Callcentric and Google Voice Setup Guide (with CNAM)

[pc44]

Callcentric and Google Voice Setup Guide (with CNAM)

With several now asking for setup instructions for using Callcentric (CC) Caller ID Name (CNAM) in conjunction with Google Voice (GV), here is a general guide with basic setup information to achieve this goal.  This post can be edited when necessary.

Overview

Your friend calling your GV Number ==> GV Forwards to your CC Number ==> CC Forwards call to your OBi

Account Setup:

• Purchase the OBi.  Any of the existing OBi models 100, 110, or 202 will work.
• Sign-up for a Google Voice Account, unless you have already done so.
• Configure the OBi for your GV account using the instructions located here.
• Sign-up for a Callcentric Free Phone Number, unless you have already done so.
  • CC's Free Phone Number presently incurs a $1.50 monthly fee.
  • This CC fee offers 911 service through CC if setup correctly on the OBi.  For more information, see What about 911? (Thanks Jimates)
• Write down the account information provided to you by CC during sign-up.
• Enable CNAM on your CC Account. (Thanks MRTT)

Inside your OBi 100/110/202:

• Choose which Voice Service you will use with CC (SP1, SP2, SP3, or SP4)
• Configure the following based on which SP/Profile you chose to use with CC:
  
  
  
  • Service Providers > ITSP Profile X > General -> Name: Callcentric
  • Service Providers > ITSP Profile X > SIP -> ProxyServer: callcentric.com
  • Service Providers > ITSP Profile X > SIP -> RegistrarServer: callcentric.com
  • Service Providers > ITSP Profile X > SIP -> UserAgentDomain: callcentric.com
  • Service Providers > ITSP Profile X > SIP -> OutboundProxy: callcentric.com
  • Voice Services > SPX Service -> AuthUserName: 1777nnnnnnnn
  • Voice Services > SPX Service -> AuthPassword: yourCCpassword
    
    • Substitute your personal setup details with the above green fields
    • Make sure you are entering your CC 1777 account number and not your CC phone number for AuthUserName

Within Google Voice's Account -> Settings -> Phones:

• Add your CC Phone Number (516/631/845/914/917) to your GV account
• Receive and complete the Google Verification Call (Thanks mo832)
• Un-check Google Chat as a forwarding phone
• Check your Callcentric number as a forwarding phone
• Ask someone to place a call to your GV number to test your setup

Troubleshooting:

1) Make sure that your GV Number is set to Forward to your CC Number (Area Code 917/914/845/631/516)
2) Make sure that your GV Number is not set to Forward to Google Chat
3) Make sure that CC is successfully registering (Status -> System Status)

Following these steps, you "should" be able to view Caller ID Names on your incoming calls.  If not, let us know, and we will do our best to quickly find someone to blame.  For $1.50 per month, you now have CC incoming Caller ID Name, GV incoming/outgoing calls (free until end of 2012), and CC 911 service if setup correctly.

[MRTT]

Dunno if it's the same for everyone, but for me, I had to:

1) Enable CNAM in callcentric. (disabled by default?)
2) Remove UserAgentDomain on the obi setup.

Otherwise, I kept getting authentication errors (but could login with the same credentials with soft phone, so I knew they were fine.)

And the phone book entry in callcentric does override the CNAM, very handy for vague cell phones that come up "City, State"  you can make them come up as "Aunt Ruth"

Too bad google voice doesn't offer this directly, I would have paid _just_ for that.

I think pc44's post should be Sticky'd!!

--
MRTT

[jimates]

Great guide pc44.

[tome]

Dunno if it's the same for everyone, but for me, I had to:

1) Enable CNAM in callcentric. (disabled by default?)
2) Remove UserAgentDomain on the obi setup.

#1 is important.  CNAM is disabled by default on CallCentric configuration.  You must go into the Callcentric preferences for this number and enable "Caller ID with Name".

I didn't have to remove the UserAgentDomain and I don't think you should have to, but not sure why you had to MRTT.

Tom

[pc44]

Thanks Jim!

MRTT, thanks for the heads up on needing to enable CNAM for CC.  Also, thanks Tom, for confirming.

Original post updated.
pc44

[Fasttimes]

Yes, CC cnam is off by default.  Works now!

[TheDreamer]

I don't get it...why are we paying for 911 if the Callcentric number is only for receiving calls?  And, more importantly, only to get name display?

[Rick]

How does this impact someone that has setup Callcentric for E911, paying $1.50 a month, WITHOUT getting one of these NY numbers?

What impact does this have on Google Voice capabilities, if any (the answer should be none).?

[carl]

Dreamer : The number is for outgoing calls as well, only you have to pay for them. And since Callcentric provides high quality and reliability and certain call features like 3 and 4 way calling some other providers do not, it is a very good idea to go for this offer.
Rick : I do not think you can have Callcentric 911 service without a phone number, but why for heaven's sake would somebody not want a FREE number ?

[Stewart]

You can have 911 service from CC without a number.

In fact, whether you have a number from them or not, when you call 911, you are automatically assigned a temporary DID that will ring back to the device you are calling from (assuming that it is registered).  That way, if you hang up prematurely or get disconnected, the dispatcher can reliably call you back, even if e.g. your regular DID is set to forward to uncle George.

Most good BYOD providers implement 911 that way.

[Rick]

You can have 911 service from CC without a number.

