Use Google Voice with a Phone for Next-to-Nothing

In addition to my mobile phone, I’m using a Google Voice (GV) number with a landline phone…and you won’t believe how cheap it is!

As a long time GV user, I was pleased to be able to ‘save’ my Dad’s phone number after he passed away last year. He and Mom had the greatest phone number ever and enjoyed having the easy-to-remember number for nearly 50 years. My sisters and I didn’t want to see that number vanish in to the ether, so I ported it to GV.

The number is SO easy to remember, I’ve begun giving it out as my own personal direct line. I have GV set so it rings my iPhone and SkypeIn phone number so I never miss a call. At work I can also have it ring the desk phone if I choose not to answer a call on Skype or my mobile phone. Pretty convenient. Also, since it is so easy to block spam and telemarketing calls with GV, I am going to place it on my business cards too since my ‘old’ direct line has received an increasing number of spam calls.

Are You Using Your Mobile Phone as Your Primary Business Phone?

Oh dear God…please don’t use your mobile phone as your primary business line! The quality of a landline-to-mobile phone call is typically so compressed it makes it a bad experience for anyone calling you on your mobile for any length of time.

I find that most people under 35 years of age think it’s perfectly fine to use their mobile phone as their exclusive device for business, but it is not. Your mobile signal is compressed so your voice causes the other person to strain to hear you and it can be quite unpleasant. It’s even worse if you’re on an in-car speaker phone. You also probably don’t realize that, since your mobile signal is compressed even more at peak network usage times (like rush hour), your calls sound even worse to others if you’re in your car, a building, or walking around trying to have a conversation.

So if you are in an office, whether in your home or in a building and you have an alternative, please do not rely solely on your mobile phone for business calls.

A Great Option: Google Voice and the Obihai 200

Google has enhanced their Google Hangouts recently by integrating GV in to it. That’s a big deal since many of we GV users had, for some time, been concerned that Google might kill GV due to lack of innovation or attention seemingly being paid to the service.

UPDATE 9/20/14: Obi200 can be used with E911 A friend of mine asked me if the Obi200 could, in fact, be used with 911 service. Turns out it can for $15 per year. Here is an Obihai blog post about it and how to set it up.

Not only is GV integrated in to Hangouts, but Google has extended their free U.S. and Canada calling and their international rates are really low. So keeping in touch is easier and more affordable than ever.

What if you could plug in a box to your internet router, a phone in to the box, and make phone calls for free? Yes, you could buy Vonage and pay $28 or more per month, Ooma for $129 (for the box) and their optional $9.999/month service, or you could buy a cheap box and get free calls.

I like cheap and free, especially since calling-is-calling.

The Deal

Good news for those of us who use voice over the internet (VoIP): Google Voice is now officially supported on OBi VoIP devices AND you can get their Obihai 200 for only $29.99 if you act fast and use the offer code: EMCPAWW99 here at NewEgg.

Here is the PDF datasheet for the Obihai 200 so you can download if you want to learn more, especially since it can do A LOT more than just connect with Google Voice.

Plug the Obihai 200 box in to your internet modem (if it has extra ports), a hub or switch connected to your modem, or an empty port in your Wifi router. Plug a phone in to the Obihai box (I bought this inexpensive Motorola DECT cordless phone for $22 and it feels nice and sounds great) and your total cost will be less than $60…and it will be a one time cost.

Your calls will sound SO much better and your friends, family and those of us on business calls with you will appreciate it!