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Number porting to GV - my experience

Started by chaiwan2000, June 16, 2011, 11:20:56 PM

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SusanForum

I understand the whole porting process - does not seem that difficult. QUESTION:  After the porting process is complete - the cell phone / SIM card phone is no longer valid (since the number has been ported to Google Voice).   Does the Google Voice account continue to work with an invalid "forwarding" phone number (since there is no cell phone to receive this phone number)?

Also, for example, when you try to record a Voicemail greeting on Google Voice, it calls that phone number - what happens now that there is no cell phone?  Will it just ring the ObiTalk device?

I'm a bit confused.

Thanks.

SteveInWA

Hi Susan:

When you port a phone number from one carrier to another carrier, the new carrier tells the organization that controls phone number call routing, NPAC, to point inbound calls for that number to the new carrier's phone switch.  The number is completely removed from the old carrier, and so that service is shut off.  The SIM becomes permanently disabled and can be thrown away (however, the phone handset can be re-used with a new SIM).

After this is completed, you have a Google Voice account with an inbound telephone number.  There is no forwarding phone number at this point.  Now, you can add and verify some other phone number (i.e. a different cell phone number) as your forwarding phone.  Google Voice treats "Chat" as a forwarding destination, and OBi devices are simply acting as Chat clients.

There are two ways to record a greeting:  you can add a forwarding phone number, and have GV call that number, or you can call your own GV number from the OBi-attached phone.  When the Google Voice voicemail system answers, you can get into its administrative menus, and select 4, then 1, to record your greeting.

If you add a forwarding phone number, it will enable you to use GV to its full potential, forwarding calls to that phone, checking and listening to voicemail from elsewhere, etc.  Be sure to set an 8-digit voicemail PIN on your GV account, to protect your mailbox.

Dixon

#322
I ported my number from ring.to to Tmobile. Then to GV.

GV to GV calls and texts work.

Landline callers hear: We're sorry, the number you dialed can not be completed. Please check the number and try again
Some cell callers hear: the number or caller that you dialed is incorrect. Message 7, Switch 284
Localphone calllers can get through just fine.
It's a mess. It's not caused by my setup.



SteveInWA

Quote from: Dixon on December 24, 2015, 04:57:01 PM
I ported my number from ring.to to Tmobile. Then to GV.

GV to GV calls and texts work.

Landline callers hear: We're sorry, the number you dialed can not be completed. Please check the number and try again
Some cell callers hear: the number or caller that you dialed is incorrect. Message 7, Switch 284
Localphone calllers can get through just fine.
It's a mess. It's not caused by my setup.


These symptoms indicate that your number port hasn't fully completed yet.  Give it another couple of days, and then, if it still doesn't receive inbound calls from non-GV numbers, create a new post over on the Google Voice help forum.

Dixon

Quote from: SteveInWA on December 24, 2015, 05:00:47 PM
Quote from: Dixon on December 24, 2015, 04:57:01 PM
I ported my number from ring.to to Tmobile. Then to GV.

GV to GV calls and texts work.

Landline callers hear: We're sorry, the number you dialed can not be completed. Please check the number and try again
Some cell callers hear: the number or caller that you dialed is incorrect. Message 7, Switch 284
Localphone calllers can get through just fine.
It's a mess. It's not caused by my setup.


These symptoms indicate that your number port hasn't fully completed yet.  Give it another couple of days, and then, if it still doesn't receive inbound calls from non-GV numbers, create a new post over on the Google Voice help forum.

I made a post there already.
Port completed on Dec 18th.
I gave up on that ported number and changed to my other GV number. Never had any downtime on other ports.

SteveInWA

It's mostly Bandwidth's fault.  They operate ring.to, and they're the primary CLEC (Competitive Local Exchange Carrier) for Google Voice.  You added an additional mess to the process by porting into T-Mobile, and then porting to Google Voice.   Somewhere along that process, Bandwidth didn't properly re-route your number's inbound calling to their switch.

ring.to and Google Voice numbers are treated as land lines for number porting purposes.  Land line ports go through a different, and more complex process than a simple mobile carrier-->mobile carrier port.  Mobile ports can be completed in minutes.  Land line ports can take many days.  The porting process into GV is mostly automated.  If an error occurs, you would have seen the error notification on your Google Voice settings page, and could have clicked on it to attempt to correct the error.

