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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 437681 times)

Offline Yordai Dooma

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OBi Master Thread
« on: March 04, 2011, 02:47:35 PM »
Its called the OBi110 Voice Service Bridge and Telephone Adapter. It works together with Google voice so you can make calls from a regular phone.

Its sold by amazon for $49.99 but keeps going in and out of stock.

Ive been refreshing the page using the check 4 change Firefox extension since last night and i just got one.

They seem to update the stock with 16 at a time. There are alot of people on other forums trying to grab them this way as well. I have 1-click set up on amazon and even with that it took a few tries to finally score one. Google voice is supposed to be free at least through 2011. I was reading on another forum that this little thing has many other uses as well...maybe one of the techies here can tell us what else it can do
« Last Edit: October 24, 2018, 05:32:29 PM by Dan »

Offline Chaikel

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Will this work with Google voice in Israel, even if you cant use GV on your computer?
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Will this work with Google voice in Israel, even if you cant use GV on your computer?

I dont think it would...You can try looking at the reviews on amazon or on the thread about this on another site.

Offline Yordai Dooma

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Its back in stock for anyone who is interested.

If you are considering using this as your home phone (as i am), keep in mind GV does not have E911. Any old cell phone (Even without service) can dial 911 though.

Offline Dan

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Its back in stock for anyone who is interested.

If you are considering using this as your home phone (as i am), keep in mind GV does not have E911. Any old cell phone (Even without service) can dial 911 though.
In for one, I'll try it out and report back.
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.

Offline Chaikel

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Its back in stock for anyone who is interested.

If you are considering using this as your home phone (as i am), keep in mind GV does not have E911. Any old cell phone (Even without service) can dial 911 though.
IIRC, if there is no E911, you can still dial 911, they just wont have your location
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Offline Bp

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What type of phone can u plug into this device? A regular phone? or a ip phone, or both?

Offline smurf

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IIRC, if there is no E911, you can still dial 911, they just wont have your location
+1
also those old phones you mention might also not have e911

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IIRC, if there is no E911, you can still dial 911, they just wont have your location

I was under the impression that one could not call 911 from google voice at all. When you sign up for a new google voice account, they make you accept the T&C which state that there is no e911.

What type of phone can u plug into this device? A regular phone? or a ip phone, or both?

I believe you can use any phone.

+1
also those old phones you mention might also not have e911

Im talking about cell phones a few years old. Any cell phone made within the last few years (i believe even as early as 2000) can call 911 even without a service contract.

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I was under the impression that one could not call 911 from google voice at all. When you sign up for a new google voice account, they make you accept the T&C which state that there is no e911.

I believe you can use any phone.

Im talking about cell phones a few years old. Any cell phone made within the last few years (i believe even as early as 2000) can call 911 even without a service contract.
any working cellphone can call 911 w/o a service plan it's an fcc requirement.I was referring specifically to the e911.

Offline Yordai Dooma

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any working cellphone can call 911 w/o a service plan it's an fcc requirement.I was referring specifically to the e911.
Oh sorry. I misunderstood you. I didnt think any cell phones had e911...

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Oh sorry. I misunderstood you. I didnt think any cell phones had e911...

They do. I think one of the fees/surcharges on your bill is officially to maintain the e911. It's actually pretty spiffy (now it's common, it was cutting edge when it launched), within a few seconds they could triangulate your location.
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I guess this is good timing for all those that are using the gizmo5 + google voice + ATA  now that google is closing down gizmo5 (as of April). 

I don't understand why this would be better then Ooma (beside for the price of course)

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The way this device works is that it logs into google talk. Just like you would when you do when you have gmail open in a browser. The problem with this is if you are logged into google talk in more then one place it will only ring at one of the sessions. Meaning if you hook this up to your main gmail account then opening gmail on your computer will cause this device not to ring when you get a call. The way to get around this is to create a google account that is dedicated for your google voice number. This wouldn't work for me since my current gv number is my primary number and I am logged into gmail the whole day. Although I must give them credit for this very clever idea. For someone looking to setup a new number or even port over their number this would be a great way to have free home phone service.

Offline Chaikel

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I was under the impression that one could not call 911 from google voice at all. When you sign up for a new google voice account, they make you accept the T&C which state that there is no e911.
no E911, or no 911?
They do. I think one of the fees/surcharges on your bill is officially to maintain the e911. It's actually pretty spiffy (now it's common, it was cutting edge when it launched), within a few seconds they could triangulate your location.
I believe as of 2006 all phones must have a tracking device similar to a GPS chip which sends an exact location when you call 911. If you look at most phones the options for location or always on, and E911 only. I don't think they're even allowed to have an always off option. Once this law was passed cell phone gps systems became very easy to make, as you no longer needed to plug in a GPS receiver as was the case until then
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Offline AsherO

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I believe as of 2006 all phones must have a tracking device similar to a GPS chip which sends an exact location when you call 911. If you look at most phones the options for location or always on, and E911 only. I don't think they're even allowed to have an always off option. Once this law was passed cell phone gps systems became very easy to make, as you no longer needed to plug in a GPS receiver as was the case until then

Sounds right, e911 uses aGPS (assisted Global Positioning System) which is GPS triangulation assisted by cellular towers. What's cool is that it all works over the voice channels when dialing 911.
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Offline Yordai Dooma

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The way this device works is that it logs into google talk. Just like you would when you do when you have gmail open in a browser. The problem with this is if you are logged into google talk in more then one place it will only ring at one of the sessions. Meaning if you hook this up to your main gmail account then opening gmail on your computer will cause this device not to ring when you get a call. The way to get around this is to create a google account that is dedicated for your google voice number. This wouldn't work for me since my current gv number is my primary number and I am logged into gmail the whole day. Although I must give them credit for this very clever idea. For someone looking to setup a new number or even port over their number this would be a great way to have free home phone service.
Thats exactly what i did. I created a new gmail account with a new GV #.

no E911, or no 911?

"You understand and agree that Google Voice is an enhanced call management application and that Google Voice is not capable of placing or receiving emergency services calls. "


Offline Chaikel

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"You understand and agree that Google Voice is an enhanced call management application and that Google Voice is not capable of placing or receiving emergency services calls. "
Right, no 911 means you can't call 911.

No E911, mean you can call, but they wont have your location. I think that was what confused ppl about you previous post
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Offline elikay

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Is it really that accurate or is it like the pretty useless "my location" feature in Google Maps on a Palm Centro?

Offline AsherO

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Is it really that accurate or is it like the pretty useless "my location" feature in Google Maps on a Palm Centro?

I'd guess it's more accurate because it's hard-coded into the phone's OS.
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