WiFi calling over SIM in TP-LINK 4G Router ?

[TimrC]

I have a TP-LINK MR600 4G+ Router and using an EE SIM with 30GB and unlimited calls & texts monthly pack. Router doesn't support RJ11 phone socket so wondering if WiFi calling from iPhone into the Router's SIM is the the way to go. Anyone know how to configure this.

[bristolian]

Hi @TimrC 

Sorry, but I'm not clear what you mean by "WiFi calling from iPhone into the Router's SIM" - could you explain what you're asking?

WiFi calling allows you to make & receive calls without regard for mobile coverage, when your phone is connected to a WiFi router/network.

[Chris_B]

@TimrC  do you have a cellular signal showing on the phone  ? If you do not then all you are doing by using Wi-Fi calling is using the Wi-Fi to give you a usable signal on the phone to make and receive calls/texts. But your router is using the same network as your phone so I imagine that you’ve got a cellular signal on your phone.    WiFi calling uses your tariff allowance to make calls/texts when connected to WiFi because of poor to no cellular signal on your phone.  It’s not a Voip service as such. 

[TimrC]

OK lets try this. I've got one EE SIM with 30GB data and unlimited calls/text for the 30 day pack period. I also have an aged iPhone (v8) but rather than put the SIM in the iPhone I want to use the SIM allowance for calls from the iPhone. I can connect to the TP-LINK Router over wiFi and use its internal text/sms feature through the browser. The Router is giving Internet data services over 4G via the same SIM. However, I don't have any way to make voice calls that I can see unless I can somehow enable WiFi calling on the SIM'less iPhone and dial via the 4G Router's WiFi. I don't want to keep taking the SIM out. I can't see a WiFi calling setup option in the iPhone menus. Maybe because the SIM is in the Router ??

[bristolian]

If your phone doesn't have a SIM in it, it won't be able to use any EE network services. That includes voice calls, whether using VoWiFi or the mobile network.

[EssexBoyEE]

Technically what you are asking does work, subject to a fairly new'sh LTE Router, but how your trying to do it won't work because you have no Network SIM in the iPhone, so it can't be configured to do WiFi calling.

There is nothing to stop you using VOIP Calls or just use WhatsApp through the Router but this will be deducted from your Data Allowance and not your Minutes even though the SIM is in the Router as your not making an EE Call set up.

It's is also technically possible to make a GSM Calls through the LTE Router, if the Router supports that option, but it's quiet an old option these days ( it's basically a Real PSTN Telephone being plugged into the PSTN Jack Socket on the Router) and the Router would route that call through the GSM Network. Having said all that I would be supprised if EE still support that feature now, I know T Mobile used to over GSM and Vodafone and Orange did over an ISDN GPRS Call but it is old tech now.

[mikeliuk]

Modern mobile phones do not have much functionality without a SIM so if you only have a single SIM, you will need to choose between placing in your router or your phone.

I think your best bet is to find a £5/mth or £6/mth unlimited minutes contract for your phone. This is the strategy I have used so that I can have an unlimited data SIM in my router to provide home internet access. 😃

[Chris_B]

@TimrC  what your trying to do will

not work as it doesn’t work like that.  A EE contract sim has to be in the iPhone to use WiFi calling as WiFi calling is only available to contract customers.   Once a contract sim is in the iPhone the WiFi calling option is available this will then use the allowance of that contract to make calls/text when using WiFi calling.    WiFi calling is not a VoIP service as such. It’s a means to give you a workable signal when you have no cellular signal but it still needs a contract sim in the device to have this option to use. 

[XRaySpeX]

It doesn't work like that. To have WiFi Calling on a phone you need to have a SIM in it capable of WiFi Calling which in the case of EE could only be a contract SIM.

Then when WiFi Calling from it it would use the router's (any router) data connection to carry the call instead of the phone's direct mobile call ability. It would not use the mobile router's call allowance at all. That does not come into it & is completely unused & useless. Same goes for WiFi Texting.

[TimrC]

Thankyou all very much for the replies. From further research  it appears that a Huawei 4G Router exists that has an RJ11 interface and uses the Call allowance of the SIM in the Router. Basically plug in a standard telephone into the RJ11 Jack. Otherwise some of the solutions suggested on this discussion are the options. I was looking at Skype on the iPhone but that is just using the Data allowance and has a tariff for non-Skype-to-Skype calls.

Basically, I bought the wrong Router for the calls allowance access !!! However, the TP-LINK is 5G capable so not total waste of dosh. I'm planning to test  it to back-up my fixed line Fibre broadband once my temporary location is closed down.