apostolakisl
Senior Member
I browsed this, didn't read it all, but here is what I do and have been for many years.
Cable Modem. At home is is about 300/30, at the office it is about 100/10
VOIP via Phone Power. $60/year per line unlimited. Use an OBI device as VOIP modem. I could probably do just fine using a free Google Voice number, but whatever.
Google Voice. My android phone uses google voice (not carrier phone number) as its phone number (on android google voice can use native dialer on phone). It still dials out using Verizon phone service, it is not running on my cellular data. Despite that, the person at the other end sees my google voice number on caller id. Incoming calls also get passed from google voice to verizon and come through like a normal cell phone call. Again, I see the correct caller id. I couldn't even tell you what my native verizon phone number is. It just sits there in the background passing through the calls but nobody sees it.
Office has 6 phone lines all using Phone Power and some modestly complex rules I setup that cause it roll over to the first open line. Phone power also let me "spoof" the caller id so no matter what line we dial out on, the other end sees the main phone number. Works like a charm. The quality is perfect. Costs about as much per year as I paid the telco per month.
Home just a single Phone Power line.
I have Tasker on my phone. When my phone connects to my home SSID, it shoots out a command to my ISY (over the portal, no open ports at home) and then ISY hits up EventGhost on a 24/7 pc I have. EventGhost then runs an Auto Hot Key script which tells google voice to copy all my phone calls to my home phone. Same with my wife. And by "copy" I mean it does not forward the call, it causes all phones to ring (home and cell) at the same time. As soon as you answer either, the other stops ringing. Also, my computer "rings" if I'm logged into gmail. I could even have my google home ring, but I don't. Interestingly, my home phones and computer ring once or twice before my cell phone rings the first time. I guess Verizon is a little slow.
So, when my phone (or wifes) is at home, not only does the cell phone ring, but so do the house phones. When either of us leaves, the house phone does not ring. I could set this up the same for other locations, but I don't really need to.
The only thing I ever have issues with is the autohotkey script. Since google doesn't share the api, the only way to activate and deactivate the "copies" is to log into the UI and click on the check box. AHK does that for me, but occasionally my browser decides to update itself and throw some splash screen in there or something that screws up AHK.
Cable Modem. At home is is about 300/30, at the office it is about 100/10
VOIP via Phone Power. $60/year per line unlimited. Use an OBI device as VOIP modem. I could probably do just fine using a free Google Voice number, but whatever.
Google Voice. My android phone uses google voice (not carrier phone number) as its phone number (on android google voice can use native dialer on phone). It still dials out using Verizon phone service, it is not running on my cellular data. Despite that, the person at the other end sees my google voice number on caller id. Incoming calls also get passed from google voice to verizon and come through like a normal cell phone call. Again, I see the correct caller id. I couldn't even tell you what my native verizon phone number is. It just sits there in the background passing through the calls but nobody sees it.
Office has 6 phone lines all using Phone Power and some modestly complex rules I setup that cause it roll over to the first open line. Phone power also let me "spoof" the caller id so no matter what line we dial out on, the other end sees the main phone number. Works like a charm. The quality is perfect. Costs about as much per year as I paid the telco per month.
Home just a single Phone Power line.
I have Tasker on my phone. When my phone connects to my home SSID, it shoots out a command to my ISY (over the portal, no open ports at home) and then ISY hits up EventGhost on a 24/7 pc I have. EventGhost then runs an Auto Hot Key script which tells google voice to copy all my phone calls to my home phone. Same with my wife. And by "copy" I mean it does not forward the call, it causes all phones to ring (home and cell) at the same time. As soon as you answer either, the other stops ringing. Also, my computer "rings" if I'm logged into gmail. I could even have my google home ring, but I don't. Interestingly, my home phones and computer ring once or twice before my cell phone rings the first time. I guess Verizon is a little slow.
So, when my phone (or wifes) is at home, not only does the cell phone ring, but so do the house phones. When either of us leaves, the house phone does not ring. I could set this up the same for other locations, but I don't really need to.
The only thing I ever have issues with is the autohotkey script. Since google doesn't share the api, the only way to activate and deactivate the "copies" is to log into the UI and click on the check box. AHK does that for me, but occasionally my browser decides to update itself and throw some splash screen in there or something that screws up AHK.