How to implement pre-setup "call forwarding" for a 3rd Google Voice Service

[J.B.Kelly]

I am very new to OBiTALK. Purchased a OBi202 a few days ago. I am a retired computer consultant with some phone equipment experience. I obviously have not read the OBi manual cover to cover, but I have perused each of the sections of the manual. I haven't found a section which describes the symbols and syntax of commands used to customize the setup, and this may be at the heart of my problem.

What I wanted to accomplish was to have my wife's google number, and my google number ring phones in our house, and also allow us to call our using the same phones. We have 3 two line phones. One on each floor of the house. My wife, on a regular basis, gets calls where her cell phone is on another floor of the 3 story house. She tends not to have here cell phone with her, where I tend to carry it in my pants pocket. We previously used Ooma for a single phone line, which we directed to ring when my wife's Google number was called. This was reasonably close to what we needed, but didn't give me the same feature since one phone line was too few for both our Google numbers.

It didn't take long to set up the OBi202. My wife's Google number rings line 1, and when line one is dialed from, it uses her Google number and ID to make the call. My Google number rings line 2, and when line one is dialed, it uses my google number and ID to make the call. It is also true that when line 1 rings, it has a distinctive ring from line 2, so we can tell who the call is for just by the sound of the ring. Not sure who to thank for that, Panasonic or OBiTALK. Very nice in any case!

However, like all of us techies, once a basic problem is solved, the next problem begs to be addressed. Forwarding Google numbers has a problem. Two different Google Voice numbers are not allowed to forward to the same cell or land line. Not only do my wife and I have separate personal Google Voice Numbers, I also have a business Google voice number. I still have clients call me, and for a few, I still do some work. I no longer maintain a separate office, so the business Google number has been in limbo with no "real" number to forward to. After purchasing the OBi202, I set up my Business Google voice number as the 3rd Voice service and have it ring line 2. I did discovered that you can't set it up to ring neither line, a feature I don't understand.

Having the business Google number ring line 2 of my home phones is a step forward from where I was, but what I really want is for the business Google number to also forward to my cell phone. Something Google's setup won't allow. I see that there is a "CallForwardUnconditionalEnable" parameter, and a "CallForwardUnconditionalNumber" parameter for each Voice Service. However, I don't seem to be able to get it to work.

Please HELP!

[azrobert]

GV will allow you to define a forwarding number in 2 different accounts. Only forwarding numbers defined as Mobile are restricted to a single account. This definition is found under Legacy GV. After you switch to Legacy GV, click on the gear ICON then Settings. Edit your Mobile phone, select phone type Home and save. Now you should be able to add this number to a 2nd account.

This is how it worked in the past. Google has made several changes so I'm not sure this hasn't changed.

If you want, I can show you how to forward to another number.

[SteveInWA]

GV will allow you to define a forwarding number in 2 different accounts. Only forwarding numbers defined as Mobile are restricted to a single account. This definition is found under Legacy GV. After you switch to Legacy GV, click on the gear ICON then Settings. Edit your Mobile phone, select phone type Home and save. Now you should be able to add this number to a 2nd account.

This is how it worked in the past. Google has made several changes so I'm not sure this hasn't changed.

If you want, I can show you how to forward to another number.

The solution Robert describes does still work.  However, it comes with a potential show-stopper:  changing the phone type to "Work" or "Home" in Google Voice settings is telling Google Voice that it's a land line.  This disables all text messaging for that linked/forwarding phone via Google Voice.  In other words, you will not be able to use the Google Voice mobile app on the mobile phone to send or receive SMS/MMS via the Google Voice phone number.

If you don't care about that, then go for it.  Note that you can select either "Work" or "Home"; they are identical settings.

[J.B.Kelly]

I want to thank both azrobert and SteveInWA for their comments. I had forgotten that there was a difference between forwarding to a "home or work" phone and a "mobile" phone in Google Voice. It hadn't occured to me that I could call my mobile phone a "home or work" phone.

However, SteveInWa is correct that I still want to have texting on both my home and my work Google Voice phone numbers.

By the variable description in the OBi202 manual, it still seems that the OBi202 should be able to forward a call to another number using "SP3 Sevice > Calling Features > CallForwardUnconditionalEnable & CallForwardUnconditionalNumber". Does anyone have experience setting these variables using the "OBi Expert Configuration" method. Has anyone used these variable to set a permanent forward from a SP Service to an outside number?

