VOIP service or not?
kaniki:
Can you tell me, what exactly is the benefit to signing up with another service provider? I got the 202 ordered. Once I get it in, I understand that I when I first set it up, I get a google number and set it up using GV. But I also see that there are other services out there, like phone power, where you can set it up to use them too. So what is the benefit, or why would it be worth spending the $60 a month for the phone power service to be hooked up to it to? Is there a benefit to it?
OzarkEdge:
A few reasons to setup a second service provider:
o Investigate/Trial another service.
o Use alternate routing for better/cheaper service.
o Establish backup service for when the main provider fails.
o Establish service the main provider does not offer.
Google Voice has limitations (see my notes). You may want to setup a second service provider for 911 service and for when GV fails you.
Ideally, you would use a second service provider on a pay-as-you-go basis... pay only for what you use, not pay monthly.
I choose to use VoIP.ms (or similar) for my primary service provider, and use GV for outbound backup.
OE
Taoman:
Quote from: kaniki on May 26, 2015, 11:53:18 pm
Can you tell me, what exactly is the benefit to signing up with another service provider?
Well for starters as far as PhonePower is concerned:
CallerID name
E911 support
tech support 7 days a week
connects some calls that Google Voice won't or wants to charge you for
supports "early media" that Google Voice ignores
I had the "early media" problem just last week. I had a heat pump installed and needed an inspection from the county. When I called the number with GV it just rang and rang. Come to find out early media is used to request inspections on that line so I had to use PhonePower to make the call.
I certainly wouldn't recommend having GV as your only telephony provider unless you also have a working and reliable cell phone that has good coverage in your home.
kaniki:
As far as service, we have cell phones and good reception here, but we only use the cell phones when we are not home. We use the home landline/VOIP service (phone power) when home. We also have just about everyone call the home phone too, and have it forwarded to the cells if we dont answer within the first 3 rings. But the Cell's are there if something happens. as for what was said, that brings up more questions.
on the obi site, it says about GV, "Make calls to U.S. and Canada for Free from within the U.S. and Canada - 1 cent per minute when calling from outside the U.S." and "Caller ID Number"
Does that mean that GV only gives you a number when calling, and no name to go with it, which is where a company like phone power comes in? and you both said, better cheaper service/ makes calls that GV wont, or will charge for. What calls does this happen with, because by the statement on the main site, it makes it sound like all calls are free and go though with no problem, but you are saying there is? and if you dont mind me asking, what exactly is early media?
If this all goes well, I was thinking about using a second provider of PP, as they are what I have used for years, and had very little problems with. I am just trying to find out where the limitations of GV are, and where they will and wont work, so if something happens, I know what I am getting into. We originally went with a voip due to it being cheaper, but the taxes are just ridiculous. My service is 149.95 a year, and with taxes, that brings it up to 203.04. that makes the taxes over 35%. Still using PP, it says that the cost is 59.99 yr with no hidden fees, or taxes. That is over $140 less then I am paying now. but my service ends and has to be renewed in august, so I figure, getting it now, I have time to try it out, see what does and does not work, and figure things out before my other year expires. this also give me time to port my number, once I know I am happy with the service too.
Taoman:
Quote from: kaniki on May 27, 2015, 10:31:00 am
Does that mean that GV only gives you a number when calling, and no name to go with it, which is where a company like phone power comes in? and you both said, better cheaper service/ makes calls that GV wont, or will charge for. What calls does this happen with, because by the statement on the main site, it makes it sound like all calls are free and go though with no problem, but you are saying there is? and if you dont mind me asking, what exactly is early media?
Whew. So much information to give.
CallerID name is called CNAM. When calling outbound using Google Voice only your GV number will be seen by the called party.
When someone calls inbound to your Google Voice number you will also only see the calling number, not the CNAM. This is where a third-party provider/product can be useful. Since PhonePower provides CNAM, you could add that number to your Google Voice account and forward to that. You would then configure your OBi for PhonePower and incoming calls to your GV number would forward thru PP, ring your OBi connected phone and you would see both number and CNAM. And of course, if someone called your PP number directly it would ring thru to your OBi connected phone also.
With your current PhonePower subscription, called parties see your number and your CNAM. If you were to get a PP "OBi" plan you would have a choice. During the signup process you are given an option to enter a number to be used as your CallerID for all outgoing calls. Presumably you would enter your Google Voice number but you don't have to. In this scenario, only your number will be seen by called parties, not your CNAM. However, you don't have to enter a number during signup. If you don't, PP will use the number they assigned you during signup as your outgoing number and called parties will see your CNAM. Likewise, if you port your existing number over to the PP OBi plan called parties would see both your number and your CNAM.
If you are going to be primarily using Google Voice for outgoing calls I fail to see why you would want the $60 PP OBi plan over the $35 PP OBi "lite" plan unless you want/need those international minutes that come with the $60 plan. 300 outgoing minutes should be more than enough if you are primarily using Google Voice. Right?
Google Voice will call the vast majority of numbers in the US and Canada for free. However, there are some areas, expensive exchanges and/or services that GV will charge you for. Again, these are few and far between. One example would be 712-432-5335 which is BBC World Service on Audio Now. Google Voice wants to charge you to call that number whereas PhonePower (or any other carrier I've tried) has no problem with it.
Early media is any media transmitted before the connection is actually established. Billing "usually" only happens after the connection has actually been established. A "busy signal" is a type of early media. It is media transmitted before the call is actually connected and you don't get billed for it.
If you want to listen to an old example of "early media" call 631-265-0000. If you were to dial that number via Google Voice you would just hear endless ringing. Again, you don't run into this often but it is something to be aware of and another reason to have a second provider configured on your OBi.
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