Google Voice now supported on OBi110
 

If you use Google Voice you might want to splash out $50 on the OBi110 which now supports Google Voice. Add the hotel room phone and you can take your "landline" with you on the go.

http://voxilla.com/2011/01/24/how-to...alls-free-2512

^

Does that mean after setting up the OBi service/box
that I could get use of it without carrying it while I travel?

Thanks!

No, the Obi box is an Analogue Telephone Adapter that lets you use Google Voice with a physical telephone wherever the box is located. When you travel you can set GV to forward your landline calls to your cell by clicking a box on the GV website.

I picked one up via Amazon ($50-ish) - took about 15 minutes to set up, from the time I opened the box until the time I called. Totally painless.

The box is tiny, like a deck of cards, you could throw in your bag for travel and the charger is a 110-220v universal type.

You plug an analog phone (or hotel phone) into it, it's like a magicjack without the PC need.

Have you used it internationally? Does that require 2 OBi boxes?

Thanks again!

Nope you can just bring the one box around with you, it can be used anywhere you can pick up a DHCP address. I only own one box and have used it all over, just toss it in a bag, no second one needed anywhere.

They also have a (free) iPhone client. If you leave the box plugged in at home you can connect to it via your iPhone client and make phone calls over Google Voice. Not that there aren't a bunch of other ways to make GV calls from overseas on the iPhone, but you can use it too.

I actually have the Obi box set up for both Google Voice and my Sip provider and you can switch back and forth as to who you want to use via a central Obi web site that can remote-control your box config. I probably make it sound more confusing than it is, but it's actually really simple and well done.

Hmmm...very cool stuff!!

Also Obi has a 'circle of trust' which allows you to use(call from) other peoples Obi devices. Great back up in case the home Obi takes a hit.

Wow that's very unique and cool!!

This older thread seems a good place to ask a few questions of current Obi users. I couldn’t find the answers in the product documentation or on any reviews.

1. When an Obi device is used with multiple 'service providers', such as two Google Voice numbers, is there a way to know which GV number the call on your analog phone is coming from, when the analog phone is ringing and before picking up the call? Do you get prompted by GV, like you do when you place a GV call?

2. If you have only one service provider, GV in my case, set up for one phone line (I’m asking about Obi2020), do you still have to dial the **1 to place an outbound call?
EDIT: Answer, via some more searching. Yes if you configure the service provider to be the primary provider.

3. Can you still use the * button feature on the analog phone while on a GV call to transfer the call to another GV phone?

Thanks, in advance.

Obi uses distinctive ring to indicate calls coming in on provider 1 or 2. IIRC, line 1 is one long ring and line 2 is two short rings.

Not sure about the * code as I have not tried to use it. Theoretically, it should work as Obi should just pass through the DTMF tones in call.

I have a Obi110 configured with a SIP provider (primary line) and Google Voice (Secondary line). I configured the GV account on there merely out of curiosity / novelty and haven't really messed around with it much except to test out outbound calling.

I don't have multiple GV accounts to test out your exact scenario, but I did just try this:

Called my GV number from a PSTN line. It rang on my mobile and on my Obi100-connected analog phone (both are linked to the GV account). I answered the call on the analog phone and pressed * then dialed my mobile number. My mobile rang, showing the caller ID of my GV account. Does that answer your question?

No. To be honest it confuses things a bit.

How it works on an incoming GV call (link) is you press * (only *, you do not need to dial any additional phone numbers) and then all your google voice 'Forwards calls to' phones ring. You then answer any one of the ringing phones, and the call is transferred. And IMO this works pretty seamlessly, although I haven't used it in a while.

Ah, in that case, yes it does work as you describe.

Are there any other VoIP ATA's which support Google Voice?