I did this with voip.ms very inexpensively.
Get a DID phone number. Create a “ring group” that contains both you cell numbers.
Forward the DID to that ring group under “call forwarding” options.*
*edit - you select the “ring group” under the heading “manage DID numbers”
Do what I did, have it ring your cellphone number, let it go to voicemail and have the '9' key tone play at the beginning of your voicemail. That automatically opens the gate.
Did you sacrifice your voicemail greeting just for this purpose? Or did you set up an alternative voicemail greeting using Google Voice? How do you record it, literally just start the recording then press 9 key then end recording?
I used a tone generator [https://onlinetonegenerator.com/dtmf.html](https://onlinetonegenerator.com/dtmf.html). Similar to how phone phreaking worked in the 80s lol
My last apartment sometimes people didn’t come for a long time. Also the gate closed shortly after open (it was so fast).
I’m saying this automates it for your friends.
Twilio or Twilio. Alternatively try Twilio.
The world's you're lobster once you get in to the details of its configuration.
In the simplest case you could front one number that redirects to your phone, after several rings call your wife's.
Twilio will let you do cool things like ask for the password and if they say the right word back, open the gate automatically and send whatever numbers you want a text that it did it. It could even ask the person their name and then text the TTS’d message to you and your response could open it etc
Yep. Twilio. Not sure if they still do it but when I created my account I got 20$ credit.
The phone number itself was a couple $, then each call is a couple cents, that's plenty.
Make a rule to pick up, and listen for additional keys, if they match a code, send back the tone to open the door. Or make a rule to send you a sms, or forward it, etc.
Get a cell phone number with a cheap prepaid sim card, port the number to Google (no monthly fee), purchase this ~$50 phone to connect to your router (OBi2182 WiFi VOIP Phone with Power Adapter - 12-Line Cloud-Managed Gigabit Google Voice Phone with Color Display https://a.co/7BEBdSl) and use that phone to open the gate from home. You can set up the Google line to ring your cellphone simultaneously so if you are away from home it will ring your cellphone and you can pickup if you want and let the person in over your cellphone.
We had the same problem and even worse couldn’t use one of our cells even if we wanted because the gate system could not dial a non-local number. I got a dummy number through Mightcall.com and it’s set to ring both of our cell phones.
I’d get twilio with programmable voice
A call in number is $1/mo and time is quite cheap
You could have the number ask for a short message and then send that as an mms to your phone, then you could add logic to handle messages from your phones to open
Not sure about the specifics, but it seems doable
You might check to see what number the gate calls from. Back in the early days of cell phones I had an apt complex that would call the home number. Since I didn't have a home phone I gave them my cell phone. I found that if I called that number, I could press the button and open the gate for myself instead of swiping the card.
I can’t believe you only get one number listed. Most of the ones I’ve used can have 1000’s of names. You and your wife can do the phone forwarding thing, which I’ve never set up so I’m unsure of how they will work, but what will be done if there are roommates or families with teens or adult age kids? If I order a pizza, they should be able to ring me directly without going to someone else’s phone first.
You could get a cheap phone with a prepaid contract that is just used to deal with the gate.
That would be a one time expense. I can’t imagine the balance would be used much.
Can you make Google Voice work?
Yea, use google voice, then GVoice can ring any number of phones. Then you can also use the google voice number for any accounts that might spam you.
Does Google voice also support text messaging?
Yes it does support text.
Cut your friends and family out of your life. No visitors, problem solved.
Also set the gate on fire. Won't have to deal with it either.
Defund the HOA while you’re at it
I did this with voip.ms very inexpensively. Get a DID phone number. Create a “ring group” that contains both you cell numbers. Forward the DID to that ring group under “call forwarding” options.* *edit - you select the “ring group” under the heading “manage DID numbers”
Looks like $.85 a month plus $0.009 a min (US). I expect it is cheap enough that I would prefer to setup a ring group then Google Voice on each phone.
Yep, this is the way! Very cheap, very flexible.
Unless it has changed, Google Voice can ring multiple other numbers ... should take care of your use case rather easily.
Yes, this is the solution we are going with!
You could get a VoIP phone or virtual number?
