News:

On Tuesday September 6th the forum will be down for maintenance from 9:30 PM to 11:59 PM PDT

Main Menu

Can I use a standard analog phone w/o a landline with the OBI device?

Started by SBL110, March 27, 2017, 08:03:25 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

SBL110

Hello everyone.

I'm new to this whole VoIP phone thing.  I've done a lot of reading, but, can't seem to get a definitive answer about landline replacement and the use of analog phones.  Here's my situation:

I have a standard AT&T landline, no frills, just dial tone for band "A" calling.  I also have a cell phone through Ting mobile and a Google Voice number.

I want to retire the landline and replace it with something (OBI 200?) that will allow calls over the internet.  Would I use Google Voice as the VoIP service?  I'd still like to use my analog phones inside the house. 

My internet connection (DSLv2) and my land line come in on the same wire.  I'm told by my ISP that the land line isn't necessary for the internet connection.  So the connections might look like this:

               Internet --- Router --- OBI 200 (using Google Voice)
                                                     |
                                                     |
                                                66-block
                                                     |
                                                     |
     ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     |                    |                    |                    |                    |                  |
  Analog         Analog          Analog          Analog          Analog       Analog     Analog
  Phone          Phone           Phone           Phone           Phone        Phone     Phone

I routed all my phone jacks to a 66-block years ago when I had DSL service that required filters.   Back then, I could put one DSL filter between the phone line and the 66-block, then all phones would be filtered.  It worked like a champ.  If the above scenario works, I realize that I can only make one phone call from any of the analog phones at a time.

I'd like to keep my land line phone number, but, it's not critical.  A basic voice mail feature would be handy, and finally, I need to be able to call 911 for emergencies.  I realize the 911 service is an add-on for about $15.00/year.

The trick is using analog phones w/o a landline through the OBI device with Google Voice as the VoIP service.  Possible?

Thanks in advance,
Scott

drgeoff

The whole point of an ATA (Analogue Telephone Adaptor) is to use a conventional phone to make and receive VoIP calls.  The Obi 1x0, 20x and 30x devices are ATAs.

The devices are specced as REN5.  If you have modern phones with electronic ringers then 7 phones in parallel should be OK.  But if they have the old mechanical bells .....

GV is one option but there are others.  The 1x0 models can have two Service Providers and the 20X models up to 4 SPs.

SteveInWA

Hi Scott, and welcome to OBi-land.

Yes, you are describing exactly what an OBi Analog Telephone Adapter does.

This has been discussed in length on this forum, albeit hard to find.

Short answer:  you could either use your existing Google Voice number with an OBi 200 or 202, or you may be able to port your landline number into Google Voice and use that number, or use both numbers.

Google Voice doesn't accept ports in from landline carriers -- only mobile carriers.  So, you'd have to first port out the AT&T number to a mobile carrier, like AT&T GoPhone, wait a week for inbound/outbound voice calls and text messages to work, then port it into Google Voice.   However, even then, the number may not be portable.  You can check by entering the number here:  https://www.google.com/voice/porting.

If it says "Ooops! This number appears to be from an area we don't currently support." then it won't work even if you first port it to a mobile carrier.  If it says "Ooops! We currently don't support porting from your carrier. We apologize and are working on adding support for more carriers." then it should be portable after you first port to a mobile carrier.

Yes, you can use your house wiring, and yes, you should be able to get AT&T to convert your service from voice+DSL to "naked DSL".  Naked DSL has no dial tone; just the DSL signal.  You MUST fully disconnect the AT&T telco wires from your 66 block, as it could damage the OBi.  You'd then connect the OBi's phone jack to the 66 block, or plug it into any telephone jack in the house.  The OBi should be able to support 5 phones, assuming the REN value of all the phones adds up to 5 or below.

SBL110

Thanks for your quick reply.  That's good news.  I checked our phones and the total REN is 4.  Interestingly enough, the Uniden 5.8GHz cordless phone REN is showing 0.0B. 

Are all OBi devices limited to REN 5 ??

Also, my home phone number isn't portable through Google Voice.  But, as you mentioned, if I port it to Ting mobile, then from Ting to Google Voice, I should be good to go there.

Thank you to everyone that replied.  I feel more confident moving forward with this solution.

Scott


SteveInWA

Quote from: SBL110 on March 27, 2017, 05:07:04 PM
Thanks for your quick reply.  That's good news.  I checked our phones and the total REN is 4.  Interestingly enough, the Uniden 5.8GHz cordless phone REN is showing 0.0B. 

Are all OBi devices limited to REN 5 ??

Also, my home phone number isn't portable through Google Voice.  But, as you mentioned, if I port it to Ting mobile, then from Ting to Google Voice, I should be good to go there.

Thank you to everyone that replied.  I feel more confident moving forward with this solution.

Scott



Scot, glad to help.  However, you may have misunderstood my porting information.  There are two distinctly different issues: a) the classification of the number as being assigned to a land line carrier vs. a mobile carrier, and b) whether or not Google's carrier partner can host that number (if it was a mobile number).  (b) is determined at the "thousands block" level, meaning NPA-NXX-Ynnn, where Y is the block of numbers.  Google's carrier partner doesn't have the ability to host numbers in every thousands block, although the large majority are supported.

If you enter any land line telephone number into the Google Voice number porting tool, it will always tell you that the number can't be ported (because Google Voice will not process ports from land lines).  However, if it only complains that your carrier is not supported, that doesn't necessarily mean the number is not portable... once it is changed to a mobile carrier, then the thousands block is the determining factor.  If you didn't get the "your area isn't supported" error, then it's likely your number can be ported after it is first ported to a mobile carrier.

As for REN:  it stands for  Ringer Equivalence Number.  It's based on an old Bell System/Western Electric model 500 rotary phone with an electro-mechanical bell inside being measured as one ringer; thus one REN.  Each WE 500's bell coil adds a load onto the line.  The maximum current draw from all connected phones' ringers adds up to the total REN.  Since very few present-day telephones still have those old-school ringers, they draw very little current, and thus, it's usually a non-issue.  So, yes, it is perfectly normal for your cordless phone base station to have a zero REN.  In reality, the "ringer" in each cordless handset is powered by its own battery, so the term becomes moot.

SBL110

Hi Steve,

Thanks for the clarification.  When I input my home number in the Google look up for number porting, I get the following reply:

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

I'll still give it a try.  I did mention in my original post that losing the number wouldn't be the end of the world for us, although we've had it for 35+ years.  It would make things easier for those who connect with us that way.

I'll contact Ting mobile and run the scenario by them.  If it doesn't work, then it's on to a new number, or we'll just use the existing GV number we have.

Thank you again for your help.
Scott

SteveInWA

Quote from: SBL110 on March 28, 2017, 06:39:48 AM

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


Again, all that means is that your number is currently classified as a land line.  It does not indicate that your number is non-portable.  Once you port it to a mobile carrier, it should be portable.