Want to drop landline and switch to Obi. Clueless!

[LTN1]

It is highly unlikely that Steve believes (I certainly don't) that the OP has an IQ of a 5-year-old. What we likely understood is that he was very technologically inexperienced to the point that what is easy to some of us...removing the phone plug at the telephone company's box (and taping it, wrapping it, etc. so it can't be plugged back in to fry his VoIP equipment) is something that a tech inexperienced person would unlikely be able to do--as simple it sounds.

It is extremely hard to believe but I once tried desperately over the phone to help my mother, a woman in her 50s (at the time) with a degree in computer programming from the late 70s (but no other work experience after graduating) to open a darn browser and to type in something like www.aol.com to begin surfing the net and it literally took me 15 minutes to do. It was like pulling teeth.

I stood amazed and shocked on the other end of the phone line. As much as I hate to admit that there are anyone like that in the world, there are more people like that than I could imagine. Sometimes it is not a matter of intelligence but an issue of being challenged in a particular area. For a good number of people, it is the technology area.

[azrobert]

I can't believe this conversation has gone on this long, but have to respond to your post. After reading the primer the OP now knows not to plug his equipment into the house wiring without disconnecting from the telephone company, so my primer applies.  Assuming the OP is unable to follow my instructions (which neither of us knows), I would hope he has enough sense to ask for help. If he is able to follow my instructions, the primer is even more relevant.   

[LTN1]

Sometimes we assume what the OP meant--including me...but let's just ask him if he is still around.

Pi314...are the instructions to reroute your telephone box and other troubleshooting suggestions easy enough for you to follow? Was this the type of technical help you were asking for? Or, were you hoping something more of a plug and play with minimal configuration?

[OzarkEdge]

I'm with Verizon for home phone (regular copper line).
just got Comcast/xfinity for internet.
heard I can save $ by dropping Verizon and switching my phone # to Obi.
I have not bought any hardware.
What do I need to do?  
(talk to me like I'm a 5yr old.)
Is there a FAQ on how to switch?
thx

Switching to VoIP will give you more features, more control, and save you money.  There is a lot to discover and learn.

Digital voice products from the telcos and ISPs are not much better than their copper/POTS service in terms of freedom from big Telco.

Turnkey plug and play VoIP service like Vonage, Ooma, Magic Jack, VoIPo, BasicTalk, will save you money but not give you full control... not as fun.

BYOD VoIP gives you the most but you must take it on.  Some reputable providers include VoIP.ms, CallCentric, and Anveo.  If you are interested in learning, get an OBi ata, setup an account with VoIP.ms for a nominal deposit, add a trial DID (number) and start experimenting.  For less than $100, you can build your own service and make calls for a month or two.  If you like it, port your number into the service and start using it.  It might average $10-$15 per month depending on your call volume.

My notes can help you setup an OBi202 on VoIP.ms.  They are not a tutorial, but helpful if you are studying and need some clues.

Google Voice is not a full-featured service... no Customer Service, no 911 service, and other issues noted in my notes.  If you do decide to try it, you must use the OBiTALK portal here to configure your OBi ata to work with GV.

You can use one OBi ata with more than one VoIP voice service provider, so you can branch out later to try other providers and to add depth to your solution.

OE

[CoalMinerRetired]

The telephone company supplies voltage to your house wiring that can damage your OBi. When you cancel your phone service there is no guarantee the voltage will be removed, so you must disconnect the house wiring from the phone company's wiring. You should have an outside junction box with a test jack. Just unplug the test jack to disconnect the house wiring. See the video link below starting at 2 minutes. A better way is to remove the wiring because someone can inadvertently reconnect the plug. On the video to the right of the test plug there are 2 terminals. Disconnect the wiring from those terminals. You should cut any bare wire to prevent shorting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNaNQEMKNmc

The OBi200 has an optional usb WiFi dongle called OBiWiFi. You cannot use a different brand WiFi dongle.

Interesting link, the video clearly explains things at a basic level.

I realize I'm not contributing to the flow of the discussion here, however when I see these clear explanations of older landline phone services, it immediately brings to mind the idea of the us bell telephone companies legacy of creating what was, and still is, called the gold standard of telephony plant and infrastructure.

[drgeoff]

.. the idea of the us bell telephone companies legacy of creating what was, and still is, called the gold standard of telephony plant and infrastructure.

And then the US dropped the mobile telephony ball. 

[airberryblue]

I ported my son's number to google voice, it cost me $20, he was going out of country and would not need the cell service anymore.  He was able to keep his number and use the obi200 from Australia.  Pretty simple and useful.  In my case I added an Australian phone number to the obi device which he can call and the box allows him to choose to dial in to me, or call his different friends.  All US calls are free.