For those of us who cannot get GSM reception (and/or want unlimited UMA / WiFi calling via T-Mobile's HotSpot @ Home), we need a way to get HotSpot @ Home calling to work seamlessly on the iPhone. It should be the default dialing / reception mode whenever an open 802.11 wireless network is found. Any senior members or geniuses out there who know how to get the 802.11g radio, the chipset, and the software to all work together and let us do this?

Originally Posted by ontologicalnsite

For those of us who cannot get GSM reception (and/or want unlimited UMA / WiFi calling via T-Mobile's HotSpot @ Home), we need a way to get HotSpot @ Home calling to work seamlessly on the iPhone. It should be the default dialing / reception mode whenever an open 802.11 wireless network is found. Any senior members or geniuses out there who know how to get the 802.11g radio, the chipset, and the software to all work together and let us do this?

So that was 4 years ago. Is there *still* no way to get UMA to work on an iPhone? I've got an original iPhone (first model ever) hacked for use on T-Mobile, and sure wish I could get it to run on WiFi when I find myself in a no-service zone, like the Catskills (especially since I subscribe to T-Mobile's HotSpot@Home program).

My (limited) understanding of UMA is that support for it has to be built in to the wireless chipset itself, which is why only certain T-Mobile phones can do this (not all can). The iPhone does NOT have the UMA capability in the WiFi chip to support this and as such I do not believe there will ever be a software solution to solving this problem.

It's worth note that the ability to make a call from WiFi and the ability to make a UMA phone call are NOT identical terms and should not be used interchangeably. True UMA devices can hand off calls from GSM to UMA/WiFi, where as most "WiFi Calling" capable devices cannot complete this hand-off. More information about this and the prerequisites can be found on the wiki page for "Generic Access Network" (GAN) as that is truly what this is referring to.

Thank you, N1ck, this is helpful! I'm guessing that the iPhone doesn't support WiFi calling after all (even though it has WiFi on it for Internet), since I can never get it to make a call in a WiFi zone unless there's also tower signal. Well, looks like TMo@Home is going to go the way of all flesh anyhow, once evil ATT gets its hands on it...
Susan

Originally Posted by n1ckn4m3

My (limited) understanding of UMA is that support for it has to be built in to the wireless chipset itself, which is why only certain T-Mobile phones can do this (not all can). The iPhone does NOT have the UMA capability in the WiFi chip to support this and as such I do not believe there will ever be a software solution to solving this problem.

It's worth note that the ability to make a call from WiFi and the ability to make a UMA phone call are NOT identical terms and should not be used interchangeably. True UMA devices can hand off calls from GSM to UMA/WiFi, where as most "WiFi Calling" capable devices cannot complete this hand-off. More information about this and the prerequisites can be found on the wiki page for "Generic Access Network" (GAN) as that is truly what this is referring to.

Correct -- I do not believe any of the current iPhone models have the requisite hardware to support this. The wiki page for GAN shows a current list of phones equipped with the requisite hardware, seems a pretty laundry list of some T-Mobile feature phones, some blackberries, but decidedly absent is the iPhone.

Originally Posted by n1ckn4m3

Correct -- I do not believe any of the current iPhone models have the requisite hardware to support this. The wiki page for GAN shows a current list of phones equipped with the requisite hardware, seems a pretty laundry list of some T-Mobile feature phones, some blackberries, but decidedly absent is the iPhone.

The TMo Bobsled app is a P.O.S.
I use it on my iphone 4 and here's wheat it does not do:
Key is that it does not offer incoming calls, only outgoing calls, texts, messages, etc.
It seems not to offer true DTMF, so when you call a number and then need to reach an extension you need to go through BS to try to connect with that extension instead of just inputting the extension # Oh, and just try to reach your voice mail using Bobsled....lol
A simple one button push to #1 does not exist for that. Call your own numberl, as soon as your VM outgoing message starts enter the last 4 digits of your number (or password), then press pound, then wait. And, if you disconnect, start over....lol

Bobsled does not do a seamless handoff to the cell network, so you lose the connection and have to dial back via the cellular network. in fairness, none of the VOIP apps do this except for BB and maybe a few other phones that have built in UM on TMO.