I looked on the GV forum and didn't find any recent posts by username "Dixon".

Rant:  since Bandwidth is shutting down ring.to for OBi users, they really ought to work out an automated and streamlined procedure to simply port the numbers into GV, upon their users' request.  It's not rocket science.

Dixon

Quote from: SteveInWA on December 24, 2015, 05:33:11 PM
It's mostly Bandwidth's fault.  They operate ring.to, and they're the primary CLEC (Competitive Local Exchange Carrier) for Google Voice.  You added an additional mess to the process by porting into T-Mobile, and then porting to Google Voice.   Somewhere along that process, Bandwidth didn't properly re-route your number's inbound calling to their switch.

ring.to and Google Voice numbers are treated as land lines for number porting purposes.  Land line ports go through a different, and more complex process than a simple mobile carrier-->mobile carrier port.  Mobile ports can be completed in minutes.  Land line ports can take many days.  The porting process into GV is mostly automated.  If an error occurs, you would have seen the error notification on your Google Voice settings page, and could have clicked on it to attempt to correct the error.

I looked on the GV forum and didn't find any recent posts by username "Dixon".

Rant:  since Bandwidth is shutting down ring.to for OBi users, they really ought to work out an automated and streamlined procedure to simply port the numbers into GV, upon their users' request.  It's not rocket science.


https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/voice/it_8aI_qboM;context-place=topicsearchin/voice/category$3Aporting-a-number-to-google-voice

SteveInWA

Quote from: Dixon on December 24, 2015, 05:37:24 PM
Quote from: SteveInWA on December 24, 2015, 05:33:11 PM
It's mostly Bandwidth's fault.  They operate ring.to, and they're the primary CLEC (Competitive Local Exchange Carrier) for Google Voice.  You added an additional mess to the process by porting into T-Mobile, and then porting to Google Voice.   Somewhere along that process, Bandwidth didn't properly re-route your number's inbound calling to their switch.

ring.to and Google Voice numbers are treated as land lines for number porting purposes.  Land line ports go through a different, and more complex process than a simple mobile carrier-->mobile carrier port.  Mobile ports can be completed in minutes.  Land line ports can take many days.  The porting process into GV is mostly automated.  If an error occurs, you would have seen the error notification on your Google Voice settings page, and could have clicked on it to attempt to correct the error.

I looked on the GV forum and didn't find any recent posts by username "Dixon".

Rant:  since Bandwidth is shutting down ring.to for OBi users, they really ought to work out an automated and streamlined procedure to simply port the numbers into GV, upon their users' request.  It's not rocket science.


https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/voice/it_8aI_qboM;context-place=topicsearchin/voice/category$3Aporting-a-number-to-google-voice

"Dixon" is not "doctorwizz1".  In any case, the person that responded to that post apparently didn't notice your last reply, where his next step would have been to escalate it to Google engineering.

Regardless, the information I posted above still applies, and you could have helped yourself by waiting a day or two longer after porting from ring.to to T-Mobile, setting a T-Mobile account PIN, adding funds, and ensuring that both inbound and outbound calling worked properly before initiating the subsequent port into GV.  Then, you could have checked your own porting status and told Captain Chase what it was reporting, which would have zeroed in on the actual cause.

chilirock

I am am in the process of porting my cable company provided phone number to GV. I have initiated the porting request to T-mobile. I have a question about timing after the T-mobile port / transfer is complete.

After I receive the text message from T-mobile indicating that the transfer is complete, do I need to wait any additional time before initiating the porting request to GV? Or can I initiate the GV transfer request as soon as I receive the confirmation from T-mobile and test both inbound and outbound calls on the T-mobile phone?

Thanks for your help.

transam98

I didnt wait anytime (maybe like 1-2 hours).... and just make sure you REMEMBER your PIN # that TMOBILE Gave you (or you chose) as you need it when you initiate the GV Porting and pay GV their $20 !

