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Help with Obi and GV setup for my 90 year-old mother please

Started by Sax12, May 26, 2013, 04:40:26 PM

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Sax12

My phone rings only 3 times and goes in message mode.  How do I set it to ring for a long time so my elderly mom has enough time to pick it up?  Thanks.

Shale

Are you talking about the local answer machine? If that is the case, do .....

Are you talking about Google Voice voice mail? In that case you cannot do what you want without changing to a different service provider. Even if the local answer machine is picking up, you still cannot do what you ask for using GV. It will go to voice mail after 25 seconds.

Sax12

I guess I am talking about GV.  When some one calls the GV number that I setup for my mom, the phone only rings a few times and asks the caller to leave a message.   This is not enough time for my mom to pick up the phone.   Is there a way to turn-off GV and still have the free-call service?  Thanks.

Shale

Quote from: Sax12 on May 26, 2013, 06:39:29 PM
I guess I am talking about GV.  When some one calls the GV number that I setup for my mom, the phone only rings a few times and asks the caller to leave a message.   This is not enough time for my mom to pick up the phone.   Is there a way to turn-off GV and still have the free-call service?  Thanks.


You can get a pretty inexpensive service that can let the phone ring for more than 25 seconds, but I don't know that you can get free.

Also note that GV does not have 911 service.

You could use a system of dialing out on GV, and receiving incoming calls on another service. This would be pretty transparent to your mother.

Koby

One thing you could do is run Asterisk on something like a Raspberry Pi, then divert calls from the Obi to Asterisk (similar to what is described here) and let Asterisk "answer" the call as soon as it arrives.  But note that if anyone calls your mom long distance, they would be billed for the call whether she ultimately answers or not.  If that's not a problem for you, but setting up a PBX is more than you want to tackle then feel free to PM me, I may have another (free) solution for you but there are pros and cons to it that I don't want to talk about on an open forum.

Shale

Koby's post made me think of a simple positive answer. Have the local answer machine pick up calls before the GV timeout happens. This may require the machine answering on the second or third ring.

Then the answer machine recording is talking to the caller or the machine is taking a message while your mother makes it to the phone.

Your mother can explain that she was call screening, if she likes.

carl

BTW the phone  should ring four times with GV  before going into voice mail.
Another thing, she should have a cordless phone with a clip and carry it around all the time. This way she will A. able to pick it up before it goes into voice mail. B. Have a phone handy for emergencies.
Like somebody mentioned, you should get a e911 service for her as well. $ 1.50/month with Callcentric

Koby

Quote from: carl on May 27, 2013, 06:23:15 PMLike somebody mentioned, you should get a e911 service for her as well. $ 1.50/month with Callcentric

How would that be any better than the buck-a-month service from Anveo offered by Obihai in the Obihai portal?

giqcass

If going the answering machine route have it pick up before Google Voice but put a few recorded phone ringing sounds before the answering machines outgoing message.  The calling party might not even notice the difference.
Long live our new ObiLords!

Rick

IMHO, utilizing an OBi as the sole phone capability for a 90 year old is a mistake.  One reason is the answering time you noted.  Another is no phone service if the web is down.  Or GV is down.  Or lack of E911 without a 3rd party that may, or may not be reliable (as Callcentric demonstrated in 2012).

Carl's idea about her having the phone with her is a good one, but she likely won't do it.  I speak from experience with 90 year olds...

Sax12

Thank you for the suggestions.  I should have mentioned that she has a local-call-only landline service.   I was hoping to get rid of it to save some money, but I will keep it after reading the suggestions here.   I might just add 911 to the Obi too so she can call 911 with whichever phone she picks up.

How does the 911 feature work through internet phones?  Does the operator/system know your location automatically (in case the caller is not able to talk)? 

carl

Quote from: Koby on May 27, 2013, 06:28:05 PM
Quote from: carl on May 27, 2013, 06:23:15 PMLike somebody mentioned, you should get a e911 service for her as well. $ 1.50/month with Callcentric

How would that be any better than the buck-a-month service from Anveo offered by Obihai in the Obihai portal?

I forgot the reasons and do not feel like digging up threads on two forums, but there were some specific issues with Anveo e911.

carl

Quote from: Rick on May 28, 2013, 04:08:23 AM

Carl's idea about her having the phone with her is a good one, but she likely won't do it.  I speak from experience with 90 year olds...
Yeah, you are right. Not even a 86 year old... :(

Koby

Quote from: carl on May 29, 2013, 06:25:13 PM
Quote from: Koby on May 27, 2013, 06:28:05 PM
Quote from: carl on May 27, 2013, 06:23:15 PMLike somebody mentioned, you should get a e911 service for her as well. $ 1.50/month with Callcentric

How would that be any better than the buck-a-month service from Anveo offered by Obihai in the Obihai portal?

I forgot the reasons and do not feel like digging up threads on two forums, but there were some specific issues with Anveo e911.

Well, that's kind of vague.  I mean, from time to time there are specific issues with telco-provided 911 too.  I remember a case in Wisconsin a few years back where a man died because the 911 database showed the wrong city (the one on the opposite side of a river from where he actually lived).  The kicker was, as he was dying he and his family could hear the siren from the ambulance across the river that was trying to find his address.

I love how people always act as though telco-provided 911 is the gold standard for reliability.  The fact is, they screw up too!

dircom

"I love how people always act as though telco-provided 911 is the gold standard for reliability.  The fact is, they screw up too!"

