Does google voice work correctly in Poland?

I'll be working from Poland for a while, and my primary number is google voice. So want to know if anybody is using google voice in Poland with success, making and receiving U.S./other calls for free from computer?

I've heard there are some work-arounds, but simple is better.
Thanks,

// Irony // - your privacy will be safer if you post your conversation on this forum than via Google talk ;) But it should work in Poland if you really want to use it.

I have Google voice in Poland, I use it as my primary number to contact my family in USA and its working very good.. I have an USA number this is my setting:

1- I have an OBi202 VoIP Phone Adapter bought in Amazon, great voice quality better than landline (No Computer Required ).

2- I have android phone setup with GrooVe IP Lite using WIFI ( voice quality same as landline ).

el_easy
Like your suggestions. They seem simple enough. So, how does your OBi202 get around the firewall for google voice outside of the U.S.?
Another option I read about was forwarding your calls to a skype number, which will definitely work abroad.
But in yours or this case, you still cannot call without a wi-fi connection.
As for having an option that uses cell towers, I know I could get an international sim, but its imperative I keep my phone number. Ideas? (without having to pay T-mobiles 2.50 a minute roaming fee)

Ok, this looks like a good option: telestial.com/view_product.php?ID=LSIM-PL01

Just forward calls to this US number that is based on Poland, right?

OBi202 Adapter works everywhere as long you have high speed interne at home also I have no Google voice firewall problems in Poland...(OBi202 Doesn't work with WIFI).. I don't know why breaking your head looking for other plans that charge you and not even FREE.

** For OBi202 Adapter you only pay once for the box, then you will have free landline forever as long as Google voice exist... There are other free way, but too complicated if you're not VOIP genius..

** I told you already if you have android phone there are piles of Apps in Google play to make and receive free phone calls from USA. Example: GrooVe IP, Vonage and Spare Phone.. ( work with WIFI and data connection)

**Skype is good solution, but those international calls charges will kill you..lol

Look I was Verizon IT in USA and I know what I talkin bout..

el_easy
Okay thanks for all this, I figured you knew what you're talking about ...
*Tried the grooVe app and it worked well. Just curious though, how is this different than calling with my google voice number when I have a wifi connection?

*Is there any benefit to having this, OBi202 Adapter, when I have a google nexus phone?
*Finally, even if I have a local sim card, I can just use it as a back-up when a wifi is either bad or non-existant. It's not so important for my job, but my wife needs to schedule trucking shipments and gets calls at odd hours when we may not be in reach of wifi.

Keep in mind that if you are using it in a home office or just at home. Internet speeds in Poland are some of the best in the world at the moment so you should have no problem running it over Wi-fi.

The difference is GrooVe IP works better over a Wifi connection, voice quality is much clearer than using phone data ... I tried GrooVe IP using phone data over 3G/4G in USA and Poland call quality at least for me it not clear as WIFI, sometimes the other person can't hear you voices sometimes slight breakup or stutter...

NOTE: GrooVe IP Lite works over WIFI only, you need to buy the paid version to make calls using the device's data over 3G/4G..


The benefit OBi202 Adapter:
- You pay for the device once and you have free landline, also you can add more telephone companies from Poland or USA to make & receive phone calls anywhere in the world.

- No computer required to make/receive calls.

- Ring multiple phones on incoming calls mean it will ring on your Google Nexus phone and OBi202 Adapter..

Finally in Poland and working...
So far, great use of google voice over computer with no U.S. firewall hindering calls received from or made to U.S, have not tried my groove app yet, but imagine it will be fine as long as wireless connection is good...

which is a sticking point... my inlaws have Polsat satelite internet and when it's working it's great, but breaks connection on average every hour. I am pretty sure it's the satelite, and not the wireless modem, but will double check today and use a cable connected to modem. It may be that that Polsat is just a bad service, what's reliable internet service here anyways? Are there cable companies, or anybody doing fiberoptic connections?

Might have to change this if I can't figure out the connectivity problems.
Address is in Klecina just outside Wroclaw.

I guess that they have internet from Polsat, but not satellite internet. The most popular in places in Poland without local cable operators are:

orange.pl
netia.pl

They offer ADSL internet so you have to add to the advertised price around 25zł per month for keeping telephone cable line.

I glad you have everything working, but it sounds as you're running Google voice through PC not with VoIP adapter right?. If you need GrooVe IP / Spare Phone apps Pro for free , let me know, I can send you in PM ok..


if your phone calls stutter or break up it's caused by your wireless connections, remember if you don't live in big city, most of the Internet companies run with slow and crappy DSL connections here..

