Can't leave voicemail from GV on linked mobile number

[Copper]

My mobile number is set up to route to GV voicemail and works with any number calling in to it except from the actual Google number.  There is no way to contact my mobile number and leave a voice mail when dialing out with the google voice number set up on Obi110/Google Voice Gateway (Simon Telephonics).  It will ring numerous times, using 10 digit or 1 + 10 digit makes no difference.  Dialing the GV number (from the GV number) produces a busy signal.  I do not have SP2 configured, but have a cable phone line available for use if necessary.

Is there any kind of workaround?  I am familiar with the Obi web portal, but I don't know what to do in there.  Thanks for any help!

[jimates]

The Obi has nothing to do with google voicemail. According to Simon's page:

How do I check my voicemail or get to the Google Voice menu?  Dial 1186

Never worked for me though.

You can call your google voice number from another number and press * when the VM greeting starts.

[Copper]

1186 works fine, it's not accessing voice mail I have the problem with it's being able to leave a message on my mobile number from my google voice number.

[Stewart]

My mobile number is set up to route to GV voicemail ...
I have the problem with it's being able to leave a message on my mobile number from my google voice number.

Sorry, I don't understand your setup.  I assume that your mobile number is not unconditionally forwarded to GV -- if it were, you wouldn't receive any calls on your mobile.  I am guessing that your mobile forwards to GV on no answer, unreachable, etc., i.e. you are using GV instead of your mobile carrier's voicemail service.  But in that case, you wouldn't normally get any messages in your carrier's mailbox, so why would you want to leave one there?

[Copper]

Thank you for trying to understand my problem.  I appreciate it!  When a call comes into my google voice number the house line rings, thanks to obi.  The mobile number (actively selected on the GV account) will also ring simultaneously.  I can choose to pick up the cell phone, or ignore, or 'reject' from the cell phone.  It will keep ringing on the house number until it rolls over to google voice mail.

If someone calls my mobile number, it (only) will ring - and go to google voice mail if not answered.  But, if I'm on the road with my mobile phone and someone from my house uses the google house line, tries get in touch with me and I don't pick up, it will not go to voice mail.  I don't understand why anyone else can call my mobile number and get voice mail, but if someone at home calls they can't leave a message.   

[jimates]

Using Simon's GVGW changes how everything works. But we don't know how to work around the changes.

You said if someone calls from home they can't leave a message, what does eventually happen when they call and you don't answer?

Here is what should happen.
a call from the Obi to your cell is not answered or rejected. Your cell is set to forward to google voicemail instead of your cell carrier, so when the call is not answered it is forwarded to google. Once forwarded to google, it is the same as dialing your google number directly. If You were not using the GVGW, once the call reached google voice it would recognize the number as it's own and immediately send the caller to the IVR to check voicemail. The caller would not be prompted to leave a message.

We know that by using the GVGW the call is not routed directly to google voice when dialed. I would suspect when it is forwarded by the cell it also is messed up because it went through the GVGW instead of direct to google voice.

Does that make sense.

[Stewart]

I suspect that your problem is an artifact of the way GV avoids a loop when it sends a call to a mobile and the mobile forwards back to it.  I believe it's not related to the OBi -- you could confirm that by temporarily shutting down the OBi and making a unanswered call to your mobile from Gmail.

A straightforward workaround would be to call your mobile via another service, e.g. Callcentric or Anveo if you set that up for 911, but the call would not be free.

As a possible free solution, get a VoxOx account and set it up to forward directly to your mobile; you would dial the VoxOx number from home, probably via a speed dial.  From the VoxOx app, make these settings in File -> Preferences, selecting Phone on the left:

General tab: Uncheck Personal Assistant, Call Screening, Present Incoming Call Options, and Dead End.
My Phones tab: add your mobile number; only Find Me and the box for your mobile should be checked.
Caller ID tab: click Show my VoxOx number.

First test by answering your mobile to confirm that all the screening stuff is really disabled, then try letting it go to GV voicemail.  Note that this link will not pass DTMF.

[jimates]

Need to know the answer to this question.
You said if someone calls from home they can't leave a message, what does eventually happen when they call and you don't answer?

[Copper]

Sorry for the delay jimates - the traditional 'bah bah bah' tone plays and 'the number you have dialed xxx-xxx-7287 [my mobile number] has not received a response from the service provider'.

Stewart, for the time being, I like the idea of using another service as a workaround.  I have a cable phone line plugged into the "line" of Obi110.  It is merely plugged into the Obi device, haven't done anything else to it.  Have wanted to set it up so that if 911 were called that line would work (but haven't had the newbie nerve to ask!).  Specifying that the cable phone line be used when 911 or the mobile number is dialed would be great.

In testing the calls to cell from home, the cell phone (not a smart phone) gives a hint that there is some kind of loop going on in the background - but it's hit or miss and I can't consistently replicate it.

Thank you!!!