SteveInWA

Quote from: chilirock on February 27, 2016, 07:48:13 AM
I am am in the process of porting my cable company provided phone number to GV. I have initiated the porting request to T-mobile. I have a question about timing after the T-mobile port / transfer is complete.

After I receive the text message from T-mobile indicating that the transfer is complete, do I need to wait any additional time before initiating the porting request to GV? Or can I initiate the GV transfer request as soon as I receive the confirmation from T-mobile and test both inbound and outbound calls on the T-mobile phone?

Thanks for your help.

Based on the many users doing this on the Google Voice help forum, I strongly advise waiting a few days after porting into T-Mobile, to ensure that the port is fully completed, including cancellation of your cable company's service and updates broadcast throughout the telephone network to all providers.  Porting while some of those balls are still in the air causes difficult-to-resolve issues.

Scott2

Looks like it is a simple thing if you follow the right steps.   If you have a POTS copper landline number, when do you deactivate with the telephone company?   I was thinking after following the steps to port but then wont you have the number listed in two different systems?

SteveInWA

Quote from: Scott2 on March 02, 2016, 09:22:39 AM
Looks like it is a simple thing if you follow the right steps.   If you have a POTS copper landline number, when do you deactivate with the telephone company?   I was thinking after following the steps to port but then wont you have the number listed in two different systems?

You DON'T deactivate (cancel service) with the losing telephone company.  If you do that yourself, you will permanently lose the right to use that number or port it out.  Instead, the porting process itself will notify the losing carrier to discontinue service at the right step during the port, after it's successfully re-routed to the new carrier.

jwyfk

I ported my landline number a long time ago using an AT&T GoPhone that I purchased brand new. Even though I only used it for a week, selling it has been difficult. At this point, I'd like to give it away for free to someone on this forum who could also use it to port their landline. It's currently listed on Craigslist for $5, but if you contact me, just let me know you're from the OBiTALK forum and it will be free, except for shipping of course. Here is a link to the post:

http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/mob/5565245978.html

Thanks,
John

Dubhead

Okay, I dove into the Obi202 expecting it would be pretty straightforward to get a local Google Voice number, set it up with the Obi202 and be on my merry way.  As it turns out, there are no number left in my state(!! - WA) for Google Voice and so as I read in a few other locations it would be possible to secure a local number via a prepaid SIM card from either AT&T or T-Mobile.  I decided to go spend $10 for a basic AT&T prepaid SIM with a local "206" area code number that I was looking for and then entered the number into Google Voice's Number Porting utility that then indicates "Ooops! This number appears to be from an area we don't currently support." so it seems like that is dead in the water and $10 down the hole.  The next questions I have are this:

  • If I try T-Mobile Prepaid SIM, how do I check if the number is eligible if I still have to buy the SIM first and then get number to enter into the site to validate it can be ported to Google Voice?
  • Is there any way to salvage the AT&T number I already have to port it into Google Voice? I had thought maybe porting it somewhere else first and then port to Google Voice, but that is likely not possible or a total waste of money.
  • If I have to forgo Google Voice to use with Obi202 completely, what is most comparable VoIP service out there to Google Voice that might allow me to get a number with 206 area code?

   I did want to say, that I did go ahead and pick up a free GV number well outside of my state to verify my equipment works and it does so very well.  Just hoping to really find a way to get a "local" number ported to Google Voice but may end up having to pay for proper VoIP service to get this.  Any thoughts on this appreciated.

~Dubhead  8)

SteveInWA

Quote from: Dubhead on May 16, 2016, 11:21:19 PM
Okay, I dove into the Obi202 expecting it would be pretty straightforward to get a local Google Voice number, set it up with the Obi202 and be on my merry way.  As it turns out, there are no number left in my state(!! - WA) for Google Voice and so as I read in a few other locations it would be possible to secure a local number via a prepaid SIM card from either AT&T or T-Mobile.  I decided to go spend $10 for a basic AT&T prepaid SIM with a local "206" area code number that I was looking for and then entered the number into Google Voice's Number Porting utility that then indicates "Ooops! This number appears to be from an area we don't currently support." so it seems like that is dead in the water and $10 down the hole.  The next questions I have are this:

  • If I try T-Mobile Prepaid SIM, how do I check if the number is eligible if I still have to buy the SIM first and then get number to enter into the site to validate it can be ported to Google Voice?
  • Is there any way to salvage the AT&T number I already have to port it into Google Voice? I had thought maybe porting it somewhere else first and then port to Google Voice, but that is likely not possible or a total waste of money.
  • If I have to forgo Google Voice to use with Obi202 completely, what is most comparable VoIP service out there to Google Voice that might allow me to get a number with 206 area code?

