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IF YOUR OBI NEEDS UPDATES SEE HERE

See here for some good tutorials on setting up the Obi.

You can switch your current landline number into a Google Voice account to retain your phone number on a free Obi phone line.
To port your landline to GV:
  • Get ahold of an old Page Plus or Verizon cell phone that isn't being used. Port your existing landline to Page Plus for free through their website.
  • Fill out the port form and put in your landline number and the old PP cell phone's ESN or MEID number (from under the battery) and wait a couple of days for it to go through. You will know that the port is complete, when dialing your landline rings on the cell phone.
  • Once the account is active, buy $10 worth of minutes from PagePlus in order to receive the verification call from GV.
  • Now you can initiate the GV port. It's a good idea to open a new Gmail account. You can then setup all emails that come to that account (all the voicemails notifications) to be forwarded to your main Gmail account. Login to GV from the new account and port in your number. It will cost $20, and you will get an email when the port to GV is complete.
Using the above method will only have incoming Caller ID numbers, not names. If you want names as well, follow these steps:
  • Go to https://www.callcentric.com/, click Products, then click the yellow Get A Number button next to Free Phone Number.
  • Use the tool on the left to pick an area code, then order the number. It doesn’t have to be something memorable, because no one will ever have to dial it.
  • When it asks if you’re in US/Canada, either select Yes to use their E911 service, or No if you want to use something else. Callcentric setup is free, plus $1.50/mo if you want E911 services. See below for more details.
  • After you receive a confirmation email from Callcentric with your new account info, go to obitalk.com, and log into your Obi. Click SP2, scroll down to OBiTALK Compatible Service Providers, then click Next. Follow the prompts to link your Callcentric account. In the box that says Callcentric Number, enter the 1777 number you got in the email. Uncheck Primary Line for Outgoing Calls and 911.
  • Open Google Voice, go into Settings, and add a forwarding phone. Enter the real phone number you got in the email from Callcentric. Google will call it to confirm; it should ring on your Obi. Answer it and enter the code shown by GV.
  • Uncheck forward to Google Chat.
  • Log into your Callcentric account. Click Preferences. Under General, enable Caller ID with name (Inbound calls). (You can also change the maximum call duration, and unlist yourself from the directory).
or this for a $5 one time fee.
https://simonics.com/gw/?promo=nerdvittles


If you’re not using Callcentric, you have to set up SP3 in Obi settings to point to your E911 provider’s account.
E911 providers:
Callcentric$18/year ($1.50/mo) + $1.50 setup
Anveo$15/year
http://www.gv911.com/$12/year
http://www.bulkvs.com/e911.html$8.64/year ($0.72/mo)

If you want the SP2 to ring like the standard US ringtone:
go to obi expert config, then to voice service, select sp2, and change it to this:
X_ServProvProfile B
X_RingProfile   A
X_CodecProfile   A

You can add your CID http://www.listyourself.net/ListYourself/listing.jsp?ID=new
and check your CID http://who.scalling.com/411/

Author Topic: OBi Master Thread  (Read 355425 times)

Offline JEWDA

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Re: OBi 110
« Reply #220 on: May 01, 2012, 11:10:30 AM »
NO. Porting it removes it from the PP phone and puts it into GV which when configured properly with your obi that has your landline phone plugged in - will become your landline.

I waited so long after this was originally posted to cave in and go for it. Now that I have it, I kick myself for not doing it earlier! I pay $30 per month for my internet and that's all!!

Even when it's not on sale and costs $50, it's not worth waiting for it to go on sale. Every 10 days that you wait, costs you another $10 in phone bills (on a $30 per month landline!)
So if I already have a gv # that rings on my cell will it ring on both with the obi?
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Offline MarkS

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Re: OBi 110
« Reply #221 on: May 01, 2012, 11:11:27 AM »
So if I already have a gv # that rings on my cell will it ring on both with the obi?
Setup a new gmail account -new GV account (assuming you want to have 2 different lines)

Offline JEWDA

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Re: OBi 110
« Reply #222 on: May 01, 2012, 11:13:20 AM »
Setup a new gmail account -new GV account (assuming you want to have 2 different lines)
No I want it to ring on both
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Offline Wolf

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Re: OBi 110
« Reply #223 on: May 02, 2012, 03:51:37 PM »
So if I already have a gv # that rings on my cell will it ring on both with the obi?
Yes it will ring on both,
unless your on a call on your cell or on the obi, then it will come in as a beep, or flash wtvr,
Just remember that if your cell is shut down or low on service where it will send all calls to the cell v/m, then it wont ring the obi only 1-2 rings, it will go to your cell phones v/m.

