VOIP question (ooma)

**dmclone** · 01-19-2010, 01:19 PM

I'm expecting to get a ooma in the mail today and wondered if anyone here has had any experience with setting one of these up?

Here is my situation.

Right now I currently have basic phones service along with DSL through Qwest

It looks like ooma gives me two choices of howto hook up this phone.

#1 I can just connect straight to my wireless base phone

#2 I can connect the ooma straight to one of my wall plug in's

The wall plug in idea sounds like the best plan for me but I don't know if it will work since my phone service is still on. When I pick up the phone and hear a dial-tone I assume it will still be my old qwest service.

Any ideas? Suggestions?

BTW-I know that I will need to plug the ooma into a dsl filter.

**MrGreg** · 01-19-2010, 02:07 PM

I believe you should only have one telephone source plugged into your home wiring.

If I recall correctly, the Ooma hub has a "pass through" phone jack on it. If you want to plug the hub into your existing home wiring, I think you want to do...

- Qwest phone line goes directly to the Ooma hub
- Ooma hub gets plugged into the existing home wiring

Then you get different ringers depending on which line is ringing. However that sounds like it might be a problem depending on your internet setup since you have DSL.

I plug my Ooma hub into my wireless phone base, it keeps things pretty simple.

**dmclone** · 01-19-2010, 02:16 PM

Originally Posted by MrGreg

I plug my Ooma hub into my wireless phone base, it keeps things pretty simple.

I think this is the route I'm going to take. Do you get caller ID show up on your phones with just the basic ooma service?

I plan on routing everything through my google voice number first and then sending it to my ooma number.

**Bigguns** · 01-19-2010, 02:44 PM

Is VOIP anything like SKYPE?

**ISUAgronomist** · 01-19-2010, 03:06 PM

Originally Posted by Bigguns

Is VOIP anything like SKYPE?

Skype is VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)

**jumbopackage** · 01-19-2010, 03:22 PM

Originally Posted by dmclone

I'm expecting to get a ooma in the mail today and wondered if anyone here has had any experience with setting one of these up?

Here is my situation.

Right now I currently have basic phones service along with DSL through Qwest

It looks like ooma gives me two choices of howto hook up this phone.

#1 I can just connect straight to my wireless base phone

#2 I can connect the ooma straight to one of my wall plug in's

The wall plug in idea sounds like the best plan for me but I don't know if it will work since my phone service is still on. When I pick up the phone and hear a dial-tone I assume it will still be my old qwest service.

Any ideas? Suggestions?

BTW-I know that I will need to plug the ooma into a dsl filter.

Yeah unless you've got your DSL modem connected directly to the incoming lines from Qwest, you do NOT want to plug your oomla into a random jack in the house.

I can't tell you for sure how bad of an idea is (in terms of frying electronics), but it certainly isn't a good one.

**dmclone** · 01-19-2010, 06:47 PM

OK, this isn't starting off good. I tried to find a local number here in Des Moiens but there person on the other end was and idiot and couldn't find anything, He pretty much listed every town in Iowa except any within 50 miles of Des Moines, Does anyone know any des moines prefixes that should work?

**MrGreg** · 01-19-2010, 06:57 PM

Originally Posted by dmclone

I think this is the route I'm going to take. Do you get caller ID show up on your phones with just the basic ooma service?

I plan on routing everything through my google voice number first and then sending it to my ooma number.

Yep, caller ID works with the basic service. I am not using google voice however.