Have not seen any studies, but I would bet telcos are the gold standard.  Among the reasons, battery comes from the Central Office.  E911 does not depend on the Internet or your VOIP provider working.

I am talking about traditional POTS lines, not people on pair gain systems, or those that depend on Coax modems being online.

Koby

Quote from: dircom on June 01, 2013, 06:15:04 AM
"I love how people always act as though telco-provided 911 is the gold standard for reliability.  The fact is, they screw up too!"

Have not seen any studies, but I would bet telcos are the gold standard.  Among the reasons, battery comes from the Central Office.  E911 does not depend on the Internet or your VOIP provider working.

I am talking about traditional POTS lines, not people on pair gain systems, or those that depend on Coax modems being online.


I'm talking about traditional POTS too:
http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,9367687

dircom

You are talking about one example.  I am talking statistically speaking.

giqcass

Quote from: Koby on June 01, 2013, 01:02:04 AM
I love how people always act as though telco-provided 911 is the gold standard for reliability.  The fact is, they screw up too!

MY local telephone company provides both POTS and internet.  Traditional POTS is way more reliable then the internet connection even though they come from the same building.  If the power goes I lose internet but POTS will still work.  If my telephone company loses power POTS still works but internet goes out. In my lifetime in this town we have had only one incident I am aware of that shut down long distance and I have lived here since before 911 was available here.  A major trunk was cut but local calling was still available and emergency calling was available.

Any time you add a level of complexity to a system you add additional points of failure.  POTS to POTS is the most direct and time tested paths to 911 unless you use a radio for direct contact.  Cell phone to POTS adds a point of failure but it is still pretty reliable.  Cell towers have hydrogen fuel cell backups for power.  VOIP to "VOIP provider" to POTS adds a large variable number of failure points.  If your VOIP provider is on the other side of the country then you can't even calculate how many networks the call will be forced to cross.  Even if you do a trace to check the path the data might take a different path tomorrow or a different path during a single call.

It's fair to call POTS 911 the "Golden standard for reliability".  Its easy to use and way more reliable then anything else we have so far.  The question to ask is whether E911 on VOIP is good enough.  For me the answer was no.  I live in a rural area so I added a battery backed cell phone solution.  Power can be a little sketchy and like I said and a power outage here, a power outage at the internet company, or a power outage on the other side of the country, could cause an outage for E911.  My absolute minimum recommendation with an OBi and E911 would require an UPS for backup battery power to the OBI, the router, and the Modem.  

Cordless phones should also have battery backup.  Mine uses 4 AAA batteries.  Corded phones will get power from the Obi.
Long live our new ObiLords!

Koby

Quote from: dircom on June 01, 2013, 10:38:57 AM
You are talking about one example.  I am talking statistically speaking.

But you're not citing any statistics.  You're just basically offering your opinion, probably based on anecdotal stories you have heard.  And what I am saying is that I have heard similar anecdotal stories about PSTN-delivered 911.  The one I cited is probably the most heartbreaking example I recall, but their have been others.  In fact it's not that uncommon to see a story where no one in a particular area can reach 911 for some period of time, usually due to a fiber cable cut which often involves a backhoe.

Further, telco reliability is getting worse if anything - many telcos just don't much care about PSTN service anymore.  Whereas VoIP 911 is in all likelihood getting better, statistically speaking, but then it would have to considering it essentially started at zero several years ago.

Basically, it boils down to the fact that you BELIEVE that PSTN-delivered 911 is better, and there are probably many people who share that belief.  But it may be only that, just a belief, based on things as they used to be but not recognizing the reality that some phone companies just don't give a rat's ass about the PSTN anymore.  Plus, in many jurisdictions, you can't even sue the telcos if they drop the ball on 911, because their tariffs have some language in them that relieves them from direct liability.  They might get a slap on the wrist and a small fine by some state regulator, but that will hardly be of comfort to you if you are the one that couldn't reach 911.

Koby

Quote from: giqcass on June 01, 2013, 01:24:37 PM
Quote from: Koby on June 01, 2013, 01:02:04 AM
I love how people always act as though telco-provided 911 is the gold standard for reliability.  The fact is, they screw up too!

MY local telephone company provides both POTS and internet.  Traditional POTS is way more reliable then the internet connection even though they come from the same building.  If the power goes I lose internet but POTS will still work.  If my telephone company loses power POTS still works but internet goes out. In my lifetime in this town we have had only one incident I am aware of that shut down long distance.  A major trunk was cut but local calling was still available and emergency calling was available.

It definitely varies from telco to telco - some local independents still offer gold-plated service.  But another factor is whether you have copper all the way to the central office, or whether your service is brought out to a MUX in your neighborhood and you only have copper for part of the way.  The issue there is that the MUX also adds complexity, and it needs a power source, and if a major storm goes through or a vehicle takes out a utility pole it may well interrupt the commercial power to the MUX.  Then it has to run on a battery backup and lets just say that phone companies don't always replace the batteries when they should.  We once lost PSTN service for nearly a full day (before I dropped it completely) because the commercial power went out and the battery in the MUX was deader than a doornail.

And how did they fix it?  By stealing a charged battery from another MUX that still had power, leaving IT without a backup battery.  I happened to talk to the repair guys that day and that's how I found out what had happened and how they fixed it!