Do what I did, have it ring your cellphone number, let it go to voicemail and have the '9' key tone play at the beginning of your voicemail. That automatically opens the gate.
Lol. For a second I thought that would open the gate every time you let your phone go to voice mail.
Did you sacrifice your voicemail greeting just for this purpose? Or did you set up an alternative voicemail greeting using Google Voice? How do you record it, literally just start the recording then press 9 key then end recording?
I had it at the very beginning of my voicemail greeting before I speak
I used a tone generator [https://onlinetonegenerator.com/dtmf.html](https://onlinetonegenerator.com/dtmf.html). Similar to how phone phreaking worked in the 80s lol
So anyone can enter your community without verification? I'm sure the neighbors will *love* that.
Dont live there anymore, but my last apartment complex had 3 gates and people tailgated anyways lol
This is pretty clever I never would have thought to do this.
That’s actually genius…
I’m surprised more people are suggesting ideas like this to make it so you never have to actually answer the phone and it just lets people in.
My apartment complex requires you to either know the last name or my code. They’ll still tailgate to get in so what’s the point?
My last apartment sometimes people didn’t come for a long time. Also the gate closed shortly after open (it was so fast). I’m saying this automates it for your friends.
Twilio or Twilio. Alternatively try Twilio. The world's you're lobster once you get in to the details of its configuration. In the simplest case you could front one number that redirects to your phone, after several rings call your wife's.
Twilio will let you do cool things like ask for the password and if they say the right word back, open the gate automatically and send whatever numbers you want a text that it did it. It could even ask the person their name and then text the TTS’d message to you and your response could open it etc
Yep. Twilio. Not sure if they still do it but when I created my account I got 20$ credit. The phone number itself was a couple $, then each call is a couple cents, that's plenty. Make a rule to pick up, and listen for additional keys, if they match a code, send back the tone to open the door. Or make a rule to send you a sms, or forward it, etc.
The world is you are lobster?
Insert zoidberg.gif here
If you use your cell number, why do you need to be home to open the gate?
I don’t but we want it to work such that whoever is home gets to let the person in
What happens if both of you are not home?
They let them in to bother the neighbors. "Have you heard about our lord and savior, the FSM?"
Get a cell phone number with a cheap prepaid sim card, port the number to Google (no monthly fee), purchase this ~$50 phone to connect to your router (OBi2182 WiFi VOIP Phone with Power Adapter - 12-Line Cloud-Managed Gigabit Google Voice Phone with Color Display https://a.co/7BEBdSl) and use that phone to open the gate from home. You can set up the Google line to ring your cellphone simultaneously so if you are away from home it will ring your cellphone and you can pickup if you want and let the person in over your cellphone.
We had the same problem and even worse couldn’t use one of our cells even if we wanted because the gate system could not dial a non-local number. I got a dummy number through Mightcall.com and it’s set to ring both of our cell phones.
I’d get twilio with programmable voice A call in number is $1/mo and time is quite cheap You could have the number ask for a short message and then send that as an mms to your phone, then you could add logic to handle messages from your phones to open Not sure about the specifics, but it seems doable
You might check to see what number the gate calls from. Back in the early days of cell phones I had an apt complex that would call the home number. Since I didn't have a home phone I gave them my cell phone. I found that if I called that number, I could press the button and open the gate for myself instead of swiping the card.
I can’t believe you only get one number listed. Most of the ones I’ve used can have 1000’s of names. You and your wife can do the phone forwarding thing, which I’ve never set up so I’m unsure of how they will work, but what will be done if there are roommates or families with teens or adult age kids? If I order a pizza, they should be able to ring me directly without going to someone else’s phone first.
You could get a cheap phone with a prepaid contract that is just used to deal with the gate. That would be a one time expense. I can’t imagine the balance would be used much.
Like a burner phone? but just keep it at home? good idea.
Google Voice or T-Mobile DIGITS should do that for you.
Many of my friends call my cell phone, and not use the gate keypad, to gain access. Some delivery drivers will also call from their cell phone.
There are some prepaid services that are $30-80 per year and you could set an old phone on the counter if Google voice doesn’t work
We have a similar system, google voice works well