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forwarding landline obi200

Started by motta, June 15, 2018, 11:31:01 AM

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motta

can the obi200 be used to forward incoming landline calls to a google voice number (not to a cell phone)?

if so, can it do it standalone, without having to also connect the obiline device?

SteveInWA

That is backwards from the way Google Voice is designed to work.  What you can do, is get a Google Voice number, and then link it to your Google Voice number as a forwarding phone number, and then program that number to use conditional call forwarding, to send calls back to the Google Voice number.

Of course, you could also port that number into Google Voice, and just get rid of the land line service.

motta

thanks for the response...sure, i realize it is "backwards" from the intended use for most people, but i'm still just trying to figure out if what i asked will work.

can the phone jack on the obi200 accept a direct incoming connection to my landline telephone service, or does it only connect to a handset that is not connected to pots? (meaning that i would have to also add the obiline device to connect my pots).

i'm not trying to get rid of my landline (i need to keep it for my alarm system). i'm not trying replace it with gv or any other voip. i'm just trying to get my landline connected to my existing google voice number without having to use call forwarding from my pots provider (which is what i used to do, but i'm no longer paying for that service).

i don't even really care about making outgoing calls using either gv (i can already do that with my computer) or my landline phone, i just want to monitor the incoming calls and voice mail to my landline number.

thanks again!

SteveInWA

No.

Plug a landline into the Phone port on an OBi, and it will cause the magic smoke to escape, thus rendering the OBi into a doorstop.

Aside from all this, using an OBi for a security system is a bad idea.  It's not at all reliable as an alarm monitoring center dialer.

The current standard for monitoring alarms is to use equipment provided by the alarm company:  either a direct IP gateway, and/or a cellular radio communicator.

motta

got it.

so then i'm assuming that is what the obiline device is for.

in that case, i should just use the obi212 (newer version of obi110), which unfortunately costs twice as much as the obi200.

(and no worries about the alarm system, it has it's own separate controller and connection to pots, so really doesn't have anything to do with the discussion, i just mentioned it as the reason i can't get rid of my pots service altogether, or i would be happy to).

SteveInWA

Right; if you want to use your POTS line with your OBi, you need to buy a 212.

However, I suggest that it might actually be cheaper to ditch the land line entirely, port that number into either Google Voice or some other Internet Telephone Service Provider (ITSP) and get a cellular communicator from your alarm monitoring company.  It's worth a cost-comparison.  They typically use either AT&T Wireless or Verizon Wireless, so, if you have coverage, it's actually a more secure method, since nobody can cut a phone line or kill the power to disable it.

motta