Need VOIP Service??
jimates:
Once your GV account is set up you don't really need a physical phone, you only need it at set up. You can remove it and just have Google Chat left as a forwarding phone. Calls will forward to the Google Chat in Gmail which will be the Obi.
You can leave the existing phone number in your GV account and just have the service disconnected. Uncheck the box so that calls don't forward to it anymore or all calls will either get the disconnect message or voicemail. If the cable company reassigns the number no one will ever know any difference, and if the new person wants to add it to a GV account they will be able to recover it at that time.
Your cable provided phone is voip but it is not a SIP provider. If you try to change the number in your GV account to a SIP provided number it will likely tell you that the number is not valid. Cable providers, MajicJack, netTALK Duo, Ooma, Vonage and probably more are valid forwarding numbers for Google Voice because they are not SIP numbers.
You can choose any of the providers you mentioned and set them up on the Obi, but you cannot use them as forwarding numbers with Google Voice. You can use them to make and receive calls, but google is free for the time being.
RonR:
Jeff205,
This is deteriorating fast. :)
The simplest way to get started with the OBi is to use Google Voice as your service provider. If you can't get the OBi making and receiving calls with a Google Voice account, you won't find it any easier to do so with a VoIP provider.
A Google Voice account provides you with a telephone number to receive calls on and the ability to make outgoing calls. You don't need anything else. With Google Voice functioning on your OBi, you can potentially drop all other phone services.
You first need to get Google Voice working from your Gmail account. From your Gmail account, you should be able to make and receive telephone calls using your PC's speakers and microphone. Until you can do that, it's a waste of time trying to get it to work on the OBi.
Once you are able to make and receive calls on your PC from your Gmail account, you should be able to go to your Google Voice account and see Google Chat listed as a phone you can have your Google Voice calls forwarded to. Google Chat must be checked. If you have other landline numbers, cell phone numbers, or Gizmo5 listed there, you can leave them alone or delete them as you choose, but only Google Chat is required there.
At this point, configuring SP1 on the OBi for Google Voice using your Gmail/Google Voice username and password should allow you to make and receive calls through your Google Voice account using the telephone connected to your OBi.
Jeff205:
RonR, you and I are not even on the same page. I DO have it working as I stated previously.
Jimates, my overriding concern for having a non-GV line for the house is faxing and my house alarm system. It wouldn't be used very frequently and was considering a pay-per-use option.
jimates:
Fax and house alarm, both something to be concerned with as far as voip and SIP. But you can get by pretty cheap on a per min rate for that.
Online faxing can be really cheap on a prepaid fax account for outgoing, and there are free incoming fax options online. The home alarm compatibility is something I have no experience with, but I am sure the providers can provide that info.
MichiganTelephone:
Quote from: jimates on March 11, 2011, 06:37:07 am
The home alarm compatibility is something I have no experience with, but I am sure the providers can provide that info.
I have no personal experience with them, but I've heard that NextAlarm is an alarm service that's used by many VoIP users. The OP might want to check them out.
Also, FAX often will work over VoIP as long as you use the G.711 (ulaw) codec, although that is somewhat provider-dependent. It helps if your fax machine has an "international mode" or a way to set the bps (speed) to a slower number - often using that mode or the slower speed will allow faxes to go through on the first attempt. But there are cases where it won't work, so there may be a bit of luck involved too.
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