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General Support => Installation and Set-Up (Devices) => Topic started by: DLpres on December 14, 2017, 06:10:45 PM

Title: Setting multiple phones & GV accounts
Post by: DLpres on December 14, 2017, 06:10:45 PM
Hello,
I haven't been able to find any tutorial or documentation to set up MULTIPLE Obi 1000-series phones with Google Voice, for a small office setup. Everything is about setting up a single phone with a single GV account.

For example, I have 3 Obi1022 phones.

1. Should I set them up with 3 different Google Voice accounts, 1 for each? Or set them all up with the same account?

2. If each phone has its own GV account, can I make an incoming call to a 'main' GV number ring on multiple phones? You can't link GV numbers to each other in GV...

3. If I set multiple phones with the same account, trying to transfer a call between them fails. (Error 900.)  Trying to transfer it to an Obi1022 with another GV account works.

Thanks!
Title: Re: Setting multiple phones & GV accounts
Post by: SteveInWA on December 14, 2017, 07:07:51 PM
Google Voice is not intended to be a business telephone solution.  It's intended for individual consumer use.  You've already realized a couple of its limitations.  Yes, you can provision the same Google Voice phone number on more than one OBi IP phone, but it does not have the typical call-handling functions that you'd get with a business phone service provider.

The present-day solution for SMB telephony is to use a cloud-based SIP VoIP service provider.  Essentially a virtual PBX, you can add, change or delete extensions, use voicemail, set up hunt groups or simultaneous ringing, etc.

If you're tech-savvy, Callcentric or voip.ms are less expensive, but need some DIY configuration skills.  Dialpad and Ringcentral are examples of more advanced services with tech support and more features.  All will work with your OBi IP phones.
Title: Re: Setting multiple phones & GV accounts
Post by: azrobert on December 14, 2017, 08:25:51 PM
You can transfer calls by using the OBiTalk network. Just setup a separate Programmable Key to transfer a call for each phone. Use OBi Expert to make the change. The Programmable keys are found under IP Phone. See attachment for the definition. The Number is the OBi Number of the destination phone.

Press the Program Key to transfer a call. When they answer, press Transfer Now.

Edit:
To be safe, increase the OBiTalk max sessions on each phone.

Voice Services -> OBiTalk Service -> MaxSessions: 4

Edit2:
If you only have 1 OBiTalk account, code might have been added to route calls to the Auto Attendant. Make sure the inbound route will send calls to the phone.

Voice Services -> OBiTalk Service -> InboundCallRoute: ph

Title: Re: Setting multiple phones & GV accounts
Post by: SteveInWA on December 14, 2017, 08:56:51 PM
While technically possible, it's a stupid solution for business telephony.

Google Voice has no customer support, has outages from time to time (as it has had in the past week), and has no guaranteed service level at all.

Ask yourself:  is saving a few bucks a month worth it, vs. placing your business at risk when customers can't contact you, or you can't call them back?