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Configuring Google Voice settings

Started by story97, May 05, 2017, 03:48:57 PM

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story97

Hello all!

I'm new to the Obitalk world. i've been using different VoIP services (SIP) for many years, but am very frustrated with my Cisco phone and Plantronics headset. Together they cost $600 and I CANNOT get past the static interference, and ridiculous cost per month.

Anyway, sorry for rambling. i just have a future question.

When setting up Obitalk, I couldn't get my phone to ring incoming calls. I figured it out (by luck) but ONLY after a last resort of clicking the legacy Voice settings. Then i saw the 'forward to chat'.

I can't find that option anywhere in the newer Voice interface.

While this isn't an issue right at the moment, I need to know how to connect this option in the new interface, because the legacy version isn't going to be there forever, and I have several more phones I'll need to connect, as well as my developers working for me will need this info as I expand the new system to them, and migrate off 8x8.

Thanks!

SteveInWA

You don't need to do anything with the Chat setting after enabling it that one time.

The Legacy Google Voice web GUI isn't going to go away until the new GUI has feature parity with the legacy one.

Google Voice is not intended to be a business telephone system -- it is primarily for personal, consumer use.

There are plenty of SIP VoIP service providers from which to choose, that work seamlessly with OBi devices.  You can find one that matches your desired level of "hands off" vs. "hands on" involvement, from basic DIY to fullly-hosted services.

glnz2

My initial setup of both Google Voice and OBi200 yesterday (July 8 ) seemed OK - incoming calls rang on both our $10 plastic handset (with its new GV telephone number) and on Google Voice on the PC.
I looked at Legacy for less than a minute and didn't change anything.  In Legacy, should "Forward to chat" be checked, or not?
OBi200 with Google Voice

drgeoff

You can make outgoing GV calls from your OBi without 'Chat' being ticked.  Not so for incoming calls.

glnz2

#4
Hey doc - thanks.  I found Legacy and see that Chat is already ticked.  That's why incoming test calls rang our $10 plastic handset right away.

Legacy seems to have some very important settings that don't appear in "New".  For example, the ability to change the voicemail message (which I haven't tried yet), which appears at  https://www.google.com/voice/b/1#voicemailsettings.

Will Legacy eventually disappear?  If yes, then how would we change the outgoing voicemail message and other things?

Also - dumb question - is it possible to change which email a voicemail goes to (or add more than one)?  Again, only in Legacy?

Thanks.
OBi200 with Google Voice

drgeoff

Quote from: glnz2 on July 09, 2017, 02:28:24 PM
Legacy seems to have some very important settings that don't appear in "New".  For example, the ability to change the voicemail message (which I haven't tried yet), which appears at  https://www.google.com/voice/b/1#voicemailsettings.

Will Legacy eventually disappear?  If yes, then how would we change the outgoing voicemail message and other things?
Read the second paragraph of the post above from SteveInWA.

glnz2

#6
Doc - With every dumb thing that's happened to my favorite apps -

- WordPerfect was run over by a huge, broken steamroller driven by a drunk Russian (Word)
- SugarSync killed its 5GB free service despite expressly promising not to
- Microsoft killed its own sync (or mesh) some time ago
- LogMeIn restricted Free
- Microsoft put the ribbon on Word
- Cubby died
- pCloud changes the timestamps of old docs when they sync across
. XP - I keep it updated with the POS hack but it won't last forever, and I rely on Outlook Express
- Microsoft just killed Skype's handset phone function (which is why we're doing Google Voice with OBi) ...

... are you SURE SteveInWA is right?  If he can read the future, how should we play the stock market?

But I certainly hope he is right.  I spend too much time catching up on these things to keep my wife's mini-office working.

EDIT - by the way, a buddy thinks the option in Legacy to change the email to which voicemail is sent doesn't work.  His voicemail must go to his related gmail account, and he sets that to forward from there.  Do you agree?
OBi200 with Google Voice

SteveInWA

Quote from: glnz2 on July 09, 2017, 03:17:22 PM
Doc - With every dumb thing that's happened to my favorite apps -

- WordPerfect was run over by a huge, broken steamroller driven by a drunk Russian (Word)
- SugarSync killed its 5GB free service despite expressly promising not to
- Microsoft killed its own sync (or mesh) some time ago
- LogMeIn restricted Free
- Microsoft put the ribbon on Word
- Cubby died
- pCloud changes the timestamps of old docs when they sync across
. XP - I keep it updated with the POS hack but it won't last forever, and I rely on Outlook Express
- Microsoft just killed Skype's handset phone function (which is why we're doing Google Voice with OBi) ...

... are you SURE SteveInWA is right?  If he can read the future, how should we play the stock market?

But I certainly hope he is right.  I spend too much time catching up on these things to keep my wife's mini-office working.

I urge you to put all your available cash into stock in fidget spinners.

WTF, dude.  Just read and follow the instructions like the tens of millions of other Google Voice users.

glnz2

Steve - too sensible, and anyway that's what I did yesterday.

Question - by the way, a buddy thinks the option in Legacy to change the email to which voicemail is sent doesn't work.  His voicemail must go to his related gmail account, and he sets that to forward from there.  Do you agree?
OBi200 with Google Voice

SteveInWA

The option works.  You simply cannot select a different Gmail address.  You could, for example, add a .outlook.com or some other non-Google email account, and then forward to that account.  Or, do what your friend seems to be doing:  forward to your Gmail address, and then, on that Gmail account, set up forwarding rules to send it onward to other email address(es).

Michael_Reeder

Quote from: glnz2 on July 09, 2017, 03:17:22 PM
... are you SURE SteveInWA is right?  If he can read the future, how should we play the stock market?

glnz2,

I think you have gotten the best answer that anyone and SteveInWA have available at the moment.

If you are needing more certainty (sounds like there is a small business involved) then maybe you should also setup an inexpensive but reliable VoIP provider as well since all Obi devices support at least 2-4 different phone numbers and providers.

Lots of other discussion threads on best service providers...  I've favored Future Nine in the past and still use them primarily ($5-$7 per month) but can be a bit spotty (hence I have GV and Concentric backup options).  Starting to think I may get a more expensive Concentric solution if GV can't be fixed.  Right now I have a "free" service ($1.50 per month for 911-service) + 5 cents per minute if I actually do use it.

-- Michael


SteveInWA

It's "CALLcentric", not "CONcentric".

And, no, nobody in their right mind should ever use Future9 or VestaLink for anything remotely business related.  Some people have the naive idea that buying something like this from a "small businessman" is somehow better than buying from a company with high-quality carrier and network connectivity, support staff, and business scale.  It's seen as a "rage against the machine of big business."  They're blinded by that misguided belief, into ignoring service outages, service quality problems, lack of support by more than one guy, and an overall amateur service.  If any of those issues were pervasive at a larger provider, people would be flooding the forums with angry tirades.

Buy your coffee from a small, local roaster instead of Starbucks.  Shop locally and support your local businesses.  But buying reliable, consistent telephone service from a one-man show is just plain foolhardy.

Michael_Reeder

Yes, it's Callcentric.

F9 has been a good option in past years, with - at times - good service at least in my experience.

Right now Callcentric is looking better.  I have paid service set-up with Callcentric and am testing it out, so far with better results.

-- Michael