Question about OBiTalk and Google Voice
olrowdy01:
Hi,
I have several questions before I order a OBi202 ATA.
I created a OBiTalk account and on the "Approved Service Providers">For Home selection I see, "Free Calling from Your Home Phone with an OBi Device and Google Voice"
I get the impression that the "free calling" might only be to other users of the OBi devices because there is mention of using independent ISPs on the same page.
Or does it mean you can call -anyone- free in the USA using the OBi202 and Google Voice?
Can you directly dial your Google Voice phone number with the OBi202 via OBiTalk to make free Google Voice outbound calls to anyone and use the GV features? Or does the OBi202 handle that?
Anveo for instance has a $39.99/yr "Free incoming calls" plan with 333 minutes/month (~11 minutes/day) free outbound calls and then charges by the minute. I've waited waaay over 11 minutes for AT&T sales to pick up a phone. The time limit is not all that practical but if Google Voice is used to make calls then it's no problem.
Thanks for any info to clarify how OBiTalk works with the OBi202.
Oh for the return of the good old daze of Simon.
drgeoff:
When it is working properly (which seems not the case for some people currently) you can call most US and Canada numbers at no charge by directly dialling the number on a phone plugged in to the OBi. As far as others are concerned calling you is no different from calling any other number.
olrowdy01:
OK, thank you for the quick answer.
So in affect I don't need a separate ISP to receive calls to my Google Voice number?
Just set the OBi202 up on OBiTalk using the Google Voice link and it's free In and Out calls?
If so that's as simple as it can get and I was just overthinking the whole process. That comes from all the weird stuff I was seeing from various external ISPs with offers that weren't so great once you really dug down into the details.
SteveInWA:
"ISP" = Internet Service Provider; the company that supplies your building's internet service.
"ITSP" = Internet Telephone Service Provider; a company that supplies Voice over IP (VoIP) telephone service.
Google Voice is neither of those things. It is a cloud-based telephone call forwarding and voicemail and text message management system. It can make and receive calls using regular 10-digit US telephone numbers over the ordinary telephone network, and it can make and receive calls over VoIP, but that is not its sole function. Many people think of it as a "free telephone company", but that's not its primary design.
olrowdy01:
Hi Steve,
Basically I just want to find out will the OBi202 using OBiTalk allow free In/Out calling with no extra ITSP that I have to setup (not counting my normal Internet provider).
I apologize for dragging this out but ....... just so I'm perfectly clear on this. All I have to do is set up the OBi202 thru Google Voice as OBiTalk describes and I can make free inbound and outbound calls through Google Voice? If so I'm a happy camper and I'm off to get a OBi202.
At first I assumed that with the OBi202 I would have to get an ITSP account with someone else to use Google Voice to -receive- calls.
Ok on the terminology. I have the same situation when using EE terminology with non engineers. ;)
It isn't always that easy to convince a non technical person that "calling" and "talking" to someone on the phone or radio is NOT the same thing. ;D
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