Number porting to GV - my experience

[SteveInWA]

 
Thanks to SteveInWA for his excellent porting "philosophy" above at http://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=1051.msg86959#msg86959.

I add to that as follows:  After you order the first port from a copper land line to your cheap prepaid mobile phone (or SIM card), wait at least for that copper land line to go dead before you try to start your second port to Google Voice.  I would actually wait a few more days as well for the new network information to propagate out to the world before you start your second port to Google Voice.

Also, I used a Verizon Wireless prepaid flip phone for my interim destination - a Samsung Gusto.  The phone itself is about $50, and it costs about $30 for a month's use.  Since I was porting out Verizon copper land line numbers, I wanted to stay "in the family" in case something went wrong.  Also, I found that Verizon Wireless's "porting department" at 888-844-7095 was pretty good in helping me get over a snag for the first port.  (I did not need them for the second port to Google Voice, and I'm not sure they could have helped for the port OUT anyway.)

Also, thanks to lots of advice on this and other forums by SteveInWA and friends, when I bought the Verizon Wireless prepaid flip phone Samsung Gusto, I had the fellow in the Verizon Wireless store write down ALL the info I would need on the Google Voice porting web page - the Verizon Wireless prepaid flip phone's account number, account name (which I had designated anyway), account address (which he picked the first time and I picked the second time), PIN (which I had designated) and the email address for the account (which I had designated).  Having that written down on the receipt printed page for the Verizon Wireless prepaid flip phone Samsung Gusto was very helpful when I was finally at the Google Voice porting web page.
 

thanks for the info i am also in route to make this happen since u suggested "Verizon Prepaid - Samsung Gusto 3 " i found on bestbuy website for $9.99 + taxes but couldnt see any cheap prepaid planes all i could see was unlimited or my other option is getting tmobile simcard from ebay  for $5 shipped to my home and i can use some old unlocked phone to me it seems like verizon was easy on you when it came to porting, also my current home voip is Vonage so not even sure if porting number will be easy but i did do the tmobile number port test and my number was eligible to convert to tmobile

I already explained the process in full detail, in my post above.  READ and follow the instructions.

[Pedro675]

Sorry for appearing stupid on this porting thing but I need some help and understanding.

I have recently set up my copper home phone (with DSL) wiring to enable me to use the Obi device on the dedicated line 2 while line 1 is voice (2 pair of wires). I don't have the Obi device yet.

I am now at a point where I need to get a temporary mobile number from which I can enable "porting" of my existing home phone number to be used by GV. I need to purchase a mobile phone only for the purpose of setting up GV and then porting my existing home phone number through the mobile to GV.

What I don't understand is, since GV is not a telephone company, will I have to keep my prepaid phone on active service to enable GV to ring my ported home phone number through the Obi device?

Quote from a post here:

"Google Voice is not a "free telephone company".  It is a call forwarding and message management system.  You still need some sort of telephone service, so that calls to your Google Voice virtual number can be forwarded to a real telephone"

[drgeoff]

will I have to keep my prepaid phone on active service to enable GV to ring my ported home phone number through the Obi device?

No, the prepaid phone service will be ceased.  The SIM will be dead.

[Pedro675]

Thanks.

So is it possible to run both GV (pre port forwarding) and my telcom service at the same time to test GV?

[SteveInWA]

Again, please carefully read my post:  http://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=1051.msg86959#msg86959

Perhaps this will help your understanding:

All US telephone numbers are originally issued to Federally-regulated Local Exchange Carriers (LECs) in blocks of 10,000 (or sometimes 1000) numbers, by an industry organization in charge of the overall US telephone numbering plan (area codes and prefixes and their locations).  The Local Number Portability (LNP) FCC regulations require that, in most cases, telephone carriers allow their customers to take their business elsewhere, to a different carrier, and in so doing, give control of their telephone number(s) to the "gaining" or new carrier.  The original carrier always retains ownership of the number,  but lets the other, gaining carriers re-route calls to their switches. 

So:  when you port a phone number from, say, AT&T Wireless to Google Voice's carrier, the two carriers work with the national organization that controls telephone call routing, to tell all of the telephone switches that, when a call comes in for that number, to re-route it to Google Voice's carrier.  Once that routing change is made, the losing carrier (AT&T Wireless in this example) cancels service on that number at AT&T, since service is now being provided by Google Voice's carrier.

