How To: Use Google Voice and OBi

[RonR]

tiff,

In advanced settings for your cell phone number in your Google Voice account, change:

Direct access to voicemail when calling your Google number from this phone?

Yes (default for mobile phones)

to

No (requires pressing star during greetings -- default for non-mobile phones)

[tiff]

RonR,

Thanks for your tips, it works

tiff

[p2pvoice]

You can manage the OBi devices either through the OBiTalk web portal or through the local web interface, not both. If you want to manage the device through the local web interface you need to turn off Auto Provisioning, otherwise it will over write those settings with what is on the OBiTalk web portal. Both ways to manage the devices work and have both their advantages and short-comings.

I prefer using the local web interface, most seem to prefer using the OBiTalk web portal. It is a nice feature that the OBi folks let us choose how we want to manage our OBis.

Dave

How do you turn-off Auto Provisioning?

Thanks.

[RonR]

How do you turn-off Auto Provisioning?

Log into the OBi directly at the IP address returned by dialing ***1 and set:

System Management -> Auto Provisioning -> ITSP Provisioning -> Method : Disabled
System Management -> Auto Provisioning -> OBiTALK Provisioning -> Method : Disabled

[p2pvoice]

Thanks, RonR.

[MrGadget]

I have GV setup and removed all my forwards to other phones. How do I get my Obi to ring for incoming calls? It goes to GVoicemail directly. I am able to place outgoing calls (**1xxxxxxxxxx) without incident. I have GVoicemail settings currently disabled.

Also:
ITSP Provisioning Method: System Start
OBiTalk Provisining Method: Disabled
Should both be disabled? I disabled based upon the recommended settings in another post.

Where do I begin to look? Is this an OBi Configuration problem or a GV setting?

Thanks

I am sure you may need more information before we can determine the problem, but this is a start.

[RonR]

MrGadget,

You must have a Google Chat forwarding phone in your Google Voice account and it must be enabled.  If you don't have one, make an outgoing call from your Gmail account using your web browser to create it.

[RonR]

ITSP Provisioning Method: System Start
OBiTalk Provisining Method: Disabled
Should both be disabled? I disabled based upon the recommended settings in another post.

The Auto Provisioning settings must be at Default if you wish the OBi to be configured by the OBiTALK Web Portal.

The Auto Provisioning settings must be set to Disabled if you wish to configure the OBi yourself using its local interface.

[MrGadget]

MrGadget,

You must have a Google Chat forwarding phone in your Google Voice account and it must be enabled.  If you don't have one, make an outgoing call from your Gmail account using your web browser to create it.

Wow - that was too easy, but not obvious. Thanks for the rapid response.

[kealolo]

I've read through a number of forum threads but apparently my question is more basic than anyone has asked...

In order to port my landline number, I apparently need  t-mobile cell phone; can I just buy one off ebay or is there some special kind which will work with the prepaid SIM card which is recommended? And does "prepaid" mean I won't get stuck with having to pay for a monthly t-mobile plan?

thanks

[Rick]

I've read through a number of forum threads but apparently my question is more basic than anyone has asked...

In order to port my landline number, I apparently need  t-mobile cell phone; can I just buy one off ebay or is there some special kind which will work with the prepaid SIM card which is recommended? And does "prepaid" mean I won't get stuck with having to pay for a monthly t-mobile plan?

thanks

T-Mobile and AT&T (and perhaps others) offer prepaid phones that may, or may not, come with initial minutes.  I bought an AT&T phone for $5.00 from Best Buy, but the minimum minutes would have been $15.  I ended up having a $4.99 T-Mobile SIM card for a device I ended up not using, and instead used that option and now have an AT&T prepaid phone with no minutes on it that I can keep as a emergency phone for a $5 investment, which I can add minutes to at any time (I opened it, so I can't return it).

A prepaid plan is where you buy minutes, use them, and then buy more.  You can refill the minutes online or by buying cards of minutes, but you'll use maybe 2 or 3 minutes in your conversion (unless you get calls during that period), so don't buy too many.  Some of the phones come with 30 minutes or some on them.

One thing to note though is that some prepaid phones, and SIM cards, are "locked" for a period.  I've read that AT&T is locked for 6 months.  That means you can't move the SIM card to another phone.  For example, I tried putting the T-Mobile SIM card into the AT&T prepaid phone, and the AT&T phone wouldn't use it because the phone was locked to AT&T's network for 6 months.  I would NOT use eBay. you want to make sure what you get works for the porting.  Besides, between the phone and the minutes, I don't know how you'll beat $30.

