Skype alternative.

[harryopal1]

Of course if you use a home network you need to be aware how good your connection is. There are many tools available which help you to check that. If you use wireless on a smart phone for instance, the app Wi-Fi SweetSpots can be useful to determine what’s the best location in your house. And Speedtest always makes sense of course. There are many more.

Something else to check: In your wireless home network you can use two frequencies; 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. Which one you select(ed) for Wi-Fi can impact (WhatsApp) calls, the 5 GHz is faster but it has a shorter range and may be less stable than 2.4 GHz. There is always a trade-off. I have my smart TV’s and phones and tablets on different frequencies.

Then there’s the age and location of the router and the antennas and their direction; it makes sense to cover the piece of the wall behind it with aluminium foil. Or update your router to a newer model which will offer higher speeds.

Amazing technology now but everything is so complicated. I can remember when you stuck your finger in a hole and dialled the number. In the country, you picked up the phone, a woman answered and you told her who you were calling to get connected. My sister worked at the GPO which had a service for telling the time. Not automated. So my sister answered calls saying, "the time is now..." And then maybe ten seconds later saying it again. The working days must have really dragged.

I am presently using Zadarma but use MNC for a satellite dish connection which is really dreadfully slow. MNC service is awful but they are the only local provider which carries ABC TV showing Aussie rules football. I cannot just pay monthly for a larger quota, so often the quota ends and you get charged about $6 for a few extra bytes and they take maybe 3 or 4 days for give you what you have paid for. This also means that of ten my Zadarma call is also crackly.
The

 

[Wally]

I received that notice too. For calling landlines in the US and Europe, I’ve seen people move to options like Google Voice, Rebtel, or VoIP.ms, which are generally cost-effective and reliable. WhatsApp or Viber can work for app-to-app calls, but for regular landlines a VoIP service is probably the closest replacement for Skype.

I've been using Viber out. I works fine

 

[Banana72]

Bumping this thread: Anybody can report their experience with their non-Indonesian number/E-sim (specifically US)? Long story short, Chase notify me that it requires higher OS at the end of July otherwise the apps won't work. I bought a new phone only to get this 2FA authentication via text or call and I can't do that since I don't have my US number yet (never got the Zadarma or anything)...tried to bypass the 2FA using my niece's (US) phone number, that resulted in a lock asking me to verify my info using state ID- which I don't have on me since my new ID is sent to my address in the US. The super lovely folks at Chase, wouldn't provide me with solution rather than keeps asking me to call their local number. My new phone is stuck in the 'please scan ID' mode...the only way for me to see my Chase acct is through my laptop (and pray it still works after july 31st since it has email authentication). I was gonna consider Tello as an option (e-sim) but hesitant now since activation can be complicated outside the US...unless possibly i have a trusted friend who can help buying the esim and activate it for me...is this true? Anybody can help me with a simpler option? All i need is to be able to make a call first (hopefully less than 30 minutes) to Chase and for long term to use it to receive 2FA texts....thanks!

 

[Hawk256]

Bumping this thread: Anybody can report their experience with their non-Indonesian number/E-sim (specifically US)? Long story short, Chase notify me that it requires higher OS at the end of July otherwise the apps won't work. I bought a new phone only to get this 2FA authentication via text or call and I can't do that since I don't have my US number yet (never got the Zadarma or anything)...tried to bypass the 2FA using my niece's (US) phone number, that resulted in a lock asking me to verify my info using state ID- which I don't have on me since my new ID is sent to my address in the US. The super lovely folks at Chase, wouldn't provide me with solution rather than keeps asking me to call their local number. My new phone is stuck in the 'please scan ID' mode...the only way for me to see my Chase acct is through my laptop (and pray it still works after july 31st since it has email authentication). I was gonna consider Tello as an option (e-sim) but hesitant now since activation can be complicated outside the US...unless possibly i have a trusted friend who can help buying the esim and activate it for me...is this true? Anybody can help me with a simpler option? All i need is to be able to make a call first (hopefully less than 30 minutes) to Chase and for long term to use it to receive 2FA texts....thanks!

