-fi calling. So, what about their competitors?

Reaching out to Vodafone reveals no plans to offer wi-fi calling at this stage.

Earlier this year, Spark announced it is in the process of switching from the aging PSTN network to an IP-based Converged Communications Network (CCN).

According to their statement, this will lead to a range of options, including voice over wi-fi.

#include <std_disclaimer>

Any comments made are personal opinion and do not reflect directly on the position my current or past employers may have.

DarkShadow

1647 posts

Uber Geek

#2110490 18-Oct-2018 13:51

How about you sign up for a VoIP account with 2talk, and use the SIP option in Android? See Option 2 here.

nickb800

2719 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#2110508 18-Oct-2018 14:15

I have the same use case (poor cell signal, multiple phones in house, work from home a lot so need good call quality) and switched all the phones to Vodafone to use a Sure Signal. Can't fault it - hasn't missed a beat once setup and works seamlessly with any handset running on a Vodafone SIM

hio77

12999 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

Lizard Networks

#2110509 18-Oct-2018 14:17

nickb800:

I have the same use case (poor cell signal, multiple phones in house, work from home a lot so need good call quality) and switched all the phones to Vodafone to use a Sure Signal. Can't fault it - hasn't missed a beat once setup and works seamlessly with any handset running on a Vodafone SIM

This is the only reason i still have my vodafone sim... Home coverage! It's a pain, but joys of living Rural with all that signal adsorbing green leafy things

my data is always on my Spark sim, simply because the network often feels snappier for me.

#include <std_disclaimer>

Any comments made are personal opinion and do not reflect directly on the position my current or past employers may have.

Kiwifruta

1423 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

#2127902 16-Nov-2018 12:58

Call me old fashioned, but what about a landline?

Sharesies

Trade NZ and US shares and funds with Sharesies (affiliate link).

hio77

12999 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

Lizard Networks

#2128142 16-Nov-2018 19:16

Kiwifruta:

Call me old fashioned, but what about a landline?

It's the amazingly basic diagnostic tool for broadband ofcourse.

#include <std_disclaimer>

Any comments made are personal opinion and do not reflect directly on the position my current or past employers may have.

ddk

3 posts

Wannabe Geek

#2233774 9-May-2019 15:20

I looked into both of these as I needed cell coverage where there was none, but internet was available.

Some more info on the two options. The Vodafone Sure Signal (known as a Femtocell internationally), works great, but. It provides what appears as a standard cell tower, albeit a short range one. This means your mobile phone will lock onto it (if you have a Vodafone account) and work like any cellular connection for voice or data. Here's the but. Its also available to ANYONE else in range, about 30m. There is NO option to restrict who has access, eg. by IMEI. Even though it goes through your router, you cannot setup any filter as all the router sees is communication with the Sure Signal, not who or what. So if you are in the middle of nowhere, its a fine option. If you are close to a public area as I am, then its a pain that you cannot restrict usage to just yourself. Other people get to use your Sure Signal, and eat up your internet data allowance. Voice calls don't use a whole lot of data, but whos to stop the interloper streaming a movie at your expense?

Wifi calling on the other hand allows your mobile to use the wifi connection to make calls. That means you must first have a valid wifi connection with a router. If its your own router, then of course you only need to set up a password on your wifi (&/or MAC address whitelist) then no one else can access your wifi, and therefore cannot make wifi calls through your internet connection. As at the moment (May 2019), it appears 2 degrees is the only NZ network that has this available. Also, wifi calling must be enabled on your phone. It may only show up as an option (in phone settings) if the service is available. Phones bought from 2Degrees have this option available. Others seem hit and miss. I bought and tried a 2D sim. On an iPhone 6 I already owned used on Spark, the 2D sim made Wifi Calling option become available and it worked fine. On a Samsung S7, the option did not come available. I tried to get it working by talking to staff in a 2D shop but they had no idea. Same with support rep online. It was a similar experience with Vodafone over the Sure Signal, though I did manage to get one clued up person over the phone at one point.

I've got several mobiles with Spark on a shared account but shifted one important one to Vodafone to allow Sure Signal to work. I'm not convinced of 2Degrees has good enough coverage in my area to shift that one phone to them. So I'm hanging out for Spark to enable Wifi Calling so I can get that phone back on the shared plan. As others have said and linked, it appears Spark are upgrading their network so it will become avilable one day, but no word on when.

sbiddle

30853 posts

Uber Geek

Retired Mod

Trusted

Biddle Corp

Lifetime subscriber

#2233778 9-May-2019 15:30

You can request a Sure Signal to be locked down.

Ironically that seems to have been the biggest complaint about them in NZ. In the UK when they launched the biggest complaint was that they were locked down.

old3eyes

9120 posts

Uber Geek

Subscriber

#2233945 9-May-2019 19:03

michaelmurfy:
The only provider that does WiFi calling is 2degrees and it is seamless. Spark don't have WiFi calling and don't have any plans to get this either.

Basically your options are to switch to 2degrees or look at Vodafone with their Sure Signal option. Personally, I think 2degrees is the more seamless of the two options here.

I'm in a simalar position here in Morrinsville. It's about time Spark admitted that their coverage is not the best and offered something like WiFi calling sure signal type of option.

Regards,

Old3eyes

ddk

3 posts

Wannabe Geek

#2234221 10-May-2019 08:25

sbiddle:

You can request a Sure Signal to be locked down.

Ironically that seems to have been the biggest complaint about them in NZ. In the UK when they launched the biggest complaint was that they were locked down.

UK forums suggested Vodafone femtocells can be locked down by IMEI whitelist but when I got hold of Vodafone techie here who seemed to actually know something about the Sure Signal, he said they could not (or was that would not), do that in NZ.

ddk

3 posts

Wannabe Geek

#2234222 10-May-2019 08:27

michaelmurfy:

I'm in a simalar position here in Morrinsville. It's about time Spark admitted that their coverage is not the best and offered something like WiFi calling sure signal type of option.

You say Sparked offered something. Any more details on what exactly they offered?

Linux

11428 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2234224 10-May-2019 08:30

ddk:
sbiddle:

You can request a Sure Signal to be locked down.

Ironically that seems to have been the biggest complaint about them in NZ. In the UK when they launched the biggest complaint was that they were locked down.

UK forums suggested Vodafone femtocells can be locked down by IMEI whitelist but when I got hold of Vodafone techie here who seemed to actually know something about the Sure Signal, he said they could not (or was that would not), do that in NZ.

Yes it can be done by IMSI the SIM card number

old3eyes

9120 posts

Uber Geek

Subscriber

#2234472 10-May-2019 13:50

ddk:
michaelmurfy:

I'm in a simalar position here in Morrinsville. It's about time Spark admitted that their coverage is not the best and offered something like WiFi calling sure signal type of option.

You say Sparked offered something. Any more details on what exactly they offered?

Read my post again. I said if Spark offered..

Regards,

Old3eyes

1 | 2