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Some basic questions

Started by WoodsyGuy, May 18, 2015, 09:04:48 PM

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WoodsyGuy

Hi: I'll soon have increased bandwidth (6 MBPS) through improvements at my ISP. I'm looking into switching entirely to VOIP and buying an Obihai device. Some questions:

I'd like to try VOIP for a few weeks to make sure quality and reliability are good. I've got a Google Voice number already for my cell phone and can open another account for another number, of course. My hope is I can continue to have my landline available from AT&T for a few weeks of testing, with some new number for the Obihai/VOIP phone. Then, if all goes well, cancel my AT&T service and port the number to a landline type phone connected to the Obihai device.

I've read an article how to port my original landline number first to a cheap AT&T GoPhone, then to a landline. So, is the above possible and can I port a new number (my landline) after 3 or so weeks of use with another number. Would this require one of the two line Obihais?? Is that still the method (GV to Cell to Obihai phone) still the recommended method to port original phone number?

Many thanks!

George

drgeoff

All Obis support at least two VoIP (SIP or GoogleVoice) 'lines'. A plugged in analogue phone ('landline type phone' in your words) can make and receive calls on any of the configured 'lines'. The Obi202 has two phone jacks and can support two analogue phones (or a two line phone). It can be configured such that each phone is restricted to a subset of the 'lines' or each phone can make and receive calls on any 'line'. With two phones the 202 supports two calls taking place at the same time.

kaniki

another thought. I dont know how many phones you have, or how you have things set up, but years ago, we switched from a landline to a voip service. What I did was, I completely disconnected my home from the verizon service (2 little wires). this can be done from their main connection box, or somewhere else. just make sure that you have no connection going back to the company. Then I took a regular phone cord, and plugged it into the phone jack on the wall. It now powers all the phones in the house. We have one phone in just about every room of the house, which makes it nice because if someone calls, there is always a phone near by. I am just saying this, because i dont want you to think that you can only have one phone hooked up to this device. It is still just one line though.

right now, I am kind of doing the same thing. I bought one of their 202 models, and if all is good, I am going to switch my phone number from phone power to this, and sign up for phone power as a provider. I am told there are some limitations to this, but i guess, if you sign up with another company, then what happens is if one goes down, then the other company takes the slack. and you can set the primary provider as which ever one you want. So if you only have goggle voice, then you are relying completely on them, but if you sign up for another company, like phone power, then if google voice is having problems, then it will switch and try phone power to get the call through, and vise versa. So my service, I am guessing, in the end, will be the same as I have now with phone power, just a much lower bill. going though this way, it ways that the service, with phone power, is about $60 a year, while going though phone power by itself, cost me over $200 with taxes a year. a major savings.