Used to be that activating a phone outside the home service area was problematic for US carriers. Not sure that is still the case. If you are talking about an esim the phone itself would need to be in the states IF they can't activate service with you roaming. The carrier should be able to answer the question if they can activate it with you here or not but you may be better sticking with the big 2 in that case. AT&T or Tmobile. Verizon will only activate a CDMA phone so them and their MVNOs will be out of the equation.

Keep in mind my information is years old so there may not be any issues at all.

 

[Banana72]

It has been quite a research for me with Tello responding with a 'no you can't activate esim outside the US'....US mobile I am still waiting for their response but it doesn't look good as google says they don't allow overseas activation. My only hope is Ultra Mobile now.

AT&T or T-mobile allow outside US e-sim purchase?

Not sure why in 2026 certain things are harder not easier! Seems like I'm in an idiotic loop of needing a US number, but to be able to get a US number (like google) you need to have a US number first or...to be able to allow thumb print access, you need to activate it once you get inside the apps, but before you do that, you need a text first...

I swear I pick the wrong time to quit my wine!

 

[jstar]

I think you will be stuck with asking a family member / friend in the US to install the eSIM on their phone. And then request a replacement of the eSIM via the website of the operator of course.

 

[Hawk256]

I think you will be stuck with asking a family member / friend in the US to install the eSIM on their phone. And then request a replacement of the eSIM via the website of the operator of course.

eSims don't work like that. Changing the eSim is just like a new activation as far as the phone is concerned. You wouldn't gain anything with that method.

 

[Hawk256]

AT&T or T-mobile allow outside US e-sim purchase?

Since they are actually the network owners and operators they can possibly do things that the other companies cannot. The other companies called MVNOs just buy time from one of the big 3. AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon. However Verizon is the odd ball in that they use CDMA and no one else does. I would phone AT&T or T-Mobile directly and ask them. Another issue will be that since you are always roaming, they might not want to eat the bill for that each month. That data and voice you use will actually cost them money paid to the network provider here. They may not want that.

 

[jstar]

eSims don't work like that. Changing the eSim is just like a new activation as far as the phone is concerned. You wouldn't gain anything with that method.

Is that spoken from experience? Depending on the operator, I have seen this fail (Orange) or work (KPN). Some have a one time - one phone approach, others allow a move. No idea about Tello or the US but worth a try.

 

[Hawk256]

Is that spoken from experience? Depending on the operator, I have seen this fail (Orange) or work (KPN). Some have a one time - one phone approach, others allow a move. No idea about Tello or the US but worth a try.

I retired from AT&T after 30 years, Granted it has been 10 years ago, The eSim is newer but I know the concept. It resides in the phone. In the case of an eSim the US phone will activate fine but when you change the eSim number the one here it will register as not being in the home system and roaming in Indonesia. In my days that would mean the phone couldn't be activated at all. Now they may have the capability (I don't actually know) but the phone will still flag as not being in the home system and as I stated earlier, they may not want to eat the monthly roaming chages. Especially if they think the phone will never return to the US. I guess Banana could try but then they would have to cancel the phone that was just activated if it didn't work. That is another pain in the ass and as he has already experienced no one want's to activate an overseas phone.

 

[jstar]

Well, if you see the ‘KPN method’; after a request in their app the eSIM was downloaded and installed via WiFi, not via a mobile network So there was no roaming. Then KPN asked for a payment of 1 cent to verify the owner of the subscription, and sent an email verification code. Obviously these settings had to be correct.

Orange said “screw you“ and did not even offer it via their app.

 

[jstar]

Now that I’m putting time in this I looked at their website….

https://tello.com/help_center/esim/how-to-switch-to-a-new-phone-with-esim

….it seems WiFi suffices so with Tello it could work also.

 

[Hawk256]

Now that I’m putting time in this I looked at their website….

https://tello.com/help_center/esim/how-to-switch-to-a-new-phone-with-esim

….it seems WiFi suffices so with Tello it could work also.

They will still know by IP address where the phone is. I'm not saying that it won't work but giving fair warning. You also stand the chance of them discontinuing service for excessive roaming. They really, really hate to pay other carriers.