VoIP free phone service for US and Canada.

[pinballlooking]

I bought this small device that supports Google voice for $37.99 shipped on sale.

This device works with free google voice it also creates a dial tone so it works with normal phones.

I wanted to transfer my landline to it so you have to jump through a couple hoops. The tutorial is below.

OBi Tutorial
There is a onetime $20 dollar fee to port your phone number to google voice.

Setup was very simple and my home phone service was expensive $43 a month.
So I now save that much each month.

Google voice has some very useful features.
You can add your cell phone then if you want it can ring both phones or when you get a voice mail it will transcribe to text and send your mobile number the text message.

You can easily block as many number as you want. Once blocked and they call back they get a message your number has been disconnected. (it is worth it just for this feature)

Here are a complete listing of features.
https://www.google.com/googlevoice/about.html#

I have only been using it for a couple weeks so far but I really like it so far.
Obihai OBi200 VoIP Telephone Adapter with Google Voice & SIP-Newegg.com

They have one that does two numbers so you can have a fax and landline if that is needed?


A web page has all you call history. Your voice mails you can see them transcribed or listen to them on that page.

If you want to have 911 service you will need to pay a small fee.

This video is how to setup the two version but it is the same for the one line version.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ocs-hKPdhVk

[pinballlooking]

If you don't want a land line and you have a old cell phone with no service.
you can use this to make phone calls over Wi-Fi with Google voice.

How to setup a FREE WiFi VOIP home phone with a old android cell

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qM-xAU-dt4

[AC_Hacker]

Your new voip looks good.

I've been using Ooma for a couple of years. I like it a lot and the sound quality is better than most handsets. Nice on-line integration, which I like too.

-AC

[pinballlooking]

I should have done this a couple years ago. You can’t beat a free service as long as they keep offering it.
But there are very low cost solutions I could move to if they decided to no longer offer the free service.

[celblazer]

I love my Ooma. No issues, works great through my home phones and Bluetooth with my cell and have had it for years. Last time I checked I saved just over $2.6k since I bought it 6 years ago.

[celblazer]

Does 911 location work with Google Voice? I know it does with Ooma. Just wondering.

Found the answer it does not but you can add it to the box mentioned in the first post for a yearly fee.

Adding 911 to OBIhai

[pinballlooking]

How much does Ooma cost a month or is there a cost?

[celblazer]

It's free just pay taxes and I think another small fee. Like $4, I use the premium which is $10.19 total a month.

Omma tax calculator

[Xringer]

Got an Omma for my daughter a few years ago. She had a delay 'echo' problem
for a while and they found out the link was via the west coast..
Once that was fixed, she's been happy with the service and price..


~~~~~
July 4th 2019
She's still using the Omma. Still working okay. It was great for all the years she was able
to work from home.. Now she's commuting into Boston. Poor kid..

[AC_Hacker]

Originally Posted by pinballlooking

How much does Ooma cost a month or is there a cost?

There is a hardware cost. When I got mine the cost was a one-time cost of $130. Now I see them for around $90, or less.

Then they have a "Premium Service" with nice features that I thought was well worth $9/mo.

Since I've had mine, I have come across Ooma units in thrift stores for as little as $6. I connected them to Ooma (setting up number, etc), and they work great.

Now, I have a cell phone, but I'm keeping the Ooma service. Nice to have that 2nd line (Ooma can have 2 lines, also).

With my old POTS phone, if there was a power outage, which happens periodically where I live, it always kept working. But with IP phone, some kind of UPS battery backup is required for the modem, and Ooma (or equivalent IP phone), and if you have wireless home phone, for that, also.

I think it is a good idea to keep multiple communication channels available.

I talked my GF into getting one, because the voice quality was so bad on her cell phone that I was having serious problems understanding our conversations. The Ooma totally made a difference. She thought it was silly, having the Ooma AND a cell phone. However, a couple of months back she had fatal problems with her cell phone, at a moment while several interdependent projects were in play... the Ooma (or equivalent IP phone) save the day. So now, she's convinced.

I had a friend who had "Magic Jack". My advice is stay away.

-AC