Thanks azrobert! I was hoping I'd get your input
Sometimes when you read through a thread, it is a PITA to figure out the solution as well as what is happening (true of many forums, not just OBi forums). So I'm going to summarize (hopefully accurately)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Have:
- LI1 = Line = PSTN (POTS)
- SP1 = Google Voice (but could be anything else)
- The other ports/lines/trunks doesn't make any difference for this need/want
- My 10 digit calling area does not include my Google Voice's area code (calling my GV from my 10 calling area is a long distance call)
Want:
- To be able to route incoming
line calls to my cell phone occasionally (when away from home, on the deck, vacation, etc)
- Want to use a star code (*72 or equivalent)
- Don't want the option to change the forwarding to number via the star code (avoids accidentally changing it)
- Don't want the original caller to see the number I forwarded to (avoids robocallers picking up my cell number)
Configuration:
- Set star code to: *72, Cfwd LI1 to SP1, set(LI1($cfa),1)
- OPTION: if you do not want to overwrite *72 leaving *72 as is, then:
- Pick any other number such as *47 ... example: *47, Cfwd LI1 to SP1, set(LI1($cfa),1)
- Add a digit to *72 such as *721 ... example: *721, Cfwd LI1 to SP1, set(LI1($cfa),1)
- set LI1's
Line Port - CallForwardUnconditionalNumber set to: SP1(1xxxxxxxxx)
- Where xxxxxxxxx = my cell phone number (or any other number I want it forwarded to)
- "1" is needed if the area code forwarded to is not in your 10 digit calling area (is a long distance call)
Operation (assuming *72, Cfwd LI1 to SP1, set(LI1($cfa),1) )
- When I press *72, it will set (enable CallForwardAll) OBi110 to forward all incoming LI1 calls to 1xxxxxxxxx via SP1
- All other OBi110 operation remains the same
- When I press *73 it will disable CallForwardAll and LI1 calls will ring through to its original programming (PH in my case)
- On my cell phone I will see the Google Voice number rather than the original caller ID
- (In my case I refuse to pay for caller ID based on principle so I don't get the caller ID from the LI1 calls )
- If I want to change the forwarded to number, I have to set a new number in LI1's
Line Port - CallForwardUnconditionalNumber - Cannot change by entering a number after *72 (no risk of accidental change)
- Note regarding physical answering machine. If I have this correct:
- The OBI will forward the call immediately and the answer machine will not hear the number of rings required (if greater than 1) for it to answer
- Regardless of if the answering machine is upstream (before) or downstream (after) of the OBI .
- An instant answer or 1 ring answering machine setting may be a problem.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hopefully that is a clear, concise intuitively obvious explanation for future readers.