Email from OBIHAI:
We would like to welcome "Ring.to" to the OBiTALK Approved Service Provider program. The Ring.to offer will be for customers who have purchased a new OBi100, OBi110, OBi200, OBi202 or OBi5vs series device after May 1st 2014 and have a Google Voice or other valid US phone number that can be ported to Ring.to.
What's different about Ring.to from the other OBiTALK approved service providers, in terms of the initial setup, is that you have to port your own phone number -landline, mobile or VoIP- to the Ring.to service. You also need to purchase your own 911 service separately. Ring.to is a FREE Service that allows you to untether your phone number. Ring.to will provide the following to new OBi device owners:
• Free SMS
• Free Voicemail
• Free Call Forwarding
• Free calling in North America
When Ring.to is available as an OBiTALK ASP, here is what you will need to do to see if Ring.to is available to you:
1. Check if your number is eligible to be ported to Ring.to
2. Get 911 configured on your OBi device
3. Port your US number to Ring.to
4. Start making calls!
The Ring.to ASP offer at OBiTALK will be available inside the next few weeks.
What about existing Obihai customers with devices purchased before May 1, 2014?
This is a very interesting offer.
https://ring.to/home/
https://ring.to/about/
https://bandwidth.uservoice.com/knowledgebase/articles/334657-call-forwarding-not-working-via-google-voice
Quote from: yosif on May 15, 2014, 10:46:53 PM
Email from OBIHAI:
We would like to welcome "Ring.to" to the OBiTALK Approved Service Provider program. The Ring.to offer will be for customers who have purchased a new OBi100, OBi110, OBi200, OBi202 or OBi5vs series device after May 1st 2014 and have a Google Voice or other valid US phone number that can be ported to Ring.to.
What's different about Ring.to from the other OBiTALK approved service providers, in terms of the initial setup, is that you have to port your own phone number -landline, mobile or VoIP- to the Ring.to service. You also need to purchase your own 911 service separately. Ring.to is a FREE Service that allows you to untether your phone number. Ring.to will provide the following to new OBi device owners:
• Free SMS
• Free Voicemail
• Free Call Forwarding
• Free calling in North America
When Ring.to is available as an OBiTALK ASP, here is what you will need to do to see if Ring.to is available to you:
1. Check if your number is eligible to be ported to Ring.to
2. Get 911 configured on your OBi device
3. Port your US number to Ring.to
4. Start making calls!
The Ring.to ASP offer at OBiTALK will be available inside the next few weeks.
And you leave us loyal existing customers in the dump?
GrooveIP let all its users get the Ring.to service... why not you ?
Why wait when this free service is available now, and callcentric provide a free incoming phone number too.
Many "no wait" options here folks!
Totally free, in and outbound-->http://kot.voip01.com/
enjoy
ap
Quote from: ant17 on May 16, 2014, 07:43:35 AM
Why wait when this free service is available now, and callcentric provide a free incoming phone number too.
Many "no wait" options here folks!
Totally free, in and outbound-->http://kot.voip01.com/
enjoy
ap
Is this for real?
It is asking for
GV username:
GV password:
Ehhhhh.....
Quote from: ant17 on May 16, 2014, 07:43:35 AM
Why wait when this free service is available now, and callcentric provide a free incoming phone number too.
Many "no wait" options here folks!
Totally free, in and outbound-->http://kot.voip01.com/
enjoy
ap
how do you all get a free incoming phone number from callcentric ?
isn't it free only for NY state ?
greenhorse
Quote
how do you all get a free incoming phone number from callcentric ?
isn't it free only for NY state ?
The free DID from CC is a New York area code but it works
inbound anywhere if you can forward to it from another # such as GV.
I'm in NJ & two of them are working for me.
Quote from: zorlac on May 16, 2014, 09:04:14 AM
greenhorse
Quote
how do you all get a free incoming phone number from callcentric ?
isn't it free only for NY state ?
The free DID from CC is a New York area code but it works inbound anywhere if you can forward to it from another # such as GV.
I'm in NJ & two of them are working for me.
Thanks! For some reason I assumed you have to be NY state resident to get
free number...
Quote from: k000 on May 16, 2014, 05:42:01 AM
GrooveIP let all its users get the Ring.to service... why not you ?
Don't get overly excited about GrooveIP moving to Ring.to...
I can't make calls to Canadian destinations from the app...it does work from their web portal...I'm sure it's a glitch, but it has been a bumpy start.
