True TWO line phone support - please!

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AgThorn
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Joined:Tue Mar 23, 2010 8:38 am
True TWO line phone support - please!

Post by AgThorn » Tue Mar 23, 2010 11:54 am

I am just installing Ooma and was under the impression before ordering, after a few phone calls to Ooma, that my existing two line phone setup in my house would work with it. I was apparently mistaken. :cry:

Now to have a separate business line in my home (not an uncommon occurrence), I need to dedicate a Ooma handset, with all the other phones aligned to my home number. This way at least I get a separation of answering functions which is important, although I will have to run around to find the phone if I want to talk! :!:

At the very least, I would think that Ooma should come clean on what does and doesn't work in a two line environment PRIOR to purchase. It shouldn't be that difficult to update a few pic's and do a little more documentation. I feel like I am pioneering here in an area that should not be that uncommon of an environment (e.g. home with fax, home and office, home with separate teenage line, etc.).

Even more desirable for them to provide an option where you have true 2 line support on all phones, Ooma and non-Ooma, throughout the home (of course via premier). I have a sizable investment in phone equipment supporting two separate lines, which is basically unusable with the Telo in it's current offering. I will only be able to use 'one line' with any and all 2nd line calls going to my (where is now?) Telo handset.
Last edited by AgThorn on Wed Mar 24, 2010 11:36 am, edited 2 times in total.

MikeekiM
Posts:216
Joined:Wed Aug 12, 2009 9:55 am

Re: True TWO line phone support - please!

Post by MikeekiM » Tue Mar 23, 2010 12:02 pm

Wow...this is definitely a problem for Telo users... I hadn't even considered this issue... Thanks for bringing this up...

I am a hub user...and I feed my two-line phone independently by routing my hub through "Line 1" and a dedicated assigned scout through "Line 2"...and everything works as it should... No different from when I had two separate lines from AT&T's landline service...

Good luck...
Customer Since: August 2009
Ooma Hardware: Ooma Telo (Original Legacy Hub/Scout Customer)
Ooma Service: Premier Lifetime (Since October 2009)

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AgThorn
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Re: True TWO line phone support - please!

Post by AgThorn » Tue Mar 23, 2010 12:25 pm

Good point ... when you ask them what the Hub does or can do that the Telo can't, they don't go into 2 phone line support at all. Hopefully they can correct this ...

MikeekiM
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Joined:Wed Aug 12, 2009 9:55 am

Re: True TWO line phone support - please!

Post by MikeekiM » Tue Mar 23, 2010 12:47 pm

The other thing I like about the hub/scout is that it can feed callerid to my DVR onscreen display...

I put a scout out in my living room entertainment center...it's not hooked up to a phone at all... I just connect it up to 2 DVRs (with a splitter) to feed CID to it...

I know nothing about the Telo... And this might not be a great place to post differences...but thought I would let you know about this as well...

Later,

Mike
Customer Since: August 2009
Ooma Hardware: Ooma Telo (Original Legacy Hub/Scout Customer)
Ooma Service: Premier Lifetime (Since October 2009)

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AgThorn
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Re: True TWO line phone support - please!

Post by AgThorn » Tue Mar 23, 2010 3:49 pm

MikeekiM wrote:The other thing I like about the hub/scout is that it can feed callerid to my DVR onscreen display...

I put a scout out in my living room entertainment center...it's not hooked up to a phone at all... I just connect it up to 2 DVRs (with a splitter) to feed CID to it...

I know nothing about the Telo... And this might not be a great place to post differences...but thought I would let you know about this as well...

Later,

Mike
Mike, this might not be a good place to post differences between Ooma and non-Ooma brands, but comparing two Ooma offerings ... why not? They are still selling both, and I do believe if the people on the phone want the Telo to totally displace the Hub, they need to know these differences as well. I would love to hear a comparison. Also, I am curious if a 'scout' can work with a 'telo' to do something like what you just mentioned ... or, I assume, i need to wait for the future 'scout' replacement! ;-)

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southsound
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Re: True TWO line phone support - please!

