Our metre thick stone walls and roof insulation prevent mobile phones working in most of the house. I’ve had enough of missing calls and running around when the phone does ring, trying to get to a place where there is a signal. Even out in the garden we are not blessed with a robust signal. It occurred to me that Wifi calling might be the solution. Does anyone know if there are any security issues?
I thought that WiFi Calling facility was only available in France on an iPhone. There was a Topic on SF about Femtocell earlier this year which you might have missed here but the consensus was “it was too good to be true” unfortunately.
That said, and I realise it’s not always possible, there is the WhatsApp and Telegram smart phone apps which use WiFi to make and receive calls…
Hi,
We use WiFi calling with orange and it has been working well for the last 9 months. Annoying thing is that it does not improve the reception of incoming calls or SMS. Works well on a Samsung Galaxy and iPhone.
We do tend to use Whatsapp or Skype for most of our calls using the internet and have also extended our WiFi into the garden with an extender.
That’s interesting since a post in the linked Topic from earlier this year suggested that the Orange offering wasn’t now available
Femto cells and WiFi calling is different
Orange wi-fi calling is certainly in use & working, according to my iPhone that is next to me as I type. It is not a Femtocell system.
As I said up the thread, it was my understanding that iPhone WiFi calling is available and works.
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The issue with WiFi-calling is that you need a sniff of cellular network every once in a while to stay registered for the service.
If you have decent WiFi, but poor/no cellular coverage, you’re better off with FaceTime Audio or the same via What’sApp/Telegram.
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We use WhatsApp calls…
Thanks for all the comments. I have an iPhone and Orange. Wifi calling works OK for outgoing calls. I presume it would be OK for incoming. Please excuse my ignorance! I have only recently started using an iPhone, and I don’t understand whether the various apps : Facetime, Messages, Whatsapp, enable calls to and from numbers not already in your contacts.
A regular phone call with an iPhone goes via the cellular network using your mobile phone calls allowance.
FaceTime, WhatsApp, Telegram etc. use your mobile data allowance when you are NOT connected to WiFi. All allow voice calls, video calls and messaging.
When you ARE connected to WiFi, the above apps use your WiFi network and don’t cost you any call or data allowance from your mobile phone account.
WiFi calling is an odd one as it needs cellular coverage to register/activate and then solely uses your WiFi for voice calls.
Many thanks NotALot for the explanation. The context was a nightmare medical emergency with a phone that only makes and receives calls in the garden, patient in the house needing help, calls to and from the doctor, SAMU and the hospital. Got through it, but involved lots of running around to get/not lose the signal. I’d like to be ready with the appropriate technology for next time.
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We have the same problem, no mobile signal in house or garden - have to walk 400 metres down the road to get a signal. Use WiFi calling with orange on Samsung Galaxy phone - works well.
Thanks Soy, it’s a good solution. 400m to walk is not workable. We once rented an ‘eco’ house in Spain miles from anywhere with no network unless you went down to the main road and walked 400m. No mains water or electricity either. Hit and miss to contact the guardian of the house to come with wood and gas. In advance we had thought it might be fun, but it turned out to be a bit grim! We have WiFi at home pretty much everywhere now, a router in the garden as well as others in various rooms. I worked out how to use wifi calling yesterday and it works.
We have wifi calling activated on both our phones. Previously with Orange and now SFR. Always worked brilliantly for calls, as we have virtually no mobile reception inside. It works (or should) with incoming and outgoing calls to/from your mobile. It I’d not able to enhance data transfer from your mobile over the wifi, eg, sms or mms messages. It should work with most modern mobile/smartphones, as long as it is a service offered by the line provider on your contract.
E.g. with Orange I had a mobile line and my wife (with the same phone) had a payg phone with another network, this didn’t allow her to use the service. Now we are on red/SFR I have a 12€ contract and hers is a 2€ one and both have the ability to use wifi calling.
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WiFi calling on Orange is possible on a number of Android phones, there’s a list here Appeler en Wifi sur votre smartphone | Réseaux Orange . Unfortunately my Huawei “Lite” isn’t on the list.
I think the Orange Femtocell service was terminated last weekend.
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