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Installing and using ooma/telo right away!
This may have been offered previously , but I was able to install and use my landline tel number right after installation and before “porting”. My landline service package has the ‘call forwarding’ feature. You can take advantage of this feature.
1) Install the telo with only a simple wired handset attached.
2) Verifiy that the ooma number worked by calling into the new ooma from your cell or land line.
3) Next activate the call forwarding feature on my local landline service and forward all calls to the new ooma number.
4) Go outside and locate your phone company’s TPI box (telephone protection interface). Open the box and unplug the house service from the landline feed. (All TPI’s have a simple door that opens with a screwdriver.
5) Then unplug the simple wired handset from the telo, and replace it by connecting the house wiring to the ooma telo.

Bingo -
Now any calls to my landline number are now forwarded to my ooma number as I wait for the “porting” to take place. Better yet – all calls made from any phone in the house are now carried by my ooma voip service. Whether it takes 2 days or 4 weeks for the porting to occur, I have the full benefit of inbound to my landline number as it was and all outbound calls being carried by ooma.

Nothing new here. That's the recommended way to install. Easy to do when dumping Vonage.

Good suggestion; didn't think about that while I waited for my port, thanks for sharing, might come handy for new Ooma customers.

This sounds like what I need, but I need some things clarified.

I have set up my telo today and verified everything works. I have the model with only 1 phone jack in it and have my Panasonic cordless plugged into it.

What do you mean by "1) Install the telo with only a simple wired handset attached. " I assume this is the basic setup defined in the initial OOMAA setup.

Also when I input call forwarding code and my tele number into my phone, I get a busy signal; which sounds right since I am calling on the same phone. I do have the phone forwarding capability.

and by "5) Then unplug the simple wired handset from the telo, and replace it by connecting the house wiring to the ooma telo." Where do you plug the cordless phone?

Wait, I think I see it in the OOMA/homedistribution page. If this is it, according to the schematic, I would have the OOMA plugged into a phone jack (in my case the kitchen), but the cordless phone plugged into another jack (in another room, in my house). This would mean I could not have a phone in the kitchen. Could I use a phone jack splitter at the kitchen outlet and plug both into it?

This sounds like what I need, but I need some things clarified.

I have set up my telo today and verified everything works. I have the model with only 1 phone jack in it and have my Panasonic cordless plugged into it.

What do you mean by "1) Install the telo with only a simple wired handset attached. " I assume this is the basic setup defined in the initial OOMAA setup.

Yes, I think that is all he meant..... To keep it simple initially.

Also when I input call forwarding code and my tele number into my phone, I get a busy signal; which sounds right since I am calling on the same phone. I do have the phone forwarding capability.

You'd have to hook up a phone to your wall jack (assuming landline still going throughout the house) and use that line to set up call forwarding to your new temporary Ooma number. Bottom line, you need a phone using your old landline to accomplish that. If you only have one phone, I believe there is still a way to set up the call forwarding without having to answer the forwarded line, by repeating the steps to set up call forwarding two times (at least for AT&T).

and by "5) Then unplug the simple wired handset from the telo, and replace it by connecting the house wiring to the ooma telo." Where do you plug the cordless phone?

Wait, I think I see it in the OOMA/homedistribution page. If this is it, according to the schematic, I would have the OOMA plugged into a phone jack (in my case the kitchen), but the cordless phone plugged into another jack (in another room, in my house). This would mean I could not have a phone in the kitchen. Could I use a phone jack splitter at the kitchen outlet and plug both into it?

Before you do that, be sure to disconnect the phone lines coming in from the telephone company to prevent back-feeding your Ooma's 'phone output' to the phone company. There should be a box on the back of your house. Inside there are (typically) two phone cords plugged into two jacks. The jacks go to the phone wiring inside of your house and the two plugs come from the telephone company (one is line 1 and the other is line 2). You may only have one, or they may also be connected through a terminal strip via screws.

And yes, you could use a splitter then run one directly to the wall jack in the kitchen and the other to your cordless phone base in the kitchen.

Thanks, I have figured a way around the call forwarding problem, since I only had one "cordless phone master station". Maybe this bit of info will help others.

1. I logged into my OOMA account perferences and setup to call forward to my cell phone.
2. I unplugged the phone from the OOMA telo and back into the landline jack.
3. Using the landline phone, I input the ATT&T call forward code + my OOMA phone number, my cell phone rang and I got a voice mail message, but AT&T recorded an answered phone at the OOMA number.
4. I unplugged the landline and replugged my cordless phone master station back into the OOMA telo and called my old number using my cell phone and my OOMA line rang.

Since I am using the Master Station in my OOMA, all the other cordless phones ring. I don't see any reason to disconnect my landline, since I am not using it. Oh, and since the landline is plugged into the DSL modem, wouldn't I need that anyway? Am I correct?

By the way, the so called Customer Support at OOMA told me since I did not have the latest TELO model with 2 phone jacks on the back, I could not call forward my old number. I asked if I could use a splittler and she said no.

By the way, the so called Customer Support at OOMA told me since I did not have the latest TELO model with 2 phone jacks on the back, I could not call forward my old number. I asked if I could use a splittler and she said no.

Far out. The latest Telo has only one phone jack, and you can use a splitter at the output of any Telo.

Since I am using the Master Station in my OOMA, all the other cordless phones ring. I don't see any reason to disconnect my landline, since I am not using it. Oh, and since the landline is plugged into the DSL modem, wouldn't I need that anyway? Am I correct?

You needn't disconnect the landline unless you intend to connect the Ooma to the phone wiring in your house, which of course is connected to the landline until you disconnect it.

You need only avoid connecting Ooma's output (PHONE connector) to the telephone company's landline. You can avoid that by disconnecting the landline from the house, or by using a different pair of wires in your house's wiring. Most houses have at least two pairs, often three or four. Sometimes one pair is used for DSL and another for POTS [Plain Old Telephone Service].

Sorry, didn't realize you had DSL. Well, if you do ever decide to feed your TELO's 'phone output' into your house's wiring, you'll want to disconnect AT&T from it first (physically). There is voltage on phone lines and it's not a good idea to plug the Ooma's jack into a house wall jack that has wiring coming from the phone company. I think with DSL, some people will connect it outside so that the DSL uses 'line 2', then they use 'line 1' house wiring to distribute Ooma's dialtone.

And perhaps I am misinformed, but..... I think the Ooma rep gave you some bad info. Even with a single phone jack on the Ooma, you can still forward your old landline calls to the new Ooma number (using your landline's call forwarding option). That has nothing to do with the number of jacks on the Ooma.

And perhaps I am misinformed, but..... I think the Ooma rep gave you some bad info. Even with a single phone jack on the Ooma, you can still forward your old landline calls to the new Ooma number (using your landline's call forwarding option). That has nothing to do with the number of jacks on the Ooma.

You are correct.