Post by southsound » Tue Mar 23, 2010 4:48 pm

It is too bad that more pre-users are not directed to this site. Many of us who have had the hub/scout package for some time were disappointed by the lack of a wired (FXS) port for line 2 and there are a slew of postings about it. In our opinion, if you need to drive multiple handsets with the second number, the hub/scout is ideal because you can either use a 2-line phone system (wired or cordless) or two separate cordless bases with lots of phones. During CES, Rich Buchanan (at the time CMO but no longer with the company) talked aboout a future device that would provide the capability of a wired second line on the Telo as a future device. Although I love ooma, their people, and their equipment, I would not make a purchasing decision on future hopes. If the business climate or model changes, it becomes less important to bring out a rumored product than take care of other pressing issues. That said, is there any way the OP (AgThorn) can return their Telo and purchase a hub/scout? I think that pair would be a much better fit if two wired lines are important. Of course, we also have some folks who have two of the hubs or two Telos - still much cheaper than many alternatives and you can easily run more than one ooma from your broadband connection. I have the hub (scout still in the box) and a Telo with 2 handsets. They work fine off my 1.5Mbps down/768Kbps up DSL.
ooma customer since February 2009
VoIP hardware: 2 Telo w/3 handsets & Linx / ooma core
Total Lines: 8 / Numbers: 11 / Handsets: 20
Lifetime Premier Member
Friends don't remember what Landline Integration was or why we did it.

MikeekiM
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Joined:Wed Aug 12, 2009 9:55 am

Re: True TWO line phone support - please!

Post by MikeekiM » Tue Mar 23, 2010 4:55 pm

Agreed... I think AgThorn's needs are much better satisfied with the hub/scout solution...

AgThorn, if you are still in your 30-day return policy, I'd definitely consider going this route... And if not, it would be on Ooma customer services best interest to work something out here...

Just know that by going with the original hardware, that you may give up the ability to take advantage of Ooma's newer services, including Google Voice extensions...

At the end of the day, while I really really wish Ooma would take care of it's original customers as well as it's new customers, it is more important for me to have access to many of the benefits of the original hub/scout (including the two things we are discussing in this thread)... At the end of the day, I need two lines with dialtone in the way that mimicks two landlines...

Good luck AgThorn!!! I really think you'll be better served by the original hardware...
Customer Since: August 2009
Ooma Hardware: Ooma Telo (Original Legacy Hub/Scout Customer)
Ooma Service: Premier Lifetime (Since October 2009)

hingli
Posts:38
Joined:Wed Feb 24, 2010 9:52 pm

Re: True TWO line phone support - please!

Post by hingli » Tue Mar 23, 2010 5:30 pm

Why not create a 2nd line on the "WALL" port if no landline is detected or create a USB module for a 2nd line. I would love that feature.
ooma Telo (Premier)
Port Started: Feb. 24, 2010; Port Expected: March 23, 2010
Internet: Cable 8Mb/1Mb

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Davesworld
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Re: True TWO line phone support - please!

Post by Davesworld » Tue Mar 23, 2010 5:41 pm

MikeekiM wrote:Agreed... I think AgThorn's needs are much better satisfied with the hub/scout solution...

AgThorn, if you are still in your 30-day return policy, I'd definitely consider going this route... And if not, it would be on Ooma customer services best interest to work something out here...

Just know that by going with the original hardware, that you may give up the ability to take advantage of Ooma's newer services, including Google Voice extensions...

At the end of the day, while I really really wish Ooma would take care of it's original customers as well as it's new customers, it is more important for me to have access to many of the benefits of the original hub/scout (including the two things we are discussing in this thread)... At the end of the day, I need two lines with dialtone in the way that mimicks two landlines...

Good luck AgThorn!!! I really think you'll be better served by the original hardware...
The hub/scout combo is really not the answer either, the scout simply does not perform as well as the main FXS port on a Hub or Telo. I have since unplugged my scout. Most people do not realize just how poorly the scout outgoing audio sounds to the other party, it'll sound fine on your end though. I didn't even use home wiring for the Scout and left myself voicemails on other numbers to hear it. It's intelligible but crackly. As it stands right now, Neither ooma device has a good dual FXS solution for two REAL lines.

MikeekiM
Posts:216
Joined:Wed Aug 12, 2009 9:55 am

Re: True TWO line phone support - please!

Post by MikeekiM » Tue Mar 23, 2010 8:30 pm

Hmmmm.... I use my second line (the one connected to my scout) for my work at home line every single day, and am on the phone for hours at a time...and no one has every complained about my line... I'll have to check that out...
Customer Since: August 2009
Ooma Hardware: Ooma Telo (Original Legacy Hub/Scout Customer)
Ooma Service: Premier Lifetime (Since October 2009)

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