2nd phone line, different area code than where I live

Posts: 4 · New Forum Member Joined: Aug 27, 2008 Posts: 4

I live in ann arbor michigan, and my girlfriend lives in westchester, new york. I want to be able to add a 2nd phone line, using a local westchester area code and exchange, to my vonage account so she can call me and not have it be long distance. Before I go ahead and add the 2nd line, I just want to make 100% sure that it will not be a long distance call for her to call me at a local westchester number, and that it will show up on her phone as being a westchester number when she calls me. I dont want it to show up as a michigan number. Her parents pay for her cell phone, and she would get in a lot of trouble if she called a michigan number, or if it somehow showed on her phone that she was connecting to a westchester number that switches to connect to a michigan number. Also, is there any way I can dial out on my phone, but have it show up as that westchester number, or will she always have to call me?

Posts: 2 · New Forum Member Joined: Jun 17, 2008 Posts: 2

Bimple,

Why do her parents hate you so much?

Posts: 879 · Vonage Forum Evangelist Joined: Nov 05, 2005 Posts: 879

With "Vonage Access" there is no need to add a second line. Vonage Access will allow her to call you and not be charged as a long distance call but as a local call. Is the Westchester area code 718? If so, she would dial this local number 718-304-7460 and once connected she will be prompted to enter your number. The following link will provide more information for Vonage Access: http://www.vonage.com/features.php?feature=v_access&refer_id=WEBFT0706010001W1

Posts: 174 · Vonage Forum Master Joined: Dec 06, 2006 Posts: 174

What Darrell_G said, plus:

While you can use it to call your girlfriend, it will not disguise your originating caller ID (I tried it and it didn't). Be advised that, when I tried this, it reported the number of both the V-Access number I dialed as well as the number to which the call was relayed so this would, probably, not be suitable for your needs since your goal is to obfuscate the number to which your girlfriend places her call.

A virtual phone number will also work for your girlfriend, however, it will not, once again, disguise your originating phone number.

Since one of your criteria is:

"Also, is there any way I can dial out on my phone, but have it show up as that westchester number, or will she always have to call me?"

A second line, with a Westchester number, would seem to be the way to go. Your number would be reported as a Westchester number when you called her and she would be directly dialing a Westchester number when she called you. If you don't plan on talking for more than 250 minutes per month, a fax-only line would do, however, it sounds like you two have LOTS to talk about so a 500 min. line or unlimited line would probably do the trick.

Posts: 879 · Vonage Forum Evangelist Joined: Nov 05, 2005 Posts: 879

tophtml wrote:

While you can use it to call your girlfriend, it will not disguise your originating caller ID (I tried it and it didn't). Be advised that, when I tried this, it reported the number of both the V-Access number I dialed as well as the number to which the call was relayed so this would, probably, not be suitable for your needs since your goal is to obfuscate the number to which your girlfriend places her call.

tophtml, his girl friend will dial the V-access number to call him which would be a local call for her. I was not suggesting that he dial the V-Access number to call her.

Posts: 4 · New Forum Member Joined: Aug 27, 2008 Posts: 4

Darrell_G wrote:

With "Vonage Access" there is no need to add a second line. Vonage Access will allow her to call you and not be charged as a long distance call but as a local call. Is the Westchester area code 718? If so, she would dial this local number 718-304-7460 and once connected she will be prompted to enter your number. The following link will provide more information for Vonage Access: http://www.vonage.com/features.php?feature=v_access&refer_id=WEBFT0706010001W1

wow, thanks much! that is exactly what I needed!

Posts: 174 · Vonage Forum Master Joined: Dec 06, 2006 Posts: 174

Darrell_G wrote:

tophtml wrote:

While you can use it to call your girlfriend, it will not disguise your originating caller ID (I tried it and it didn't). Be advised that, when I tried this, it reported the number of both the V-Access number I dialed as well as the number to which the call was relayed so this would, probably, not be suitable for your needs since your goal is to obfuscate the number to which your girlfriend places her call.

tophtml, his girl friend will dial the V-access number to call him which would be a local call for her. I was not suggesting that he dial the V-Access number to call her.

This is correct. I just wanted him to realize that V-Access will not provide him the level of caller ID obfuscation that he is looking for.

If his girlfriend calls her local Vonage V-Access number, her bill will show that she, initially, called the local V-Access number but then another number will appear showing the number to which the call was relayed. Since he wants his Michigan number to appear nowhere on her bill (either inbound or outbound), I just wanted him to know that this won't be possible with V-Access, but it will be free for her.

It sounds like her parents are standing in the way of true love (sigh). Wink

Posts: 339 · Vonage Forum Evangelist Joined: Dec 04, 2005 Posts: 339

Actually, if you call a V-Access number from a non-Vonage phone, the caller (or their phone company, bill, etc) would not reflect the number ultimately connected to. So V-Access would be an possibility given the requirements the original poster has.

Another option would be for the original poster to change their phone number to one in the caller's area but elect to keep the previous phone number as a virtual number. That way, the new phone number would appear on the Caller ID of everyone the original poster calls plus he would still be able to receive calls placed to the previous (and now virtual) number.

Posts: 4 · New Forum Member Joined: Aug 27, 2008 Posts: 4

OK, I am confused here now.

So she calls a westchester v-access phone number, and it connects to the hub, and then at the prompt she enters my number and it connects to me. How is that going to show up on her cell phone log/bill? as calling a westchester # or calling a michigan number, or both? I am hearing different things from different people.

Posts: 339 · Vonage Forum Evangelist Joined: Dec 04, 2005 Posts: 339

It will appear only as the V-Access number dialed.