Delay in connecting inbound calls

[mendry]

I have searched and don't find any comments on this so I am sorry if it has been asked before. I have a OBi110 with a POTS line and two GV numbers. I have the POTS setup to immediately forward all calls to GV number 1 (GV1). The OBi110 has a handset plugged in as well. When someone calls the POTS, it autoforwards to GV1 and the handset rings fine. When you pickup the call on the handset the ringing stops and the caller hears the ringing stop as well. It is 5-10 seconds before the person picking up the phone is heard by the caller. If you pickup and say "hello" the caller doesn't hear that. If you count to 5 or 10 then say hello they do.

This drives my wife nuts since she picks up and says hello, the caller is tired of waiting in silence and says "hello?" to see if someone answered. About that time my wife says hello again.

Is there any setting in the OBi110 I can tweak to shorten this connecting period or is this something that is due to GV and will go away when GV goes away and I have to find another service provider to replace GV? I am looking into other service providers now, but don't want to get locked into a contract if the delay is the OBi110 since my wife will want to dump it.   

[drgeoff]

Is there a (good) reason why you are forwarding the POTS calls to one of the GV numbers rather than directly to the phone?

[mendry]

I mainly have the POTS line since my alarm system requires it and I am in a rural location where there is no cable or reliable wireless service as alternatives to POTS for the alarm. Unfortunately we started with it so that is the number normally associated with us. And many people seem to have it on SPAM lists. Features are the other reason. The POTS line is CenturyLink and they only recently added voicemail arriving as a email.  They removed do not disturb so I can't automatically block nighttime calls and I have more than the 15 blocked phone numbers than they allow to prevent SPAM calls. GV handles all of this.

[sdb-]

I can see the appeal in letting GV handling your POTS filtering and e-mail.

I think the forwarding you are doing is always going to have a delay.

An alternate (but more difficult to set up) approach would be to:

• add a virtual number to your CenturyLink (CTL) POTS account
• (after that number is working, you might need to make it the primary number on your CTL account)
• remove old POTS number and add the new virtual number to the GV account
• port your old POTS number to GV (a multi-step process) as a partial port from CTL

now your new number isthe POTS number, and the old number rings direct to GV without the forwarding delay.

Personally I would NOT do this.  I don't trust GV with my POTS number.  Last week I initiated the process to port my POTS number from CTL to Anveo.

sdb

P.S.  To port a landline number from centurylink into google voice requires you first port the number to a mobile carrier, e.g. tracphone, t-mobile pay-as-you-go, AT&T go-phone, etc.  That phone will cost $10-20 and usually the port is free.  Then mobile into GV is possible, but it does have the risk that GV may not be able to do the port even after all that.

[mendry]

Thanks for the suggestion. I didn't know about virtual numbers with CTL and was trying to figure out how to grab my POTS number for whatever VOIP service I move to as GV goes away. I am looking at Anveo too.

Do you think the forward delay does come from the POTS to GV forward not the OBI? The ring happens quickly. It's when you pickup the handset on the Obi where both the caller and the recipient experience a delay after ringing stops and before voices can be heard on the line. The same thing happens if I just directly call the GV number. I'd hate to move to another VOIP provider only to find the delay is the OBI not GV.   

[sdb-]

Funny enough, my port from CTL to Anveo seems to be complete after 5 days, 13 hours since I e-mailed in my paperwork.

Anveo sent me an e-mail just before 1pm today, "port is almost complete, it should be switched to our carrier in 48 to 72 hours."  And about 1 hour later calls started to come thru Anveo instead of CTL.  Hopefully no problems yet to surface...

I did not do the virtual number trick because I did not want to keep the CTL phone service (just the DSL).

I believe your delay is somehow related to the forward.  I don't think the OBi adds a delay in a normal call path.

I also have an OBi110 (which will go to my parents when I score a deal on a '202).  I have google voice as SP1 and Anveo as SP2.  Over the past few weeks of use I have not noticed any delay between answering the phone and hearing or being heard.  Of course, most of that usage was google voice and some Anveo test calls since the POTS line just barely ported!  Using my old number this afternoon via Anveo I have answered only one call myself and the family has answered a few.

So far, so good!

[mendry]

Very helpful, thank you. I need the POTS line for my alarm system, but will plan a move like yours.

[mendry]

Just to wrap this up I had great success setting up ANVEO and eliminating GV did remove the delay. Now everything  will work fine while I transfer my POTS number. Many thanks.

[sdb-]

Good news.  

Thanks for reporting back.  It's nice to know the resolution.

P.S.  No problems porting my number from CTL to Anveo, and keeping my DSL with CTL.  It worked and is working great.