Caller ID Name with Google Voice (GV)

[LisaIL]

So, is it correct to state that the problem with not receiving the Caller ID Name when using an Obi device with GV lies with GV?  They *could* be supplying a name with the number if they:
a.  did a CNAM lookup to a 3rd party database (but that costs money)
or
b. queried my Google Contacts and sent the name I have for that number.

I posted in a GV forum and someone replying is asserting that this is something that GV can not *fix*.

[Rick]

I think you're caught in a terminology fix.  Caller ID name is a FEATURE that some phone service providers CHOOSE to provide, some for a fee.  Google chooses to not provide it.

Since Google does not charge for GV, it is unlikely they will spend any additional money to provide features like this since it's not like they're not getting people to sign up because of it.

If they chose to provide it, they could do it in either of the ways that you suggest.  They simply chose not to provide it.

[LisaIL]

So just to be clear, we are both talking about INCOMING caller id name, yes?  And if the Google Chat data stream had the name data in it whether by doing a CNAM lookup or using my Google Contacts, then ObiTalk could show it on my phone, yes?

So, if I wanted to make a Feature Suggestion to Google Voice, exactly how should I word it so as to be perfectly clear?

[Rick]

So just to be clear, we are both talking about INCOMING caller id name, yes?  And if the Google Chat data stream had the name data in it whether by doing a CNAM lookup or using my Google Contacts, then ObiTalk could show it on my phone, yes?

So, if I wanted to make a Feature Suggestion to Google Voice, exactly how should I word it so as to be perfectly clear?

Yes, and yes.  I suspect if you look it's been suggested 10s of thousands of times.  Has nothing to do with the OBi.

[LisaIL]

Funny thing, I can't find in the GV forums anywhere that it's been suggested.

[lhm.]

Rick is correct, do not waste your time.

This may work for you though.

http://michigantelephone.wordpress.com/2012/04/15/how-to-use-the-simon-telephonics-google-voice-gateway-with-an-obihai-device-to-provide-caller-id-name-on-incoming-google-voice-calls/

[Felix]

So just to be clear, we are both talking about INCOMING caller id name, yes?  And if the Google Chat data stream had the name data in it whether by doing a CNAM lookup or using my Google Contacts, then ObiTalk could show it on my phone, yes?

My Panasonic phone shows the names if they are in the address book (given that cell phones do it for a decade now, it's strange that other regular phones don't!). Given that about 80% of my callers are in my address book, it's almost as good as CNAM lookup!

[giqcass]

Google Voice was not meant to be used in the way we are using it on the OBi.  In the United States it is up to the phone company terminating the call to provide incoming caller ID names from its own database.  Since Google Voice did not intend it's service to be the point of termination there is no reason for them to provide incoming caller ID look-ups as part of the service.  In the case of Google Talk terminating the call the chat software does this look-up from the users profile.

[CoalMinerRetired]

Rick is correct, do not waste your time.

This may work for you though.

http://michigantelephone.wordpress.com/2012/04/15/how-to-use-the-simon-telephonics-google-voice-gateway-with-an-obihai-device-to-provide-caller-id-name-on-incoming-google-voice-calls/

That is one way, but the cleaner way (IMO), and the approach with a good following on here of course, is this: Callcentric and Google Voice Setup Guide (with CNAM).

In reply to LisaIL's third post, it only gets you CNAM for calls received via the Obi.

[MickW]

Better caller id. Here is my blog entry:louisvillemetropc.com/wp/?p=444

[Vasanth]

Lisa I am in the same page as you. I also went through the entire chat you had with GV [Red Leatherman] .

I do not have Obi. But I have a JailBroken Vonage VDV22 adapter configured to work with google voice, which I use as my land line. I have a local asterisk server setup where I can write code to format the Caller Id , Caller name and a multitude of other parameters. Since OBI or Asterisk use the google chat interface to make calls through GV , the incoming caller name comes as +1952232XXXX@voice.google.com . I would imagine GV should be easily able to lookup this number against the contacts or a CNAM DB and send us the correct name. But unable to understand RedLeatherman's arguments. May be it would have been better if he had just mentioned its a feature they are not planning to add and left it there.

I am trying to see if I can write code in my asterisk box to lookup my google contacts or a CNAME db. Will post if I make progress.