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1GV account with multiple OBi phones

Started by Chad418, June 16, 2019, 09:16:27 AM

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Chad418

Hello,
I have been using the OBi1032 with my Google Voice number without issue for almost a year. I am looking purchase 2 more OBi1032, 1 for my home office and the other for my answering attendant for when I am in meetings or unavailable. Will I be able to configure the 2 new phones to ring simultaneously with the same google voice number?

Thanks in advance.

drgeoff


ShazamInForum

Be aware that Google Voice service has 2 max calls at the same time.  If 1st (you) and 2nd call is on busy/talking, the 3rd incoming caller will be sent direct to your Gmail email inbox (no rings) and you'll be notified of "Missed call" or "Voicemail".  You and that 2nd person busy/talking will not know of that 3rd caller and could missed out on an important call.  There will be no beeps, no rings, no stutter, nothing to indicate of that 3rd incoming caller.

Also regular Google Voice service (Gmail + Phone numbers) is not suggested for office and/or business because of GV service limitations.  Besides the above mentioned limitations of 2 calls max, there is no Auto-Attendant for transferring of calls (due to Google Voice issue), see Mindblogging post at link http://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=15774.msg99373#msg99373

For office/business settings, highly suggest using paid commercial SIP VoIP Internet Telephone Service Provider (ITSP) instead, such as:

RingCentral
Callcentric
Anveo
voip.ms
VOIPo
Vonage

And you will have more functions and features, like CNAM (Caller ID Name and Number), to hunt group, to Auto-Attendant functions and more.

Mindblogging

Google Voice service is free in US and Canada, no monthly or yearly costs to you but avoid the headaches if you're going to have multiple OBi phones by using non-Google Voice service.  Will make your office and life easier.

Chad418

I understand the concern of GV and its limitations. We have 4 people in our office. 3 out of 4 of us are on the road 90% of the time so we use our cell phones as our primary means of communication. The office phones are only used for outbound calling when they are in the office. 2 of 4 of us work from our virtual office (their home). Last month we had 12 inbound calls.

Could I use multiple GV numbers and set them as additional lines on the 6 Line / Call appearance buttons? This will allow me to leave the primary Google Voice as my inbound number and if someone is making an outbound they can push line 2 (Different Google Voice number). Maybe I will make line 2 a different GV number for all 4 phones?   

where2

It's easier than you think, you can program the default out bound SP# on each Obi1032, so the desk phone user doesn't have to choose a line to dial from. They can just hit speaker phone, or start dialing numbers and press "DIAL" and the Obi1032 will automatically dial out on their predefined SP#. (I have my Obi1032 set to always use SP2 for my outgoing calls). Each phone can be setup independent of the others.

For the sanity of your person attending the phones: Program your other devices as speed dials off the seven programmable keys [side keys] (reserve the top Programmable Key as "Next Tab").
For example:
(2)=Your Cell
(3)=Your Obi1032 Desk Phone
(4)=Employee 3 Cell
(5)=Employee 3 Obi1032
(6)=Employee 4 Cell
(7)=Employee 4 Obi1032
I'd put this same key programming on each Obi1032 in your office, so that if your attendant is standing at anyone's desk, they can answer a call in the same manner as they are accustomed to at their own desk. You can easily print out little button labels, and cut them out to fit under the plastic cover. On the Obitalk expert page, its at the bottom of where you setup the programmable keys.

My attendant is using an Obi1022, and literally hates how difficult it is to transfer a call. I plan on putting a Obi1032 on her desk with the programmable keys setup in the manner above.

Alternatively, you could just have each GV number for each employee ring simultaneous with the respective employee cell, and the employee could choose what the best device to answer the call is. (There are times in my office when we're about to run out of the office, and we'd be fine taking the call on the road with us on our cell, if it had been forwarded there to begin with). Then you'd only use three of the programmable keys, and have room for adding more employees in the future...