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Callcentric and Google Voice Setup Guide (with CNAM)

Started by pc44, July 11, 2012, 11:10:47 AM

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SteveInWA

We all have to start out as newbies.  Learning by doing, and actually understanding how and why things work, is critical.  You need to go to the Google Voice help pages and learn how the service works.  You need to go to your Callcentric website and click through all the options, look at what they actually do, and refer to Callentric' FAQs.  Otherwise, you just get told things to do, rote, and never learn.  It's inconsiderate to keep asking the very most basic questions without making an effort yourself.  We can keep answering questions ad nauseum, but understand that if you wanted an idiot-proof, turnkey solution, you'd subscribe to phone service from a full-service carrier.  You get what you pay for.

KrisK

Quote from: SteveInWA on April 01, 2019, 10:44:43 PM
We all have to start out as newbies.  Learning by doing, and actually understanding how and why things work, is critical.  You need to go to the Google Voice help pages and learn how the service works.  You need to go to your Callcentric website and click through all the options, look at what they actually do, and refer to Callentric' FAQs.  Otherwise, you just get told things to do, rote, and never learn.  It's inconsiderate to keep asking the very most basic questions without making an effort yourself.  We can keep answering questions ad nauseum, but understand that if you wanted an idiot-proof, turnkey solution, you'd subscribe to phone service from a full-service carrier.  You get what you pay for.

Yeah I agree with you. I rather just have instructions on what I need to do rather than go into the settings and mess something up. I mean it's working I would just like to have mine set up like the rest of you guys so it can function to its potential. I am not very good at changing settings without screwing something up more.
I'm pretty sure I understand how Google Voice works as you call the number and it rings? Is there more to it?
But how do you have voicemail set up? Through Google Voice or Callcentric? Sorry, I'm just not very tech savy when it comes to things like this.

KrisK

Question about voicemail. Is the only option for voicemail is to use GV? Or am I able to use Callcentric or some other voicemail provider? Thanks!

dircom

Have you tried to google
Google Voice voicemail obitalk.com or something like that?

SteveInWA

Use Google Voice's voicemail if you want to use Google Voice.  Otherwise, perhaps a magicJack might be a simpler choice for you.

Shinelikethunder

#365
Quote from: SteveInWA on April 01, 2019, 05:54:34 PM
The absolute minimum needed would be to subscribe to their "dollar unlimited" INbound service, which will become your "detour" for inbound calls to pick up CNAM, and to subscribe to their 911 service (remember, 911 calls are outbound calls) for $1.50/month.  That totals $2.50/month.  Optionally, instead of the $1.5o/month charge for 911 service, subscribe to the "North America Basic" OUTbound plan, which includes the 911 service AND 120 minutes of outbound calling, that you can either ignore, or you can use in case Google Voice is temporarily not working.

I think I have a pretty good understanding of how this basically works, but I didn't get a clear understanding from the Callcentric site of exactly what Callcentric plans are best for use with GV and Obi. In particular, I wasn't sure from their description whether E911 was included in the North America Basic cost. Thank you very much for this clear summary. Just to be clear, you don't need BOTH an inbound plan and an outbound plan to use Callcentric with GV, right?

SteveInWA

Callcentric sells inbound calling and outbound calling separately (a la carte). 

You don't actually need a Callcentric inbound number or plan to use Google Voice, as long as you are ok with only receiving numeric caller ID on inbound calls to your Google Voice number.  If you want to detour inbound calls through one of Callcentric's $1/month numbers, it will add caller ID name (of course, it can only add a name when a matching name and number combination exists in the caller ID name databases).

You have two choices for E911 service:  either pay for it a la carte ($1.50/month), or pay for a monthly bucket of OUTbound calling minutes, whereby E911 service is included for the monthly plan charge.  Their "North America Basic" plan at $1.95/month includes E911 service.  So, you are getting E911 + 120 minutes of outbound calling for 45 cents more per month than just E911 service.  It's a nice feature if you need to make some calls when Google Voice isn't working for some reason.

Their rates are explained on their "Make calls" page.  Click on each plan to see the details. 

For example:  https://www.callcentric.com/rate/plans/north_america_basic/

Shinelikethunder

I thought I understood what I needed for E911 and caller ID name, but after looking at the Callcentric plans, I have another question. I assume that "Callcentric's $1/month numbers" refers to the "Dollar Unlimited" plan, but I find that plan is available in only 4 states. Do I have to live in one of those states, or can I get a "Dollar Unlimited" plan for a phone number in one of those states regardless? Are there any downsides or limitations if I route GV through an out-of-state number? Thanks.

SteveInWA

Quote from: Shinelikethunder on May 11, 2019, 12:08:48 AM
I thought I understood what I needed for E911 and caller ID name, but after looking at the Callcentric plans, I have another question. I assume that "Callcentric's $1/month numbers" refers to the "Dollar Unlimited" plan, but I find that plan is available in only 4 states. Do I have to live in one of those states, or can I get a "Dollar Unlimited" plan for a phone number in one of those states regardless? Are there any downsides or limitations if I route GV through an out-of-state number? Thanks.

The background is:  unlike many VoIP service providers, Callcentric operates their own FCC-regulated Local Exchange Carrier (CLEC), named "Telengy".  Telengy controls blocks of telephone numbers in only a few states.  These numbers cost Callcentric less to offer than numbers that they have to lease from other CLECs.  So, they can offer inbound calling to those numbers for $1/month.

