Forwarding Google Voice numbers

[scott818]

I have one OBi200 and one OBi202 device. I also have three Google Voice accounts/numbers attached to the OBi devices.

Let's say the Google Voice numbers are as follows:

000-555-0000   // OBi200
000-555-0001   // OBi202 [LINE1]
000-555-0002   // OBi202 [LINE2]


000-555-0000 is the "primary" number. What I want to happen is, if calls come in on the other two Google Voice numbers, I want them to forward to the primary 000-555-0000 number. It's not as simple as forwarding the other two Google Voice numbers to the primary number using the GV web interface since Google doesn't allow users to forward to other Google Voice numbers.

Can the OBi devices do this? If so, how would I go about configuring the devices to do so?

[SteveInWA]

Why do you want to do this?  If you simply configure each OBi device with SP1 through SP3 configured for each of your three Google Voice numbers, then the phone attached to each OBi box will ring regardless of which Google Voice number is called.  No forwarding from one Google Voice number to another is required.

Technically, you could configure an OBi to forward inbound calls to another OBi, but doing so with Google Voice numbers will cause problems with the voicemail systems for those numbers.

If you want to have three distinct inbound telephone numbers ("DIDs"), and forward two to one, or forward all to the same destination(s), then a SIP VoIP service provider would be a better solution than Google Voice.

[restamp]

If you simply configure each OBi device with SP1 through SP3 configured for each of your three Google Voice numbers, then the phone attached to each OBi box will ring regardless of which Google Voice number is called.  No forwarding from one Google Voice number to another is required.

Is this really the way it works with the Google Chat protocol?  I ask because it is most assuredly not the way SIP connections work:  With them, having two boxes trying to register to the same account simultaneously would leave both dueling for the connection, typically with an incoming call going to the last box to send a registration message.

Steve, if Chat allows more than one device to register simultaneously, I've learned something useful.  How many simultaneous connections does Chat allow?

[SteveInWA]

OBi 200 and 202 ATAs, and all OBi 10x2 IP phones support multiple simultaneous connections to Google Chat service.  OBi 100 and 110 ATAs only support one connection to Google Chat service.  By the way, Simonics Gateway will hog the priority for Chat and interfere with OBi devices connecting.

[SteveInWA]

And, as for SIP VoIP providers, if the provider has a sub-account or extension feature, then you can define multiple extensions, each with a distinct SIP registration.  I do this with my Callcentric account, for example, having multiple extensions for each SIP user agent (OBi or other ATA or IP phone).  Calls to the various SIP DIDs can be routed to any individual extension, or to all of them.

[Taoman]

Is this really the way it works with the Google Chat protocol?  I ask because it is most assuredly not the way SIP connections work:  With them, having two boxes trying to register to the same account simultaneously would leave both dueling for the connection, typically with an incoming call going to the last box to send a registration message.

Be careful making a generalized statement like that. It certainly isn't a requirement of the SIP protocol. As Steve mentioned, most VoIP providers require the use of sub-accounts for multiple registrations. But again, it isn't required by the SIP RFCs.
For instance, PhonePower allows up to 4 simultaneous registrations to the same line/account. All registered UAs ring at the same time. If memory serves me right I believe Vestalink is the same way as was Sipgate. I can assure you there is no "dueling for the connection." Any dueling for the connection you may have experienced was imposed by the VoIP provider, not by "the way SIP connections work."

https://www.dslreports.com/forum/r22802997-

https://andrewjprokop.wordpress.com/2015/04/07/multiple-registration-and-call-forking-with-sip/

Today I want to talk about one of my favorite aspects of SIP – multiple registration. With multiple registration, I can be in more than one place at the same time. Personally, I use it to be in three places at the same time. Using the same user ID and password, I register my Avaya 9641 desk phone, One-X Communicator for IOS iPhone client, and iPad Communicator. Every time someone calls me, all three devices ring.

[restamp]

Thanks for the clarification, Taoman. As the saying goes, we learn something new every day and sometimes it's that what we had learned previously was wrong.

If I recall correctly, I think Google Voice allows up to 5 forwarding end points.  So, is it fair to say that one could have up to 5 OBi boxes connected to the same Google Voice account?

In any event, it would make it worthwhile to throw a spare OBi200 in your travel bag.

[scott818]

Why do you want to do this?

I don't want to give out the 0000 number to people. Instead, I want to give out the 0001 and 0002 numbers. However, I still want to be able to make outgoing calls from all three of those numbers using the OBi devices, but if someone calls 0001 or 0002, I want those calls to forward to 0000 where I can either answer the call, or let it go to Google's voicemail (the voicemail for the 0000 number). I want all of the voicemails in one account (0000's) instead of three separate ones. I was hoping to achieve this with Google Voice only and no other service.

[SteveInWA]

Thanks for the clarification, Taoman. As the saying goes, we learn something new every day and sometimes it's that what we had learned previously was wrong.

If I recall correctly, I think Google Voice allows up to 5 forwarding end points.  So, is it fair to say that one could have up to 5 OBi boxes connected to the same Google Voice account?

In any event, it would make it worthwhile to throw a spare OBi200 in your travel bag.

No, that's not how it works.  OBi devices emulate Google Chat clients.  Google Voice treats Chat as one of its forwarding destinations.  You can have up to six US PSTN (10-digit) telephone numbers on the list, in any combination of land line or mobile, plus Chat for your OBi(s).

It doesn't matter how many Chat clients are logged into your Google Voice account at one time; it counts as one forward as far as Google Voice is concerned.  I suppose there's a theoretical limit to the simultaneous Chat sessions supported, but for everyday purposes, you're not going to hit the limit.

[SteveInWA]

Why do you want to do this?

