Google voice with obi is dead as of 5/15/14 (Decree Nullified 9/11/14)

[ybeeds]

Source: https://www.facebook.com/obihaitechnology/posts/704866726229221

For those of you who would like to read it here:

http://blog.obihai.com/2014/09/google-voice-and-obihai-update.html
Google Voice and Obihai Update - 11 September 2014
Obihai has great news for everyone using Google Voice!
Google Voice is now Officially Supported on OBi VoIP devices.
Obihai is excited to announce official support for Google Voice. With a Google Voice account and a companion OBi device you can make and receive VoIP calls on a regular telephone. To get started, just login to the OBiTALK website, add your OBi device and select Google Voice as your service. You’ll then confirm your account with Google, and within minutes, you will be making and receiving calls from the comfort and convenience of your home phone. “With a Google Voice account configured on an OBi device, users will not only get all the great collaboration tools and app integration with Google Voice, they will also be able to enjoy many premium calling features, free calling within the U.S. and Canada and super-low cost international calling – all from the comfort of their home phone," said Jan Fandrianto, President and CEO of Obihai.
OBi Devices Make a Great Companion for Google Voice
• Place and Receive Calls with Your Google Voice Number on Regular Phones
• Call Internationally at Low Rates to Over 150 Destinations.
• Premium Features Included for Free Like Voicemail, Call Waiting, Telemarketer Blocking, Caller ID
You can now enjoy all the benefits of Google Voice on your OBi device, including features like personalized greetings, call blocking, SMS to email, and voicemail transcription. OBi users can also take advantage of Google Voice’s low calling rates. Today, calling the U.S. is free from the U.S. & Canada and 1¢ per minute from everywhere else. International calling rates are also really low, with per minute rates starting at 1¢ to Beijing, Bangalore, Mexico, Brazil and 150 other destinations – with no connection charge.* What's more, OBi users get premium features like Caller ID, telemarketer (spam) call blocking, call waiting, 3-way calling, and voicemail that acts like email – including voice message alerts by text and email with speech to text transcription.
The OBi device is a phone adapter which allows anyone to make and receive calls with a regular cordless or corded 'house' phone. Calling can be done by dialing a regular phone number. Receiving calls is easy. When someone dials your Google Voice number, the phone connected to your OBi device will ring. The OBi phone will ring if the user’s Google Voice number is called or if the user’s Google ID is called via Hangouts or Gmail. Also, since Google Voice does not support 911 calling, for a small fee, the OBi device may be set-up with a dedicated E911 VoIP service.
*Rates subject to change by Google.
For current rates please visit this website: Google Voice: Calling Rates
OBi200 Sale at Newegg for $29.99 [Normally $49.99]
To celebrate this fantastic news, Obihai is offering customers a great deal on the OBi200, purchased with a promo code, from Newegg.com for ONLY $29.99 with free shipping!
Use Promo Code: EMCPAWW99 to get $20 off your purchase of the OBi200.
- Limit 2 per customer
- While supplies last.

[TimT]

I signed up with vestalink for 2 years. Does obihai say for how long this new arrangement is ?

[ybeeds]

I signed up with vestalink for 2 years. Does obihai say for how long this new arrangement is ?

It seems that the service never really ended... and Vestalink told me that they prorate if I cancel early...

[MarkS]

I initially paid $90 for two years of vestalink. 
According to their cancellation policy you can cancel and your pricing will revert to monthly.

In chatting now they said current monthly is $15 so they want $60 for the past 4 months. Annual now is $90....

CRAZY!!!!!

[TimT]

I initially paid $90 for two years of vestalink. 
According to their cancellation policy you can cancel and your pricing will revert to monthly.

In chatting now they said current monthly is $15 so they want $60 for the past 4 months. Annual now is $90....

CRAZY!!!!!

Ye I also have it 4 months. Before I leave vestalink I wanna know how long this new deal will last. Because if I have to go back to vestalink it's gonna cost much more.

[Emkay]

What do I need for this? Is a phone, obi device, and regular bezek router enough?

[ybeeds]

What do I need for this? Is a phone, obi device, and regular bezek router enough?

Yes. It's been a while since I set it up in Israel, but it should be very simple... You need a computer for the initial setup... and decent internet speed...

[TimT]

What do I need for this? Is a phone, obi device, and regular bezek router enough?

google voice, internet. Here's Dan's original write up
http://www.dansdeals.com/archives/13469

[Emkay]

Yes. It's been a while since I set it up in Israel, but it should be very simple... You need a computer for the initial setup... and decent internet speed...

whats called a decent speed?

[DanH]

whats called a decent speed?

I would say minimum 5 megabits/sec.  It will also work with less, but may give you issues when using internet.
These days you can get 40megabits for 120 shek a month bezeq+benleumi/netvision.

[efflpetzel]

Ye I also have it 4 months. Before I leave vestalink I wanna know how long this new deal will last. Because if I have to go back to vestalink it's gonna cost much more.

Yup, that's the million dollar question

I initially paid $90 for two years of vestalink. 
According to their cancellation policy you can cancel and your pricing will revert to monthly.

In chatting now they said current monthly is $15 so they want $60 for the past 4 months. Annual now is $90....

CRAZY!!!!!

so mark, did you cancel vestalink

[efflpetzel]

also if I ported my phone number to vestalink & now want to switch to obi/gv, do I need to port from vestalink to gv?

[rots5]

if i cancel vestalink do i need to report anything ?

[Emkay]

I would say minimum 5 megabits/sec.  It will also work with less, but may give you issues when using internet.
These days you can get 40megabits for 120 shek a month bezeq+benleumi/netvision.

I get 15

[DanH]

I get 15

Then you're good to go.

[DanH]

if i cancel vestalink do i need to report anything ?

?  To who?
Don't cancel before porting your number..

[rots5]

?  To who?
Don't cancel before porting your number..

wrong word. sorry

I meant if i cancel my vestalink where do i go from there?

i have to report my number back to google first?

[TimT]

wrong word. sorry

I meant if i cancel my vestalink where do i go from there?

i have to report my number back to google first?

First set up google voice.

[DanH]

wrong word. sorry

I meant if i cancel my vestalink where do i go from there?

i have to report my number back to google first?

https://support.google.com/voice/answer/1065667?hl=en

Maybe look into Ring.To for the future.
https://ring.to/

That way you don't have to keep porting back and forth.

[smurf]

I never ported out of gv just set it up to fwd to vl.