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General Support => Installation and Set-Up (Devices) => Topic started by: effort on December 18, 2017, 09:42:31 AM

Title: Can I use my cellphone and obi simultaneously with the same number?
Post by: effort on December 18, 2017, 09:42:31 AM
I would like to port in my cellphone number to Google Voice so I can make and receive calls from it on both my cellphone and a cordless phone connected to my obi100. Is this possible? How would that work?

Also, I realize I need to get a Simon Telephonics Google Voice Gateway for it to work on the model of Obi I have. Should I do that prior to or after the porting process?
Title: Re: Can I use my cellphone and obi simultaneously with the same number?
Post by: drgeoff on December 18, 2017, 10:17:50 AM
Clarifications for you.

1.  When you port a number to GV, calls to and from that number no longer go through the cellphone service provider that the number was previously on.  To make or receive any calls on the cellphone you will need to get a new cellphone number.  Google does not operate a cellphone service.

2.  Calls to your GV number can be forwarded to up to 6 destinations simultaneously.  That covers your (new) cellphone number and your OBi (which acts as a Google Chat client.)  First to answer takes the call.

3.  Calls from the (cordless or corded) )phone plugged in to the OBi go out as calls from your GV number.

4.  (a) You can make calls from your cellphone as "normal" calls.  They do not go through GV.  The callee sees your cellphone number, not your Gv number.

4 . (b)  You can call your GV number using your normal cellphone service to access voicemail or to place a call.  The callee will see the call as coming from your GV number.

5.  Your GV number is part of your username on the Simonics account.  That username is used when configuring the OBi to register with the Simonics GV gateway.
Title: Re: Can I use my cellphone and obi simultaneously with the same number?
Post by: effort on December 18, 2017, 10:25:58 AM
Thank you so much. :) Is there any way to display my GV number as my outgoing caller ID on my cellphone? I mean, is there an easier way than having to call my GV number every time I want my GV number to show up on the callee's phone?
Title: Re: Can I use my cellphone and obi simultaneously with the same number?
Post by: GPz1100 on December 18, 2017, 10:53:04 AM
Install the google voice app on your android device (not sure if it supports ios).  During set up there's an option that sets what shows up on the recipient's caller id; your google voice # or the cell #.  In essence the app spoofs the number on outbound calls so the gv # shows up. 
Title: Re: Can I use my cellphone and obi simultaneously with the same number?
Post by: drgeoff on December 18, 2017, 11:14:46 AM
Quote from: effort on December 18, 2017, 10:25:58 AM
Thank you so much. :) Is there any way to display my GV number as my outgoing caller ID on my cellphone? I mean, is there an easier way than having to call my GV number every time I want my GV number to show up on the callee's phone?
If the call is leaving your cellphone as a cellular voice call it is going through your cellular provider's voice interconnect and can only appear as coming from your cellphone number.

If the call is leaving your cellphone as VoIP (GV or a SIP based ITSP) some service providers can allow you to spoof the number the call appears to be from.  My understanding is that GV always shows your GV number.
Title: Re: Can I use my cellphone and obi simultaneously with the same number?
Post by: GPz1100 on December 18, 2017, 11:18:14 AM
@drgeoff, with the gv app, even calls leaving the cell phone using cellular service (not voip) can be spoofed to indicate the gv number.  I'm not sure how it's done, but end result is the gv # appearing on the recipient's end through a regular cell call.
Title: Re: Can I use my cellphone and obi simultaneously with the same number?
Post by: drgeoff on December 18, 2017, 11:31:04 AM
Quote from: GPz1100 on December 18, 2017, 11:18:14 AM
@drgeoff, with the gv app, even calls leaving the cell phone using cellular service (not voip) can be spoofed to indicate the gv number.  I'm not sure how it's done, but end result is the gv # appearing on the recipient's end through a regular cell call.
As the Google Voice app is marked as "incompatible with all your devices" (Android) I'm unable to prove or disprove that.  However I'm going to need a lot of convincing that the GV app can control what CallerID is seen by the callee when the call is a cellular voice one which does not go near any Google controlled infrastructure.
Title: Re: Can I use my cellphone and obi simultaneously with the same number?
Post by: SteveInWA on December 18, 2017, 12:35:49 PM
There is some misinformation in this discussion.

Google Voice uses regular land line or mobile phone service, not VoIP, for all calls.  Inbound calls forward to a land line or mobile number over regular phone service, so an inbound call to a cell phone is simply a regular phone call as far as the phone carriers are concerned.

Outbound calls on an Android phone work like this:  You can decide which calls you want to make via Google Voice's telephone network, or not.  You can select to make all calls via Google Voice, or none, or ask each time, or just make international calls.  You then use the Android phone's regular phone keypad to place the call, in the same way as a regular cell phone call.  The Google Voice app hooks into the native phone dialer and intercepts the command from the dialer.  If you've selected to use Google Voice, the phone will first call into a Google Voice gateway, again via the regular cellular network, and then the gateway will call your called party, and finally, the gateway bridges the two call legs together.  This allows the call to have your Google Voice number's caller ID, yet take advantage of Google's long distance rates and other features.  This is usually invisible to the user.  However, during the call, you'll see it actually calling the gateway, if you look at the phone's display and see a different "shadow number" being called.

Outbound calls on an iPhone work similarly, except that Apple doesn't allow third-parties to hook into the iPhone dialer, so the app has its own keypad.

OBi devices are actually using the old Google Chat/Talk/XMPP protocol, hence those calls go over VoIP.

If you want to make calls on an Android or iPhone and NOT use your carrier's voice telephone network, then install Google Hangouts.  Hangouts uses WiFi or 3G/4G data for calls.
Title: Re: Can I use my cellphone and obi simultaneously with the same number?
Post by: GPz1100 on December 18, 2017, 01:34:01 PM
Quote from: drgeoff on December 18, 2017, 11:31:04 AM
As the Google Voice app is marked as "incompatible with all your devices" (Android) I'm unable to prove or disprove that.  However I'm going to need a lot of convincing that the GV app can control what CallerID is seen by the callee when the call is a cellular voice one which does not go near any Google controlled infrastructure.

I'm curious why this is.  In recent times I've used a variety of android devices (galaxy s4 w/ android 5.01), a number of moto e versions with android 6 & 7, moto g4 play w/ android 6.  Currently using a zte axon 7 with android 7.1.1 (lineage os).  Haven't run into any issues installing or using google voice.

What specific device(s) & android versions are you using that indicate incompatibility? 

This is the app you're trying to install correct - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.googlevoice&hl=en ?
Title: Re: Can I use my cellphone and obi simultaneously with the same number?
Post by: drgeoff on December 18, 2017, 01:57:57 PM
Android 4.2.2.  The clue may be at the end of the URL.
Title: Re: Can I use my cellphone and obi simultaneously with the same number?
Post by: GPz1100 on December 18, 2017, 02:02:23 PM
That may very well explain it :)

I have one device still using the old version (available here: https://www.apkmirror.com/apk/google-inc/google-voice/google-voice-0-4-7-10-release/ ).  Although the device is android 6, the user prefers the UI layout of the old version - mostly uses it for vm retrieval).

The old version supposedly works with android 2.3.4 and above.