Number porting to GV - my experience

[CoalMinerRetired]

For any number porting, you never need to and never should cancel your phone line or your phone account. By definition a port takes cares of that.

Reference: http://www.npac.com/number-portability and http://www.fcc.gov/guides/portability-keeping-your-phone-number-when-changing-service-providers

A bundled VoIP phone line on a Time Warner or a Comcast cable package or a FioS package might be a special case if it means you are opting out of a bundled deal.  Time Warner or Comcast might see it as a excuse to up your rate on the remaining TV and Internet, but if that is less then zero cost phone service you're obviously better off.  

> Anybody know why T-mobile won't port it, but Sprint will?
It's related to interconnection agreements and points of presence in the telco switch "premises" where your phone number was "born."  T-Mobile probably doesn't contract with any of the third party providers and your number cannot port to T-Mobile.

[tmogv]

so.. got my # ported to T-mobile but it says 0.00 in the account bal.

Do I need to add $ before porting to GV ?

[lhm.]

Probably not, but why chance the account being cancelled and losing your ported number. Add $10 dollars as insurance. Better safe than sorry.

IMHO

[Rick]

so.. got my # ported to T-mobile but it says 0.00 in the account bal.

Do I need to add $ before porting to GV ?

Many SIMs come with 10 minutes on them, which is enough.  As I recall, you need to receive 1 call.  If you have zero minutes, you'll need to do the $10.

[CoalMinerRetired]

so.. got my # ported to T-mobile but it says 0.00 in the account bal.

Do I need to add $ before porting to GV ?

The above two responses are correct.

New T-Mob SIM cards will have a 10 min ($3.37) balance. We all assumed you did this onto a new SIM card. But you didn't actually say that. So if you ported onto an account or SIM that cannot receive a call (one call of less than one minute) the GV port will never go through during the one-call verification step (where on the GV porting screens you are told to enter a random code into a call that GV makes to your t_mob phone).

To add one more story to this thread. I ported a distant relatives long-held Verizon landline phone number to T-Mobile over the weekend. Used one of the 10-minute pre-paid SIM cards which I previously bought for $.99.

The SIM Card packaging said "Initial $3.34 value". When completing the port on T-Mobile's website, after it validated the number and at the very end (Step 5, I saved some screen shots) it showed "Fund your account."

The choices were 'Pay with refill card, pay with credit/debit card, or pay with electronic check. There was no 'continue' or 'you're done now', IMO it was somewhat sneaky and misleading in that they want you to throw a few more dollars into your account. Even though I did a few of these ports to T-Mob already, it was not quite clear if the port was accepted or not, it seemed like they did this on purpose, purposely vague to get you to add some funds. 

I chose to wait it out and see if the $3.37 value (which you'll note was never acknowledged or mentioned) was 'in there' or not. Started the port late Thu evening and it took until early Monday morning to get the two text messages "Welcome to T-Mobile" and "Congratulations, your phone number has been transferred..."

Only after I created an account was I able to view the balance, and see the $3.37. Since I didn't see the acknowledgement text message(s) by Friday evening, over the weekend and on impulse I saw a $10 T-Mobile Refill Card and bought it, thinking if the port doesn't go through I'll try again and add the $10 at the end.   

Even with all the above, T-Mobile is still the best deal out there for porting a land line number IMO. SIM cards are $0.99 (I thought I saw some for free the other day) and include 10 minutes, the ports go through in 24 to 48 hours (evidently weekends stop the clock), and porting into GV is -- has been for me -- without issue.

[tmogv]

Thanks all.

Adding $10

( I got the FREE SIM card from T-mobile.. may be why it was empty ? )

[Rick]

Thanks all.

Adding $10

( I got the FREE SIM card from T-mobile.. may be why it was empty ? )

It wasn't empty, re-read the post before yours...

[djc6]

I ordered the T-Mobile SIM Card Activation Kit on Feb 15th and just started the process this week - took me a while to find an unlocked phone.  I initiated the port online and within a day my number was ported.  I then registered online so I could check my balance before buying any minutes, to confirm I received 10 included minutes - but I did not.  My balance is 0 minutes.  One of the posters above mentioned the packaging says "Initial $3.34 value" - mine doesn't say that anywhere.  I wonder if these new $.99 SIM Card Activation Kits don't include any minutes?

[Rick]

I got some free ones a while back, and they say right in the package "Initial $3.34 value".

[djc6]

Mine arrived in a padded manilla envelope.  Inside was a sealed clear plastic bag containing a thick terms and conditions booklet, an activation leaflet and a credit card sized piece of plastic that you punch the SIM card out of.  Nowhere on that plastic card, the leaflet, etc.. does it mention any initial value - so I guess things have changed!  Just an FYI for other people who attempt this.