I agree that it was quick and painless to get a new number and start calling - many of us wouldn't port their GV numbers to Ring.to just yet.
Quote from: greenhorse on May 16, 2014, 09:15:40 AM
Thanks! For some reason I assumed you have to be NY state resident to get
free number...
I'm a NY resident ...from Canada :)
Quote from: ipse on May 16, 2014, 09:19:45 AM
Quote from: greenhorse on May 16, 2014, 09:15:40 AM
Thanks! For some reason I assumed you have to be NY state resident to get
free number...
I'm a NY resident ...from Canada :)
CC is under the impression I'm from Andromeda. ;D
911 my arse. :D
You have steps to configure with this free service: kot.voip01.com?
my obi is obi100, using linksys.
Quote from: fuguansun@gmail.com on May 16, 2014, 12:47:16 PM
You have steps to configure with this free service: kot.voip01.com?
my obi is obi100, using linksys.
Please start at their web site: http://kot.voip01.com/index.php?id=support
If its free forever why not buy a new obi100 and use it? Your talking $37.98 at Amazon
Quote from: Dean on May 16, 2014, 01:43:15 PM
If its free forever why not buy a new obi100 and use it? Your talking $37.98 at Amazon
Maybe. Or maybe the old box will work as well. We will know when ring.to will finish integration with Obihai in a few weeks.
Quote from: Dean on May 16, 2014, 01:43:15 PM
If its free forever why not buy a new obi100 and use it? Your talking $37.98 at Amazon
Sorry, this is completely BACKWARDS: when I (alongside many of the current forum members) bought the Obixxx devices, we were sold a device that WORKS with Google Voice. As a matter of fact, Obihai painted this feature as the big differentiator between them and the cheap Chinese PAP2T clones that flood eBay.
So don't ask me to buy a NEW device when (and IF) GV ceases to work on Obi. I expect Obihai to own up and offer a solution to fill the gap left by Google retiring the current implementation of GV.
This might be an academic discussion in the end, but I find the approach typical for companies who don't care about their customers once they got ahold of their credit card #.
Sadly, the complete lack of Obihai presence in this forum is another indication the assumption might be right.
[/rant]
This is just speculation on my part but I would imagine that a firmware update would be all it takes to make this new service work on older models. For Obihai to force long time customers to purchase a whole new box would be bad PR and not customer friendly.
Quote from: ipse on May 16, 2014, 02:26:47 PMThis might be an academic discussion in the end, but I find the approach typical for companies who don't care about their customers once they got ahold of their credit card #.
But see.. you're NOT their customer. It's people who are going to buy new Obi's that are their customers now... obviously it's a move to force people to buy a new device (more $$$ to Obihai) if they want to use ring.to. May piss a lot of people off, but good for business.
Quote from: Dean on May 16, 2014, 01:43:15 PM
If its free forever why not buy a new obi100 and use it? Your talking $37.98 at Amazon
Who said anything about "forever"? Bandwidth (ring.to) already indicated it's not going to be free forever, see: https://bandwidth.uservoice.com/knowledgebase/articles/365611-how-can-ringto-be-free-are-you-loading-this-up-wi
Also their terms of service has a "fees" clause and specifically says they can change/increase fees at any point with a 30 day notice.
IMHO the only thing "free" about this offer is "free marketing". Watch them get a ton of users then bam! come the fees. Sadly a lot of people will still do it anyway because, uhh, free!
Sounds like a bait and switch technique to me... although the integration shouldn't require any firmware changes since they currently use SIP for the integration. If you currently use Groove IP, you can even get a number without porting an existing one over... their site does seem to be quite buggy at the moment..
Well, this new Obihai device requirement is pissing a lot of existing users off. Of course, if it was offered to everyone, the people who had already signed up for an annual package with the other authorized VOIP providers would be pissed as well.
Quote from: swg0101 on May 16, 2014, 05:27:11 PM
Sounds like a bait and switch technique to me... although the integration shouldn't require any firmware changes since they currently use SIP for the integration. If you currently use Groove IP, you can even get a number without porting an existing one over... their site does seem to be quite buggy at the moment..
It's not bait and switch. Any Obi bought before May 1 works fine ( although maybe not on GV for long)
Many companies offer incentives for new customers that don't apply to past purchases. We may not like it but it's not bait and switch.
Quote from: AlanB on May 17, 2014, 04:34:25 PM
Quote from: swg0101 on May 16, 2014, 05:27:11 PM
Sounds like a bait and switch technique to me... although the integration shouldn't require any firmware changes since they currently use SIP for the integration. If you currently use Groove IP, you can even get a number without porting an existing one over... their site does seem to be quite buggy at the moment..
