Need THREE numbers / lines of service. What are my options?

[scudder]

Hey guys...

Posting this here instead of a more general forum because I have an EVO and on Sprint, obviously, and want to discuss any options including options with my carrier.

I'm in need of a THIRD line with my cell phones for business purposes. I currently have my EVO with my main cell phone number and also have a Google Voice number as a second number. I was wondering what options I have and what other people have done regarding a third line of service??

I did very preliminary research with Google Voice and it appears that I cannot have a SECOND Google Voice number associated with my primary cell number. My other obvious option would be to add a line of service to my current account, get a second phone and share the minutes.

Any other options?? Am I correct with only one Google Voice number per cell phone?? Any other way I can get one more virtual number to ring on my current phone??

THANKS!!

 

[marctronixx]

this question is not specifc to any handset. since you are on Sprint, its been moved here.

what prevents you from setting up a new gmail account and then adding a gvoice number to that account then handing any calls to that number direct to the google voicemail?

the con there is that the calls would be going direct to voicemail but you would be able to get an alert sent to you thru that account and be notified.

 

[scudder]

this question is not specifc to any handset. since you are on Sprint, its been moved here.

what prevents you from setting up a new gmail account and then adding a gvoice number to that account then handing any calls to that number direct to the google voicemail?

the con there is that the calls would be going direct to voicemail but you would be able to get an alert sent to you thru that account and be notified.

Hey...sorry about my thread placement. I put it in a "higher level" EVO thread but not quite sure why I posted this originally phone-specific

Anyway, I should have mentioned that I will need to have the phone RING and be answerable when it does so I cannot have a setup where the call goes directly to voicemail...I have to field the calls as they come.

 

[catpowrd]

I think I have accomplished something very similar to what you are trying to do. I have 2 cell phone numbers and a google voice number and all three ring my main cell phone and I went one step farther and got an OBI 100 to plug my old landline phone into so now I have a free VoIP phone that will ring for all three phone numbers. I integrated my main cell phone with google voice using option 1 and used my cell phone number as my google voice number. Then I got a second google voice number that I use as my business number and forward those calls to my second cell phone, which happens to have my old landline number ported to it. My second cell phone is set to forward unanswered calls to my main cell phone, which is also google voice number 1. Now if someone calls my business number both cell phones ring and also my VoIP phone on my desk and all three phones ring if someone calls my old home landline number also. The only problem is that when a call comes in I do not know which phone number the person called to find me. I can go back to google voice history and add names to new customers so the next time they call I know who the customer is when I answer. This has worked great for me, I get three lines of service for the cost of 2 cell phone lines. Oh and calls to my main cell phone also ring to my desk phone so I can leave my phone charge and still answer calls.

 

[scudder]

I think I have accomplished something very similar to what you are trying to do. I have 2 cell phone numbers and a google voice number and all three ring my main cell phone and I went one step farther and got an OBI 100 to plug my old landline phone into so now I have a free VoIP phone that will ring for all three phone numbers. I integrated my main cell phone with google voice using option 1 and used my cell phone number as my google voice number. Then I got a second google voice number that I use as my business number and forward those calls to my second cell phone, which happens to have my old landline number ported to it. My second cell phone is set to forward unanswered calls to my main cell phone, which is also google voice number 1. Now if someone calls my business number both cell phones ring and also my VoIP phone on my desk and all three phones ring if someone calls my old home landline number also. The only problem is that when a call comes in I do not know which phone number the person called to find me. I can go back to google voice history and add names to new customers so the next time they call I know who the customer is when I answer. This has worked great for me, I get three lines of service for the cost of 2 cell phone lines. Oh and calls to my main cell phone also ring to my desk phone so I can leave my phone charge and still answer calls.

I pretty much follow what you've done. While I don't need the VoIP or "triple ring" setup, I see that the way you are operating is with TWO cells.

Your setup helped me think through what I was going to need with regard to answering and, importantly, knowing which phone number is ringing as I'm sure that I'm going to want to screen some calls from unknown numbers whether they be calls to my "personal" line or one of my alternate/business lines. I saw that you said you do NOT know which phone is ringing which might be a problem for me.... I know with my current single cell number and my google voice number, I can set the google voice to ring through showing the ACTUAL caller ID for the number calling me or simply my google voice number as the caller ID so that, in that case, I know which phone is ringing. However if I'm considering the need for three lines, I think I'm gonna need a second phone...