[Rick]

Mine is still as it came.  Ziplock bag, same contents as yours.  The thick packet says on the outside "Activation Card".  Initial $3.34 value right under it.  That packet has barcodes on the bottom as follows:

6 10214 63034 6

69031907

And a sticker that says 610214630346

[djc6]

Yeah, mine just says "Activation Card".

Ziplock bag barcode: 6 10214 61584 8
Ziplock bag number under barcode: 610214615848

Number on sealed bag that contained ziplock bag: 610214631374

Oh well, I'm adding $10 and pressing onward!

[JeffW]

For those who can't use T-mobile for porting, here's my experience with AT&T:

My landline showed as not port-able with T-Mobile, but when I checked with AT&T, they could do it.  It was explained to me that it had something to do with control of cell towers in my area (east central WI) -- apparently, T-Mobile doesn't have any towers in my area.

I stopped by an AT&T store and explained what I wanted to do.  The agent there set me up with a prepaid SIM -- didn't charge me for it.  It had a zero balance, but was set up with my landline number.  I brought along a phone bill from my landline carrier so he could verify the account information.  He then initiated the port process from my landline carrier to AT&T. 

I then went to WalMart and bought a $15 GoPhone so I could insert this SIM.  When I inserted the SIM, I noticed that my landline phone number came up but was still inactive since the porting hadn't gone through.  Using the landline #, I was able to log in to att.com and confirm the account the agent had set up earlier.  At that time, I added some money to the prepaid account.  To check the status of the porting, I logged into att.com/port, input the phone number and it reported date and time when the port was expected to be complete.

When the port from landline to cellphone was complete, I received a message on the GoPhone and also tested calls out and in to the GoPhone.  I then logged into Google Voice and initiated the port process from AT&T to GV.  NOTE:  at first I tried entering the cellphone (my old landline) # as the account number for the porting process on GV, since I used that number to log into my account with AT&T.  But GV kept kicking back an error with an invalid account number.  I ended up calling AT&T customer service and asking for an account number.  Sure enough, there was an account number tied to the account that didn't show up online when I was logged into "myAT&T".  With that account number, the porting request with GV went through.

In retrospect, I probably could have just bought a GoPhone to begin with and initiated a port of my landline with the setup of the GoPhone, but I went the route of stopping by my local AT&T store first and the agent took it from there.

Hope this helps someone whose number is won't port through T-Mobile.

[Shawnk71]

I am getting ready to switch from my Comcast landline to Obi and GV.  I do not have t-mobile, instead I have AT&T as my iPhone provider.  Can anyone give me some steps to go about to port my Comcast landline number to GV?  Also, will my landline number still be able to be used by my friends because I do not want to change my home phone number?

Thanks!

[Rick]

I am getting ready to switch from my Comcast landline to Obi and GV.  I do not have t-mobile, instead I have AT&T as my iPhone provider.  Can anyone give me some steps to go about to port my Comcast landline number to GV?  Also, will my landline number still be able to be used by my friends because I do not want to change my home phone number?

Thanks!

Have you read the OBI instructions?  Or the many posts?

Do you understand what porting does?

[JeffW]

@Shawnk71 -- From your post, it appears you are replacing your Comcast landline service with GV.  Once you set up your OBi with GV and port your landline number over to GV, that phone number will remain your home phone number -- only exception is you will be paying Google $0 (for domestic calls) instead of Comcast.

Important note:  Don't cancel your Comcast service until your number porting is complete.  Porting your number usually automatically cancels your current phone service.  If you cancel your Comcast service first, you'll likely lose your current number.

Before I explain further, do Step 1:  Go to T-Mobile's website and also to AT&T's website and see if either or both of them can port your number to them.  As an example, in my area T-Mobile could not port my landline phone number, but AT&T could which is why I ended up using AT&T for the porting process.  If T-Mobile will port it, there are plenty of posts in this forum with instructions.  Most OBi users have used T-Mobile.  If you strike out with T-Mobile but AT&T will port it, refer to my previous post on how I did it with AT&T.

If you need more help, just re-post and I'll try to walk you through.  It was easier than I expected.

[mozof2]

I did order the T-mobile SIM card. I however, do not have a T-mobile cell phone.
My question is: Am I able to use any mobile phone device that takes a sim card. (ie.. I have an old tracfone and net 10 phone?) This is what I had understood upon placement of my order for the SIM Card.
Thanks for any help!

[Rick]

Any unlocked phone that operates on the same bands.  TMobile, AT&T, and companies that use their networks.

[mozof2]

I have an old Net 10 and an old tracfone.

1. Could I put the t-mobile SIM card in those these?
2. What exactly does "unlocked" mean in regards to cell phones?

[dircom]

I have an old Net 10 and an old tracfone.

1. Could I put the t-mobile SIM card in those these?
2. What exactly does "unlocked" mean in regards to cell phones?

suggestion google "unlocked cell phone"