Ooma Porting from Comcast

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bbgarnett
Posts:61
Joined:Thu Jul 29, 2010 7:43 pm
Ooma Porting from Comcast

Post by bbgarnett » Thu Sep 12, 2019 2:41 pm

TLDR: mainly just looking at people who have ported from Comcast and what the experience was like

Hello, So I've had Ooma since like 2011 and have been very happy with it. I now have an old neighbor I have since moved so don't live by him anymore. Anyways he was given an Ooma Telo from some family members or something and was thinking about making the switch. He currently has Comcast for everything and he was worried as he was reading that porting could take 3-4 weeks. I told him that I guess it could take that long but I would suspect that it would take 10 days or less. Anyways his home number is the only number he gives out and asked me if there was anything I could do to speed up the porting process as he doesn't want to be without that number if he can help it. I said there is nothing I can do on that front so my question is as I can't remember but when you port I know they give you a temp number but I am assuming his number that he currently has will just be dead for however long it takes to port correct? Also what happens on Comcast ends as he has the Triple Play from Comcast so phone TV and internet so if he ports over what happens with his phone on Comcast like now that his number is gone will he just be given a new number from comcast? I never ported from Comcast we had AT&T landline back then and it was only phone. Anyways mainly just looking at people who have ported from Comcast and what the experience was like as he just wants to not be without that number for an extended period of time. He does have a cell phone but he must not give that number out to many people or something.

Sorry for ranting on

Thanks

TonyW
Posts:305
Joined:Tue Jun 24, 2014 6:24 am

Re: Ooma Porting from Comcast

Post by TonyW » Thu Sep 12, 2019 3:46 pm

I used this trick when I ported out of Verizon. Unsure if it can be done w/ Comcast, but it's wotrh looking into.

- Assuming Comcast supports call forwarding... Ooma provides a period of free Premier (2 numbers for 2 mos, IIRC), so when setting up, pick one local # & configure the Comcast line to forward calls to it.

- Connect home phone to Ooma device. All calls to Comcast will come through Ooma.

note: I did this so I could 'test drive' Ooma for a few days.

- Initiate port. With this arrangement, you won't really care how long it takes (YMMV).

- When port is complete, the ported # is now your 2nd Ooma #. Calls still comes through Ooma so no rewiring is required... it's already been done. Comcast is out of the picture (unless they assign a new # to the old line).

- IMPORTANT: Whether you intend to keep (subscribe to) Premier, or not, you should call Ooma support & have them make the ported # your PRIMARY # (BEFORE the free Premier period expires). If you fail to do this part & the 2nd number is dropped, it returns to the 'available # pool' & is most likely lost.

bbgarnett
Posts:61
Joined:Thu Jul 29, 2010 7:43 pm

Re: Ooma Porting from Comcast

Post by bbgarnett » Thu Sep 12, 2019 4:15 pm

Thank you I will look into this for him. I see Comcast has call forwarding and selective call forwarding but only on certain plans. Also my question is would it be easier to just set up call forwarding so it forwards calls to his cell phone and not deal with this whole 2nd Ooma number as I don't live by him anymore I mean only about 25 minutes away but I don't drive so hard for me to get over there on a whim. So basically set up call forwarding to cell phone then go and install the ooma telo, Create an account and then initiate the port. Then once port is complete he should only have the one ooma number and I can just cancel the premier free trial right away as if I don't I know it probably won't happen and he'll be paying for extras he won't use. He is currently renting equipment from Comcast so I will also be telling him to buy his own modem/router and not pay there assuming $12 a month rental fee, been so long since I rented from them so I know it's way up.

Thanks,

TonyW
Posts:305
Joined:Tue Jun 24, 2014 6:24 am

Re: Ooma Porting from Comcast

Post by TonyW » Thu Sep 12, 2019 4:27 pm

"... set up call forwarding so it forwards calls to his cell phone..." is a Premier feature, so the 2nd # would be included. But it IS a nice feature.

bbgarnett
Posts:61
Joined:Thu Jul 29, 2010 7:43 pm

Re: Ooma Porting from Comcast

Post by bbgarnett » Thu Sep 12, 2019 4:30 pm

Hey,

Sorry I mean set up call forwarding from Comcast to cell and then initiate the port so we don't have to deal with the whole 2nd ooma number and having to call and make the ported number primary etc etc.

TonyW
Posts:305
Joined:Tue Jun 24, 2014 6:24 am

Re: Ooma Porting from Comcast

Post by TonyW » Thu Sep 12, 2019 4:37 pm

Ah. My bad. Hope you manage to work it out. FWIW, even though they said my port would take ~2 wks, it ended up being 3 days.

bbgarnett
Posts:61
Joined:Thu Jul 29, 2010 7:43 pm

Re: Ooma Porting from Comcast

Post by bbgarnett » Thu Sep 12, 2019 4:58 pm

Hey,

well I am wondering do you think that it would be better to just forward it to the cell during the port process or do you thinking do as you did would be the better option.

Thanks,

TonyW
Posts:305
Joined:Tue Jun 24, 2014 6:24 am

Re: Ooma Porting from Comcast

Post by TonyW » Thu Sep 12, 2019 5:19 pm

Were I doing it for, say, 'me elderly mum' :) , I'd probably go the same route I detailed. Once the setup is complete, there's nothing left but a phone call to support when the port completes. They leave a VM & there's a myooma port status page, so if you have the login credentials, there's no need to travel to monitor status & wrap things up. I personally considered it a 'path of least resistance'... one physical visit & done.

bbgarnett
Posts:61
Joined:Thu Jul 29, 2010 7:43 pm

Re: Ooma Porting from Comcast

Post by bbgarnett » Thu Sep 12, 2019 5:33 pm

OK Thanks for the reply and hopefully his Comcast plan allows call forwarding.

Another thing is I pick a temporary number before I initiate the port correct? So I pick the temp number then go back to the Comcast page and enter that number in the call forwarding section assuming he has it and then head back to ooma and initiate the port?

Thanks again you have given me a great suggestion

TonyW
Posts:305
Joined:Tue Jun 24, 2014 6:24 am

Re: Ooma Porting from Comcast

Post by TonyW » Thu Sep 12, 2019 5:59 pm

I believe the initial Ooma setup requires you to pick a (temp) #. Once you've set the Comcast forward, it'd be wise to call the Comcast # (from your cell?) to verify that an Ooma-attached phone rings. If goodness, initiate the port & wait for the 'port complete' notification.

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