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renamed Google Primary email - chat unavailable

Started by jf_nyc, December 29, 2013, 06:23:06 AM

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jf_nyc

I have just set up a new Obihai box.  It is working well with my non-Google SIP account.

Google voice was not working - I was seeing the "backing off" message.  Somewhere in the Obihai faq, I noticed that the primary email connected to my google account needed to be a gmail.com email address, which was not the case for me.  I added gmail to my google account along with a gmail address, and made that my primary email address.  I then updated my Obihai for this Google Voice account, and it says connected.

I'm still not able to place calls - when I dial, I get a fast busy after dialing the number.  Also, when I go into Google Voice Settings - Phone, I do NOT have the forward calls to Google Chat checkbox.  It's just not there.  When I go to gmail, the chat section (now Google hangouts, I think) just shows the google ball and says "Things are taking longer than expected".  Therefore, I can't use gmail to place that first call as suggested in the Obihai faq.

I'm guessing that changing my primary email address from my custom me779@blah.com to me779@gmail.com killed google chat for this google account.  How do I get chat working again, so that I can use google voice on this account with my Obihai?

Thank you,

John F
NY, NY

gderf

One possible cause for the missing forward calls to Google Chat checkbox is that you have not made a call directly from a PC using the Gmail account.
Help me OBiHai PhoneOBi. You're my only hope.

jf_nyc

Unfortunately, google chat is not working in my gmail account.  The Google chat sidebar (bottom left) simply shows the google ball and says "Things are taking longer than expected".  It never comes up, so I'm unable to place a call within gmail.

Maybe this is due to one or more of these issues?

* I created this account only a week or so ago
* I created this account initially as (e.g.) me776@blah.com, but as suggested by obihai faq I created a gmail account and then changed my primary account to me776@gmail.com so as to have a gmail primary address.
* something to do with the big switch from google chat to hangouts?  I've done some browsing through the forum and it seems that the switch to hangouts is not good for Obihai users. 

Any suggestions for how I might get google chat working in my gmail, so that I can place that first call inside gmail?

gderf

I suggest you create a new from scratch Gmail account that you will use just for your OBi and nothing else. Then see if you can make a PC call from that account. If so, make that call. Then reconfigure your OBi and new GV account for the new ID.
Help me OBiHai PhoneOBi. You're my only hope.

cluckercreek

When you make the first call, you don't have to actually talk to someone. Just making the first call and connecting is enough.

jf_nyc

gderf - excellent advice.  I'll create a new blah777@gmail.com directly, then in that new account I'll activate google voice.  Assuming I do then have access to Google chat, I'll be all set.  I've done some searching, and it looks like it's straightforward to transfer a phone number from one google voice account to another google voice account.

I'll report back once I see how it goes.

Quote from: gderf on December 29, 2013, 10:00:03 AM
I suggest you create a new from scratch Gmail account that you will use just for your OBi and nothing else. Then see if you can make a PC call from that account. If so, make that call. Then reconfigure your OBi and new GV account for the new ID.

jf_nyc

gderf - your advice is spot on!

I created a brand new Google account, using a gmail address instead of a non-gmail address.  I activated gmail and then google voice.  I then transferred my phone # from my old google voice account to the new one.  I then went into the (new) gmail, and my google chat worked!!!  I placed a call from gmail.  I then went back to my Obihai dashboard, and added this new "clean" google account.  All is now working.  I can both place and receive Google Voice accounts via my Obihai box.

Thank you for the advice.

John F
New York, NY

Quote from: jf_nyc on December 29, 2013, 04:12:37 PM
gderf - excellent advice.  I'll create a new blah777@gmail.com directly, then in that new account I'll activate google voice.  Assuming I do then have access to Google chat, I'll be all set.  I've done some searching, and it looks like it's straightforward to transfer a phone number from one google voice account to another google voice account.

I'll report back once I see how it goes.

Quote from: gderf on December 29, 2013, 10:00:03 AM
I suggest you create a new from scratch Gmail account that you will use just for your OBi and nothing else. Then see if you can make a PC call from that account. If so, make that call. Then reconfigure your OBi and new GV account for the new ID.

gderf

Help me OBiHai PhoneOBi. You're my only hope.