Google Voice/Obihai Adapter

[seekermeister]

This question somewhat covers the gambit between hardware, software, etc., so I chose the General Discussion board to post in. As a person that was thoroughly disgusted with Skype, and have been looking for an alternative, this device caught my eye:

Obihai’s OBi110 VoIP Phone Adapter Makes Your Home Phone Google Voice Compatible – Sans Subscription Fees | eHomeUpgrade

However, even after watching their videos, I'm still a bit confused. I have both the internet and my telephone service through my cable connection. Since it appears that this device needs to have both an ethernet, and a phone connection, would it work properly if I did so by connecting the PC via ethernet, and the cable modem's phone connection to the adapter?

If I understand, all domestic calls through Google Voice are free, and the adapter is only a one-time purchase, so I could make calls anywhere is the U.S. for free, as much as needed...right?

EDIT: Another thought occurred...I strongly rely on caller ID, doe Google Voice offer that?

 

[Zepher]

google voice does caller ID as well as call screening with a voicemail listening in feature.
If you screen your calls and send the caller to Voicemail, you can listen in and then choose to answer the call if you need to.

 

[seekermeister]

That is good, but will it work properly with the PC and modem connections that I mentioned? If I understood the videos, you can assign different ring patterns to two different Google numbers, so I assume the same could be done between Google Voice and a regular land-line call...yes?

 

[seekermeister]

I guess that no one can answer the part of my question that is unanswered, so I went ahead and ordered the adapter last night. That may be the only way to know for sure.

 

[seekermeister]

I received my OBi and installed it. It tested okay on the OBi website. Since it was necessary to enable Google voice to use in conjunction with this, I did so, and made a test call to my apt. manager, which was successful, at least in terms that they answered and I could hear them on the PC. Now I must somehow enable it so that I can dial a number from the telephone itself, but since it can either dial via OBi or landline, I don't understand how to choose which? I will keep experimenting, but I wouldn't object to a helping hand.

Yikes! I just tried to place a local call on my telephone, and I got a recording stating that "There's no service available to complete your call". I never suspected that this would interfere with making local calls, which is even more important than long distance. I feel that all of this will work together, if I understand how, but if I don't figure it out soon, I may have to disconnect the OBi.

 

[Zepher]

you probably need to use the area code when you call local numbers.

 

[seekermeister]

Yes I do use the code, it is now required even when using regular phone service. I believe the problem is with configuring OBi Talk online, but I'm going wrong somewhere. I posted a question about it on the OBi Forum, but haven't gotten a response yet.

 

[seekermeister]

I think that I got it fixed, I used the Google Configuration Wizard found on the OBi website, instead of entering the config manually. At least I did make one local call without getting that automated message. The only thing that I don't like so far, is that there appears to be about a 30 second delay after entering a number, before it starts dialing. There is also about the same amount of delay on incoming calls before the phone begins to ring.