Use Your Sprint™ Number with Your OBi

[ShermanObi]

OBi Owners Can Use Sprint + Google Voice™ for Convenience, One-Number Simplicity
and a Host of Great Calling & Messaging Features (for Free)

Google and Sprint recently announced and implemented a way for Sprint mobile phone customers to be able to use Google Voice + Sprint communications services together in a very seamless and simple-to-use way.

Now, with Sprint + Google Voice integration, OBi users get the following benefits:
    

• Incoming calls will ring the home phone connected to the OBi and the Sprint mobile phone simultaneously.
• Calls using the OBi's phone will have "land line-like" quality — Bad cell reception is not an issue with the OBi.
• OBi users can talk as much as they want from home, for free when calling the USA or Canada*.
• Calls made from the phone attached to the OBi will display the Sprint number as the outgoing Caller ID.
• Feature-rich voice messaging used by Google Voice can be accessed from either the Sprint mobile or home phone connected to the OBi.
• With an OBi, users can have 2 different calls going at the same time, e.g. the kids can use the home phone connected to the OBi, while you are using your Sprint mobile phone on a separate call.
• A visual and/or audible signal (stutter dial tone) will appear when new or unheard messages are in the user's Google Voice voicemail inbox.
• From the home phone, OBi users can make international calls using Google's low international rates.

Calls made to the USA and Canada from the phone connected to the OBi are free* and calls to all-other international numbers receive Google Voice's great rates and excellent voice quality.

Enabling this functionality is free. Just go to the Google Voice and sign-up with your Sprint number. If you ever want to stop using your Sprint number as your Google Voice number, you may select "disable" next to your Sprint number in your Google Voice Settings Phones tab.

* Google previously announced that calls to the USA and Canada will be free through 2011.
* Calls made to or from the OBi will NOT count towards the OBi user's Sprint mobile minutes.
* For the other side of the call made to or from the OBi, the call will be billed as a call to a Sprint mobile number.
Sprint is a trademark of Sprint Corporation.
Android, Gmail and Google Voice are trademarks of Google, Inc.

    

[QBZappy]

ShermanObi,

• Calls made from the phone attached to the OBi will display the Sprint number as the outgoing Caller ID.

There you go, that's what we would also like to see when we use the native features of the OBi. Spoofing CID is hit or miss, depending on the SP you use. I think many of us would like to see the OBi be given the ability to pass CID on a forwarded calls. This would make the unit much more useful as a communication tool. Providing the call forwarding is only half of what users need. To complete the call experience users expect to see the CID of the calling party before they decide to pick up the call. As funny as it may sound, it is annoying to look at the phone and not be able to identify the call. It is one of the few negative user experiences not addressed by the OBi at this time, which irks me every time I pickup a call forwarded by the OBi.

It's good to see that the OBi is riding the GV wave.

[mckennajp]

I made an Android app to enable/disable certain phones in Google Voice if it is of any value to anyone.  Works great with Google Voice Sprint integration and Obi.  I put it up for free.  The app will enable selected phones when charging and disable selected phones when not charging.  I wanted this vs. leaving the phone enabled all the time so I wouldn't disturb my wife when I wasn't home and it did not work well when I called the home phone remotely from my cell.  The app can be found here:

https://market.android.com/details?id=com.jpm.powermanager&feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDEsImNvbS5qcG0ucG93ZXJtYW5hZ2VyIl0.

[fbroce]

I am using Sprint with my iphone 4s and Google voice (intergrated with my Sprint #).
I have the obion app installed on the iphone and my obi110 (latest firmware installed) as the gateway.

While on wifi or 3g, I can call out using the obion app and it goes over the obi110. If I call out on the phone directly,(with the phone dialer) it goes over the Sprint network. I assume this is correct?

If I receive a call I am not sure it it is coming over the wifi or directly to Sprint as the Obion app does not
log it. The Google Voice app does log it.

Am I missing anything? I thought there would be a transparent switch to the the obi gateway when I was
on wifi.

Thanks,

Fred

[RevKev]

fbroce,

With your GV/Sprint integration, incoming calls go to your iPhone via Google/Sprint. The OBi doesn't come into play. If you also have GV routing calls to gtalk/OBi and you have your OBi routing calls to OBiON, you could potentially get the same call on the iPhone twice.

There isn't a "transparent switch". The OBi uses the OBiON app to make and receive calls. If you're not using that app, you're not using the OBi (unless you're forwarding calls in the OBi).

[fbroce]

I am using the obion app. It was working before I upgraded the latest firmware in the obi110.
Now it works calling out from the app but incoming calls on the Sprint integrated GV number
do not appear on the obion log..just the google talk log.

I assume it's OK to run both the google talk app and the obion app together?

fbroce

[RevKev]

Yes, you can run OBiON and GV app together.

