Trying to transfer my landline to Google voice but none of the instructions both written or video...

[G+_Rud Dog]

Trying to transfer my landline to Google voice but none of the instructions both written or video seem work they seem to have an outdated step or two.

 

PS

I am running one of the Obitalk devices with google voice and would like to transfer the landline to the Obitalk and google voice. Anyone have any idea on "how to"?

[G+_DigitalMatrixIO (Eric L]

You need to port to a cell carrier first. T-Mobile prepaid was super easy when I did it years ago.

[G+_Rud Dog]

DigitalMatrixIO Thank you for the rapid reply.

Before I start and purchase a gophone or some prepaid phone would like to find steps that allow review of a success transfer. For one reason or another can't find a functioning tutorial. Still searching google.

[G+_Michael Carleton]

Yep transfer the number to a go phone, I usually pay for a month to be safe. Once the number is fully ported to the cell phone, then you can pay Google to port the number to Google Voice for $20. Sometimes I have to switch to the legacy Google Voice to get the proper port options.

 

I just did a port a few weeks ago =)

[G+_Rud Dog]

Michael Carleton Will review the steps for transferring my landline to a cell phone but has some problems finding a good tutorial. Will check again.

Also, I agree I really like the legacy web page better than current page displayed. One of my "todos" how to make the legacy page the default page if it is possible.

[G+_Scott W]

Rud Dog Did you try the tutorial at obihai.com - OBi Tutorial

I would not pay for a carrier, google voice is free. I ported my google voice to Obi years ago.

[G+_Rud Dog]

Scott W sorry if I am a bit confused. Did you port your landline over to your google voice? Or did you just setup a google voice account and use it with the Obi?

[G+_Chris Eckeard (StMerlin]

Rud Dog? you must port your landline to a mobile carrier first. Google Voice only allows porting from mobile numbers and will not port from a land line. Once your landline is ported to your prepaid, you can then port that prepaid to Google Voice.

[G+_Chris Eckeard (StMerlin]

Rud Dog?? this is the best tutorial I know of. Though David Gewirtz?? wrote it back in 2014 it's information is still accurate and has some updates. FYI you don't need to use AT&T prepaid as outlined in the tutorial, you can use any mobile service. He is also very helpful on FB and Twitter. zdnet.com - Google Voice: A step-by-step primer on ditching your landline while keeping your number | ZDNet

[G+_Chris Eckeard (StMerlin]

Rud Dog?? I do recommend creating a new Google account for the number such as "5558675309@http://gmail.com". This way when you share credentials with Obi, your not sharing your personal account. Also makes it nice to share with others who might use the number. I help others transfer there home landline and small business owners over to GV for cost savings, reliability, and features such as call recording, SMS/MMS, Voicemail transcriptions, personalized messages to known numbers, and advanced blocking and spam call management. It's a really great service.

[G+_Rud Dog]

Chris Eckeard sounds to me you are the goto guy for GV and Obi hardware. Will give it a try and let you know how I do with the link provided.

[G+_Travis Hershberger]

They've made so many changes to Google Voice recently that I've stopped trying to use it at all. I plan to setup my own FreePBX system and porting my g voice number to voip.ms - US and Canada VoIP Internet phone service | VoIP.ms. will be cheaper than paying for G voice for me (I already have a server to run the pbx from.)

[G+_Chris Eckeard (StMerlin]

Travis Hershberger cheaper than free?

[G+_Travis Hershberger]

Chris Eckeard If you look at the changes they've made, it's no longer free. Or if it is, they've made it next to impossible to use and/or find. Your own SIP trunk is .98/month + .01/minute talk, or $4.95/month unlimited US/Canada. Hard to beat those prices, and much better than the prices I've seen to actually use Google Voice.

[G+_Chris Eckeard (StMerlin]

Travis Hershberger OK but your comparing apples to oranges. Rud Dog? is looking to replace his home land line not install a PBX system with global services. Thanks for the info in general but it dosen't apply to the thread.

[G+_Rud Dog]

Update:

Asked about a pay as you go phone and two things jump out. First off they have you sign up for a monthly plan then cancel it when you buy some minutes. Used to be you could walk in buy a cheap flip phone and off you go. The second item which I ask all that have SSN, did you know they ask for or should say they require either you social security number or Tax ID number?

[G+_Glenn Nelson]

Rud Dog I remember running into the SS# issue, I think with ATT. Short answer: "you don't have to give us your SS# and we don't have to give you service." I wonder if DHS presses the companies to get your SS?

I also used the Gerwitz article to port my home number. I thought it was before 2014, though. Yep, read here from ObiTalk forum, someone mentions, in 2011, the Gerwitz article.

obitalk.com - Number porting to GV - my experience

[G+_Rud Dog]

Ended up buying a cell phone from AT&T and requested they use my landline number with it. Once I got the phone and activated it the calls for my land line started coming in on my new cell phone. After testing for a day or so went to google and ported the number over, after I think 3 days all was working. One other interesting thing about this process is when I called to cancel my landline they informed me it had already been closed. So now with my landline transferred over to google voice and using the internet connected hardware my paying monthly fees for landline are over.