Wifi calling using data-only eSIM

[Fouremco]

17 hours ago, BananaMama66 said:

Thanks very much for this @cmich068!  It’s a relief to know that WhatsApp will work for us with our eSIMs.
 

I have considered a VPN but we don’t really travel frequently enough or use public wifi regularly so haven’t gone that route (yet).

There are web browsers (Opera) and password managers (Dashlane) that have built in VPNs. They may not have all of the bells and whistles of the better paid VPNs, but may be suitable for the infrequent user.

[Yowman]

15 hours ago, gnome12 said:

I believe if you ever use public wi-fi for anything except simple browsing of mainstream websites (and maybe not even then) you ought to be using a VPN. 

 

I suppose that depends on how much you trust your VPN provider.  All of your data goes through one provider and that can be an attack vector.

 

Now that almost all www traffic is encrypted I'm not sure a commercial VPN is needed (other than perhaps for location spoofing or engaging in illegal activities such as downloading movie torrents).

 

I have set up an OpenVPN server on a desktop machine in my home.  I use it to access Canadian content that is restricted outside of Canada (e.g. Sportsnet for watching the Jays).  I never bother using it for things like banking which, these days, is secure to the point of not needing a VPN.

[BananaMama66]

3 hours ago, Fouremco said:

There are web browsers (Opera) and password managers (Dashlane) that have built in VPNs. They may not have all of the bells and whistles of the better paid VPNs, but may be suitable for the infrequent user.

Thanks @Fouremco.  I will check out Opera and Dashlane as I definitely fall into the category of infrequent user. 
 

To @Yowman’s point, it seems like any online presence (VPN, PayPal, Amazon) is a risk these days but it’s almost impossible to avoid having an online presence. I guess it’s the price we pay for the convenience.

 

Apologies to the OP for the “thread drift” away from the topic of eSIMS 🙃

[CDNPolar]

REVIEW WiFi Calling and eSIM cards:

 

Back to the topic of this original post - WiFi Calling using data only eSIM.

 

This is MY personal experience.

 

Two weeks ago we left for 5 countries in Eastern Europe.  We are tired of paying the BIG "R" daily roaming fees of $15 per day X 2 for both of us.  For the average trip we take those roaming fees are more than our monthly bill including cell, TV, and Internet.  Ridiculous.

 

We studied this discussion thread and others on CC.

 

We bought our eSIM's from a recommended provider and this provider actually had a package that covered all 5 countries that we were going to.

 

Note that for WiFi calling to work (apparently) for the BIG "R", there are some configurations you must do before leaving home - and we did - because you don't have these selections once you are abroad.

 

Short answer was that WiFi calling never worked unless we were connected to a WiFi network - such as the ship's WiFi or at a local attraction that offered WiFi.  

 

We were two identical phones with eSIM's from the same company and so in trailing this we would try to call each other when off WiFi and could not.  On the ship or a public WiFi network, yes, we could receive the call.

 

However, there were many, many problems that we experienced:

 

1. Phone overheating when all services are engaged at once
2. Phone battery draining rapidly
3. My husbands phone automatically connected to the best cell network country to country but mine did NOT, and had to be always manually connected.
4. For some reason my iMessage was somehow "signed out" and I could not use that for the duration of the trip on any network,

 

These are the issues that I can remember, but on top of it all the settings are complicated, and confusing.

 

You have two SIMS on your phone that we called Travel and Primary.  Because my Travel eSIM was not connecting automatically, I had to go in and select multiple times a day.  Once, because I was not paying enough attention, I clicked on the Primary line and before I realized I had clicked on the setting for selecting the cellular network and that wiped the settings that I selected at home and they cannot be redone once you are abroad.  Basically I messed it up, but, it was not working properly anyway.

 

My advice from all of this is three-fold:

 

1) If you need full access to your home cell number - voice calls and voice mail - pay for roaming.  With our plan this will give you local calling where you are also, if you need that.

 

2) If you don't need full access to your home cell number, then give important friends and family the instruction to call you on WhatsApp.  (This worked for us on the eSIM data plan and WiFi)

 

3)  If you need voice and data while travelling buy either a voice and data or a data only eSIM and install that, but don't look for WiFi calling to work when off of a WiFi network.