So in GV, you have the Google Talk phone checked for forwarding to your OBi. And the Sprint integration also forwards calls to your Sprint phone. An in your OBi, you have calls forwarded to the OBiON app running on your Sprint phone.

Is this right?

[fbroce]

Correct. However, I usually leave GV forwarded to my Sprint phone and do not leave
Google talk checked. If I want the "home" phones to ring (no landline, just obi and a voip
provider on sp2), I forward to the voip number so the incoming call will have name
callerid. The outgoing default is GV.

The Sprint signal is a little weak at the house (1 or 2 bars) and I was hoping to use
the obion app on my iphone to provide wifi voip while at home. It seems to work
however, I am not seeing calls logged on the obion app. My Sprint # is sending out
the GV # correctly. It's really not a big issue as the Sprint phone never drops a call
at home. It seems before the last obi firmware update that calls were being logged on
the obion app though.

[RevKev]

If you don't have Google Talk checked, calls to your GV number won't go to your Obi110 and your Obi can't fork the call to OBiON. Unless... your calls come into the Obi via your voip provider on SP2 AND you have SP2 sending incoming calls to OBiON.

[camasite]

Hello,

I recently purchased an OBi202 and set it up with a new GV number--works great.  I also have cellular service with Sprint, which I use for business.  My cell phone often doesn't have any signal at my new house, so I was wondering if I can set it up on Line 2 using the OBi?  What I have pictured is that Line 1 would be the GV number and only ring in the house (like a traditional home phone).  Line 2 would be my Sprint number and would ring on the OBi and my cell phone, so I could pick up either (with either IDing as my cell).  I would imagine I would need a separate base phone for Line 2 (you know, like the Bat phone!), but maybe there is a way to have distinct ring tones with one base phone?  Anyone know if this is possible and how I would go about setting it up (whether I can do it from one account, or would need a second GMail/GV account to deal with just the cell phone, then somehow provision that to Line 2 on the OBi?  Thanks in advance!

Brian

[Rick]

Hello,

I recently purchased an OBi202 and set it up with a new GV number--works great.  I also have cellular service with Sprint, which I use for business.  My cell phone often doesn't have any signal at my new house, so I was wondering if I can set it up on Line 2 using the OBi?  What I have pictured is that Line 1 would be the GV number and only ring in the house (like a traditional home phone).  Line 2 would be my Sprint number and would ring on the OBi and my cell phone, so I could pick up either (with either IDing as my cell).  I would imagine I would need a separate base phone for Line 2 (you know, like the Bat phone!), but maybe there is a way to have distinct ring tones with one base phone?  Anyone know if this is possible and how I would go about setting it up (whether I can do it from one account, or would need a second GMail/GV account to deal with just the cell phone, then somehow provision that to Line 2 on the OBi?  Thanks in advance!

Brian

Sprint allows you to use your Sprint number on Google Voice.  You would want to setup a separate GM/GV account as you noted, then go through the process to make your Sprint number your GV number.  http://support.google.com/voice/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=1205636

Once that is accomplished, you can easily add the 2nd GV account to your OBi.  The OBi allows you to have distinctive rings for each account you setup on it, so no need for a Batphone.  However, should you want a red phone under a cake cover, feel free.  Please choose the one that Commissioner Gorden had, it has the classy cover.  The one in the Batmobile is cheap looking...

https://www.google.com/search?q=batphone&hl=en&safe=off&tbo=d&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=p-TVUJ6EJs2mqQHQrIGwBQ&sqi=2&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAA&biw=1280&bih=939#hl=en&safe=off&tbo=d&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=batphone+commissioner+gordon&oq=batphone+commissioner+gordon&gs_l=img.3..0i10i24.61965.65667.0.66025.20.20.0.0.0.0.75.1033.20.20.0...0.0...1c.1.iQbJIILx2Ls&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.1355534169,d.aWM&fp=bfa90811635dea50&bpcl=40096503&biw=1280&bih=893

[camasite]

Awesome, thank you!  That sounds pretty easy.  Love the Batphone images, and may have to get one anyway!

[FBMike]

It's not clear to me how the billing on this works.  Obviously if I place a call with my cell or answer one with my cell, it uses my sprint minutes.  But if I place or answer a call through the Obi using Google Voice (which now uses the sprint number), does it use my sprint minutes?

[Rick]

It's not clear to me how the billing on this works.  Obviously if I place a call with my cell or answer one with my cell, it uses my sprint minutes.  But if I place or answer a call through the Obi using Google Voice (which now uses the sprint number), does it use my sprint minutes?

The usage of Sprint / Google Voice and how it bills has nothing to do with the OBi, it's totally a Sprint / Google Voice issue.  The OBi is making a call out, or receiving a call in, on Google Voice, without regard to whether it's Sprint or not.

Read the very bottom of ShermanOBi's post, where there are asterisks.