When you want to port in a number to Google Voice, and you submit a porting request, you are giving Google's carrier your permission to act as your agent, to contact the losing carrier, asking them to turn over control of that number to Google's carrier.  After that happens, service is shut off on the losing carrier and activated on Google's carrier.  The mobile phone on which you had the service will stop working as a telephone, unless you sign up for a new line of service with a mobile phone carrier (i.e. you get a new SIM and a new telephone number).

Google Voice requires that you first sign up for one of Google's free phone numbers.  You can do your testing with that number before deciding if you want to port in your mobile number.

[eaglemaster]

shout out to SteveInWA you are a god sent angel you help everyone with the detailed explanation you provide, so i ended up using my unlocked phone and i had a T-Mobile sim card which i have been in process of porting my vonage number to tmobile started the process yesterday here is my time line i followed this instructions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Y6bYwC2VDit9eAnlcLF2ZSZETsDJ3wQumZ4rmaqF_Go/edit#

Your Vonage Phone number
Your Vonage Account ID
Your Vonage pin number
Your Vonage User Name

i gave all the 4 information to tmobile porting department on 04/02/2018 on the 04/03/2018 around 12pm i got a call on my vonage number from tmobile telling me porting had an error and vonage asked for address which they didnt have so i ended up giving them (i hate prepaid customer service of tmobile they based from Philippines and understanding them is a huge problem so i gave the address and guess what few hours later i got a call again stating the same problem they told me they only had the street name on my address lol so i gave them again the address hoping this time all goes well and they did mention it will take atleast 5 days for complete port since its coming from landline

so on the side note if anyone try to port vonage to tmobile make sure you also include your address of where the service is used   

[SteveInWA]

Speaking of Vonage:

Vonage uses the same carrier as Google Voice:  bandwidth.com.  When a number is ported out of Vonage, the porting process notifies them that the number has been ported away, and they're supposed to then delete the number out of their inventory and cancel their customer's service.  However, we have seen many cases where, perhaps due to both services using bandwidth.com, Vonage either doesn't get the notice, or, more likely, their side of the process is broken.  The result is a mess, where bandwidth has incorrect call routing information for that number.  The symptom is that the customer's account is still active, being billed, and outbound calls on the Vonage adapter still work.

To minimize the chance of this happening, wait a full week after porting from Vonage to T-Mobile.  Do not try to immediately churn your port over to Google Voice.  Confirm that both inbound and outbound calls and text messages work on your T-Mobile phone.  After this is proven to be true, then contact Vonage and have them confirm that they have canceled service on their side.  Do NOT try to port the number into GV until you've done this.

[eaglemaster]

SteveInWA,
thank you so much for mentioning this i will keep that in mind and make sure that everything works on tmobile and will call vonage to cancel the service after making sure i can make and receive calls and texts from my tmobile number

[Pedro675]

Thanks for all the explanations. Here's what I understand:

There are potentially three phone numbers involved. 1. My existing home phone number 2. The number I have on a prepaid (one use) cell phone for porting, and 3. The initial number GV assigns me.

I start with the assigned GV number to set up GV service. I then log into GV and request to port a number, give them my home phone number and they send a confirmation call to my prepaid cell phone.

Is that the way it works?

[SteveInWA]

Thanks for all the explanations. Here's what I understand:

There are potentially three phone numbers involved. 1. My existing home phone number 2. The number I have on a prepaid (one use) cell phone for porting, and 3. The initial number GV assigns me.

I start with the assigned GV number to set up GV service. I then log into GV and request to port a number, give them my home phone number and they send a confirmation call to my prepaid cell phone.

Is that the way it works?

No.

Go read my detailed instructions, posted earlier in this thread.

[Pedro675]

No. Go read my detailed instructions, posted earlier in this thread.

OK, I have read those instructions several times. I did go back and re-read the Obi Tutorial which seems to make more sense to me.

1. I set up GV with the assigned number they provide. I can use the service with that number for a test period.
2. I buy a prepaid cell phone.
3. I contact T-Mobil and ask that my home land line number be assigned to the cell phone via a new sim. I have checked and my number can be transferred.
4. Once that is done I then go into GV and port that new mobil number (my home phone number) to GV.

Is that finally correct?

[SteveInWA]

Yes.

