How to Obtain a SIP Account

Learn how to register for your SIP account

By
Nadeem Unuth
Nadeem Unuth
Freelance Contributor
  • University of Mauritius
Nadeem Unuth is a former freelance contributor to Lifewire who specializes in information and communication technology with a focus on VoIP.
lifewire's editorial guidelines
Updated on July 22, 2021

SIP is a protocol that gives you a unique identification (a SIP number or address) on the internet that you can use as a phone number or email address to make and receive voice calls for free. Use it to reach any SIP, landline, or mobile user worldwide. Here is how you can register for a SIP account.

Choose a SIP Service

The first thing to do is choose a SIP service. There are plenty out there. You can choose a free SIP account as a beginner, or, if you require additional features and services, opt for a premium SIP account. Here is a list of free SIP providers.

Go to Their Register Page

Once you have found a service, use your browser to go to the website and look for the link that takes you to the register page. It is normally found near the login option. Once on the page, you will be presented with a registration form, which you will need to fill out.

Decide on a Username

Just like for an email address, you should match your username to the public image you'd like to maintain through your SIP activities. The username needs to be unique, and it may be that your preferred name is already taken. The username you choose will then be part of an SIP address, which resembles an email address with the @ symbol; for example, memyself@thatsipservice.info.

Choose a Password

It's important to choose a strong password. Follow the fundamentals of password creation, but be sure to write it down or use a password manager to remember it.

The Rest as Usual

For some SIP servers, there may be additional information required of you, such as the time zone, a captcha entry, or an email address. A valid email is essential since your full SIP credentials will be sent to it. Most services also require the email to be a "real" account.

Check Your Email

In most cases, the credentials needed to configure your SIP phone will be sent to you via email. That email is important. Make sure it does not get dumped into the Junk folder. The information that you will have to save includes the following:

  • SIP address, for example, memyself@thatsipservice.info
  • Password
  • Username, for example, memyself
  • Domain/Realm, for example, thatsipservice.info
  • Outbound proxy, for example, proxy.proksi.com
  • XCAP root, for example, https://xcap.proksi.com/xcap-root

The email may also contain some useful information on how to access your account and change settings, how to configure your SIP software or hardware phone, and other technical information.

Once you have a new SIP account, you can configure it with a SIP softphone app and start enjoying free VoIP communication.

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