In fact, whether you have a number from them or not, when you call 911, you are automatically assigned a temporary DID that will ring back to the device you are calling from (assuming that it is registered).  That way, if you hang up prematurely or get disconnected, the dispatcher can reliably call you back, even if e.g. your regular DID is set to forward to uncle George.

Most good BYOD providers implement 911 that way.

Right, that's how mine works now.  I wanted to ensure that if you then add a NY number, you aren't charged another $1.50 a month for E911, since you're already paying for it.

[Stu-be]

There is a portion of your instructions that has me in a bit of a quandry. 

"Within Google Voice's Account -> Settings -> Phones:
•Add your CC Phone Number (516/631/845/914/917) to your GV account
•Un-check Google Chat as a forwarding phone
•Check your Callcentric number as a forwarding phone"

Before I try this there is one thing I am wondering about.  Please understand that this question comes from an unsaavy uer.


If in the process of adding CNAM through Callcentric I would have to uncheck Google Chat as my forwarding phone, wouldn't I lose some of the key Google Voice features as a trade-off for getting CNAM on my incoming calls?  In particular, transcription of voicemail messages, notification of calls in my gmail, and the ability to read these messages in my gmail?   

If so, this doesn't seem like a very good trade-off just to get a Caller ID with names.  If not, what am I  misunderstanding?

[Dixon]

You do not lose GV voice mail and transcription.

[jimates]

There is a portion of your instructions that has me in a bit of a quandry. 

"Within Google Voice's Account -> Settings -> Phones:
•Add your CC Phone Number (516/631/845/914/917) to your GV account
•Un-check Google Chat as a forwarding phone
•Check your Callcentric number as a forwarding phone"

Before I try this there is one thing I am wondering about.  Please understand that this question comes from an unsaavy uer.


If in the process of adding CNAM through Callcentric I would have to uncheck Google Chat as my forwarding phone, wouldn't I lose some of the key Google Voice features as a trade-off for getting CNAM on my incoming calls?  In particular, transcription of voicemail messages, notification of calls in my gmail, and the ability to read these messages in my gmail?   

If so, this doesn't seem like a very good trade-off just to get a Caller ID with names.  If not, what am I  misunderstanding?

Everything is still the same as far as google voice. All you are doing is changing the route the call takes to get to your Obi. Calls still come through google voice, they route to CC and then to the Obi; instead of direct to the Obi from google voice.

[Stu-be]

Well bear with me as I get dumb and dumberer.

"Within Google Voice's Account -> Settings -> Phones:
•Add your CC Phone Number (516/631/845/914/917) to your GV account
•Un-check Google Chat as a forwarding phone
•Check your Callcentric number as a forwarding phone"

This seems like a Catch 22.  I must have missed some nuance.

I've got my CC phone number.  I attempt to add it to GV, but GV wants to dial it and have me verify that it's mine giving two digit verification.  Only problem is I can't verify it because nothing is set up to ring at GV.  The GV call gets lost in the ozone and I can't add my CC number to my GV account.   I see call attempts on the CC call registry without connect.

[QBZappy]

Stu-be,

This seems like a Catch 22. 

Did you use the CC DID number to setup your GV number? GV needs a confirmation that the number is yours. That is your Catch 22 situation. You should have used your cell.

If I understand you correctly you will need to temporarily set up the OBi to receive calls directly from CC. Do not try the GV->CC scheme until the CC DID is confirmed by GV to belong to you. You may need to activate the outgoing calls with CC, at least to make that first call. That means that you will need to drop some money in the account. I'm not sure but I think that you may be able to revert to the free incoming after.

The alternative is to start over, now that you know how to avoid the Catch 22.

[CoalMinerRetired]

I haven't seen this discussed yet. When setting up GV > CC (with CNAM), is there any delay added, delay-to-ring is specifically what I'm asking about here?

[QBZappy]

CoalMinerRetired,

We have discussed this here in this thread:

http://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=3024.msg24193#msg24193

[Stu-be]

Stu-be,

This seems like a Catch 22. 

Did you use the CC DID number to setup your GV number? GV needs a confirmation that the number is yours. That is your Catch 22 situation. You should have used your cell.

If I understand you correctly you will need to temporarily set up the OBi to receive calls directly from CC. Do not try the GV->CC scheme until the CC DID is confirmed by GV to belong to you. You may need to activate the outgoing calls with CC, at least to make that first call. That means that you will need to drop some money in the account. I'm not sure but I think that you may be able to revert to the free incoming after.

The alternative is to start over, now that you know how to avoid the Catch 22.

I set up my Google Voice number a couple of months ago. Along with my Obi100 it has been my landline. My cellphone is listed as the mandatory other number with Google Chat.
Did CC even request a phone number when applying?  I don't recall putting one in, but I guess I must have.  I tried putting my cellphone  number into CC's "Call Treatment" section Redirect call to this Number, but it didn't ring when I called the CC number over my OBi'ed GV line.  Oh well.  I guess it's time to cancel it and start over again.  Tomorrow is another day.

[pc44]

Hi Stu-be,

Please first complete the instructions located under the heading "Inside your OBi 100/110/202:" and then try to add your CC number to Google Voice again.  Now, when GV tries to verify your CC number by calling you, you should be able to answer the call and hear the audio PIN.

Hope it helps,
pc44