 

For us for future, we will do this:

 

1. Buy the data only eSIM so that we can map and search anywhere that we are.
2. Instruct friends and family that we are available on WhatsApp only while away
3. Essentially come to terms that our home cell number is unavailable while we are away

 

Overall, it was a great experiment, but not sure that I am a fan of all the confusing settings.

 

 

[BananaMama66]

Hi @CDNPolar! Welcome home and thank you for taking the time to report back about your eSIM travel experience. It is helpful information. 
 

I hope that the eSIM challenges didn’t take away too much from your vacation and that you had a great time. 

[CDNPolar]

3 minutes ago, BananaMama66 said:

Hi @CDNPolar! Welcome home and thank you for taking the time to report back about your eSIM travel experience. It is helpful information. 
 

I hope that the eSIM challenges didn’t take away too much from your vacation and that you had a great time. 

 

Oh, still had a great time!  Haha...  I don't let this stuff get me down, but want to find ways to not pay MORE money to our cell provider.  We pay enough already.

 

We will continue to buy eSIMs now after this experience, but will look at it differently.

[ByThePond]

I am in Europe now and can confirm that this works. I have a data-only Esim and can make/receive calls using my Rogers phone number over that data. Key seems to be the info from @Messybill to lock your home cell account to the Home Service Provider before leaving Canada. I have my Roger’s SIM enabled in Europe but it will not connect (and thus not get charged) to the cell network. As far as the phone is concerned, it is out of range of cell coverage, so everything routes over the data eSIM. 

[BananaMama66]

Thanks @ByThePond for taking the time to report! 

[CDNPolar]

2 hours ago, ByThePond said:

I am in Europe now and can confirm that this works. I have a data-only Esim and can make/receive calls using my Rogers phone number over that data. Key seems to be the info from @Messybill to lock your home cell account to the Home Service Provider before leaving Canada. I have my Roger’s SIM enabled in Europe but it will not connect (and thus not get charged) to the cell network. As far as the phone is concerned, it is out of range of cell coverage, so everything routes over the data eSIM. 

 

Yes - exactly - what we did, UNTIL I messed up and mistakenly switched the home cell number back to automatic once in Europe and then we lost the ability to re-select the Rogers network, so all option to do the WiFi calling was lost.  (On my phone)

 

This happened BECAUSE we found the following:

 

With the Home Cell Number active, and the eSIM, and the Ship WiFI, our phones were getting very hot and also the battery was draining really fast.

 

For some reason my phone was not automatically connecting through the eSIM to the local network and I had to manually select the network each country we were in.  (5 Countries)

 

So, to remedy this we were turning off the eSIM when on the ship and active on WiFi, and and then on the second day when I was manually selecting the local network, I mistakenly went to the settings for the home cell and that ended that....

 

Just a mistake, but that is what happened if any of this makes sense.

[vacationgirl13]

Thanks everyone of all the information. My head is spinning but I am going to keep it in mind for our next trip. In relation to the comment that you need wifi to use google maps for directions, I just wanted to say I use the MAPS.ME app, You can download anywhere you are going ahead of time or when you have wifi and then use the app for all info and directions you need with your phone in airplane mode. We used it on our last trip and it was fantastic.

[Fouremco]

7 minutes ago, vacationgirl13 said:

Thanks everyone of all the information. My head is spinning but I am going to keep it in mind for our next trip. In relation to the comment that you need wifi to use google maps for directions, I just wanted to say I use the MAPS.ME app, You can download anywhere you are going ahead of time or when you have wifi and then use the app for all info and directions you need with your phone in airplane mode. We used it on our last trip and it was fantastic.

Just to make sure that there's no misunderstanding, you can to the same thing with Google maps. 

[pocogb]

Thanks CDNPolar - I am looking into eSIMS as I type and your messages have pointed me in the right direction.

[Atlantic Girl]

Just got back from an Arctic Circle cruise with ports in Iceland and Greenland and used an European Airola esim for the cruise and a precruise Paris/Amsterdam stay. We had used an Airola  esim in Caribbean and US last winter , and tried making phone calls from every port, all worked well. So we did the same this time, called back to Canada using wifi calling, and again calls were no problem. For around $18CDN the convenience was invaluable. We walked all day in Paris and Amsterdam and being able to keep maps on, plus being able to actually research areas  as we were walking through them, was why we will always buy an esim now. We do a lot of research for our travels, but being able to understand what we are seeing in real time is another level of enjoyment for us. We had 5G everywhere we were. 