Bobsled seems to be more geared as a "social network" app, as it has Facebook connectivity built into it. So, it does a marginal job of extending the use of your phone, unless you want to access FB without having to open your browser to get to FB. Opening your browser to get to FB is such a pain isn't it? I mean, you have to push another button and wait another 5 seconds to accomplish that normally....lol

This is T_Mo's "solution" for using their @Home service. The Cel-Fi devices are "out of stock until summer 2013, which means we'll never see them again while T-Mo figures out some other likely short lived plan. Oh, and there seems to be tons of those on Ebay (brand new ones) emanating from South Texas/San Antonio area, but TMo insists they don't have them any more.

The Kineto Smart Wi-Fi solution (sounds like THE problem solver on TMo) has not even ben mentioned in close to a year, and no TMo rep I've spoken to is even aware of it, much less could offer up a beta of the app. And TMo is a "partner" with Kineto....

TMo seems to be taking a cue from Apple in that they continually offer us "products we don't even know we need". The problem is, the products they are throwing at us ARE products we don't need, and they are not giving us what we DO need.

I say all of this with a large degree of regret and dismay as I've been a Tmo subscriber since the days of Voicestream and Suncom. Nice people, decent customer service (it used to be stellar) and a decent network I can get most anywhere-except for my house, which sucks !

To twist the knife even further in, I'm a Deutsch Telecom stockholder and have stupidly been underwater on that one for years; but that is my own fault for being loyal.

Originally Posted by n1ckn4m3

Correct -- I do not believe any of the current iPhone models have the requisite hardware to support this. The wiki page for GAN shows a current list of phones equipped with the requisite hardware, seems a pretty laundry list of some T-Mobile feature phones, some blackberries, but decidedly absent is the iPhone.

The TMo Bobsled app is a P.O.S.
I use it on my iphone 4 and here's wheat it does not do:
Key is that it does not offer incoming calls, only outgoing calls, texts, messages, etc.
It seems not to offer true DTMF, so when you call a number and then need to reach an extension you need to go through BS to try to connect with that extension instead of just inputting the extension # Oh, and just try to reach your voice mail using Bobsled....lol
A simple one button push to #1 does not exist for that. Call your own numberl, as soon as your VM outgoing message starts enter the last 4 digits of your number (or password), then press pound, then wait. And, if you disconnect, start over....lol

Bobsled does not do a seamless handoff to the cell network, so you lose the connection and have to dial back via the cellular network. in fairness, none of the VOIP apps do this except for BB and maybe a few other phones that have built in UM on TMO.

Bobsled seems to be more geared as a "social network" app, as it has Facebook connectivity built into it. So, it does a marginal job of extending the use of your phone, unless you want to access FB without having to open your browser to get to FB. Opening your browser to get to FB is such a pain isn't it? I mean, you have to push another button and wait another 5 seconds to accomplish that normally....lol

This is T_Mo's "solution" for using their @Home service. The Cel-Fi devices are "out of stock until summer 2013, which means we'll never see them again while T-Mo figures out some other likely short lived plan. Oh, and there seems to be tons of those on Ebay (brand new ones) emanating from South Texas/San Antonio area, but TMo insists they don't have them any more.

The Kineto Smart Wi-Fi solution (sounds like THE problem solver on TMo) has not even ben mentioned in close to a year, and no TMo rep I've spoken to is even aware of it, much less could offer up a beta of the app. And TMo is a "partner" with Kineto....

TMo seems to be taking a cue from Apple in that they continually offer us "products we don't even know we need". The problem is, the products they are throwing at us ARE products we don't need, and they are not giving us what we DO need.

I say all of this with a large degree of regret and dismay as I've been a Tmo subscriber since the days of Voicestream and Suncom. Nice people, decent customer service (it used to be stellar) and a decent network I can get most anywhere-except for my house, which sucks !

To twist the knife even further in, I'm a Deutsch Telecom stockholder and have stupidly been underwater on that one for years; but that is my own fault for being loyal.