As I'm about to type this next question I'm thinking to myself that it is impossible but....is there ANY way to have THREE phone numbers ring on one phone where one can figure out which phone number of the three is being called??...

 

[Rxpert83]

You need a phone within a phone within a phone????

Spoiler

Had to sorry.

I have no clue how you'd accomplish such a feat

 

[catpowrd]

For me it really doesn’t make any difference which number is being called but I like to know who is calling so I keep updating google voice history by adding a name to the number and if its an unwanted call I just add call block to that number so it wont ring again ever. Since the business number is a google voice number it maybe possible to have something like a notification or widget tell you have an incoming call so you know someone is calling that number before you answer it. Hope I did not confuse you to much on my previous post, I had to think for a few minutes how I was making this work and then how to write it down.

 

[IOWA]

If you ran Groove IP and Google Voice on the same phone, this is possible, but it will be killer on your battery life.

 

[scudder]

You need a phone within a phone within a phone????
...

I have no clue how you'd accomplish such a feat

Ha!! It's not that tall on order! It's just pretty much a 3-line setup like any business or home might have (e.g., home line, "teen" line and fax line).

Problem is that for whatever legitimate reason or otherwise, it appears that one can have only one Google Voice number per phone. So somehow, somewhere, it looks like I'm going to need a second line to get the third number.

While it should be pretty easy to forward the third line to whatever phone I want, the problem I'm realizing while thinking everything through is the fact that I'm going to have to make calls originating from that third line I'm seeking. While one can set up their phone to call out showing either (1) their original cell phone number or (2) their google voice number is chosen, unless there is something out there no one has mentioned yet, I'm probably gonna need a 2nd phone to originate calls coming from my third number.

 

[scudder]

For me it really doesn

 

[IOWA]

Ha!! It's not that tall on order! It's just pretty much a 3-line setup like any business or home might have (e.g., home line, "teen" line and fax line).

Problem is that for whatever legitimate reason or otherwise, it appears that one can have only one Google Voice number per phone. So somehow, somewhere, it looks like I'm going to need a second line to get the third number.

While it should be pretty easy to forward the third line to whatever phone I want, the problem I'm realizing while thinking everything through is the fact that I'm going to have to make calls originating from that third line I'm seeking. While one can set up their phone to call out showing either (1) their original cell phone number or (2) their google voice number is chosen, unless there is something out there no one has mentioned yet, I'm probably gonna need a 2nd phone to originate calls coming from my third number.

You can use Groove IP to use VOIP for one of the google voice accounts, and Google voice for the other, and still have the primary phone line. However, as I mentioned before this is going to take a huge toll on your battery.

 

[scudder]

If you ran Groove IP and Google Voice on the same phone, this is possible, but it will be killer on your battery life.

Yeah, thought of something like that too but killing my battery is gonna be a no-go. I'm already wary of my battery life with my EVO and haven't had the use of my data/charging port for a YEAR so I swap out batteries as needed. Any additional tax on my battery is nish-nish...

 

[IOWA]

Yeah, thought of something like that too but killing my battery is gonna be a no-go. I'm already wary of my battery life with my EVO and haven't had the use of my data/charging port for a YEAR so I swap out batteries as needed. Any additional tax on my battery is nish-nish...

Then perhaps a cheap prepaid handset is in order =P

 

[catpowrd]

Do you need the portability of a cell phone? If not google voice and Obi device is free phone calls and no monthly charge for that line and works good on an old cordless phone.

 

[scudder]

Then perhaps a cheap prepaid handset is in order =P

Do you need the portability of a cell phone? If not google voice and Obi device is free phone calls and no monthly charge for that line and works good on an old cordless phone.

Yeah, I DO need the cell phone portability.

Well, I think I have a "no-brainer" (for me at least) fix for my situation. It's gonna be a 3rd line of service....

I went to sprint.com and checked out costs to add various phones I was considering with my extra line of service...another EVO, an EVO Design, an EVO 3D, Samsung Nexus S....all of which were $99.99 plus tax and activation, etc.

I then went over to Radio Shack to look around as their phone are often a few bucks less than online at Sprint. Well, most of the phones were $79 instead of $99 but the Nexus S was only $19!!!

I checked a couple times...not a misprint!! Not only that, you get free FedEx overnight next business day shipping and, get this, there is a 4-day sale that credits back the activation fee if you make your purchase online between 4/9 and 4/12!!

Soooo, for my purposes, $19 TOTAL for the new phone and $20/month for the extra line (business expense...plus the $10 4G fee) is pretty much a done-deal for me I think!