[Kofienut]

1 hour ago, Atlantic Girl said:

Just got back from an Arctic Circle cruise with ports in Iceland and Greenland and used an European Airola esim for the cruise and a precruise Paris/Amsterdam stay. We had used an Airola  esim in Caribbean and US last winter , and tried making phone calls from every port, all worked well. So we did the same this time, called back to Canada using wifi calling, and again calls were no problem. For around $18CDN the convenience was invaluable. We walked all day in Paris and Amsterdam and being able to keep maps on, plus being able to actually research areas  as we were walking through them, was why we will always buy an esim now. We do a lot of research for our travels, but being able to understand what we are seeing in real time is another level of enjoyment for us. We had 5G everywhere we were. 

So your set your phone to Wifi calling before leaving home, then had it on Airplane mode while away?  The $18 was just the cost of the esim?  Thanks, fellow Canuck.

[ByThePond]

14 hours ago, Kofienut said:

So your set your phone to Wifi calling before leaving home, then had it on Airplane mode while away?  The $18 was just the cost of the esim?  Thanks, fellow Canuck.

Before you leave Canada:

- install the Europe data-only esim following directions of the provider

- activate Wifi-calling on your Canadian plan 

- on the Canadian plan, remove the “automatic” choice of network and set it specifically to your provider. THIS IS IMPORTANT

 

When in Europe:

- go off Airplane mode and have BOTH cell plans (Europe eSIM and Canadian sim/esim) active. Since your Canada plan is unable to acquire a cell signal, it will activate wifi-calling using the Europe eSIM. 

[strobellayjam]

On 8/26/2023 at 8:18 AM, CDNPolar said:

REVIEW WiFi Calling and eSIM cards:

 

Back to the topic of this original post - WiFi Calling using data only eSIM.

 

This is MY personal experience.

 

Two weeks ago we left for 5 countries in Eastern Europe.  We are tired of paying the BIG "R" daily roaming fees of $15 per day X 2 for both of us.  For the average trip we take those roaming fees are more than our monthly bill including cell, TV, and Internet.  Ridiculous.

 

We studied this discussion thread and others on CC.

 

We bought our eSIM's from a recommended provider and this provider actually had a package that covered all 5 countries that we were going to.

 

Note that for WiFi calling to work (apparently) for the BIG "R", there are some configurations you must do before leaving home - and we did - because you don't have these selections once you are abroad.

 

Short answer was that WiFi calling never worked unless we were connected to a WiFi network - such as the ship's WiFi or at a local attraction that offered WiFi.  

 

We were two identical phones with eSIM's from the same company and so in trailing this we would try to call each other when off WiFi and could not.  On the ship or a public WiFi network, yes, we could receive the call.

 

However, there were many, many problems that we experienced:

 

1. Phone overheating when all services are engaged at once
2. Phone battery draining rapidly
3. My husbands phone automatically connected to the best cell network country to country but mine did NOT, and had to be always manually connected.
4. For some reason my iMessage was somehow "signed out" and I could not use that for the duration of the trip on any network,

 

These are the issues that I can remember, but on top of it all the settings are complicated, and confusing.

 

You have two SIMS on your phone that we called Travel and Primary.  Because my Travel eSIM was not connecting automatically, I had to go in and select multiple times a day.  Once, because I was not paying enough attention, I clicked on the Primary line and before I realized I had clicked on the setting for selecting the cellular network and that wiped the settings that I selected at home and they cannot be redone once you are abroad.  Basically I messed it up, but, it was not working properly anyway.

 

My advice from all of this is three-fold:

 

1) If you need full access to your home cell number - voice calls and voice mail - pay for roaming.  With our plan this will give you local calling where you are also, if you need that.

 

2) If you don't need full access to your home cell number, then give important friends and family the instruction to call you on WhatsApp.  (This worked for us on the eSIM data plan and WiFi)

 

3)  If you need voice and data while travelling buy either a voice and data or a data only eSIM and install that, but don't look for WiFi calling to work when off of a WiFi network.