It's not bait and switch. Any Obi bought before May 1 works fine ( although maybe not on GV for long)
Many companies offer incentives for new customers that don't apply to past purchases. We may not like it but it's not bait and switch.
I am referring to the part where Ring.to may become "paid" in the future, not the part where it requires you to purchase the OBi after a certain date. Since the site itself is still vague in its entirety, it would be interesting to see if they end up discontinuing service or switch to a paid / tiered model as they seem to imply on their website.
Quoted from their website:
Quote
Bandwidth, the company behind RingTo has over a decade of supporting disruptive communications companies. We believe that your phone number is a powerful asset and by using the RingTo service, you are actually helping us refine our systems that are commercialized in other areas of Bandwidth's business.
The RingTo service will be completely free for the foreseeable future. Don't worry – we won't hit you with a bill by surprise, and there will always be a free tier to our service when / if we decide to charge for the service. Early adopters (like you) can expect to get every feature RingTo offers, at no cost, and we'll give you at least a month of advanced notice if we ever do start charging. Unlike other service providers, we do not charge you to port your number in and we do not charge or block you from taking your number out.
OK – There is ONE catch. You have to port your number in to RingTo if you want to enjoy the service.
The fact that you have to port your number to them to
enjoy their service is somewhat suspect (and the fact that it's so easy and free makes it sound like the "hook" factor - note how many porting articles they have on their website from the various providers.) This is especially the case since they have already mentioned about free "tiers" in the beginning of their service. It is also quite interesting that they are calling phone numbers a
powerful asset to their company. I don't doubt any of their statements though, but it would be curious as to what path their business takes.
It won't be surprising if it turns out to something like this (not saying it would):
1. Wait until at least 100,000 users sign up, add limited free international calling + SIP + mobile calling to attract new users.
2. Offer free service for at least 2 years to indicate stability.
3. Slowly transition to a tiered model where outbound minutes are limited to offer "free" usage, with the option to buy more usage or "referrals" to "earn" usage. Inbound minutes remain unlimited (this is because carriers get paid with inbound calls).
This way they continue to hook you with freebies, but at the same time get more potential customers in their service who may be interested in their paid offerings. Since they already got most people to port in their home phones at this time (good timing with Google Voice?), limits are likely to make people cough up cash (e.g. if the free outbound cap is limited to 200 minutes a minute, but that is not quite enough to meet your home phone needs.) This is the only way I could see a phone number being an "asset" and how the business could operate if they are not putting ads in your phones calls...
Gotcha. Thanks for clarifying.
Quote from: swg0101 on May 17, 2014, 08:21:00 PM1. Wait until at least 100,000 users sign up, add limited free international calling + SIP + mobile calling to attract new users.
2. Offer free service for at least 2 years to indicate stability.
3. Slowly transition to a tiered model where outbound minutes are limited to offer "free" usage, with the option to buy more usage or "referrals" to "earn" usage. Inbound minutes remain unlimited (this is because carriers get paid with inbound calls).
I think you're giving them too much credit. More likely they are in panic mode because Google Voice is one of their largest customers if not the largest, and if/when GV blocks XMPP Bandwidth stands to lose millions of numbers which Google was paying for until now. My speculation is that this is a desperate attempt to keep these numbers in-house, but they haven't actually thought this through i.e. how exactly to monetize it. Likely once they realize they can't/fail to monetize it (you can't start charging for a free service - 99% of people will leave immediately) they'll just discontinue it. I suspect this will eventually happen with Google Voice too - they seemed to have lost interest and wanting to cut costs, so it's just a matter of time.
;D, good point, although I am curious whether the discontinuation of XMPP services will actually lead to porting away or whether users will try to "workaround" the issue and keep the pool of numbers relatively the same.
For example, Callcentric offers free NY numbers from Telengy, and I am pretty sure many users will opt for that for forwarding to get a means for an inbound SIP trunk (bonus: Callcentric offers CNAM lookups for free). That said, Telengy is known to have issues with GV forwarding and sometimes phone just don't ring at all. Interestingly, all free numbers assigned by Callcentric has a LRN of 16465701001, and wholesale rates to that prefix doesn't seem all that expensive (although slightly higher than AT&T). I am not quite sure how Google does their routing, although some prefixes Telengy use has quite a high rate, when determined from the prefix itself, and not the LRN. I do have better success in terms of forwarding when using prefixes that are cheaper, so it is quite possible Google bases its forwarding strategy on prefix rather on LRN.