[Pedro675]

Found out T-Mobil does not serve my little circle of service. AT&T appears to. Looking now for unlocked phone to purchase that will accept AT&T 3G sim. AT&T does not accept 2G anymore. Amazon, Newegg have unlocked phones but I need to be careful on the type of Sim they will work with. Anyone have some input for me?

Thanks

[SteveInWA]

You've pointed out an important limitation with AT&T Wireless (and any of their resellers like Straight Talk, Net10, Tracfone, etc.):  many of the really cheap "flip phones" or "candy bar phones" floating around eBay and Craigslist are paperweights because they're only 2G GSM.

If you could find a friend or relative with a working AT&T phone, (for example, an old one in a drawer from an upgrade), all you need to do is to borrow it long enough to swap in your SIM, port your desired number to AT&T Wireless, wait at least 5 business days, then port it again, into Google Voice.  Do not rush this, as it just causes messes in the national number porting system.

The cheapest brand new AT&T Prepaid phone I saw on a quick search was either this one:

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/at-t-prepaid-zte-maven-3-4g-with-8gb-memory-prepaid-cell-phone-black/6008100.p?skuId=6008100

Or one from AT&T directly (sort the list from lowest price to highest price):

https://www.att.com/shop/wireless/devices/prepaidphones.html

If you know someone with a smartphone (from either AT&T or T-Mobile, not from Verizon or Sprint) that has been carrier-unlocked, it might also work if it supports one of the wireless bands that AT&T uses.

[Pedro675]

Yes, I've seen the one you linked at BestBuy, thanks for link. I am also looking at two phones that will accept At&T SIMs.

1. https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B072N6BD9V/?coliid=I3CU4XKR7YHJ8M&colid=1K6CO00EX63XG&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

2. https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=0V4-002F-001J2

Both are 3G and will accept At&T SIMS. I'm going to the local AT&T store tomorrow and see about SIM cards and plans or any phones they might have for cheap. The BestBuy one already has the AT&T SIM.

[SteveInWA]

Yes, I've seen the one you linked at BestBuy, thanks for link. I am also looking at two phones that will accept At&T SIMs.

1. https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B072N6BD9V/?coliid=I3CU4XKR7YHJ8M&colid=1K6CO00EX63XG&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

2. https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=0V4-002F-001J2

Both are 3G and will accept At&T SIMS. I'm going to the local AT&T store tomorrow and see about SIM cards and plans or any phones they might have for cheap. The BestBuy one already has the AT&T SIM.

I think that the cheapest phones from AT&T Prepaid's own web store are a safer bet, and they are cheaper, too.  Blu makes some really, really awful phones, and they are generally years behind in their hardware and software.  Many of the phones Blu sells are still GSM 2G only, so be careful.

It's too bad that AT&T is the only wireless network that works near you.

Consider just forgetting about Google Voice.  Port your number directyly into a SIP VoIP Internet Telephone Service Provider (ITSP), and use that service instead of Google Voice.  It's not that expensive, and many ITSPs will port in for free.  Any SIP ITSP that provides unlocked SIP user credentials should work fine on your OBi.

[Pedro675]

If I can get AT&T to work at the house I should have no problem with porting my number to GV should I?

I talked to a guy at the gym who has had Ooma for some years and is happy with them. I'm not sure of the monthly fee though, will check.

[SteveInWA]

If I can get AT&T to work at the house I should have no problem with porting my number to GV should I?

Maybe.  Google Voice's carrier cannot port in from certain rate centers (local telephone exchanges).  You can check if your number is portable or not.

Sign into your Gmail account.  Then go here:  https://www.google.com/voice/porting and submit the phone number you wish to port.

The tool should reply that your number can't be ported because it doesn't support your carrier (this is expected, since Google Voice doesn't port in land line numbers).  If it also tells you that your area isn't supported, then you can't port in the number, no matter what carrier it's on now.

[Pedro675]

Yes, I did check earlier and just now and got:

"Ooops! We currently don't support porting from your carrier. We apologize and are working on adding support for more carriers."

So it looks like GV will port my number when it is from a mobile carrier.

My neighbor uses Verizon, is that an alternative? However Verizon is not GSM, only CDMA, not sure if GV cares. I can get a Verizon SIM card for about $10.

[GPz1100]

If GV is only rejecting the carrier and not the number then it doesn't matter which mobile/prepaid carrier you use as an intermediary.  Cheapest is generally tmobile or att prepaid pay as you go.