Can I change the caller ID that goes with Google Voice #...?
SteveInWA:
Quote from: yosif on January 25, 2017, 02:59:53 pm
Quote from: rggg on January 25, 2017, 12:51:34 pm
I do have a cell number I could sacrifice if need be.
There is no need to pay $10 or sacrifice your mobile number. Get yourself another randomly generated gmail account and get a new Google Voice number for that account. Search for a number in the 360 area code until you find one.
No, this is considered abuse of the service, as you would be doing this to avoid paying the fee. Google will see this and block it. Be a good citizen. Pay the fee.
SteveInWA:
Quote from: rggg on January 25, 2017, 12:51:34 pm
Hi guys,
Thanks for the responses. If I cannot change the location, is it possible to get GV to just blank it out...? Seems that would not be "spoofing" (not really sure what spoofing means...).
What I'm concerned with is having my calls go unanswered due to being mistaken for "spam". Probably half the calls we get on our home phone now are spam, and we mostly don't pick up if we don't recognize the calling number or location. So if I got a call from Texas, I likely wouldn't answer it...!
I was quite confused with the GV web page on which I requested a number. It offered 2 boxes, with the instructions to enter an area code in the first box and/or a "phrase" in the second. I entered area code 360 as that's my home code. I left the second box empty. GV came back with "no numbers available in area code 360", then put up some option (which I don't recall) of selecting another area code, which I did, and GV offered 5 numbers in Texas in area code 361. That's close enough for me, and I was actually impressed with Google's smarts in offering one close to my selection. So I picked one.
Now I'm wondering, if I had left the first box blank and entered the city name "Lynden" in the second box, would GV have offered some random area code with "Lynden" as the text that appears as the calling location...? Do you know what text GV actually wants in that second box... or what they would do with it...?
I do have a cell number I could sacrifice if need be. However I wouldn't want the cell phone accumulating "missed calls" as it would if it rings along with the GV number on the OBi phone. It would be annoying having to clear all the missed calls out of the cell phone.
Taoman, can you explain how to search for available numbers...?
Thanks again,
Gerry.
Google has no control over the information displayed to the called party. Their carrier does, based on known information about the location of the number. It can't be changed.
Entering the name of a small city is not a reliable way to find a number...it is too limiting. Often, the rate center for your city is actually a nearby city. Entering your city name will therefore not find anything.
Enter just the area code. Look at the results. Pick one that is closest to your rate center (local telephone exchange).
You can use this website to look up the rate center of any given telephone number, and then see which other telephone numbers are in the same rate center (meaning, the calls between them are local calls):
http://www.localcallingguide.com/lca_prefix.php
On that website, NPA = area code, NXX = prefix, and Block = the seventh digit of the 10-digit number (if the number is 123-456-7890, then the block is 7).
rggg:
Hi guys,
I really appreciate your attempt to help, but no cigar yet....
First, I have no idea how to hunt for available phone numbers within 360 (or any) particular area code. So if I just pay the $10 fee and ask for a new number, I don't see how I could guarantee a better result. GV said on the page there were NO numbers available in 360. So even if I found one, wouldn't GV just reject it...?
But let me define the problem: If I keep the GV # I have, and GV puts up only the location "Ingleside,TX" as a "caller ID" on the receiver's phone, this will likely be recognized as "phone spam" by the receiver in WA state or Canada (where virtually all my calls go) as he doesn't know anyone in TX. So he doesn't pick up the call.
Now if GV would put up my name along with the TX city as part of the caller ID text, that would solve the problem. Does GV have a way to do that...? (I do know that Comcast puts my daughter's name and phone number up on my TV screen if I happen to be watching TV when she calls.)
Now, I have 2 (very old but still in use) T-Mobile cell phones, and interestingly they each put out a different caller ID message. One puts out only its own number. The other puts out only my name. But I have no idea as to how they got programmed that way, or if these messages are output from my phones, or from T-Mobile. If I ported one of them to GV, I have no idea if that would also port its calling party ID along with the number. I'd guess NOT.
At this point I'm guessing GV has no way to put out anything but the City and State that the God of Phones assigned to each area code. They are both area code 425, probably Bellevue, WA. I guess I could live with that.
