What are my options?

[NetGod@carolina.rr.com]

I just bought the Obi110 from Amazon, but have not received it yet.
I do not know anyone else who owns an Obi, so an Obi to Obi set up is not
in my future. I just want to plug it in and use it as a regular voip phone.
I do not have Google Voice and have no interest in signing up for it unless
it is a mandatory requirement to use the Obi.

My questions are:

Do I have to use Google Voice with the Obi110 to use the Obi?
If I don't, what are my options?
Do those options have a monthly fee?
How easy is it to configure with those options?

And, why is my user name the same as my email address? How do I change it?

Thanks!

[RonR]

Do I have to use Google Voice with the Obi110 to use the Obi?

No.

If I don't, what are my options?

There are countless VoIP (SIP) providers availabe to choose from.  Simply Google 'VoIP Providers'.

Do those options have a monthly fee?

Some have flat-rate monthly fees, some are Pay As You Go.

How easy is it to configure with those options?

Very easy.  There are typically only 6 settings needed to configure a VoIP (SIP) provider:

Service Providers -> ITSP Profile A -> General -> Name : (provider name)
Service Providers -> ITSP Profile A -> SIP -> ProxyServer : (proxy server)
Voice Services -> SP1 Service -> AuthUserName : (sip username)
Voice Services -> SP1 Service -> AuthPassword : (sip password)
Voice Services -> SP1 Service -> CallerIDName : (callerid name)
Physical Interfaces -> PHONE Port -> PrimaryLine : SP1 Service

[Dav3yDark0]

Do I have to use Google Voice with the Obi110 to use the Obi?

No. But its free right now and it works well, so unless you need both SP(x)s in your OBi for other services, using 1 of them for GV should be something you consider.

If I don't, what are my options?

Pretty much any VoIP provider that supports BYOD (Bring Your Own Device), and there are many with various plans, costs and features.

Do those options have a monthly fee?

Yes, the vast majority do. GV is free currently.

How easy is it to configure with those options?

There are wizards on the OBiTalk web page that can configure some of the more popular providers for you, but for most ITSPs it is not very hard to do it manually, this forum is a good resource for help if and when you need it.

And, why is my user name the same as my email address? How do I change it?

I can't help you with that, I would imagine that is what you put in the username field with signing up. You will have to ask one of the staff here about that..

Dave