There is a bunch of info on Google's site about this:

http://www.google.com/googlevoice/sprint/

My read, but I don't have Sprint, is that if you make your Sprint number your Google Voice number, you are adding capability, but the billing is just like if you called your cell phone or made a call on your cell phone, but there seems to be a note about mobile to mobile.  

I'd suggest starting there, and again the best source of info likely will be on sites other than this forum.

[camasite]

It's not clear to me how the billing on this works.  Obviously if I place a call with my cell or answer one with my cell, it uses my sprint minutes.  But if I place or answer a call through the Obi using Google Voice (which now uses the sprint number), does it use my sprint minutes?

It does not charge minutes when you use the OBi--that's the money-saving feature.  You get to answer calls placed to your cell, or place calls with the ID of the cell, using the OBi (via GV) without using cell minutes.

I do have a related question that maybe someone can answer...  I am not using the integrated Sprint feature, but I did install the GV app on my android phone.  I have a separate GV number.  When I place a call, it asks me if I want to use GV or Sprint.  If I pick GV, is the call being placed via the data services, and therefore not using talk minutes, or is it using the cell service but identifying as the GV number?  I know I could just try it, but was curious what the purpose of this feature is.

[Rick]

It's not clear to me how the billing on this works.  Obviously if I place a call with my cell or answer one with my cell, it uses my sprint minutes.  But if I place or answer a call through the Obi using Google Voice (which now uses the sprint number), does it use my sprint minutes?

It does not charge minutes when you use the OBi--that's the money-saving feature.  You get to answer calls placed to your cell, or place calls with the ID of the cell, using the OBi (via GV) without using cell minutes.

I do have a related question that maybe someone can answer...  I am not using the integrated Sprint feature, but I did install the GV app on my android phone.  I have a separate GV number.  When I place a call, it asks me if I want to use GV or Sprint.  If I pick GV, is the call being placed via the data services, and therefore not using talk minutes, or is it using the cell service but identifying as the GV number?  I know I could just try it, but was curious what the purpose of this feature is.

Google Voice on a cell phone uses cell service, not data.  I have Verizon Wireless, and my Google number is in my "friends and family", meaning I can call it or it can call me for free with no limit.  If I use Google Voice to call on my cell, then I'm calling for free.

[camasite]

Google Voice on a cell phone uses cell service, not data.  I have Verizon Wireless, and my Google number is in my "friends and family", meaning I can call it or it can call me for free with no limit.  If I use Google Voice to call on my cell, then I'm calling for free.

So, in your case, it is free because it is part of the "friends and family" feature.  Based on your comment that GV on a cell phone uses cell service, then I am going to assume that when you select "Use Google Voice" from the choices, all it is doing is IDing your call with the GV number, but still subject to talk minutes on whatever plan you have.

[MikeHObi]

Based on your comment that GV on a cell phone uses cell service, then I am going to assume that when you select "Use Google Voice" from the choices, all it is doing is IDing your call with the GV number, but still subject to talk minutes on whatever plan you have.

When you use your cell phone the call is routed through the cellular companies system and across other systems until eventually out to the party you dialed. 

When you use google voice on a cell phone the call is routed through the cellular companies system and across other systems until reaching google.  Then google starts a new call to your called party and connects your cell call to the google call. 

In both cases, a 10 minute call uses 10 minutes of cellular time.  But lets say you call an buddy in Canada from the US.  That 10 minute call on the cellular network is international and you get dinged from your cell company for an international rate.  But your call to google voice is local, so your cell company doesn't see that it is going to Canada, so no international billing from your cell company.  And international calls from the US to Canada via google voice are free, so you don't get any billing from Canada either.

In both cases, your cell phone is accessing the cellular network to place the call.  But the destination of the cellular call is different in both cases.  And in the case of services that support friends and family type behavior can allow you to set the google voice number as a friend, and avoid any charges on calls placed through google voice.

My guess is that what Google and Sprint did is just create a dedicated connection between google's call switching and Sprints switching so that the cost to Sprint to terminate calls through google voice is lower than if they hadn't worked with Google.

[AshishF]

Hello All,
 I recently purchased Obi100 and have it connected to my home phone. I set it up for use with Google Voice. Since I use Sprint, I used the Sprint Integration with GV and with Obi100. Now if anyone calls my cell phone, it rings on my home phone too. However, I have one issue. What if I need to call my home from my Sprint cell phone and vice versa? Since my Sprint Cell # and the Home phone # are the same. Am I losing that ability?

What are my options.

Regards,
Ashish F

[noahliam]

While on wifi or 3g, I can call out using the obion app and it goes over the obi110. If I call out on the phone directly,(with the phone dialer) it goes over the Sprint network. I assume this is correct?

If I receive a call I am not sure it it is coming over the wifi or directly to Sprint as the Obion app does not
log it. The Google Voice app does log it.