Tip: Google Voice Calls via Google Talk
This article courtesy of: NetApex News
Here is a quick how-to for setting up a Google Voice/Gizmo/Gtalk solution to enable people to call you on your PC at no charge (at least no charge to you, long distance charges would still apply if your GV number isn’t local to them.)
First of all you need to have a Google Voice number. The reason I say that this is first is because it takes the longest to aquire. So sign up now if you haven’t and while you wait for your invite you can finish the rest of the steps and be prepared to make it all work together in the end. Goto: Google Voice and sign up. We will wait.
Ok good, now if you haven’t actually signed up for a Gmail account (or any Google service) you will need to do that and then download Google Talk. With that running on your computer you will be able to answer the incoming calls from your GV number. But oddly enough, Google does not yet support calls going straight to Gtalk. That is where the SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) client Gizmo comes into play. It will act as the bridge between GV and Gtalk.
So once you goto Gizmo 5 and sign up for their service. Then in setting simply choose to forward all calls. Mark your destination as you Google Talk account. (We are almost done now!) So your Gizmo account is setup to forward your calls to Google Talk, your Google Talk is running on your computer and available for use. Since it is open, click “+add” to add a new user. Then add “service@gtalk2voip.com” (without the quotes of course) so that when the first call comes through it wont have to be slowed down with useless button clicking of acceptance. Now we wait for your GoogleVoice invite.
When the invite comes, pick a phone number that you really want to keep. You can be creative and pick (area code) I-am-cool, or as some people have done (area code) x-mm/dd/yr. Whatever number you choose, know that it is yours and can not be changed (at least not at this time, who knows what the future holds.) Once you get your number setup, you can click settings and add additional phones. Choose Gizmo as the phone type and enter your SIP number. (Probably starts with 1747…) and let it verify. When GV calls, your GTalk client should ring and (as long as your speakers work) you will hear it tell you to enter your verification code. Type the code into the chat window and viola, your calls now forward to any computer that you log into Google Talk with.
There are 2 potential deal breakers I see in this… 1) How do you make a call from GTalk? and 2) If you read a little on Gizmo5, it says that outgoing calls are restricted to 3 minutes if you use your GV#. Does that still come into play if you’re using call forwarding?
To be honest, I have not yet attempted to place a call using GTalk. I do most of my calling from the web interface when I am at work/home and I use Magic Call on my phone to place calls. But from the web you can place a call and have it ring your Gizmo5 number which in turn goes through your GTalk. As for the three minute limitation, that applys to outgoing calls only. So even “placing a call” with Google Voice really turns it into an incoming call. I’ve sat on the GTalk for about 45 minutes with my mother who lives out of state walking her through using her netbook.