About Fiber Optic in Poland? mmm! big question someone else will answer that question .. FiOS was launched in 2005 in NYC, it means not everybody have it.. :(

What is the benefit / difference from Google Voice as to Skype?
I am using Skype since many years (paying and not paying version), never heard of Google Voice.

There certainly are cable companies - I have a 60mbps connection here, and in my other apartment, a 250mbps connection.

google voice - you can call any number in amercia - for free and unlimited,plus you get an american telephone number ( u.s state of your choice) which anyone in the world can then reach you on.

skype , u can talk 2 your skype buddies - or pay money and phone an actual number - google you can

I did finally try the Groove IP app, and it's actually extremely good quality on my phone, so when I don't want to talk through the computer and I use the phone, it works great. When talking to the U.S. it is very clear with no lag.


I have had two conversations cut off. The quality of the call is consistently good, and then there must be some glitch in the wireless internet because it gets cut off immediately without a progressive deterioration in sound. Finding a new internet carrier for my in-laws is probably out of the question though, so I'll just deal with it.


Google seems to run a lot leaner, and integrates well with your email and contacts. I have had the same cell number for years, and about a year ago ported it to google voice, and that way, I don't have to port each time I have a new cell plan, which isn't a huge deal, but it's just one less thing to do. You should read their site, but in short, you can put any number you want under your google voice number, and that way will only have to remember one number for any multiple of phones you have, and you can set when you pick up or when it goes to voicemail, (like for a business phone for off hours), etc. I'm sure there are more ways to do this, probably even through skype, it just happens that I have everything under google and so far, it's been very reliable.

Finally, want to have an opinion on using my phone when traveling away from a WIFI signal; I was considering buying this SIM:
telestial.com/view_product.php?ID=LSIM-PL01

OR was going to see if I could get a cheap data only plan in Poland and just run the Groove IP application off of that.

So it turns out that here in Klecina Wroclaw there's not many internet options, and polsat may be the best option. Probably a business opportunity for somebody who wants to lay cable... because even after some troubleshooting, this satellite internet is pretty awful. Slightly better than radio, maybe not better than DSL. I'm running 11.5 mbps when it's good.

Another thing I found that might interest some people traveling, or living abroad, is hidemyass.com, which allows you to locate your ip address any where you like, and in my case, would allow me to use google voice. Turns out, google voice works fine with a Polish IP as well and actually doesn't charge you per minute when calling the U.S. from Poland. But it turns out that the site has some other benefits I didn't think about, such as access to a lot of the sites that are blocked out if your ip is in Europe, such as: tigerdirect.com, ebay.com (doesn't flag auctions with no ship to Europe), nhl.com replays, and netflix.com to name a few.

@terrencekeenan
enjoy until it lasts!! Google announced the end of support for XMPP calling with Google Voice. This will happen on May 15, 2014.
In other words all third party programs will stop working like OBi202 VoIP Phone Adapter,GrooVe IP and Spare Phone Android apps...

I'm still not sure if calling through the computer will work, lets see!!
Damn! I hate to pay... :(

Terrence, my good friend, maybe you can install Skype. It's a free program and there you can call people for free, you don't even need a number! :) My dog and I send our warm greetings to you and lots of hugs.

In other words all third party programs will stop working like OBi202 VoIP Phone Adapter,GrooVe IP and Spare Phone Android apps...

I'll be back in Poland next winter though, and supposedly, "google hangouts" will be the thing to use to make calls. Haven't used it on my nexus yet, but been using it pretty regularly on my laptop.

One thing I was unable to do with google voice (and even Skype for that matter) while in Europe was to call when on a public wifi, like McDonalds, or in some of the towns I visited in France (Angers). The best thing to do in this case, is just to get a SIM with some phone data in my opinion. Which some people might find obvious, but when I came to France on a Saturday night, nothing was open in the town, so I had to bum a cell phone call from stranger.

I was using Talkatone, as Hangouts was only working ok with IOS 7 devices. They changed it and allowed to work with IOS 6 as well (I have an old Iphone so this will alow me to keep using my google number on the phone)

I've heard Android application is lagging a bit behind, weird considering it's a Google product.

Hi,
Are you still using Google Voice in Poland? I know that is still available especially via OBI adapter. Please let me know.

Yeah, but use Google Handouts instead of, now Google voice is Handouts and it works better..

I have OBI200 box that I can connect to a landline phone.... love it. Would like to use it in Poland when traveling.

Thanks,
GREG