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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 436412 times)

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No downside at all, it's awesome!

sounds good any easy way to port over my current optimum number or have to go through that at&t thing you were saying in the comments?

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sounds good any easy way to port over my current optimum number or have to go through that at&t thing you were saying in the comments?
Go to Google Voice and try to port.
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

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Go to Google Voice and try to port.

only seems to be giving me the option for a mobile number  :(

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only seems to be giving me the option for a mobile number  :(
you can Do a free port to page plus and from there to gv

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you can Do a free port to page plus and from there to gv

anyone with page plus willing to do this for me?  :)

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anyone with page plus willing to do this for me?  :)

They would lose their PP line when porting to GV. IME a port requires closing the account you're porting from. I was successful when porting to t-mobile prepaid (used a kit like the ones sold on eBay for a few bucks) and porting from there to GV, just make sure all the account info (name/address etc.) matches exactly, or you might have a problem.
DDF FFB (Forum From Birth)

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They would lose their PP line when porting to GV. IME a port requires closing the account you're porting from. I was successful when porting to t-mobile prepaid (used a kit like the ones sold on eBay for a few bucks) and porting from there to GV, just make sure all the account info (name/address etc.) matches exactly, or you might have a problem.

So I would have to get myself the cheapest prepaid phone and port it over to that from optimum and then from there to gv?

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So I would have to get myself the cheapest prepaid phone and port it over to that from optimum and then from there to gv?
Ask a friend with an old verizon phone lying around if you can borrow it for a couple of days. That should be enough to part in and out of PP.

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Ask a friend with an old verizon phone lying around if you can borrow it for a couple of days. That should be enough to part in and out of PP.
Are there any activation fees?
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

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Are there any activation fees?
Not when porting an existing number
I have an old sprint phone (TP2) that I reprogrammed for my stint with PP. so if you or Bubbles  want help porting to GV PM me. Also when I last checked PP wasn't an available port option to GV so I just did the port by selecting verizon as my carrier

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heres a landline to GV port demo;

Port your existing landline to PP for free through their website
select I want to port my existing number
Then fill out the port form and wait a couple of days for it to go through

After the port completes you should have an active PP line with 2 dollars credit in the account DON'T WASTE IT!! you'll need it to accept the call to verify the GV port

once the port is complete you can initiate the GV port verify the number and that should do it

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heres a landline to GV port demo;

Port your existing landline to PP for free through their website
select I want to port my existing number
Then fill out the port form and wait a couple of days for it to go through

After the port completes you should have an active PP line with 2 dollars credit in the account DON'T WASTE IT!! you'll need it to accept the call to verify the GV port

once the port is complete you can initiate the GV port verify the number and that should do it

Very nice.  Can you comment on the main site for more people to see how to port their numbers?
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

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Very nice.  Can you comment on the main site for more people to see how to port their numbers?
This info is based on my personal separate experiences porting with Optimum,PP and  google voice It was actually Verizon>PP>GV and separately Optimum>PP. The info is a bit outdated since I did this a while ago but I'm sure most of the process is still the same.

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heres a landline to GV port demo;

Port your existing landline to PP for free through their website
select I want to port my existing number
Then fill out the port form and wait a couple of days for it to go through

After the port completes you should have an active PP line with 2 dollars credit in the account DON'T WASTE IT!! you'll need it to accept the call to verify the GV port

once the port is complete you can initiate the GV port verify the number and that should do it

what happens to my landline once i port out the number? it gets closed automatically?

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I think you'll have to call to finalize the cancellation with optimum especially if you have internet from them too.

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I think you'll have to call to finalize the cancellation with optimum especially if you have internet from them too.

thanks for the help. i'm ordering the box  :)
« Last Edit: December 15, 2011, 02:15:02 PM by bubbles »

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slightly ot but does the starwoods consumer card have any extra protections over the ink bold?

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thanks for the help. i'm ordering the box  :)
NP
lemm know if you need a phone to do the port
« Last Edit: December 15, 2011, 03:10:11 PM by smurf »

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one more thing. how long does the whole porting process take? basically i want to know how long im not going to have a landline for

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one more thing. how long does the whole porting process take? basically i want to know how long im not going to have a landline for
it could take a couple of days at each juncture. but at all times you should be able to have the number active and see who is calling you