Nonetheless, you make a great point about "panic mode," since their site seems to be crafted up in a hurry, and many features and offerings there are just not ready for prime-time. Like you said, it looks like it was made by a startup who doesn't know what they are doing, although I do want to give them credit for having a forum that attempts to "hear its users."
This link in itself is interesting, because it may suggest that there is an issue with calls originating from Bandwidth and terminating at the same CLEC:
https://bandwidth.uservoice.com/knowledgebase/articles/334657-call-forwarding-not-working-via-google-voice
Curious if that means if Google is using LRN after all... :D
Quote from: AlanB on May 17, 2014, 04:34:25 PM
Quote from: swg0101 on May 16, 2014, 05:27:11 PM
Sounds like a bait and switch technique to me... although the integration shouldn't require any firmware changes since they currently use SIP for the integration. If you currently use Groove IP, you can even get a number without porting an existing one over... their site does seem to be quite buggy at the moment..
It's not bait and switch. Any Obi bought before May 1 works fine ( although maybe not on GV for long)
Many companies offer incentives for new customers that don't apply to past purchases. We may not like it but it's not bait and switch.
I agree that it's not technically bait-and-switch, but it doesn't do much for the attitude of your loyal customer base. It seems silly for me to have to throw away (or try to sell) my perfectly capable and functioning device so Obihai can make a little more money off me.
Now that being said, the Ring.to integration could require some development on their part, and definitely would add value to the device I currently own, so I feel that some sort of one time Right To Use fee charged by Obihai could be a reasonable way to handle current owners.
Apple did something similar back in 2006 (for a different reason) with their iMacs - charging users $3 to get a software update to enable 802.11n wireless. If Obihai looked at the bottom-line margin contribution each new unit would give them and charged current users a RTU fee similar to that to enable Ring.to I'm betting that they would end up ahead in the deal. They could even put a "green" spin on it and make some press about how they are enabling new features without sending more electronics to the landfill.
Just my $.02.
I signed up for Ring.to via my existing paid/registered copy of GrooveIP for an Android phone. I didn't have to provide any existing account info or credit card #, etc. It offered a new phone # so I didn't have to port an existing one. After signing up GrooveIP is working and call quality is good. My only issue/complaint is I don't see a way to set the outbound caller id.
According to their forums, I believe they are working towards giving users an option to set the caller ID soon. I do see that they do provide you with real early-media unlike GV that only connects you after the remote picks up.
As I already had Groove IP on my smart phone, I clicked it. It was not a recent version, so only presented a keypad. I dialed a number and after 1 ring it quit and put a message about their joining RingTo and said all I need do is activate the app. That's when I downloaded the new version and it walked me through selecting an area code.
It was my area code and my neighbors can call it locally, but some places would have to pay a toll to call it. No big deal because I asked GV to forward to that number. I verified the 2-digit code and that was that.
Well, except when I call using the app the callee sees my r2 number instead of the GV one, as posted here.
Bandwidth.com is the same company in charge of Republicwireless.com, So far I have no complaints for RW So before crying, shouting or throwing a tantrum like others seam to be doing i'll wait and see. in the meantime GV-OBI are still working
As a Republic Wireless customer I trust Bandwidth.com. After the trial phase was over and they came out with new wireless plans that cost more money they gave us a 10% discount on our existing lines. With that discount our bills only raised slightly. Many switched to the lower tier service and actually pay less. They also gave us the option to switch plans twice during the month so we can go to a different tier for a short period and then switch back to our normal tier.
If/when ring.to switches to a paid service I expect the free tier to be pretty generous and I expect the paid tiers to offer some very cool features. It's kind of laughable calling something bait and switch if they warn you before you sign up. Particularly when they aren't charging you anything in the first place and you can port out if it does happen. I plan to be an early adopter on this service.
Quote from: giqcass on May 20, 2014, 03:56:09 AM
As a Republic Wireless customer I trust Bandwidth.com.
+1
Ring.to made the same announcement as Obihai...something will happen, it's not clear when and for which users - unless Obihai sticks to their high-horse approach and offers the alternative to new customers only.
https://bandwidth.uservoice.com/knowledgebase/articles/366475-announcement-obihai-users-please-read
1. You must have purchased a new Obi device
2. Your must secure 9-1-1 service from an approved Obi provider
3. You must port your number in to RingTo.
Doesn't condition #2 negate "Absolutely FREE Calling"?
