Number porting to GV - my experience
SteveInWA:
Quote from: Dubhead on May 16, 2016, 11:21:19 pm
Okay, I dove into the Obi202 expecting it would be pretty straightforward to get a local Google Voice number, set it up with the Obi202 and be on my merry way. As it turns out, there are no number left in my state(!! - WA) for Google Voice and so as I read in a few other locations it would be possible to secure a local number via a prepaid SIM card from either AT&T or T-Mobile. I decided to go spend $10 for a basic AT&T prepaid SIM with a local "206" area code number that I was looking for and then entered the number into Google Voice's Number Porting utility that then indicates "Ooops! This number appears to be from an area we don't currently support." so it seems like that is dead in the water and $10 down the hole. The next questions I have are this:
If I try T-Mobile Prepaid SIM, how do I check if the number is eligible if I still have to buy the SIM first and then get number to enter into the site to validate it can be ported to Google Voice?Is there any way to salvage the AT&T number I already have to port it into Google Voice? I had thought maybe porting it somewhere else first and then port to Google Voice, but that is likely not possible or a total waste of money.If I have to forgo Google Voice to use with Obi202 completely, what is most comparable VoIP service out there to Google Voice that might allow me to get a number with 206 area code?
I did want to say, that I did go ahead and pick up a free GV number well outside of my state to verify my equipment works and it does so very well. Just hoping to really find a way to get a "local" number ported to Google Voice but may end up having to pay for proper VoIP service to get this. Any thoughts on this appreciated.
~Dubhead 8)
Hi: sorry to hear that. Many of the original area codes (the codes with a 1 or a 0 in the middle) now are depleted of numbers. The 206 number you got from AT&T GoPhone should have worked; perhaps it is in a number block that Google's carrier can't port.
There is no list or other way to predict whether or not a number will be portable until you enter that specific number into Google Voice's number porting dashboard.
https://www.google.com/voice/porting
In theory, you could try a number from T-Mobile next. It's the same crapshoot, but since you can buy a T-Mobile SIM directly from them, for $.99 and add the minimum amount of calling minutes ($10?) it's not a huge gamble.
Porting the AT&T number to some other carrier first does nothing. Portability is determined by which carrier owned the number originally, in which thousands block of numbers, on which phone switch.
IF you want to give up, you may be able to either port that GoPhone number, or get a new number, from Callcentric in 206, or one of the adjacent area codes (be careful of the location of the number, so as to not end up with a number that is a long distance call for your main contacts).
RexKramer:
I read nearly all of the 17 pages and 5 years of posts here....but didn't find the answer to this question.
I ported out of my T-Mobile prepaid account to GV successfully. Since I had to fund that Tmob account with $10 and only $3 was used (for the first month of service) ... there is still $7 in that account. Can you recover that $7 or activate another SIM into that account?
SteveInWA:
Quote from: RexKramer on May 19, 2016, 06:51:25 pm
I read nearly all of the 17 pages and 5 years of posts here....but didn't find the answer to this question.
I ported out of my T-Mobile prepaid account to GV successfully. Since I had to fund that Tmob account with $10 and only $3 was used (for the first month of service) ... there is still $7 in that account. Can you recover that $7 or activate another SIM into that account?
Well, you wouldn't find the answer here, since that isn't an Obihai nor Google Voice related question.
No, you paid T-Mobile for a bucket of prepaid calling minutes, so that you could activate and use their telephone service. Porting your number out of that T-Mobile prepaid account canceled service with T-Mobile, and thus, discarded the remaining balance on that T-Mobile account. If you want to spend time on the phone with T-Mobile customer service, exploring how to recover that unused $7, that would be your only option.
LTN1:
Quote from: RexKramer on May 19, 2016, 06:51:25 pm
I read nearly all of the 17 pages and 5 years of posts here....but didn't find the answer to this question.
I ported out of my T-Mobile prepaid account to GV successfully. Since I had to fund that Tmob account with $10 and only $3 was used (for the first month of service) ... there is still $7 in that account. Can you recover that $7 or activate another SIM into that account?
Steve is correct. You could have found the answer quickly by dialing T-Mobile, not an OBi forum. But if you haven't called yet, I'll throw you a bone and tell you that you can transfer your funds in one SIM account to a new one. But...you have to call T-Mobile to do the transfer.
Standroid:
I'm getting ready to port my landline number to GV and my new OBi202.
I have a prepaid Tmobile feature phone - unlocked and currently in use with a Tmobile account that I've had for years. I expect to be able to pull out that SIM for a few days and plug in the new, throwaway SIM. But, there may be a hitch...
My home, where the OBi202 will live, is 15 miles from the nearest wireless signal - Tmobile or any other carrier. I use my Tmobile service only when traveling.
My question: At which point(s) in the porting procedure will it be necessary for my Tmobile phone to be "in service", i.e. receiving a usable Tmobile wireless signal?
Thanks,
Stan
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