Alternative SIP Provider

[vsc1062]

I'm not very knowledgeable about OBI devices, especially reading how many people on this forum are clearly experts. I currently use a OBI desk phone with Google Voice.

Having failed to document alternative SIP providers advertising on the OBITalk portal, and before this forum goes away, I'm curious to know what alternative SIP providers are recommended by the community. Though I'm likely to stick it out with Google Voice until if an when that goes away as well.

Thoughts?

[highpks]

We've been using our OBI1062 with PhonePower for like 8 years.

[Lavarock]

Because SIP is a standard, there are many providers (whether listed on the config page or not) that work. Personally I use Voip.Ms and Callcentric.

Each provider will have their own servers which you need to configure and perhaps chnage some settings as to how often you need to register. That data can come specifically from the provire itself. The configuration in the account on this site was for convenience of initially setting up those servers, settings and saving it for your future access.

[ThisIsIt]

I think voip.ms is the least expensive plus they tell you how to configure the device via the browser using the web GUI.  I'm still with GV until I get stuck with a brick.

[Taoman]

Personally I use Voip.Ms and Callcentric.

I also use and recommend both of these ITSPs. But also sticking with GV until the bitter end.

[Lavarock]

I am tempted to take one of my 2182's and configure my GV numbers on it.

[dircom]

I am tempted to take one of my 2182's and configure my GV numbers on it.

How can you do that since:
After 12/18/2023, consumer OBi devices that do work now, will continue to work, for some undetermined time, but none of those existing devices will be able to be added, changed, or deleted.  The OBiTALK Consumer Portal will be officially shutting down access on October 31st, 2024

[Taoman]

I am tempted to take one of my 2182's and configure my GV numbers on it.

Are OBi IP phones still able to be added to the portal and configured for GV?

[TalkOverInternet]

I've been a long time Obi VOIP user. I had no idea that the (possible) end is October 31st. I found out via an email I received from Anveo. I used their E911 (monthly fee) service with my Obi some years ago.

In their email they stated they have a deal just for Obi users. Here's the direct link:
https://anveo.com/anveoforobitalk.asp

I tried to compare their pricing to others mentioned above (Voip.Ms) and it looks like their pricing is better. $8.33 per month for 1,000 minutes outgoing calls. UNLIMITED incoming calls. Overage fees of 1 cent per minute if calling within the United states lower 48 (it costs more for calling Alaska, Hawaii, and one "rural" area code). Check their overage charges if you call outside the country.

They charge no money to port your number to them

Voip.ms charges a monthly 85 cent charge and 1 cent per minute AND 0.9 cents a minute for receiving calls. I guess if you don't use your phone that often per month voip.ms could be a better option.

If you end up making several long calls per month (those long talks with family members) Anveo ends up being cheaper. But am I overthinking this? Couldn't you have someone call your number with Anveo's service so that it goes under "incoming" rather than outgoing, so you get unlimited minutes if you have your friends/family call you to talk? 😁

What I can't figure out is if Anveo gives the E911 for free with the monthly service or if it's extra. I dug through voip.ms FAQ page (https://voip.ms/resources/faq) and it says they charge an extra $1.50 per month for E911.

Here is Anveo's detailed instructions on how to add them as a SIP instead of Google Voice:
https://anveo.com/voice/configure-obihai-device-with-anveo-sip-credentials

Has anyone used Anveo's full service? Has it worked well for you? I'm trying to create plans just in case everything stops working. I'm doing the research phase now because I certainly don't want to do it if everything just stops working all of a sudden.

EDIT: I see Anveo is an approved vendor via Obitalk. Although on Obitalk's own page the monthly fee is lower. I wonder if it's outdated?
https://www.obitalk.com/obinet/pg/services/itsp?i=anveo

[GuyOnTheAir]

Voip.ms charges a monthly 85 cent charge and 1 cent per minute AND 0.9 cents a minute for receiving calls. I guess if you don't use your phone that often per month voip.ms could be a better option.

Not a shill for voip.ms, but incoming calls are 0.009 cents/minute, or, less than 1 cent per minute.  Just to make sure you're comparing the right things!

