Freephoneline (FPL), run by Fongo, offers a free Canadian local number with free calling within much of Canada. Using it with your own ATA requires buying a one-time VoIP unlock key, which provides SIP credentials for a third-party device.
Complete Base configuration first.
Costs and limits¶
- Unlock key: a one-time fee. Forum posts show the price has changed over the years ($69.95, $79.95, $99.95 plus tax), so check the current price on the Freephoneline site.
- 911 fee: $1.95 + tax per month, or $23.40 + tax per year, for unlock-key users.
- Porting an existing number in: an additional fee ($25 + tax). Porting doesn't require a second key.
- Two simultaneous calls per number. Features like Follow Me can use up a channel and break call waiting.
- Porting out closes the account by default, and the unlock key is lost.
- After porting a number in, the SIP username changes to the new number, so the ATA must be updated.
- Free numbers aren't available in every city; some locations only support porting.
Getting credentials¶
After buying the unlock key, the Freephoneline account page shows Your SIP Settings. You only need two values from it:
- SIP Username
- SIP Password
The other values listed there are recommended settings for Linksys devices, not values you type into a Grandstream. If you lose the password, use "Forgot your Password" on the login page, or open a support ticket.
HT812 settings¶
Freephoneline publishes ATA-specific configuration guides on the Fongo forum. Its HT802 instructions are reported to work for related Grandstream models. Use the forum guide for the server address and any FPL-specific settings, since those have changed over time. Then:
Profile 1¶
- Primary SIP Server: the Freephoneline server from the current forum guide.
- Register Expiration, NAT Traversal, Unregister On Reboot: as recommended in the forum guide, or the defaults from Base configuration.
- Dial Plan: see Base configuration.
FXS Port 1¶
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Profile ID | Profile 1 |
| SIP User ID | FPL SIP Username |
| Authenticate ID | FPL SIP Username |
| Authenticate Password | FPL SIP Password |
| Pulse dialing | Enabled (for a rotary phone) |
Apply, and confirm the port shows Registered on the Status page.
Notes¶
- Registering the same FPL credentials on more than one device at a time causes problems; use one ATA per account.
- After setup, compare your settings against the troubleshooting thread on the Fongo forum.