Landline Call Forwarding

[Tack]

I have just set up an Obi110 with Google Voice and my current Verizon landline.  I am planning on transitioning to using Google Voice's voicemail for all incoming calls and wish to know if Obi110 can forward an incoming landline call to the configured Google Voice number without the necessity of me using the call-forwarding feature from Verizon to do the same task.

Thanks.

[RonR]

If you have the OBi forward your LINE Port calls to your Google Voice number, Google Voice will see that call coming from your own Google Voice number and will think you're calling in to check your voicemail.

[Tack]

Ron:

Not sure I understand.

One of the reasons I bought the Obi110, instead of the Obi100, was to be able to preserve my Verizon account and phone number while I "beta tested" Google Voice (or other VOIP service) to see if it could serve as my only phone service.  Presently, the landline and the Google numbers co-exist and are different.  Given this situation, if the Obi110 could be configured to "call forward" the incoming outside call on the landline to the Google number (SP1), why would Google think that was not just another incoming call from outide?

[RonR]

Call your Google Voice number from the OBi's telephone using the Google Voice trunk (probably SP1) and you'll see what I was describing.  The OBi will bridge calls from any trunk to any trunk, but if you call your Google Voice number from your Google Voice number, you'll be checking your voicemail.

If you configure two separate Google Voice accounts, you could use one Google Voice account to forward to the other Google Voice account.

[Tack]

Ron:

Excuse me for being ignorant, but what's the difference between forwarding ("bridging") between SP2 and SP1 and forwarding from SP8 (landline)?  Why doesn't Obi pass the landline call and caller ID to SP1, so that Google sees a different incoming number, not it's own?

Obviously, I am missing something.

Thanks.

[RonR]

Why doesn't Obi pass the landline call and caller ID to SP1, so that Google sees a different incoming number, not it's own?

I don't believe Google Voice accepts any CallerID information from the OBi.

Why don't you try it and see what happens?  Assuming Google Voice is configured on SP1:

Physical Interfaces -> LINE Port -> CallForwardUnconditionalEnable : (checked)

Physical Interfaces -> LINE Port -> CallForwardUnconditionalNumber : SP1(12341234567)

where 12341234567 is your Google Voice number.

[Tack]

Well, you were right.  It goes directly to Google Voicemail, as if i were calling into check messages.  I still don't understand why this is so, but it is.

It would be nice if the firmware or software would allow the line port to be forwarded to the SP1/2 ports and carry along the outside caller ID, so that one could forward a landline internally and not have to pay verizon for the privelege.

Thanks.

[RonR]

This is not an OBi issue.  It's a Google Voice issue.  There's no CallerID involved.

Google Voice is being asked to a call a telephone number which it recognizes as the telephone number of the account initiating the call.  Google Voice treats this case as a request to check voicemail.  It's a natural and reasonable expectation.  You'd rather have Google Voice send this call to voicemail, but very few people would find that useful.

As I stated before, you could put another (different) Google Voice account on SP2 and forward your LINE Port calls to SP1 through SP2:

Physical Interfaces -> LINE Port -> CallForwardUnconditionalEnable : (checked)

Physical Interfaces -> LINE Port -> CallForwardUnconditionalNumber : SP2(12341234567)

where 12341234567 is your  SP1 Google Voice number.

This will work because SP2 Google Voice will be calling SP1 Google Voice through the PSTN.  SP1 will see SP2's CallerID on everything, however, because Google Voice always uses its own CallerID on outgoing calls and cannot be overridden.

[Tack]

Thanks.

May try a different approach with VOIP.MS and port my existing landline number to them.

(Posted a another thread about configuring VOIP.MS on Obi110.  Thanks.)

[jimates]

RonR,

It is obvious by the OP that Tack didn't understand what was happening or how the Obi actually bridged the call between the line and GV. And possibly how GV actually works to start with.

Instead of posting many times you could have just explained it all in one post. This is what I mean when I say you could be so helpful (if you wanted to be), instead of posting so many useless statements.