   I did want to say, that I did go ahead and pick up a free GV number well outside of my state to verify my equipment works and it does so very well.  Just hoping to really find a way to get a "local" number ported to Google Voice but may end up having to pay for proper VoIP service to get this.  Any thoughts on this appreciated.

~Dubhead  8)

Hi:  sorry to hear that.  Many of the original area codes (the codes with a 1 or a 0 in the middle) now are depleted of numbers.  The 206 number you got from AT&T GoPhone should have worked; perhaps it is in a number block that Google's carrier can't port.

There is no list or other way to predict whether or not a number will be portable until you enter that specific number into Google Voice's number porting dashboard.

https://www.google.com/voice/porting

In theory, you could try a number from T-Mobile next.  It's the same crapshoot, but since you can buy a T-Mobile SIM directly from them, for $.99 and add the minimum amount of calling minutes ($10?) it's not a huge gamble.

Porting the AT&T number to some other carrier first does nothing.  Portability is determined by which carrier owned the number originally, in which thousands block of numbers, on which phone switch.

IF you want to give up, you may be able to either port that GoPhone number, or get a new number, from Callcentric in 206, or one of the adjacent area codes (be careful of the location of the number, so as to not end up with a number that is a long distance call for your main contacts).

RexKramer

I read nearly all of the 17 pages and 5 years of posts here....but didn't find the answer to this question.

I ported out of my T-Mobile prepaid account to GV successfully.  Since I had to fund that Tmob account with $10 and only $3 was used (for the first month of service) ... there is still $7 in that account.  Can you recover that $7 or activate another SIM into that account?

SteveInWA

Quote from: RexKramer on May 19, 2016, 06:51:25 PM
I read nearly all of the 17 pages and 5 years of posts here....but didn't find the answer to this question.

I ported out of my T-Mobile prepaid account to GV successfully.  Since I had to fund that Tmob account with $10 and only $3 was used (for the first month of service) ... there is still $7 in that account.  Can you recover that $7 or activate another SIM into that account?

Well, you wouldn't find the answer here, since that isn't an Obihai nor Google Voice related question.

No, you paid T-Mobile for a bucket of prepaid calling minutes, so that you could activate and use their telephone service.  Porting your number out of that T-Mobile prepaid account canceled service with T-Mobile, and thus, discarded the remaining balance on that T-Mobile account.  If you want to spend time on the phone with T-Mobile customer service, exploring how to recover that unused $7, that would be your only option.

LTN1

Quote from: RexKramer on May 19, 2016, 06:51:25 PM
I read nearly all of the 17 pages and 5 years of posts here....but didn't find the answer to this question.

I ported out of my T-Mobile prepaid account to GV successfully.  Since I had to fund that Tmob account with $10 and only $3 was used (for the first month of service) ... there is still $7 in that account.  Can you recover that $7 or activate another SIM into that account?

Steve is correct. You could have found the answer quickly by dialing T-Mobile, not an OBi forum. But if you haven't called yet, I'll throw you a bone and tell you that you can transfer your funds in one SIM account to a new one. But...you have to call T-Mobile to do the transfer.

Standroid

I'm getting ready to port my landline number to GV and my new OBi202.

I have a prepaid Tmobile feature phone - unlocked and currently in use with a Tmobile account that I've had for years. I expect to be able to pull out that SIM for a few days and plug in the new, throwaway SIM. But, there may be a hitch...

My home, where the OBi202 will live, is 15 miles from the nearest wireless signal - Tmobile or any other carrier. I use my Tmobile service only when traveling.

My question: At which point(s) in the porting procedure will it be necessary for my Tmobile phone to be "in service", i.e. receiving a usable Tmobile wireless signal?

Thanks,

Stan