Have GV but want to use outside the US, questions.
axel:
I saw the OBI100 on Amazon and it got my attention. I came here and I read around this forum and almost all my questions have been answered. However, there are a couple I cannot find a definitive answer on.
I live in more than one country with the US being one of them. I have a GV account with a phone number attached to it which I have played with but don't really use. What I am wondering is if I setup OBI100s in my houses in other countries, can I assign each one a different GV account?
If so, if I or a relative/friend is in the US and calls the GV number assigned to, say, an OBI100 in Singapore, will it ring my phone in there in Singapore (assuming I setup the wiring and everything correctly)? Then for another GV account assigned to an OBI at another house, if I call that GV number from the US, it will it ring my phone there?
Then if so, will all the GV options be available, like conference calling and such? I guess, on this question, I am wondering is whether all the normal GV features I would get in the US (besides things not related to OBI100 like call forwarding) would work from a non-US IP?
Thanks!
MichiganTelephone:
It should work fine as long as the ISP does not block traffic to the Google Voice servers BUT there have been some reports that Google Voice will charge you a penny a minute for calls to the USA or Canada if you are coming in from an IP address that they can identify as being outside the USA. One way around that would be to use two Obihai devices, one in the USA and one in Singapore, and let the one in the USA connect to Google Voice and then forward calls to the other adapter using the OBiTALK network (or, alternately, a sip connection through a free SIP provider). That approach sounds perfect for the situation you described.
Another approach is to have the OBi100 connect to a PBX server in the USA and let the PBX make the connection to Google Voice. For example, I think you could use Bill Simon's gateway (https://simonics.com/gvgw/ or see http://pbxinaflash.com/community/index.php?threads/google-voice-sip-gateway.11621/ for more information); it's basically intended for use with an Asterisk server but maybe you could connect an OBi device directly using SIP (I don't see any reason you couldn't but I have never actually attempted it).
Of course you could try setting the Obihai device up in the USA and then take it to Singapore and make a test call or two and see if Google Voice starts dinging your account (I think they give you ten cents credit when you first sign up). I've heard comments both ways - some people have said they've done that and were not charged, others have said they were, so you won't know for sure until you try (unless someone else here has some actual experience they can share).
Everton:
I think the key to avoid charges through GV is to setup ALL your GV/Gmail accounts while in the US or at least have someone do it for you who is located in the US at the time the accounts are setup. I haven't heard or read of a GV users using an OBi unit being charge for using the unit overseas.
I have a unit in another country in the Caribbean and there are no charges for the two GV accounts setup on SP1 and SP2.
axel:
Thanks guys, appreciate the help! I'll put in my order for a few OBI100s, to be safe, I will get an OBI100 and set it up in my place in the US as well. I don't fly back and forth that much anymore, as flying sucks these days so I'm better off doing something that will last, rather than need to go back and mess with it.
MichiganTelephone:
Quote from: axel on April 10, 2012, 11:53:48 pm
I don't fly back and forth that much anymore, as flying sucks these days so I'm better off doing something that will last, rather than need to go back and mess with it.
When you configure your devices, be sure to use the OBiTALK portal because it will allow you to configure your devices remotely, just by going to the portal and logging into your account. That way, if you're in another country and realize you need to make a configuration change, you can do it easily.
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