[azrobert]

The OBi call forwarding isn't really forwarding, it's bridging. The OBi makes a new call using one of your service providers. When that connects it merges it with the inbound call. The person receiving the call will see the service provider's callerid, not the original callerid.

I don't think the feature you're looking at will work for you. Only the phone you're forwarding to will ring. You can simul-ring several devices using the inbound route. Use OBi expert to make the following change.

Voice Services -> SP3 Service -> X_IboundCallRoute:
ph2,spX(your_cell_number)

Change spX to sp1, sp2 or sp3, depending on which callerid you want to see.

You can install a SIP softphone on your cell and then be able to see the original callerid. If you want to do this, will you always be home on the local WiFi network?

Edit:

You can install Hangouts on your cell.

[J.B.Kelly]

AZRobert,

Your comments are really interesting. At each response I seem to be getting closer to my desired objective.

I tried setting Voice Services > SP3 Service > X_InboutCallRoute to "ph3,sp3(mycellnumber)" and it works. It rings mycellnumber with the caller ID of SP3 (the business line). Three good things: 1) When at home (where the OBi202 is) I get the call, 2) I also get the call on my cell phone, and 3) On my cell phone, I know it is someone calling my business number.

However, now I am interested in your comment: "You can install a SIP softphone on your cell and then be able to see the original callerid."

I do have "hangouts dialer" on my phone. I put it on the phone so I could make internet calls, and receive calls, when I was vacationing in Ireland two years ago. I added the hangout account for my business number, and tried to get a call from the business #, but it didn't seem to work. It may be I'm confused on how to use multiple hangout accounts on my Android Cell Phone and didn't have the right account active when I tried the test.

Thanks so much for the suggestions you have given me so far. More will just be frosting on the cake.

[J.B.Kelly]

Forgot to ask how many numbers I could ring simultaneously using the  "X_InboutCallRoute" variable?

[azrobert]

Forgot to ask how many numbers I could ring simultaneously using the  "X_InboutCallRoute" variable?

I think it's 4, but there is a hack to do more.

Edit.
That's 4 total devices. The phone port is a device.

[azrobert]

Android Hangouts works for me. I never tried it with multiple accounts. My 1st comment was referring to an SIP softphone like CSipSimple. Here is the setup:

This setup is when CSipSimple is used on the same LAN as the OBi.
CSipSimple is setup without registration.
You must use the Expert wizard to set no registration, but I find it easier to define an account with the Basic wizard then switch to the Expert Wizard.
CSipSimple requires a password.
Use any dummy password.
This example uses SP2 on the OBi and it must be defined as SIP.

Save the 1st setup screen.
Do not add a new account now.
Press return to get the Dial Pad.
Press Menu on the phone
Select Settings
Press Menu on the phone again
Select Expert Mode
Select Network
Select UDP Port
It should be zero, change it to 5060 then OK
With zero a random port number will be assigned
Now you will always be assigned port 5060

Return to the Dial Pad
Tap menu, then accounts
Select Add Account.
Select the BASIC wizard
Account name = OBixxx
User = OBixxx
Server = xx.xx.xx.xx:5061        (OBi IP address and SP2 port#)
Password = anything
SAVE

Press and hold on the account name.
When a new screen appears, select "Choose Wizard".
Select Expert.
Select your account again.
Select Registration URI and blank it out, then ok.
SAVE

OBi Setup:

If SP2 is not defined, setup a dummy SIP definition like this:

Service Providers -> ITSP Profile B -> SIP -> ProxyServer : 127.0.0.1
Voice Services -> SP2 Service -> AuthUserName : (any userid)
Voice Services -> SP2 Service -> X_RegisterEnable : (unchecked)
Voice Services -> SP2 Service -> X_ServProvProfile : B

This will process outbound calls and route them to SP1:
Voice Services -> SP2 Service -> X_InboundCallRoute:
{OBixxx>(1xxxxxxxxxx):sp1},{ph}       (OBixxx must match User in CSipSimple)

This will send inbound SP1 calls to CSipSimple:
Voice Services -> SP1 Service -> X_InboundCallRoute:
ph,sp2(anything@xx.xx.xx.xx:5060)       

xx.xx.xx.xx is the IP address of your Android
5060 is the UDP port defined in the Android setup

This will pass callerid and cnam:
Service Providers -> ITSP Profile B -> SIP -> X_SpoofCallerID : Checked

Dial 18005551212 to route a call toSP1
Dial 0 or anything other than 1xxxxxxxxxx to ring the phone port