Calling Directly from Computer with Google Voice?

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I’ve always done my cold calling from my cell phone using a Jawbone Prime headset. I know that I'm sacrificing sound quality, but it’s better than nothing and call me lazy but there’s no way I’d make it through an entire calling session if I had to actually hold a phone up to my ear.

Anyway, I recently got a Google Voice number so I can make calls using the local area code, and I want to take it a step further by buying a headset with better call clarity. My plan is to take my cell phone out of the equation entirely and just make my calls directly from gmail through my computer. I figure this will both broaden my headset options and save my wireless minutes.

I see no obvious reasons why this wouldn’t be a good idea, but it just came to me tonight so I wanted to run it by you guys before I order a new headset.
 
I have been using a USB headset with Google voice. The sound quality is pretty good but I would like to kick it up a notch.

Do you think this device would give me the clarity I looking for? I guess for 50 bucks it would be worth a shot.
 
I'm not a big fan of dialing with google voice, even less of a fan of trying to answer an incoming call. It works, sounds decent, just a bit cumbersome for me.

I use a device that allows me to use my regular phone, then I use a headset on the phone. It works AMAZINGLY well for me and the overall cost is great.

Amazon.com: OBi100 VoIP Telephone Adapter and Voice Service Bridge: Electronics

Dan

Same here. I have Ring Central and NetTalk both going to my regular phone with a headset. Computer doesn't even have to be on with the NetTalk.
 
I have been using a USB headset with Google voice. The sound quality is pretty good but I would like to kick it up a notch.

Do you think this device would give me the clarity I looking for? I guess for 50 bucks it would be worth a shot.

I have no problem at all with the sound quality with the Obi device. This is amazing because I'm not easy to please, I like my side of the call to be clean. Using the computer for the call will sometimes cause distortion because the computer gets busy with something else.

Of course, a lot of this will depend on your internet connection.

Dan
 
I have/had the same question. I've done a lot of searching and reading. The previous posts ring true though what I've read, as far as it works and sound quality is ok to good. The other tidbit I picked up is that it is much better to have a wired connection vs wireless to aid in the good sound quality.
 
I use a device that allows me to use my regular phone, then I use a headset on the phone. It works AMAZINGLY well for me and the overall cost is great.

Amazon.com: OBi100 VoIP Telephone Adapter and Voice Service Bridge: Electronics

Dan

Are the OBi100 and the Net Talk Duo similar devices? If not, what does the OBi100 do that NTD does not? Lost on all these devices. Pretty good at talking on one, but figuring out which device to use is not my best feature.

PS. I suppose I could have given you a link to the net talk duo, so here it is in case you aren't familiar with it. Thanks for feedback.
 
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I'm not a big fan of dialing with google voice, even less of a fan of trying to answer an incoming call. It works, sounds decent, just a bit cumbersome for me.

I use a device that allows me to use my regular phone, then I use a headset on the phone. It works AMAZINGLY well for me and the overall cost is great.

Amazon.com: OBi100 VoIP Telephone Adapter and Voice Service Bridge: Electronics

Dan

Thanks for the suggestion... definitely looks like a preferable alternative to dialing from my computer. I have a couple of questions, though:

1) My router isn't located in my office, and I'd rather not have to run a cable between the two. Do you know if there are any wireless adapters that work (and work well) with the OBi?

2) It's been several years since I've had a landline so I would need to get a new phone as well. Any suggestions? I don't need top of the line (nor do I want to pay for it), just something dependable with good call quality. Same goes for headsets - any suggestions there?
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Are the OBi100 and the Net Talk Duo similar devices? If not, what does the OBi100 do that NTD does not? Lost on all these devices. Pretty good at talking on one, but figuring out which device to use is not my best feature.

PS. I suppose I could have given you a link to the net talk duo, so here it is in case you aren't familiar with it. Thanks for feedback.

I wondered the same thing and started looking into the Nettalk. Then I noticed the different trends in their reviews on Amazon and that was enough for me.

Amazon.com: Customer Reviews: Nettalk Duo VOIP Telephone Service

Amazon.com: Customer Reviews: OBi100 VoIP Telephone Adapter and Voice Service Bridge
 
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The difference between the obi device and the nettalk duo is nettalk is a complete service, more similar to magicjack+. Plug it in, plug in the phone and you are up and running.

Obi works with google voice to do effectively the same thing, minus the yearly fee, plus the advantages of google voice, it you like google voice.

Why does this work for me?
Till recently, nettalk didn't port numbers. I didn't want another unrelated number in my office. Beyond that, it probably would have worked just fine.

I needed a system that will ring various phones, since I have a home office, a downtown office, a remote office, a cell phone, and then the desk I happen to be working at right then. Google voice does this without a problem. The obi device helps with this since my desk phone is hooked up direct to google voice for outbound calls (inbound, I could use any phone, and just have google ring it).

By using google voice, I have a decent voicemail system on my android phone so I can easily keep track of incoming calls, if for some reason I don't answer them. If I was at my desk all day, this wouldn't matter so much.

I used to use ringcentral to accomlish what I now accomplish for a whole lot less. Ringcentral is actually a bit more polished though.

Dan
 
Thanks for the thorough explanation Dan.

I have the NetTalk Duo but have not been able to get it to work long term. Something about my ISP having a rolling ip address that is incompatible with NTD... (I think this is the reason, but wouldn't bank on it). My ISP is also the very small rural local phone co, so they try to eliminate any competition by doing this... (again, I think).

Was wondering if there would be a way to use NTD with GoogVoice to accomplish the same thing you are doing with the OBi device...? I guess it doesn't matter that much since I can't use NTD for any length of time, apparently. There may be some techie solution to my issue with rolling ip address and NTD, but I just don't get the whole landscape of the phone and voip devices.

Thanks again for the explan.
 

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