The route an Obie/Google Voice call takes
Stewart:
Sorry that I've been away from this thread for awhile. I'll try to address the OBi-related stuff in another post; here are a few comments on the immediate discussion:
If you have a landline that includes unlimited local calling, you can use GV for long distance, without an OBi or other additional hardware. Once set up, you dial your GV number and immediately get the voicemail menu. Press 2 to make a call, then dial the destination number and press #. For domestic calls, it's free, at least for this year. IMO, it's not the best value for international calling, though it's a simple choice for light users. Although this usage requires multi-stage dialing, many phones allow you to insert a pause in a speed-dial or contact list entry, thus automating the procedure.
If your "lifeline" or similar landline has a cost for local calls, you can still use GV for free local and long distance calling. From the GV Web site, you can click the Call button and enter a number, or click the "call" link on an Inbox, History or Contact entry. Your landline rings; you pick up and the destination number is called.
A GV account used in either of the above scenarios can also be useful for incoming; choose a number near your kids/grandkids and they can make a local call to reach you.
I agree with the others that a device for calling 911 via cellular is not e911; if you are unable to speak the dispatch may not reach you in time. However, it's better than nothing and may be suitable for someone without a landline. I have such a device, primarily as a backup for my alarm system, but it's connected so that I can also make a voice call, if my power/UPS or Internet are down.
Ostracus:
Quote from: Lateralg on February 13, 2012, 01:20:20 pm
Is losing both land line & internet at same time really rare?
If we lose power, aren't our cordless land line phones dead? I wonder how many people thought to have an old fashioned plug-it-in-the-wall phone ready for this. And know where they hid it.
Well I get my internet via cable which comes over a pole mounted wire and land-line via a buried copper, and have a cell phone which can be a backup for both services. Three different paths that would have to be knocked out. Power failure is addressed by UPSes and a generator. VoIP is still a relatively young technology and it shows. mATAs point in the right direction except for the provider tie-in.
Stewart:
Quote from: Lateralg on February 07, 2012, 10:13:50 am
Without knowledge of Obie's capabilities, they're likely to go with Ooma, MagicJack, Vonage, Skype ... and receive less value for their time and money.
Comments below are my personal opinion of those services:
Ooma has excellent quality and reliability, with good support, but is IMO a poor value. The basic service is little more than a POTS replacement. In addition to a big up-front payment and a high porting charge, fees and taxes run ~$5/mo. An OBi with GV and a SIP provider for 911 would be less expensive and much more flexible. Ooma Premier includes concurrent calls and many other features, but at ~$15/mo. + hardware costs, one of the Vonage competitors is probably a better choice.
The original MagicJack is a piece of junk and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. The software is invasive, often causes problems with other applications and can't be completely uninstalled. To make or receive calls, the computer must be left on; power costs often negate any savings. MagicJack Plus doesn't require a computer and has several other advantages, though an OBi setup is usually a better choice. I might recommend MJ+ to for someone without technical skills, who didn't have a friend or family member to provide support.
Vonage World runs ~$34/mo. with fees and taxes and is a poor value for most people, except those with heavy calling (> 1500 min.) to the covered international destinations, or those that find a particular feature compelling. Vonage World Premium is about twice as expensive, but might make sense for those with high volume to mobiles in the included countries. There are several companies who, like Vonage, supply preconfigured equipment for use with their service and have good support. My favorites are VOIPo (less expensive) and Phonepower (more friendly for foreign use). Both include a "cloned line" feature, which allows you to make or receive a call while e.g. your wife is on the phone. Both offer 60 min./mo. of "free" international calling and an inexpensive option for 1200 min.; the list of included destinations is similar to that of Vonage World.
I recommend a free Skype account, in addition to other VoIP services that you may have, not for calling phones, but to call another Skype user on their computer or mobile device. Such calls are free and have much better sound quality than offered by a telephone, roughly what you hear on radio or TV. You also get video. I didn't think much of "talking head" video calling, but the proliferation of smartphones and tablets has made a huge difference. Your grandkid can walk around with a mobile device and show you what s/he has made or drawn, their vacation place, etc. It's the next best thing to a visit. Also, a traveler may have access to Skype, when other services are unavailable or expensive. Pay-per-minute calling on Skype to PSTN numbers is usually not a good value, but for certain heavy international calling patterns, a monthly Skype plan makes sense. For Skype calls from a regular phone, I recommend hardware intended for Skype; using the OBi is complex and not very robust.
Rick:
Quote from: Ostracus on February 13, 2012, 10:24:54 pm
Quote from: Lateralg on February 13, 2012, 01:20:20 pm
Is losing both land line & internet at same time really rare?
If we lose power, aren't our cordless land line phones dead? I wonder how many people thought to have an old fashioned plug-it-in-the-wall phone ready for this. And know where they hid it.
Well I get my internet via cable which comes over a pole mounted wire and land-line via a buried copper, and have a cell phone which can be a backup for both services. Three different paths that would have to be knocked out. Power failure is addressed by UPSes and a generator. VoIP is still a relatively young technology and it shows. mATAs point in the right direction except for the provider tie-in.
Need to remember that you having power is just part of the equation. Phone company and cable company devices, all along the route to your house, have to have power. During an extended outage of several days, it's very likely that cable will stop working, and phone will also. During an outage in PA we lost both, phone company put a generator on their switch but then wouldn't allow anyone to fill it with gas and it kept going out... Same issue with cell towers of course.
Only foolproof method is 2 cans and a string.
Lateralg:
Quote
"FYI, the device is an OBi 100 or OBi 110, not an Obie...
Given your audience, if they don't want to use GV, and they don't have a need to have two OBi devices communicating to each other, they should stick with their landlines. With a parent in her mid 70s and more elderly in-laws, even basic technology is past their capabilities. IMHO, the OBi devices are beyond their capabilities even with GV. The idea of porting your landline to a prepaid cell, and then to GV is beyond their capabilities, as is the concept of getting rid of their landline... Very few will understand it enough to get it running successfully, and OBi does not have the technical support staff to help them. GV has no technical support staff."
Thanks for the FYI Rick.
The GV, as in Green Valley Computer Club, does have technical support.
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