PSTN Bridging? Callback? Gateway?

[feuGene]

I use Google Voice to initiate calls, choosing my landline for "Phone to call with".  My landline service can only receive (not make) calls, and my broadband is via satellite so VoIP suffers from a significant delay, so using Google Voice in this way is the only way I can make calls that are (a) free, and (b) without a delay.

I bought an OBi110 because I thought the "PSTN Bridging" feature would do what I've described above, but I can't seem to figure out how to make it work.

I want to be able to just pick up my phone and dial, and have the OBi110 initiate the call via Google Voice and then receive the incoming call via my landline.  Is this what "PSTN Bridging" does?  If not, is there another way?

[dircom]

If GV makes a call thru your obi, it is using VOIP

[drgeoff]

In simple terms, think of your OBi110 as providing you with 3 "phone lines".  2 of them work over the internet (GV or SIP) and 1 works over your landline.  Instead of an incoming call (on any of the 3 lines) just being directed to the telephone instrument plugged into the OBi110's PHONE socket, the OBi can route the call back out on either of the two other lines to any other phone that they can reach.  That is "bridging".  If the incoming line or the outgoing line is the PSTN one then "PSTN bridging" is what is taking place.

Addendum for purists:

1.  The OBi110 can provide more than 3 "phone lines".  The extras are the OBiTALK "line" and all the Voice Gateways although the latter can only make calls, not receive them.

2.  Depending on the ITSP it may be possible to have a call come in on one of the ITSP "lines" and go back out on the same one.  This isn't something I have tried, hence my use of "may".

[reststop]

I use Google Voice to initiate calls, choosing my landline for "Phone to call with".  My landline service can only receive (not make) calls, and my broadband is via satellite so VoIP suffers from a significant delay, so using Google Voice in this way is the only way I can make calls that are (a) free, and (b) without a delay.

I bought an OBi110 because I thought the "PSTN Bridging" feature would do what I've described above, but I can't seem to figure out how to make it work.

I want to be able to just pick up my phone and dial, and have the OBi110 initiate the call via Google Voice and then receive the incoming call via my landline.  Is this what "PSTN Bridging" does?  If not, is there another way?

This is similar to what I would like to do.  I want to make calls on GV or a VOIP service and be able to answer a call on my landline if someone calls me on that.  Using just 1 handset connected to OBI110 phone jack.   I might be a little dense but didnt see an answer in the last few replies.  Yea, my first post and I am new to this stuff.  Thanks for any replies.

rest

[ianobi]

reststop - welcome to the forum.

Your situation looks simple. If you make the GV/SIP provider your Primary Line, then any calls you make will automatically go out through that service provider. Calls coming in from GV/SIP provider or via your PSTN landline will all ring the phone attached to the OBi.

Outgoing calls can be forced to use the PSTN landline by dialling **8 followed by the number, but if you dial a number with no ** code it will always use your Primary Line.

[feuGene]

1.  The OBi110 can provide more than 3 "phone lines".  The extras are the OBiTALK "line" and all the Voice Gateways although the latter can only make calls, not receive them.

What are Gateways?  Might one do what I want?  How about Trunk Groups?  (Doubtful, but just hoping something I don't yet understand might actually be my solution )

[drgeoff]

I want to be able to just pick up my phone and dial, and have the OBi110 initiate the call via Google Voice and then receive the incoming call via my landline.

1.  When you initiate a GV call from an OBi, there is no incoming call.  The called number rings and when they answer you are talking to them.  Just like an "ordinary" phone call.  It's all over your internet connection.  The landline isn't involved.

2.  Initiating a GV call from an OBi will stop working on 15 May 2014.

Gateways are just a restricted form of the 2 SP "slots" available in your OBi110.  They can only be used to make calls - not receive them - and they can only be used with ITSPs which permit calling without SIP registration.  (And they can only be used with SIP accounts, not GV.)

[zapattack]

I use Google Voice to initiate calls, choosing my landline for "Phone to call with".  My landline service can only receive (not make) calls,

What do you mean by 'initiate calls' versus 'choosing '. Both imply the same thing.

If you have broadband delay, then GV will experience the same delay as VoIP.

Bridging means connecting the land line (PSTN) through the OBi to an internet/VoIP/GV call. The Auto Attendant feature allows the OBi to be used from another location to extend a call using your service providers.

As previously mentioned, the 110 is basically a three line switch that connects to one phone for incoming or outgoing calls.
The digits you dial choose which line the OG call uses, but one line can be the default for all calls.
All incoming calls ring the same phone by default.
So the OBi does exactly what you want.

[sdb-]

I use Google Voice to initiate calls, choosing my landline for "Phone to call with".  My landline service can only receive (not make) calls,

What do you mean by 'initiate calls' versus 'choosing '. Both imply the same thing.

If you have broadband delay, then GV will experience the same delay as VoIP.

Not so.

You can go to the GV web page and tell it to call a number.  This requires GV to know your phone number.  If it knows multiple numbers for you, then it will prompt you to choose one.  When you are ready, GV will call you, then when you answer it will call the selected number.  Using this process with your landline configured into GV can avoid VoIP entirely and also avoid any broadband related delays on your end.

Or by using XMPP (either directly or via an OBi) you will use VoIP to place a call using GV.  This will incur any broadband related problems since you are using VoIP.

[feuGene]

I use Google Voice to initiate calls, choosing my landline for "Phone to call with".  My landline service can only receive (not make) calls,

What do you mean by 'initiate calls' versus 'choosing '. Both imply the same thing.
...
So the OBi does exactly what you want.

sdb- nailed it, and quite eloquently.  Thank you!

In case there's still any confusion, here's what the GV interface looks like:



To do what I describe in my original post, I select "Aumstead Landline," which will ring my landline to establish the call, avoiding VoIP entirely, and utilizing the landline only for incoming calls.

What the OBi does, however, is effectively like selecting "Google Talk," which is definitely not...

exactly what you want

.