OBiTALK Community

General Support => New to Using the OBi / VoIP => Topic started by: sparkydc on April 25, 2012, 04:56:16 PM

Title: direct dialing without attendant when a specific caller dials obi
Post by: sparkydc on April 25, 2012, 04:56:16 PM
I am also new. have obi110, obi202 coming. I would like to setup a rule for a specific caller.

I have and elderly mom with english as a 2nd language that needs to call overseas. I would like to be able to set the outgoing line and produce a 2nd dialtone without any prompt so she could just dial the destination phone number.

is this possible?

in future I would like to put obi overseas and have her phone connected to the 2nd obi ready for her to dial local phone #,s.

Title: Re: direct dialing without attendant when a specific caller dials obi
Post by: Felix on April 25, 2012, 05:14:35 PM
Quote from: sparkydc on April 25, 2012, 04:56:16 PM
I have and elderly mom with English as a 2nd language that needs to call overseas. I would like to be able to set the outgoing line and produce a 2nd dial-tone without any prompt so she could just dial the destination phone number.

is this possible?
Possible and quite easy. I set it up for my dad (who doesn't speak English either). I'll take a look tonight, in case Ron doesn't jump in first. However, my dad kept waiting the device to say something; so I recorded "user prompt" instead of just dial-tone. Turned up to be friendlier user interface  ;)

Quote from: sparkydc on April 25, 2012, 04:56:16 PM
in future I would like to put obi overseas and have her phone connected to the 2nd obi ready for her to dial local phone #,s.
Does the local VSP give SIP credentials? I put one OBi in Israel, but it only works "one-way" (they have US phone number from Google Voice or IPKall); I wish I could use it to make outbound local calls. (Frankly, with the cost of calls 1c/min for land and 3c/min for mobile this desire is more geeky than financial  ::) )
Title: Re: direct dialing without attendant when a specific caller dials obi
Post by: sparkydc on April 25, 2012, 05:20:15 PM
mobil Europe is 15 cents still reasonable. the 2nd obi would be dual obi110 with line port at one location then call out over the line port to local numbers. I would also use it to call back to us with a local prepay phone.

calling over existing obi is the current goal. currently I have to visit and ask if she needs to call.
Title: Re: direct dialing without attendant when a specific caller dials obi
Post by: Felix on April 25, 2012, 09:19:03 PM
You know - silly me! I set it up exactly as described in this (http://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=2454.0) post!

I wouldn't be able to say it better!
Title: Re: direct dialing without attendant when a specific caller dials obi
Post by: Stewart on April 26, 2012, 03:26:19 AM
Quote from: sparkydc on April 25, 2012, 04:56:16 PMI have and elderly mom with english as a 2nd language that needs to call overseas. I would like to be able to set the outgoing line and produce a 2nd dialtone without any prompt so she could just dial the destination phone number.
That's easy to do; provide some details (calling where, using what service, etc.) and we can give you the needed config.

However, for folks like your mom, rather than using the OBi, a service such as Localphone or Rebtel may be suitable.  Once you set it up for her, she dials a local number and it rings directly to her contact overseas.  (The system uses the combination of her caller ID and which access number she dials, to know which contact to call.)

Of the two, Localphone is less expensive to most destinations; IMO quality and reliability, though decent, are not as good.  Both providers offer a five-minute free trial.

For just a few contacts, you could set up a similar system on the OBi.  For example, your mom would dial an IPKall number; the OBi would recognize her caller ID and the URI set up at IPKall, forwarding the call via Betamax to her contact abroad.
Title: Re: direct dialing without attendant when a specific caller dials obi
Post by: sparkydc on April 26, 2012, 03:34:25 AM
I am just using google voice with 2 phone #,s. Just wan her to dial obi and get 2nd dialtone to dial overseas. She will be calling 3 or 4 #,s

In future would put obi 110 overseas. It would be setup with a google # and a local telco line.

I alrrady have obi.
Title: Re: direct dialing without attendant when a specific caller dials obi
Post by: sparkydc on April 26, 2012, 03:42:48 AM
PORUGAL. Calling cells are 15 to 18 cents and landlines are 2 cents. Most peopl use prepay cells. Only old timers have landlines.
Title: Re: direct dialing without attendant when a specific caller dials obi
Post by: Stewart on April 26, 2012, 04:50:42 AM
IMO, GV is not a good value to Portugal.  If you do want to use them, your mom will get better quality by not going through the OBi.  Set up one of your GV accounts (or a new one) with her number.  When she calls the GV number, it will go straight to the voicemail prompt, where she can press 2 to make an outgoing call, then dial the destination number, followed by #.

If you do want to route through the OBi, though you can record custom prompts (e.g. in Portugese) for the AA, you cannot change the behavior.  With speed dials set up for her contacts, she could dial e.g. 22# for her sister, 23# for a friend, etc.

You can get much lower rates to PT with a SIP provider.  That's easy to add when you get the OBi202; with your present OBi110 you would have to remove one of the GV accounts to "make room".  Via a SIP DID, you could still receive calls on the second GV account.  Providers you might consider are Callcentric ($0.0231/$0.0715 to PT landline/mobile, IMO top quality), Easyvoip ($0.005 / $0.06, IMO not the best) or Voxbeam ($0.0086 / $0.0493, good quality but entails some hassle).

Before installing an OBi in Portugal, confirm that you can get landline (or local VoIP) service with free or inexpensive calls to local mobiles -- in some European countries, such calls are more expensive than using a SIP provider.

If your contacts can make free or inexpensive calls to a Lisbon landline, they can call you via an iNum gateway (the call would be free to you).
Title: Re: direct dialing without attendant when a specific caller dials obi
Post by: Felix on April 26, 2012, 09:59:25 AM
Quote from: Stewart on April 26, 2012, 04:50:42 AM
You can get much lower rates to PT with a SIP provider.  That's easy to add when you get the OBi202; with your present OBi110 you would have to remove one of the GV accounts to "make room".  Via a SIP DID, you could still receive calls on the second GV account.  Providers you might consider are Callcentric ($0.0231/$0.0715 to PT landline/mobile, IMO top quality), Easyvoip ($0.005 / $0.06, IMO not the best) or Voxbeam ($0.0086 / $0.0493, good quality but entails some hassle).
Or Callwithus (http://www.callwithus.com/showrates/P). Portugal rate is 1c landline / 6-10c mobile. And they have access numbers in US and Canada. The prompts are in English... but they are so predictable, that my dad just ignores them and dials destination numbers without much listening.
NOTE: I am not affiliated with Callwithus and won't get any referral fees whether you use them or not (hmmm... now that I am thinking about it - how can I change this unfortunate situation  ??? )