This looks like I'd need a second ITSP that will be billing me ~$1.50/mo ???
I'm looking forward to how this pans out & what the porting fees will be for an old Verizon POTS #.
Hmmm, from the RT website "Unlike other service providers, we do not charge you to port your number in"
WOW, all this just to check if a # is portable to RT?
Sign In with your Email
Password
Quote from: ipse on May 21, 2014, 10:57:48 AM
Ring.to made the same announcement as Obihai...something will happen, it's not clear when and for which users - unless Obihai sticks to their high-horse approach and offers the alternative to new customers only.
https://bandwidth.uservoice.com/knowledgebase/articles/366475-announcement-obihai-users-please-read
Strange restrictions/qualifications from The RingTo to provide Obihai services:
1. You must have purchased a new Obi device
- New? By date of purchase? New firmware? New processor?
2. Your must secure 9-1-1 service from an approved Obi provider
- So far there are no requirements to have 911 on RingTo site.
3. You must port your number in to RingTo. Existing RingTo users with an active phone number will not need to port a number.
- Then why are they talking about porting? By the way, here is the known issue: https://bandwidth.uservoice.com/knowledgebase/articles/334657-call-forwarding-not-working-via-google-voice. I wonder if RingTo is motivated to fix that at all.
Even though I think they may try to fix it I can't imagine it's high on their list since the service seems to be a Google Voice replacement. Additionally any extra forwarding between the services would cause the call quality to degrade and introduce new problems.
Quote from: yosif on May 21, 2014, 01:21:12 PM
By the way, here is the known issue: https://bandwidth.uservoice.com/knowledgebase/articles/334657-call-forwarding-not-working-via-google-voice. I wonder if RingTo is motivated to fix that at all.
Call forwarding via Google Voice to Ring.to to any number is actually working very well. You will have to answer and then dial '1' to connect the incoming call. Thanks to the Groove IP FAQ: http://snrblabs.com/snrb/apps/grooveip/faq.aspx
Is this still going to happen? The original OBi announcement said "within a few weeks," which has already come and gone, and ring.to is not present in the Approved Service Providers list. The ring.to parent site said, "no later than early June" (which ends today), but that page (https://bandwidth.uservoice.com/knowledgebase/articles/366475-announcement-obihai-users-please-read) has been removed (it was there yesterday).
Quote from: HDFLucky on June 10, 2014, 10:34:07 AM
Is this still going to happen? The original OBi announcement said "within a few weeks," which has already come and gone, and ring.to is not present in the Approved Service Providers list. The ring.to parent site said, "no later than early June" (which ends today), but that page (https://bandwidth.uservoice.com/knowledgebase/articles/366475-announcement-obihai-users-please-read) has been removed (it was there yesterday).
I have no inside knowledge but I have experience with another Bandwidth.com project. To be completely honest I was only giving this a 85% chance of making it in the "few weeks" time frame. It seems like they get excited about new features and when they don't give a hard deadline you may find yourself waiting. I still expect them to deliver. You aren't likely to get an official answer until they are ready to flip the switch so we can only speculate for now.
Ring.to went live in the portal within the last 2 hours! However, I've already had to open a support ticket with OBi about it. :(
The stated requirements for this deal were to port a number to ring.to (or have a pre-existing number with them), and to secure separate E911 service. I have an existing ring.to number, which ring.to support confirmed I could use with this service when it went live. I also already have E911 service via Phonepower. However, I'm stalled at the second step regarding 911. The only choice via the portal is to either sign-up with Anveo for E911 or associate an existing Anveo 911 account. Clearly, I don't need (or want) either. So now the waiting game begins.
I'm not really interested in this, but the "purchase date" is being enforced:
"We're sorry! You do not have an OBi device which is eligible for RingTo service. The following OBi devices are eligible for RingTo service and must have been purchased after May 2014."
Oh yes, I forgot the part about having purchased an OBi after May 1st (which I did). My intention, if I can get past the current roadblock, is to set up a trunk group using ring.to as an overflow for outgoing only.
UPDATE: Just received a reply fromOBi, which directed me to this link: http://obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=8233.0
I guess they have a different definition of "Absolutely free" than I do, as it now requires "E911 service from Anveo" not just "911 configured on your OBi device" as had been originally stated (see OP). I know it's only $12, but I'm not shelling out money for nothing - I already have E911 service on my OBi202 via Phonepower.