One more thought... Currently, my landline is provided by Comcast over the CATV cable. It is a 360 area code. This will be going away when I get this OBI200 / GV system running...! Is there any chance GV has the ability to in-port my Comcast phone number...? Is it possible Comcast numbers may be classified as mobile numbers...?
They actually look like mobile numbers, as they only have 10 digits, never dial "1" for long distance.
In any case, I would like to know how you guys search for available numbers... or lay claim to one when you find it...
Thanks,
Gerry
Taoman:
Be sure you read Steve's post above and that you understand it. Google has no control over the information displayed to the called party. Period.
Quote from: rggg on January 25, 2017, 12:51:34 pm
What I'm concerned with is having my calls go unanswered due to being mistaken for "spam". Probably half the calls we get on our home phone now are spam, and we mostly don't pick up if we don't recognize the calling number or location. So if I got a call from Texas, I likely wouldn't answer it...!
I wouldn't answer it either. Yet you chose, on purpose, to pick an area code that you knew was from Texas. ???
Quote from: rggg
Do you know what text GV actually wants in that second box... or what they would do with it...?
They want exactly what they have printed above the search box:a Word, phrase, or number. They would use it to try and find you a number. The idea being you could enter an easy to remember word, phrase or number and they will try and match it. For instance, I put 360 in the first box and "golf" in the second box. It immediately came back with (360) 218-4653 which is (360) 218-GOLF. Capiche? Putting anything in the second box is entirely optional. Probably best to leave it blank to give you the biggest selection of numbers.
Quote from: rggg
I do have a cell number I could sacrifice if need be.
I assume you are talking about porting your cell number into your GV account? If you really do live in Lynden I think you are out of luck. AFAIK, there is no number from Whatcom or Skagit counties that can be ported to Google Voice. The reason being Google's CLEC (bandwidth.com) does not have a presence in the rate centers serving those two counties. But if you want to prove it to yourself punch in your cell phone numbers in the url listed below. If the message is "Ooops! This number appears to be from an area we don't currently support" then you're out of luck.
https://www.google.com/voice/porting?pli=1
Quote from: rggg
Taoman, can you explain how to search for available numbers...?
Do exactly what you did before but only put 360 in the first box and leave second box blank. Do a Search and then click on Next to page through all the numbers. Right now there's over a hundred 360 numbers available but they're all in Stanwood. Numbers come and go as they are used and released.
SteveInWA:
We've tried to explain this repeatedly. It's not getting through to you.
Stop telling us about how you thought 361 would be close to 360. That is not how Area Codes are assigned.You picked a number in Texas. You don't want that number. We get it. We gave you other options.You CANNOT change the caller ID that is sent with calls made from your Google Voice number.You live in the middle of nowhere, also known as BFE. There aren't even any medium-sized cities close enough to you, that a typical telephone carrier would be able to provide you with local telephone numbers.Taoman told you how to search for numbers. It isn't that hard. Here are the instructions: https://support.google.com/voice/answer/115114?hl=en&ref_topic=1708124 These instructions are written for the brand new Google Voice website. If the step in the instructions telling you to select the "Legacy" settings doesn't make sense, then you are still using the old website. That's ok. Just follow the rest of the instructions. Google Voice telephone numbers are like fresh fish. You may see one you like today, but they are all sold out the next day. As of this minute, the only Area Code 360 numbers available are in Stanwood. If that works for you, then pick one. There are many, many pages of Stanwood numbers returned as search results when you simly enter 360 in the search box. See the screenshot below.When you use the "change number" procedure, and you pay the $10 fee to get a different number, the Texas number will stay on your account for 90 days. It will be automatically deleted after that. You can just ignore it.Comcast numbers are classified as land lines. Yes, you might be able to go through some gyrations and port your Comcast number out to a AT&T GoPhone account, or a T-Mobile Prepaid account, wait a week, and then port that now-mobile number into Google Voice. It depends on whether or not Google's telephone carrier can host that telephone number. Here are detailed instructions: http://www.obihai.com/porttutorial
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