The phone I bought from AT&T is now $15.  Here's the link: http://bit.ly/xNxfa7
The minimum minute purchase is $15.  Here's that link: http://bit.ly/xxLDfA

Total cost is $30.  Hard to beat.  

T-Mobile's cheapest phone is $19.99.  http://bit.ly/y2utAI
Minutes are $10, total cost $30 also.  http://bit.ly/ygdk7l

I would also strongly recommend setting up a separate GV account (which requires a separate GMail account) for your OBi.  I did that, I wanted to be able to keep things separate, and not give my Google password to the OBi device, which then gives access to all my Google stuff.

[jimates]

get a tracfone. Often on sale for $10 at Dollar General, Rite Aid, Family Dollar etc.
It comes with enough minutes to get your port done. You can keep it and reactivate it anytime by just buying an airtime card.

[topsub]

I looked through the forum but couldn't find this, but is it possible when someone calls my google voice number to have it ring with the OBI100 and my cell phone?

[Rick]

I looked through the forum but couldn't find this, but is it possible when someone calls my google voice number to have it ring with the OBI100 and my cell phone?

That's done at GV, simply setup your cellphone under the Phones tab and check the box for your cell phone, and it will ring both.

[topsub]

I looked through the forum but couldn't find this, but is it possible when someone calls my google voice number to have it ring with the OBI100 and my cell phone?

That's done at GV, simply setup your cellphone under the Phones tab and check the box for your cell phone, and it will ring both.

Wow thanks i unchecked this thinking OBI100 wouldn't work, but thats what i want.. This product rocks.

[DonB]

My OBI 100 seems to be working fine, but when I check the OBItalk online, it shows my status as being offline, is that normal, I thought it is suppose to be online, ?? see the sample image below, you see where the status is in green as being online, mine says offline, but phone works

[Bill_]

Using a single GV phone number, is it possible to send and receive phone calls from both Obi #1 and Obi #2? The post from jimates suggests not, but want to confirm. If not, is there a work-around?

Which ever unit connects last is the one that rings.

Obi #1 - google as SP1 - set up first
Obi #2 - google as SP1 - set up second

When I called my GV number the phone on Obi #2 rang and the phone on Obi #1 did not.

I rebooted Obi #1, called again and this time the phone on Obi #1 rang, and Obi #2 did not.
I rebooted Obi #2 and got reversed results.

The phone on the Obi that did not ring had a dial tone while the call on the other was in progress.

[Stewart]

Using a single GV phone number, is it possible to send and receive phone calls from both Obi #1 and Obi #2? The post from jimates suggests not, but want to confirm. If not, is there a work-around?

You can for example have OBi #1 registered to GV, and use the OBiTalk network to relay calls to/from OBi #2.  This is the simplest way, but a problem with OBi #1 (lost Internet connection, power, etc.) would prevent OBi #2 from working.  It could also have quality issues e.g. caused by traffic on OBi #1's connection, or latency issues e.g. if the devices were in different countries.

Other alternatives, assuming that OBi #1 is registered to GV:

Have GV also ring another (free or paid) DID registered from OBi #2.  Use OBiTalk for the outbound path.

Have GV also ring another (free or paid) DID registered from OBi #2.  Use a separate GV account on OBi #2 for outbound (caller ID will be different).

Have GV also ring another (free or paid) DID registered from OBi #2.  Use a different provider on OBi #2 for outbound, which permits spoofing the GV number (outbound calls won't be free).

[Danielle]

I need help!

I just got my OBi today, and I tried setting up my OBi110 device with my googlevoice account, but it's not working.  It has not yet displayed in Obitalk as "connected," as it keeps showing up as "BACKING OFF."  I've gone through each of the items in the list for what to do when the OBi110 is not connecting, but it still won't connect.

This is what I've done:
a. I checked that my OBi has the most up-to-date software.
b. I've checked that my Google account is the Primary email address in my Google Account settings.
c. I have made a call with Gmail's Call Phone feature.
d. My 2-Step Verification in Google Voice is turned "OFF".
e.  I performed the OBitalk Echotest and it worked.

What else can I do to make this work?  I was incredibly excited to use the Obi device to make calls and accept incoming calls via my google voice number, but I don't know what else to do.  Is there any way I can speak to someone from Obi for support via the phone?

Can anyone help me?

Thanks in advance!!!!

[QBZappy]

Danielle,

This may be the cause. The timing of these two posts seems too much to ba a coincidence.

http://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=3119.msg24817#msg24817