I'm moving this comment to a more appropriate thread.
http://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=8145.msg54172#msg54172
Quote from: HDFLucky on June 12, 2014, 03:26:07 PM
Just received a reply fromOBi, which directed me to this link: http://obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=8233.0
Quoting myself, lol. OBi's silence in that other thread speaks volumes, and following the link in giqcass' thread uncovers this (https://bandwidth.uservoice.com/knowledgebase/articles/379231-what-if-i-don-t-want-to-purchase-911-service) gem. I think it's pretty clear neither side intends to back down from this crazy position. That's fine because I found another solution - CallCentric free DID with a minimal pay-per-call plan. Since I'm only using this as a second choice in a truck group, it works fine and at lower cost.
If you agree that this is unfair and/or crazy, please let OBi know in the thread quoted above, and vote for my suggestion on the Bandwidth (parent company of ring.to) site: https://bandwidth.uservoice.com/forums/172463-feature-requests-improvements/suggestions/6047861-remove-the-requirement-that-obi-customers-obtain-9
So what happens if you sign up for the Anveo E911 then cancel it the following month, does Ring.to automatically stop working? And how would they know if you disable auto provisioning?
Good question, but I'm not willing to be the test case. I depend on the ring.to account for GrooVe IP.
So the only way to configure an OBI device for ring.to service is to use the Portal? I don't want Obihai to manage my device, I want to manually do it myself. Is that possible?
Quote from: dhobi on July 02, 2014, 12:52:47 PM
So the only way to configure an OBI device for ring.to service is to use the Portal? I don't want Obihai to manage my device, I want to manually do it myself. Is that possible?
It may be possible to set the service up with the portal and then stop using the portal however I don't know if that has been tested. There is currently no means to manually complete the initial setup that I am aware of at this time.
Quote from: Dean on May 16, 2014, 01:43:15 PM
If its free forever why not buy a new obi100 and use it? Your talking $37.98 at Amazon
Exactly. Sell your old one on Ebay for $25 and you're out less than $20 over all.
Quote from: KCChris on May 18, 2014, 10:50:12 AM
I agree that it's not technically bait-and-switch, but it doesn't do much for the attitude of your loyal customer base.
I keep hearing this term 'loyal customer base' from people who have Obi devices.
Explain to me how you are a 'loyal' customer?
You bought an item from Obi. End of transaction. (doesn't matter for those who bought 2-3 of them, still one time purchases).
They are ONE TIME purchases. You never give Obi another penny. You are now NO LONGER A CUSTOMER. Obi pays bandwidth for a website that you can log into and make changes to that device. They never get another penny from you to help pay for that bandwidth or employees.
If you were to buy a new Obi device every year. Then you would be a 'loyal' customer.
Buying your groceries at one supermarket all the time makes you a 'loyal' customer. If you traveled across the country and stopped in and Mama Joe's grocery store and bought some hot dogs and you'll probably never step foot in that store again until your next vacation years later, does not make you a 'loyal' customer.
There's no other unlocked ATA that comes even 50% close to an Obitalk box. So for people to get pissed because they can't free phone service for life because the world changes...... is... I just don't get it.
I understand being irritated about change. I don't blame you or anyone for that. But think of the ridiculously low priced/free phone service you have or HAD. What if we all still had POTS? How much money would you be out of pocket then?
I have no problem with selling an old Obi box on Ebay for half or more of what I paid. Then buy a new one for less than $20 out of pocket and help support Obi to keep this website going and making great deals with other VOIP services.
Quote from: rastoma on July 15, 2014, 07:11:34 PM
Explain to me how you are a 'loyal' customer?
I know this comment was not directed at me. I agree with your point but I think there are exceptions to it.
Bought the Obi202, Obi110, 2 ObiBT adapters, Obiline adapter(not as good as a 110 for me) recommend Obi devices to others, support ObiHai by providing help to other Obi users(over 1000 posts in this forum), created a Dynamic DNS workaround, and waiting as patiently as possible for the new Obi IP phone.
Do I qualify as a 'loyal' customer? I think others qualify based on their support for the community.
I don't regularly use hash tags but this post deserves one for violations of the word crimes act of 2014. #wordcrimes
Quote from: giqcass on July 16, 2014, 10:54:16 AM
Quote from: rastoma on July 15, 2014, 07:11:34 PM
Explain to me how you are a 'loyal' customer?
I know this comment was not directed at me. I agree with your point but I think there are exceptions to it.
Bought the Obi202, Obi110, 2 ObiBT adapters, Obiline adapter(not as good as a 110 for me) recommend Obi devices to others, support ObiHai by providing help to other Obi users(over 1000 posts in this forum), created a Dynamic DNS workaround, and waiting as patiently as possible for the new Obi IP phone.