 

For us for future, we will do this:

 

1. Buy the data only eSIM so that we can map and search anywhere that we are.
2. Instruct friends and family that we are available on WhatsApp only while away
3. Essentially come to terms that our home cell number is unavailable while we are away

 

Overall, it was a great experiment, but not sure that I am a fan of all the confusing settings.

 

 

Great tips and notes.  Thanks for sharing. 
 

Where in the GTA did you purchase your eSIM?

[Ex-Airbalancer]

7 hours ago, strobellayjam said:

Great tips and notes.  Thanks for sharing. 
 

Where in the GTA did you purchase your eSIM?

Esims are electronic SIM card they are bought online 

 

some good info here

https://www.traveltomtom.net/travel-tips/best-international-sim-cards

[strobellayjam]

2 hours ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

Esims are electronic SIM card they are bought online 

 

some good info here

https://www.traveltomtom.net/travel-tips/best-international-sim-cards

Thanks 

[CDNPolar]

13 hours ago, strobellayjam said:

Great tips and notes.  Thanks for sharing. 
 

Where in the GTA did you purchase your eSIM?

 

We purchased online.  This is not a physical SIM, but just scan a code from the online site after purchasing.

[strobellayjam]

5 minutes ago, CDNPolar said:

 

We purchased online.  This is not a physical SIM, but just scan a code from the online site after purchasing.

Thanks. A newbie at this as I used to just resort to roaming but it’s ridiculously expensive so need a new option. 

[Spudd]

I have one additional piece of info to add to the puzzle. 

 

I'm with Koodo (Telus discount brand) and they don't support wifi calling outside Canada (boo!). They also charge $14/day for roaming which is RIDICULOUS. 

 

I found out I can disable the "Roam like Home" add-on in my plan settings. If you do that, receiving/making phone calls will cost $1.50/min (if I recall correctly) and there's no charge for incoming text messages.

 

So my new setup is:

1. Buy a local e-sim for destination data usage (if desired - I always desire, LOL)

2. Set phone to use the e-sim for data and the normal sim for calls/texts

3. If I receive any calls while abroad, tell the person I will call them right back, so the charge is only $1.50. I'm VERY unlikely to receive 10 calls a day so I will never exceed the $14. 

4. Call them back using Whatsapp or VOIP on wifi or data. 

[CDNPolar]

10 hours ago, Spudd said:

I have one additional piece of info to add to the puzzle. 

 

I'm with Koodo (Telus discount brand) and they don't support wifi calling outside Canada (boo!). They also charge $14/day for roaming which is RIDICULOUS. 

 

I found out I can disable the "Roam like Home" add-on in my plan settings. If you do that, receiving/making phone calls will cost $1.50/min (if I recall correctly) and there's no charge for incoming text messages.

 

So my new setup is:

1. Buy a local e-sim for destination data usage (if desired - I always desire, LOL)

2. Set phone to use the e-sim for data and the normal sim for calls/texts

3. If I receive any calls while abroad, tell the person I will call them right back, so the charge is only $1.50. I'm VERY unlikely to receive 10 calls a day so I will never exceed the $14. 

4. Call them back using Whatsapp or VOIP on wifi or data. 

 

A good plan...  My Rogers plan is $15.00 per day roam like home.

You can also, as we did, send an email to those likely to call you (friends/family) during this time and suggest that for these dates to call via WhatsApp.  This way you may save the buck 50.

[Ex-Airbalancer]

11 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

 

A good plan...  My Rogers plan is $15.00 per day roam like home.

You can also, as we did, send an email to those likely to call you (friends/family) during this time and suggest that for these dates to call via WhatsApp.  This way you may save the buck 50.

Calling on messager also works just as good 

[lolo11]

I've read that an esim will not work with a Canadian Samsung galaxy s20/s20+. Has anyone tried with these phones?

[broberts]

2 hours ago, lolo11 said:

I've read that an esim will not work with a Canadian Samsung galaxy s20/s20+. Has anyone tried with these phones?

 

https://esimgohub.com/how-to-check-if-your-device-supports-esim/