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Have GV but want to use outside the US, questions.

Started by axel, April 10, 2012, 06:00:35 AM

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axel

I saw the OBI100 on Amazon and it got my attention. I came here and I read around this forum and almost all my questions have been answered. However, there are a couple I cannot find a definitive answer on.

I live in more than one country with the US being one of them.  I have a GV account with a phone number attached to it which I have played with but don't really use. What I am wondering is if I setup OBI100s in my houses in other countries, can I assign each one a different GV account?

If so, if I or a relative/friend is in the US and calls the GV number assigned to, say, an OBI100 in Singapore, will it ring my phone in there in Singapore (assuming I setup the wiring and everything correctly)? Then for another GV account assigned to an OBI at another house, if I call that GV number from the US, it will it ring my phone there?

Then if so, will all the GV options be available, like conference calling and such? I guess, on this question, I am wondering is whether all the normal GV features I would get in the US (besides things not related to OBI100 like call forwarding) would work from a non-US IP?

Thanks!


MichiganTelephone

#1
It should work fine as long as the ISP does not block traffic to the Google Voice servers BUT there have been some reports that Google Voice will charge you a penny a minute for calls to the USA or Canada if you are coming in from an IP address that they can identify as being outside the USA.  One way around that would be to use two Obihai devices, one in the USA and one in Singapore, and let the one in the USA connect to Google Voice and then forward calls to the other adapter using the OBiTALK network (or, alternately, a sip connection through a free SIP provider).  That approach sounds perfect for the situation you described.

Another approach is to have the OBi100 connect to a PBX server in the USA and let the PBX make the connection to Google Voice.  For example, I think you could use Bill Simon's gateway (https://simonics.com/gvgw/ or see http://pbxinaflash.com/community/index.php?threads/google-voice-sip-gateway.11621/ for more information); it's basically intended for use with an Asterisk server but maybe you could connect an OBi device directly using SIP (I don't see any reason you couldn't but I have never actually attempted it).

Of course you could try setting the Obihai device up in the USA and then take it to Singapore and make a test call or two and see if Google Voice starts dinging your account (I think they give you ten cents credit when you first sign up).  I've heard comments both ways - some people have said they've done that and were not charged, others have said they were, so you won't know for sure until you try (unless someone else here has some actual experience they can share).
Inactive, no longer posting or responding to messages.  Goodbye and good luck.  Some of my old Obihai-related blog posts have been moved to http://tech.iprock.com - note this in NOT my blog; I have simply given the owner permission to repost some of my old stuff.

Everton

I think the key to avoid charges through GV is to setup ALL your GV/Gmail accounts while in the US or at least have someone do it for you who is located in the US at the time the accounts are setup.  I haven't heard or read of a GV users using an OBi unit being charge for using the unit overseas.

I have a unit in another country in the Caribbean and there are no charges for the two GV accounts setup on SP1 and SP2.

axel

Thanks guys, appreciate the help! I'll put in my order for a few OBI100s, to be safe, I will get an OBI100 and set it up in my place in the US as well. I don't fly back and forth that much anymore, as flying sucks these days so I'm better off doing something that will last, rather than need to go back and mess with it.

MichiganTelephone

Quote from: axel on April 10, 2012, 11:53:48 PMI don't fly back and forth that much anymore, as flying sucks these days so I'm better off doing something that will last, rather than need to go back and mess with it.

When you configure your devices, be sure to use the OBiTALK portal because it will allow you to configure your devices remotely, just by going to the portal and logging into your account.  That way, if you're in another country and realize you need to make a configuration change, you can do it easily.
Inactive, no longer posting or responding to messages.  Goodbye and good luck.  Some of my old Obihai-related blog posts have been moved to http://tech.iprock.com - note this in NOT my blog; I have simply given the owner permission to repost some of my old stuff.

Stewart

I have two GV accounts, one set up in the US and one set up somewhere else (I don't remember where).  With the first, I'm not charged for calls to US, from France and Thailand IP addresses.  With the second, I'm hit for $0.01/min.

You will find OBi devices useful for other pieces of your communications puzzle.  If any of your homes have landlines or pseudo-landlines (ISP or other locked VoIP), consider the OBi110; it's only a few dollars more.

Receiving US calls on your SG mobile:  GV won't forward directly to an international number.  The simple option (not involving an OBi) is to get a US DID from a VoIP provider and set it to forward to your SG mobile.  Possible choices are Anveo ($0.99 or $1.99/mo. + $0.018/min.) or Localphone ($0.99/mo. + $0.01/min.; IMO lower quality, some CLI delivery issues).  Alternatively, have an OBi receive the call and bridge it with your choice of provider.  If you have a service such as mio Voice, the calls would be free.  Otherwise, depending on desired quality and simplicity, good options might be GV, Anveo, Voxbeam or Betamax, ranging in price from $0.02 down to $0.003/min.  Betamax offers some "free" calls, but IMO the requirements are not a good match for your application.

Making US calls from your SG mobile:  You can set up the OBi so that you call it and hang up.  Based on your caller ID, the AA does not answer calls you back (with a service as described above); you can then make an outbound call on GV.

Receiving SG calls in US:  If you have a landline or SG VoIP service, the SG OBi can bridge to your US OBi at no cost, or via GV to your US mobile (free but uses cellular minutes).  You can get SG DIDs from many sources; an inexpensive choice might be CallWithUs ($3 setup + $4/mo.)  If you need incoming from only a few contacts (recognized by their caller ID), you can use Rebtel together with any service offering free iNum, e.g. Callcentric.  Any of these methods have no per-call cost to you, but the caller may be charged airtime or local call cost.

Making SG calls from US:  From your OBi phone, this is straightforward.  From your mobile (if you want lower cost than GV's $0.02/min.) you can call into the OBi and use the AA to bridge to another service.

If your US cell phone plan is not unlimited, but includes unlimited calling to/from specific numbers (F&F, MyFaves, A-List, etc.), bridging international calls through the OBi will avoid using minutes on those calls.