Offline Wolf

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Re: OBi 110
« Reply #224 on: May 02, 2012, 04:56:44 PM »
To fix the Caller ID issue take a look here http://michigantelephone.wordpress.com/tag/google-voice/


Setup took me 7 minutes and it works fine.


Just make sure to really use a separate Google account, the more you give away your password the more your vulnerable to other ppl sticking in their noses...
« Last Edit: May 02, 2012, 05:27:44 PM by Wolf »

Offline elikay

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Re: OBi 110
« Reply #225 on: May 07, 2012, 09:31:54 PM »
Two pointers, firstly the calls will not go to the vm if you setup call screening. Second, your PP phone will not ring until a test call has been made
 It is not possible to make a test call until the phone has been programmed. So the only way to know that the port went through, is when the landline stops working.

Offline Wolf

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Re: OBi 110
« Reply #226 on: May 07, 2012, 09:55:15 PM »
if I dont have a pageplus phone laying around is there any other ez way to port in a landline?

Offline MarkS

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Re: OBi 110
« Reply #227 on: May 07, 2012, 09:57:49 PM »
if I dont have a pageplus phone laying around is there any other ez way to port in a landline?
An old Verizon phone will work too.

Where do you live? If in Lakewood, PM me and I can work out a phone for you.
If not, post here and see if a member can hook you up with one for a few days!

Offline Wolf

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Re: OBi 110
« Reply #228 on: May 07, 2012, 09:58:47 PM »
An old Verizon phone will work too.

Where do you live? If in Lakewood, PM me and I can work out a phone for you.
If not, post here and see if a member can hook you up with one for a few days!
No old verizon, and im not from Lakewood.

Offline smurf

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Re: OBi 110
« Reply #229 on: May 08, 2012, 12:12:14 AM »
No old verizon, and im not from Lakewood.
old sprint phones can work too but that may require some reprogramming

Offline AsherO

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Re: OBi 110
« Reply #230 on: May 08, 2012, 12:19:40 AM »
I did something similar when porting a business landline # to GV, first I ported the # to a T-Mobile prepaid sim/line, then ported from that to GV.
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Offline Wolf

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Re: OBi 110
« Reply #231 on: May 08, 2012, 12:28:18 AM »
I did something similar when porting a business landline # to GV, first I ported the # to a T-Mobile prepaid sim/line, then ported from that to GV.
Thats what I wanna do, port a verizon business landline to gv. Can you give more details how you did it?

Offline AsherO

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Re: OBi 110
« Reply #232 on: May 08, 2012, 12:36:33 AM »
Thats what I wanna do, port a verizon business landline to gv. Can you give more details how you did it?

Got a T-Mo prepaid sim (something like this, methinks), called T-Mo, and activated it with porting in the biz phone line (BTW my landline biz carrier wasn't VZ). Once the sim was active with T-Mo, I ported it to GV using the online system. Took a few days, but once it was done I now have a GV line with free incoming calls and no monthly fee. This biz line was only used for incoming, and was costing the biz $20+ per month for just incoming calls, now it isn't costing the business anything.
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Offline Wolf

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Re: Re: OBi 110
« Reply #233 on: May 08, 2012, 12:53:06 AM »
Got a T-Mo prepaid sim (something like this, methinks), called T-Mo, and activated it with porting in the biz phone line.
do you need a t-mo cellphone to do it? Or can I put it in to any Sim phone?

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Re: OBi 110
« Reply #234 on: May 08, 2012, 01:00:03 AM »

Offline AsherO

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Re: OBi 110
« Reply #235 on: May 08, 2012, 01:08:30 AM »
do you need a t-mo cellphone to do it? Or can I put it in to any Sim phone?

Any unlocked phone US GSM should work.

or this http://prepaid-phones.t-mobile.com/prepaid-phone/T-Mobile-Prepaid-SIM-Activation-Kit

That should work, I didn't realize they themselves sell it for so cheap.
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Re: OBi 110
« Reply #236 on: May 08, 2012, 01:12:53 AM »
Any unlocked phone US GSM should work.

That should work, I didn't realize they themselves sell it for so cheap.
was $ .99 a few weeks ago

Offline kayef

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Re: OBi 110
« Reply #237 on: May 09, 2012, 08:19:24 AM »
Looks like the Obi-GV connection is down for a lot of people. Is anyones still working?

Offline Wolf

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Re: Re: OBi 110
« Reply #238 on: May 09, 2012, 08:22:35 AM »
Looks like the Obi-GV connection is down for a lot of people. Is anyones still working?
mine is fine.

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Re: OBi 110
« Reply #239 on: May 09, 2012, 10:30:15 AM »
Mine is not working as well