Help setting up the OBI100 (Google Voice questions/confusion inside!)

July 27, 2013 7:10 AM

I need to set up a new google voice number to use my Obihai OBI100 strictly for work. However, I do not have an extra number to associate with the google voice account (and don't want to use my current google voice number that is used for personal purposes). What cheap options are there available to me to do so?

Are there any ways to do this free of charge, or very cheap? I've found sites that sell SIM cards and ultra cheap plans ($5 for SIM and $10 for some service at https://www.airvoicewireless.com/plans-2/10-plan/), but is there a better way to do this? Really, I just need the number for the one time activation -- the rest of the time the number will be used with the OBI110.

I may be going about this the wrong way, so any advice is appreciated. Thanks!

posted by apip to Computers & Internet (4 answers total)

Best answer: You can get a free US number from IPkall and point it to a free sip account from say getonsip or iptel. To actually use it you could perhaps set up the OB100 to connect to the sip account, alternatively there are many free sip softphones available for all mainstream OS's and mobile devices.
posted by dirm at 8:01 AM on July 27, 2013

I am not sure if you are trying to use a landline, but you can associate one landline with up to two GV numbers. I am not familiar with the OBI, but if you just need a number to activate the new GV account with, I used my mom's line to do this once. She took the activation call, wrote the number down and called me back. Granted, this was stretching her technology limits, but it works. Then just go to settings and uncheck that number.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 8:08 AM on July 27, 2013

Could you just get an additional Google account, and then an additional Google Voice number for that account?
posted by still_wears_a_hat at 12:55 PM on July 27, 2013

an OB100 is designed to work with a SIP account, so that should be no problem. Their directions were quite straightforward.

I don't remember Google Voice's pricing but when I was looking at VoIP solutions I seem to recall that if you were doing anything non-us other providers were cheaper.

We went with an OBI + a third party SIP provider and it works like a dream and is absurdly remarkably cheap given most of our calling is non US.
posted by JPD at 3:39 AM on July 28, 2013