[jimates]

Tack,

The Obi takes the incoming land line call and uses your GV service to forward the call to your GV number. Since the call from the Obi is an outgoing call it carries the caller id of the service used to place the call (GV). GV receives the call with it's own caller id and (because of settings you your GV account) sends the call directly to the IVR.

You can change the settings in your GV account so that it will treat the incoming call the same as all other calls.
On your GV page click on your phone number.
Click "edit" for the GoogleChat phone.
Select "NO" for voicemail access.

"YES" is the default setting for all mobile phones and googlechat listed in your phones list. You will also need to change the settings for the mobile phones if you want to call your Obi (google voice number).

[Tack]

Firstly, Ron's been very responsive and helpful to me on multiple occasions, so, even if there is a more concise answer, here, I welcome and appreciate all his support.

Regarding your comment on changing Google settings, I am not sure this would achieve what I wanted, but you may correct me if I am wrong.  It was merely my desire to have landline calls arrive at my Google phone, complete with their origianl incoming caller ID's, and either be answered by me on Google or find their way into Google voicemail, if unanswered.

Even with your suggestion, I am assuming that since Obi is bridging by using Google Voice to make the transfer, then, Google Voice would see it's own caller ID, not the outside, even if voicemail access was turned off.  Yes?

In the end, I think this entire problem is going to be obviated because I am going to utilize voip.ms for main communications, pricipally because I, and my callees, have found the obi-outward voice quality of Google Voice to be substandard.  I can hear them all perfectly, but they hear me a bit choppily.  I think this problem is likely to be extinguished with voip,ms.  (We'll see.)

Thanks again.

[jimates]

Correct, Obi does not pass the caller id of the original call, all calls would carry the GV caller id.

[RonR]

The Obi takes the incoming land line call and uses your GV service to forward the call to your GV number. Since the call from the Obi is an outgoing call it carries the caller id of the service used to place the call (GV). GV receives the call with it's own caller id and (because of settings you your GV account) sends the call directly to the IVR.

When you call your own Google Voice number from your Google Voice trunk, no call is placed through the PSTN.  The call never leaves Google Voice.  It's as I stated in Reply #7 : Google Voice is being asked to a call a telephone number which it recognizes as the telephone number of the account initiating the call.  Google Voice treats this case as a request to check voicemail.

If you doubt this, call your own Google Voice number from your Google Voice trunk.  Then log into your Google Voice account and look at the Call History.  You'll find there was no call Placed and no call Received.

You can change the settings in your GV account so that it will treat the incoming call the same as all other calls.
On your GV page click on your phone number.
Click "edit" for the GoogleChat phone.
Select "NO" for voicemail access.

You'll find this has no effect for the reason stated above.


What were you saying about posting useless statements?  

[jimates]

The op was about bridging land line calls to GV. This is being done by routing the land line call TO GV using the GV service resulting in delivery to the IVR.
Picking up the phone and calling your GV using the GV service gives the same results, but is not exactly the same (only the same as the last half of the route).

Yes, I made a mistake about the changes at GV to solve the problem.

Tuck has so many posts about the same problem all over this board. I just think a little explanation along with the advise would be appropriate when it is obvious there is a misunderstanding about how it is working to start with.

[th3fro6]

Hello y'all,

New to the VoIP and to this forum, so I am very retarded if y'all don't mind me asking a few questions?
Well, first off, everyone here seems so technically advanced and doing acrobatic stuff with VoIP. Hats off to all.

My beef:

1. According to a "work-around landline number portability": get T-Mobile (or any wireless provider?) prepaid card, then port landline number to prepaid number, then port prepaid number to GV. Right? With lots of people being successful?

2. What happens to the prepaid number (we have to keep it active monthly)?

3. What happens to the landline number (we cancel the landline after all is well)?

4. Will the database that keeps track of "number porting" be functioning after both prepaid and landline services are disconnected?

My intention:

1. Purchase OBi110 or OBi100. Set up GV (which I already have an account, not educated enough to really dig into it).
2. Port Verizon landline number to GV.
3. Cancel my Verizon landline (which costs $30/month, but must keep for family reason)
4. Family from oversea can still call the old landline number to reach us (transparent to caller)

Any idea/answer/scolding is well appreciated

Thanks for putting up with my yelping.