I don't want to give out the 0000 number to people. Instead, I want to give out the 0001 and 0002 numbers. However, I still want to be able to make outgoing calls from all three of those numbers using the OBi devices, but if someone calls 0001 or 0002, I want those calls to forward to 0000 where I can either answer the call, or let it go to Google's voicemail (the voicemail for the 0000 number). I want all of the voicemails in one account (0000's) instead of three separate ones. I was hoping to achieve this with Google Voice only and no other service.

No, that won't work with Google Voice.  You'll need to use a SIP VoIP service provider instead.

[scott818]

No, that won't work with Google Voice.  You'll need to use a SIP VoIP service provider instead.

OK, thanks for clarifying that.

If I understand correctly, I would need to purchase two DID numbers to use as "public" numbers (0001 and 0002). Calls to those numbers can then be forwarded to the 0000 number. But what kind of service would I need for the main 0000 number? There are going to be times when I want to call out as 0001 and 0002, so I assume I would need a service that let's me set the outgoing caller ID to the respective number.

I want to do this as cheap as possible.

[SteveInWA]

There are probably several different ways to create a system that behaves as you wish.  Perhaps others will chime in here with other approaches.  You can do this for a small monthly charge.  There's a monthly fee to host each DID, and then you can either pay per minute for inbound and/or outbound calls, or you can buy a monthly "bucket" of minutes, depending on your call volume.

I have the most experience with Callcentric, so I'll describe a setup using their service.  You can probably create similar solutions using voip.ms or Anveo, or some other provider.

There are some techniques that involve creating call forwarding rules within the OBis, but I prefer to do this at the service provider level instead.

Using Callcentric, for example, you need to adjust how you look at things, vs. the specific way you described the forwarding.  You'd have one account, with three different DIDs, and one shared voicemail box.  All inbound calls to any of the three numbers will ring whichever SP1-SP4 slots you set up on each OBi, and, if unanswered, will all simply go to the one VM box, no forwarding from one DID to the other needed.  Outbound calls from each SP can be configured to display whichever of your three DIDs' caller IDs you wish.

You can either port your existing Google Voice numbers out to Callcentric or get new DIDs; your choice.   Porting a number out of GV costs $3.00 to "unlock" the number for porting.  This fee is basically an anti-fraud protection for you, the GV user, to prevent people from stealing your numbers.  Callcentric is running a promotion to port in numbers for free.

If you want to use two separate physical telephone lines, you can program the OBi 202's SPs to ring line 1 or line 2 as needed.

For example:

SP1:  use 0001 for outbound calls; ring line 1 for inbound calls to 0001
SP2:  use 0002 for outbound calls; ring line 2 for inbound calls to 0002
SP3:  use 0001 or 0002 (pick one) for outbound calls, ring line 2 for 0000

You'd then use Callcentric's "Call treatments" to define how long to ring, and when to go to VM, etc.  You would create a separate "extension" to configure each DID on each SP of each OBi.  Each extension consists of a user ID and SIP password.  With Callcentric, you have one primary user ID (your 11-digit Callcentric account number, starting with 1777), followed by a 3-digit extension number, like this:  17772771234101.  This allows you to control which extension rings under which conditions.

All calls, from or to any of the three DIDs share the same calling rates and per-minute or monthly bucket plan charges, so there is no need to pay for three different monthly plans.  VM is free.

[scott818]

Thanks for the helpful post, Steve. It's making sense now.

I have two more questions:

1. Can a Callcentric DID number be linked to Google Voice as a forwarding number, or will Google reject it?

2. This last question pertains to the OBi200/202 devices. I've searched around but can't find any info on this: is it possible to link multiple 200/202 units together and access each unit's SPn profile from a single telephone?

For example, if I have two OBi200 devices, both connected to the same router, and both units have services configured on all of their SP slots (8 services total), is it possible to use, let's say, the second OBi200 device's SP2 Service from a telephone that's connected to the PHONE1 port of the first OBi200?

[SteveInWA]

Thanks for the helpful post, Steve. It's making sense now.

I have two more questions:

1. Can a Callcentric DID number be linked to Google Voice as a forwarding number, or will Google reject it?

Yes, you can forward a Google Voice number to a Callcentric DID number.  In fact, that is exactly what a lot of us do, so that we can enjoy the added benefit of caller ID name (CNAM) provided by Callcentric.  Note that, to prevent abuse, you can no longer sign up for a new Google Voice number by submitting a VoIP number as your forwarding phone, but, once you do have a Google Voice number, you can add VoIP numbers as forwarding phones.  Of course, just to be perfectly clear, when I say yes, you can use a VoIP DID, what I mean is, you can forward to the 10-digit PSTN telephone number, not a SIP URI, such as 1777123456@in.callcentric.com.

2. This last question pertains to the OBi200/202 devices. I've searched around but can't find any info on this: is it possible to link multiple 200/202 units together and access each unit's SPn profile from a single telephone?

For example, if I have two OBi200 devices, both connected to the same router, and both units have services configured on all of their SP slots (8 services total), is it possible to use, let's say, the second OBi200 device's SP2 Service from a telephone that's connected to the PHONE1 port of the first OBi200?

It is possible to forward, or "fork" calls from a SP on one OBi to a SP on another OBi.  You can also call one OBi from another OBi via their OBi numbers (9-digit number on the bottom of the box), or set up extensions or speed dials.  Doing exactly what you propose is a little more complex, as it involves using the very poorly-documented "auto attendant" feature of the OBis, whereby you call into the OBi, and access its auto attendant, and then place an outbound call.

If you decide to use Callcentric, and you just have a maximum of four different DIDs, it's easier to do all the configuration on the Callcentric dashboard, and configure each OBi to use all four DIDs.  Anything more than that will require building digit maps on each OBi.