Do I qualify as a 'loyal' customer? I think others qualify based on their support for the community.
Yes I would consider you a loyal customer from your explanation. But 99.9% of the other people that are complaining that it's a bait and switch, that they were lied to about having GV for life (even though it was never advertised as that), that Obi is forgetting about their loyal customers..... are NOT loyal customers... not even close. They are the ones that I were referring to that bought one box a year or two ago and expect Obi to bend over backwards for free for the rest of their existence.
Quote from: rastoma on July 17, 2014, 01:51:29 PM
Quote from: giqcass on July 16, 2014, 10:54:16 AM
Quote from: rastoma on July 15, 2014, 07:11:34 PM
Explain to me how you are a 'loyal' customer?
I know this comment was not directed at me. I agree with your point but I think there are exceptions to it.
Bought the Obi202, Obi110, 2 ObiBT adapters, Obiline adapter(not as good as a 110 for me) recommend Obi devices to others, support ObiHai by providing help to other Obi users(over 1000 posts in this forum), created a Dynamic DNS workaround, and waiting as patiently as possible for the new Obi IP phone.
Do I qualify as a 'loyal' customer? I think others qualify based on their support for the community.
Yes I would consider you a loyal customer from your explanation. But 99.9% of the other people that are complaining that it's a bait and switch, that they were lied to about having GV for life (even though it was never advertised as that), that Obi is forgetting about their loyal customers..... are NOT loyal customers... not even close. They are the ones that I were referring to that bought one box a year or two ago and expect Obi to bend over backwards for free for the rest of their existence.
100% agreed. When I bought my Obi I new that the free GV service was entirely dependent on Google keeping that service available and that Obi had little say in it. I know clever advertising when I see it, and I am immune to it. Obi was absolutely 'riding' on Google Voice, no way could they have become so prevelant without it. But I don't blame them, its just good business sense. In this world you need to be a smart consumer or you will continually get screwed and/or be dissapointed. Not saying Obi screwed anyone, but there do seem to be many, many people that are dissapointed... and that is entirely there oen fault.
Well, it gets worse. Google Voice was not a guaranteed free service either. They've reserved the right to start charging if they feel international calling is not supporting local calls (hehe, I like "local calls" meaning within North America).
GV still works OK with the OBI, so I will milk it until it stops. I think I use under 100 min./mo. so it's not like I do a lot of damage anyway.
Quote from: jcrouch on July 18, 2014, 06:49:44 AM
Obi was absolutely 'riding' on Google Voice, no way could they have become so prevelant without it.
I hope I got the quote attributed right (I deleted all embedded quotes).
I disagree. If anyone has looked at adapter prices, the Obis offer a lot of service features with or without GV. While you can take a BasicTalk unit for $10 and hack it, that does not quite sit well with an end customer.
Even with out GV's free service, I would have been buying Obi's as my solution.
I have 2 of my own, bought another for my Sister, another as a birthday gift for a friend, encouraged two neighbors to buy one and one then bought another for a non-profit he works with. Having bought one, I guess I became a "loyal customer" whether ObiHai knows it or not.
Quote from: Lavarock7 on July 18, 2014, 10:18:06 PM
I disagree. If anyone has looked at adapter prices, the Obis offer a lot of service features with or without GV. While you can take a BasicTalk unit for $10 and hack it, that does not quite sit well with an end customer.
I agree! I have 1 IP phone and 6 ATA devices. The 2 Obi devices I have are my favorite because of versatility and function. The non Obi devices frustrate me with their lack of features. The one thing ObiHai devices do lack is the ability to set distinctive ringing for certain numbers in a simple way. Currently I route the calls to a separate SP slot to accomplish that. All of this function at a price equal to or below that of most unlocked ATA devices by other manufacturers. To get more versatility you need a full blown PBX.
Has anyone ported a number to ring.to, and if so, how long did it take, and were there any problems?
I'm considering porting a number in and just using GrooveIP.
I emailed support with a question, and although I got an immediate response to the email, they have yet to get back to me with an actual answer.
Maybe they're off on the weekends?
Quote from: Johnny on July 19, 2014, 05:39:50 PM
Has anyone ported a number to ring.to, and if so, how long did it take, and were there any problems?
