How to configure OBi to make calls to three countries?
Frodo:
I have a set of calling requirements, which I was hoping to solve by either buying Ooma or ObiHai or Vonage, can someone help me in guiding on which is the best (read cheapest) way to do so?
Requirements:
need to call from USA to three countries on a daily basis. The countries and the average min.s that I spend on them talking per day are:
India: 60 mins
UK: 20mins
Germany (cell phone): 30 mins
USA: 120 mins.
Current set up:
Two Vonage phones one in India and another in USA, with the world plan (unlimited calling within USA and to UK): pay about a total of $70 ($35 for each plan)
To call Germany cell phone, I buy calling cards, but it still costs me about 25c per min.
Expectation:
Can someone please help me in reducing my monthly phone bill? Is ObiHai the way to go? If yes, then how? I am willing to make an initial onetime investment, but would like to keep that low as well.
thanks for the help!
Stewart:
Quote from: Frodo on December 28, 2011, 02:01:19 pm
To call Germany cell phone, I buy calling cards, but it still costs me about 25c per min.
Are you really spending 30 (min./day) times 20 (bus. days/mo.) times $0.25/min. = $150/mo., just for Germany?
There are many better choices. Cheapest are the Betamax companies; list is here http://backsla.sh/betamax (prices in Euro cent/min.) Lowest to DE mobile is Intervoip; $0.029/min. Quality and reliability are not the best, but your usage is so high, you may want to risk €5, to see if it meets your needs.
Next step up is Localphone; $0.069/min. to DE mobile. You get a few minutes of free credit at signup, so you can test without making a payment or supplying any financial info.
If your contact in DE has a cell plan with lots of minutes, you might try Rebtel. Your contact calls you back on the local number provided and the call is free (except for cellular airtime).
Any of the above can be used as calling cards, with an OBi or other VoIP hardware, or with softphone, smartphone app, etc.
If you buy a couple of OBi devices, you'll have free calling between them, and to US numbers with Google Voice. You could add additional providers for 911, or for inexpensive calling to UK; several are less than $0.01/min.
You might also look at the offerings of VOIPo or Phonepower; though not cheap, they are much less expensive than Vonage, have good support, and include a "cloned line" feature, so you could make and receive calls while another family member is on the phone.
Although somewhat of a hassle to set up, Voxbeam (Premium route) may meet some of your requirements. Quality is IMO quite high; UK landline is $0.0058/min, DE mobile is $0.0502 - $0.0521, depending on carrier. You get a small credit at signup; until you get your OBi, you could test with a free softphone.
Frodo:
1) Thanks for the detailed answer, Stewart
2) Calling to Germany mobile will go way eventually, in about a couple of month's time - Sorry should have mentioned that in my OP - will be replaced by Germany Land line
3) If I buy a couple of OBi devices (for US and India, let's assume) - then calling between India and US becomes Free, correct?
a) Then the only question remains of buying a calling card or a VOIP provider (Google Voice or Voxbeam or VOIPo or Phonepower) service for UK, is that correct? Forgive my ignorance here, but I am not familiar with all the VOIP providers or the services they offer.
So in conclusion, I will only have to pay for calling UK, if i buy OBi. What if I have to call to UK from India? Is that a possibility? Maybe I can use Google voice to do so as well.
johnoei:
I need someone who knows about obihai to configure.
I am willing to pay.
Please call me at 415 823 1586 or email me at john@thinkapril.com .
JohnOei
Stewart:
Quote from: Frodo on December 29, 2011, 09:34:12 am
a) Then the only question remains of buying a calling card or a VOIP provider ...
You will have to make the decision yourself. I'm not affiliated with any of the companies mentioned and can't guarantee that you won't have problems with quality, reliability or support, or that they will even stay in business.
If you do nothing, your bill will soon drop quite a bit, because Germany landline is included in your Vonage plan. In the short term, there is not much risk trying an alternate calling card provider -- you can only lose what you have deposited with them, and can always revert to your present calling card. Localphone, though not the cheapest, does give you five minutes of free calling to try them out.
Though much more expensive than the Google Voice solution, I suggested VOIPo and Phonepower for several reasons: They include a second line, so others at your home or office could use the phone while you are on. Like Vonage, they send you a preconfigured adapter, so no technical knowledge is required. The service includes 911 (with the OBi, you'd need a separate provider for that) and decent support. You should read their respective web sites to see what they offer; reviews of them (and many others) can be found at http://www.dslreports.com/gbu , or by searching the web.
If you go the OBi route, calls between them will of course be free. Although you can set them up so that each one can access the services of the other, it's IMO simpler (and you'll get lower latency) if you just get separate GV accounts at both ends. That will also make it easy to call either location from a US mobile. If you won't be making many international calls from your India location, GV at $0.02/min. to UK or DE landline is not too bad. Or, you could add an account with another provider.
At the US OBi, you might use Callcentric, VoIP.ms or Anveo for 911. VoIP.ms has pretty good international rates, or you could add a third provider (a Betamax brand, Localphone or Voxbeam, as discussed earlier). With the OBi, there is probably no reason to use a calling card service; the direct VoIP connection gives better quality and does not require two-stage dialing.
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