Question 1

Ok just learning about VOIP- someone suggested an Ooma-saw a review that suggested this as alternative- can you keep your phone number?..and all you need is a high speed internet connection? Thanks _ Im tech compromised!

Accepted Answer

Hi Amy,
I just switched from Vonage phone service which is a more turnkey VOIP option.  I was with them for almost 10 years but felt like the value of their service had been diminishing the past few years.  (The cost was increasing but the features were not.)

I got the OBI 100 and switched to a different provider, Anveo.  I spent less than $10 on my bill this month. The OBI 100 is easy to configure, but that's only half of the puzzle. Figuring out the VOIP service can be tricky.  That setup was NOT intuitive.  I went with Anveo because they offered good prices and a lot of features.  If you consider yourself tech challenged I would suggest finding a different provider.  The way I went about switching was to sign up with the new company and get a phone number with them.  I figured out how to make everything work and then transferred (ported) my old number to the new company.  It's been working great and I have no complaints.

Bottom line the OBI100 was great to setup.  I haven't had to touch after the initial configuration and it's worked wonderfully.

Question 2

Will this work with google voice.I have google voice number but it on computer.Can I plug this into my internet and hook up a phone at home?

Accepted Answer

Yes you can use integrate the google voice with this device. I have been using it for a while now and it is extremely stable and reliable. I am 100% satisfied with the device. You need to connect the device to internet through router and plug in the phone. The instructions for integrating google voice can be found in the obihai website.

Question 3

can a fax machine be used with this device?

Accepted Answer

OBI has announced in mid-late 2014 that once again, Google Voice supports XMPP devices. Truth be told, my system never stopped working and when OBI sent out the notice that GV was dropping support, it never actually happened to me anyway. I know because just on a hunch, I never changed my service and it worked every day.

Question 4

I have read online that Google Voice might not work with Obihai devices anymore because Google has decided not to use the XMPP protocol. Does anyone know if it is true?

Accepted Answer

They changed that on 9/11/14.  Mine still works great.  Here is part of an email I got from Obihai:

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.

Question 5

I'm confused about what I'll need with this. I have a Google number that I use without issue. I currently use an Ooma box, but ended up paying $10/mo for premium service so that my Google number will show up on outgoing calls as the originating number.

If I purchase this will I be able to unplug the Ooma,  plug in the new box, perform set up and go? Or will I need a SIP provider? Help!

Thanks.

Accepted Answer

You can use this to replace ooma.. You can use google voice instead of a standard SIP Provider.  Obihai has instructions to port your number to google voice, you will need a TMobile cell phone and to pay them 3 bucks for the smallest phone plan they offer because you often cannot migrate your existing number directly to Google Voice so you have to use TMobile as an intermediary step... Look at obihais webpage for more detail.
obihai dot com /porttutorial

Question 6

is it a one off charge or will i have to pay monthly?

Accepted Answer

There is a charge- you buy it. Just like when you buy a car. No renting, no monthly subscription charges, no Vonage, no Magic Jack. But it will do more, in conjunction with a VOIP (Google Voice is free but works like you are paying for it), than either of those two. One of the coolest features is you can attach up to six other phone numbers in Google Voice, and they can be cell numbers, so that you can make seven different phone numbers ring from the one phone number you originally chose, received, or bought from Google Voice. If you had 4employees with their own phones, you could make them ring when somebody calls the main number- cell extension phones. Free. Genius.

Question 7

can i connect a fax machine to this?

Accepted Answer

You can, but depending on your VoIP provider, it may not work correctly. Confirm with your provider that they support faxing.

Question 8

Is there an annual or monthly subscription fee to use this device? When other people call me through this device, what number do they dial to reach me, that is, do I need to purchase a phone number first?

Accepted Answer

There are no monthly or annual subscription fees as long as you use with Google voice or some other SIP provider. You will need to create an account and generate a phone # using Google voice. You will receive and make calls using the google voice #.

The steps to integrate google voice into device are mentioned on the obihai website. Overall the call quality is amazing.

Question 9

The company sent an email saying Google Voice would no longer work with their products.  That was over a year ago.  What is the story?  Why did the company send that email?

Accepted Answer

Hi f f,

I received the same email at that time (over a year ago). My understanding is that Obihai was connecting to Google Voice through technology that Google had not actually supported. But in the meanwhile, Obihai and Google were able to work out a solution for official support, which went live September 2014.

As a result, the Obi line of products do work with Google Voice. I currently use Google Voice on my Obi, and all is well.

Question 10

how does it work?

Accepted Answer

Not sure how up to speed you are: this device has an Ethernet jack that you plug an network cable into your router.  Then you plug a conventional phone into the phone jack, and go through the set up process using a service like Google Voice, to assign a number to the phone and enable use to make and receive calls.  This device is similar to what you get when you sign up for Vonage.

Questions & Answers