Here is my experience. I paid no fees and have had no issues.
https://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=8141.0
Quote from: giqcass on July 19, 2014, 07:25:29 PM
Quote from: Johnny on July 19, 2014, 05:39:50 PM
Has anyone ported a number to ring.to, and if so, how long did it take, and were there any problems?
Here is my experience. I paid no fees and have had no issues.
https://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=8141.0
Thank you for that link and information.
If I may ask you another question or two?
Are you using ring.to with your Android device and in particular GrooveIP, and if so, how is that going?
Does ring.to provide incoming and outgoing Caller ID with name?
Is there any waiting period before you port out of ring.to if you decide you don't like it?
During the porting process did you provide the info needed or did you allow ring.to to fill out the form for you?
Sorry, I guess that was more than one or two questions. :)
Thanks.....
Porting was extremely painless. I don't think it could be any easier. They sent an e-mail (and pushed a notification to my mobile app) informing me of the date the number would port over (which was two days later) and did the same to inform me that the porting was complete.
GrooveIP works great and integrates into the native dialer. Ring.to has its own separate app to allow you to manage your ring.to account (toggle forwarding, turn on/off voicemail, look at SMS and VM messages, etc).
This service is definitely too good to be true. It's been nearly a week since I tried porting my landline # over to them and while I initially got the automatic emails of when the # should be ported, they sent me another automatic email saying there is an error and that I need to contact them several days ago...
Except I'm not even sure this company still even exists anymore. It's been days since I've emailed customer service. Different emails, different email accounts, trying to get their attention on twitter, going into their sorry excuse for a forum.... NOTHING.
I have no idea how to get into contact with anyone from this company. I'm not even sure they have a customer support line. I think some random guy is suppose to check the email and maybe he opens it up once a week or something.
Well, anyone recommend any other alternatives? For the people who bought an Obi before May, don't worry, this service sucks.
Quote from: Charl3z523 on August 06, 2014, 04:36:47 AM
Well, anyone recommend any other alternatives? For the people who bought an Obi before May, don't worry, this service sucks.
Google Voice is still going strong nearly 3 months after the supposed May 15th cutoff date. I'd give them a try for the time being. Price is right.
Both PhonePower and Vestalink have cheap subscription plans if you're willing to pay for 1 or 2 years at a time. Personally, I had no luck with Vestalink (too much latency) but PP has been working great for me. But I know a lot of people love Vestalink so YMMV.
Or you could get a free DID from Callcentric, IPComms, or IPKall and then get a PAYG plan from a low cost provider like Localphone or CircleNet for outgoing calls.
Quote from: Taoman on August 06, 2014, 09:31:39 AM
Quote from: Charl3z523 on August 06, 2014, 04:36:47 AM
Well, anyone recommend any other alternatives? For the people who bought an Obi before May, don't worry, this service sucks.
Or you could get a free DID from ... IPKall and then get a PAYG plan from a low cost provider like Localphone or CircleNet for outgoing calls.
this is what i have on one of my obis. ;D works fine, esp for me since i don't make a lot of toll calls. a backup for the free gv.
As far as staying on GV goes, in my case there's an important consideration: if Google does cut off access without notice, my wife will be irate at me, and will make the cost of paying for service (VL, in my case) look like a bargain.
I have Ring.to on my phone via Groove (which I bought back in its GV days). So far it's OK, but I'm kind of waiting to see what happens.
Quote from: Taoman on August 06, 2014, 09:31:39 AM
Quote from: Charl3z523 on August 06, 2014, 04:36:47 AM
Well, anyone recommend any other alternatives? For the people who bought an Obi before May, don't worry, this service sucks.
Google Voice is still going strong nearly 3 months after the supposed May 15th cutoff date. I'd give them a try for the time being. Price is right.
Both PhonePower and Vestalink have cheap subscription plans if you're willing to pay for 1 or 2 years at a time. Personally, I had no luck with Vestalink (too much latency) but PP has been working great for me. But I know a lot of people love Vestalink so YMMV.
Or you could get a free DID from Callcentric, IPComms, or IPKall and then get a PAYG plan from a low cost provider like Localphone or CircleNet for outgoing calls.
What would be the best situation for me? I'm trying to port over my parents landline to ring.to (which is impossible) so they could have free phone service at home.
I need unlimited inbound & outbound minutes, as well as good quality of course. I don't mind paying a bit, but if prices start getting close to those of local telephone companies then there's no reason for me personally to port over.
I have had great service from Ring.to. They ported my GV number in few days. Only problem I had was Browser related. This is a known fact that they are working on. It is listed on their web page. I give them a thumbs up so far, especially for a free service.