Google Voice doesn't care where it forwards calls, as long as the target number is in a telephone rate center (local calling exchange) within the 48 contiguous US states.  It doesn't charge the Google Voice user anything to forward calls to these numbers.

Nobody who is calling you needs to know that number, and really, you don't need to remember it either.  You simply link it as a forwarding number for your Google Voice number.  So, it doesn't matter that you live in one state, and your Callcentric $1/month phone number is in another state.

Shinelikethunder

Thanks, that's great info. Callcentric should probably explain all of this on their website; it would get them more business from GV subscribers.

KrisK

I had my GV working just fine but I had a missed payment and Callcentric removed my number so I had to get a new Callcentric number. I am trying to forward that number to my GV account. When I enter the number and click for it to call my phone to verify it, I get the message that says "Something went wrong. Try verifying with another number." What can I do to get my Callcentric number to verify it on my GV account?

Thanks in advanced.

drgeoff

Quote from: KrisK on August 26, 2019, 11:12:45 AM
I had my GV working just fine but I had a missed payment and Callcentric removed my number so I had to get a new Callcentric number. I am trying to forward that number to my GV account. When I enter the number and click for it to call my phone to verify it, I get the message that says "Something went wrong. Try verifying with another number." What can I do to get my Callcentric number to verify it on my GV account?

Thanks in advanced.
Can you successfully call the new Callcentric number from another phone eg a cellphone?

KrisK


Can you successfully call the new Callcentric number from another phone eg a cellphone?
[/quote]

When I call my new Callcentric number from a cell phone it rings my house phone connected to the Obihai.

drgeoff

Quote from: KrisK on August 26, 2019, 11:35:32 AM

Can you successfully call the new Callcentric number from another phone eg a cellphone?

When I call my new Callcentric number from a cell phone it rings my house phone connected to the Obihai.
[/quote]
Do your call records at callcentric.com show the verification call(s) from GoogleVoice?

KrisK

Quote from: drgeoff on August 26, 2019, 11:42:13 AM
Quote from: KrisK on August 26, 2019, 11:35:32 AM

Can you successfully call the new Callcentric number from another phone eg a cellphone?

When I call my new Callcentric number from a cell phone it rings my house phone connected to the Obihai.
Do your call records at callcentric.com show the verification call(s) from GoogleVoice?
[/quote]

What do you mean? When I checked my Callcentric account I do see the number that I just used to call my Google Voice number under the Calls Received Tab.

drgeoff

Quote from: KrisK on August 26, 2019, 11:48:59 AM
Quote from: drgeoff on August 26, 2019, 11:42:13 AM
Quote from: KrisK on August 26, 2019, 11:35:32 AM

Can you successfully call the new Callcentric number from another phone eg a cellphone?

When I call my new Callcentric number from a cell phone it rings my house phone connected to the Obihai.
Do your call records at callcentric.com show the verification call(s) from GoogleVoice?

What do you mean? When I checked my Callcentric account I do see the number that I just used to call my Google Voice number under the Calls Received Tab.
[/quote]
Do you see call(s) at the time(s) that GV tried to verify the number.

KrisK

Quote from: drgeoff on August 26, 2019, 12:04:13 PM
Quote from: KrisK on August 26, 2019, 11:48:59 AM
Quote from: drgeoff on August 26, 2019, 11:42:13 AM
Quote from: KrisK on August 26, 2019, 11:35:32 AM

Can you successfully call the new Callcentric number from another phone eg a cellphone?

When I call my new Callcentric number from a cell phone it rings my house phone connected to the Obihai.
Do your call records at callcentric.com show the verification call(s) from GoogleVoice?

What do you mean? When I checked my Callcentric account I do see the number that I just used to call my Google Voice number under the Calls Received Tab.
Do you see call(s) at the time(s) that GV tried to verify the number.
[/quote]


drgeoff

That's a "no" to my question.

You are giving GV the full 10 digit number?  7 digits will not work.

If you have very recently got the new Callcentric number, some system in the GV to Callcentric path may not have "caught up" with it.  Might need to wait a day ot two.

Other than that, the problem has nothing to do with configuring your Obi to work with GV or configuring your Obi to work with Callcentric.  Better to seek help on the GV support forum https://support.google.com/voice/community?hl=en

KrisK

Quote from: drgeoff on August 26, 2019, 12:30:40 PM
That's a "no" to my question.

You are giving GV the full 10 digit number?  7 digits will not work.

If you have very recently got the new Callcentric number, some system in the GV to Callcentric path may not have "caught up" with it.  Might need to wait a day ot two.

Other than that, the problem has nothing to do with configuring your Obi to work with GV or configuring your Obi to work with Callcentric.  Better to seek help on the GV support forum https://support.google.com/voice/community?hl=en

What was the question you answered from the picture? And yes I am giving GV the 10 digit phone number. It's been about a week if not longer since I got this new Callcentric number. It did ring my phone twice to get the number to verify but I didn't answer it. So when I went to verify it, it now says "something went wrong".

SteveInWA

Quote
It did ring my phone twice to get the number to verify but I didn't answer it. So when I went to verify it, it now says "something went wrong".

Why didn't you answer the call?  That's the whole point of verification.  How did you expect it to work?  You're now blocked from verifying that number for some period of time, because Google's system views it as abuse of the service, especially if your IP address is not in the USA.

You can try again next week and see what happens.