[Taoman]

Voip.ms charges a monthly 85 cent charge and 1 cent per minute AND 0.9 cents a minute for receiving calls. I guess if you don't use your phone that often per month voip.ms could be a better option.

Not a shill for voip.ms, but incoming calls are 0.009 cents/minute, or, less than 1 cent per minute.  Just to make sure you're comparing the right things!

I think you better try again. TalkOverInternet got it exactly right. Look closely at what you posted.

Does it seem reasonable to you that voip.ms charges 9/100 of 1 cent per minute for incoming calls? I'll take that deal! 
And outgoing calls are indeed 1 cent per minute (although cheaper in Canada).

[MarkNY]

I believe a possible issue is that OBi devices will no longer be fully supported, though they may continue working for unknown period. So the challenge is not that whether or not it will continue working with GoogleVoice, but whether or not the device itself will be reliable.
I was wondering if anyone found a similar low-cost solution with a different device.

[drgeoff]

I believe a possible issue is that OBi devices will no longer be fully supported, though they may continue working for unknown period. So the challenge is not that whether or not it will continue working with GoogleVoice, but whether or not the device itself will be reliable.
I was wondering if anyone found a similar low-cost solution with a different device.

There is no other ATA or IPphone which supports the consumer ("free") version of GV.

As I have written many times in these forums, once GV is configured on an OBi, the portal and servers play no part in making or receiving GV calls. Demise of the portal and servers will not sffect reliability. Should individual or global GV service cease to work the absence of the portal and servers may affect the possibility of restoration.

[AClaborn]

We've been using our OBI1062 with PhonePower for like 8 years.

Just to add our experience with PhonePower from our recent post from earlier this year:

Yes, it's with Phone Power (formally Broadvoice) but they refuse to support (help) ObiTalk customers self provisioning them themselves, stating they will provision the ATA from their end, but it will lock out the 2nd port (GV).

Fully aware this is an older post, but wanted to provide some information regarding PhonePower for videobruce or anyone else utilizing or considering PhonePower.

In 2014, we signed up for an account with PhonePower using the OBiLite package which was ~ $35/year for 911 service and to have an alternative to GV as Google was ending support for some XMPP services, which might impact the ability to use GV+OBi devices.

The PhonePower service was quite decent for years.  The PhonePower customer service (billing and technical support) was also very decent - effective, responsive, and proficient at correcting issues or answering questions.

In early 2019, PhonePower changed the billing parameters to collect taxes for their services, including the OBi packages.  Not a huge issue.  But the billing rate for us jumped approximately 30% from ~ $35/year to ~ $45/year.

Later in 2019 and early in 2020, we contacted PhonePower support several times regarding some technical issues, ranging from connectivity issues on PhonePower's side of things to outright removal of PhonePower features that we were using (specifically, Incoming Call Manager or ICM).  There were large delays in their responses - we had to follow-up several times to even get the issues "acknowledged".  Few issues were solved.  After waiting nearly a year for an update on ICM, we contacted support again and were told, " Incoming Call Manager [ICM] [...is a ...] feature is no longer working and there is no estimated time of repair."  We issued one final ticket to request at least an ETA on restoration of ICM or that we would not renew. Months later, we had still received no response from PhonePower.  We checked other user forums and saw similar experiences from current or former PhonePower customers.  So, we cancelled our PhonePower services. 

Can't recall when, but PhonePower eventually got delisted from the OBiTalk "Approved Service Providers" in the dashboard portal as well.

As for replacement providers, thankfully there were and are better quality, feature- rich, price competitive alternatives.

We'd recommend:

• CallCentric
  
• Anveo
  
• VoIP.ms
  

TL;DR:

I wouldn't recommend PhonePower any longer.

Short list of recommended providers (in no particular order):

• CallCentric
  
• Anveo
  
• VoIP.ms
  

[Taoman]

Short list of recommended providers (in no particular order):

• CallCentric
• Anveo
• VoIP.ms

I wouldn't recommend PhonePower any longer.

Couldn't agree more. I used PhonePower years ago and would never recommend them to anyone.