Obi110 - I want a home line, and a business line.

[thegoat54]

So I have an Obi110 and I have been using it successfully with Voip.ms for my home phone.

I'm going to start a small home based business and want to get a second number for the business.

I figure I can just setup a second number using the SP2 settings, and then change the ringer . . . My problem is I just have some cordless phones attached to the Obi that have their own "buit in ringers" like songs and jingles. I don't think changing the ring tone works on these types of phones does it? Could anyone think of another way I'd be able to differentiate between the 2 phone lines?

Also, how would I make a call using the second phone number?

Does Obi make a product that would allow me to use the second phone port to just hook up another cordless phone to it? So a whole different physical phone would ring?

Thanks!

[Rick]

So I have an Obi110 and I have been using it successfully with Voip.ms for my home phone.

I'm going to start a small home based business and want to get a second number for the business.

I figure I can just setup a second number using the SP2 settings, and then change the ringer . . . My problem is I just have some cordless phones attached to the Obi that have their own "buit in ringers" like songs and jingles. I don't think changing the ring tone works on these types of phones does it? Could anyone think of another way I'd be able to differentiate between the 2 phone lines?

Also, how would I make a call using the second phone number?

Does Obi make a product that would allow me to use the second phone port to just hook up another cordless phone to it? So a whole different physical phone would ring?

Thanks!

1) Have you tried changing the primary ringer and finding out?  My AT&T cordless phone rings as per the OBi settings, not the phone settings.  You don't need to setup the 2nd line to find out, just change the primary ringer in the OBi settings and see.

2) **2 before the number.

3) OBi 202.  But you lose the ability to have a PSTN line, i.e. your phone company, coming into the device.  You can also just hookup another OBi, like the 100.

[thegoat54]

You were right, I can change my ringer. Looks like that will solve my problem.

I've never tried the call forwarding feature. So can the OBi forward calls to my cell phone?

[Rick]

Yes, but with GV you can either choose to ring your cell simultaneously, or choose to NOT ring the Talk line which is what rings your OBi, therefore only ringing your cell.

[infin8loop]

If you also use voip.ms for the second DID for your business and want to differentiate calls in the cordless phone call history you can prefix callerid name on the business line.
Under the voip.ms site menu DID Numbers/Manage DID(S) check the appropriate DID for the business line and then select Edit Selection-All Settings at Once.  In the "CallerID Name Prefix (Optional)" field you can enter something like "bz" in lowercase. Then the callerid name on calls coming in on the business line with be prefixed by "bz". Yes, it may cause a slight truncation on longer incoming callerid names. I use a lowercase prefix since it stands out more and my cordless phone supports it.
I also use Mixed Case names when adding to the voip.ms phone book to differentiate between callerid names supplied from the phone book for free and callerid names looked up for a fee. I add more frequent callers to the phone book saving a whopping 8/10 of a cent on callerid name lookup.