I cannot make outbound calls using PSTN Line

[babobi]

Hello all. I've been using the Obi 110 since February. Initially it was working great, but lately it's been a bit buggy, particularly when placing outbound calls. Ideally, I want to place all outbound calls using my existing Comcast Digital Voice service, but when I enable Physical Interfaces -> PHONE Port -> PrimaryLine : PSTN Line, IT NEVER WORKS I ALWAYS get an SIT tone followed by this recorded message: "There is no service available to complete your call." This is an Obi generated recording and I cannot understand why I am hearing this when I select PSTN Line for outbound calls?  

Often I have to wait a long time to even hear a dialtone, and then when I dial out it never works using the PSTN Line, I inevitably hear the SIT tone followed by "There is no service available to complete your call," so I am forced to use Google Voice SP1 Service for all outbound calls. The Google Voice outbound option is a little better, but not by much. I'd say about half of the time I have to redial a number more than once because the landline dial pad skips and omits digits on a regular basis. And then sometimes I hear dead air and the call either connects after a long wait or doesn't connect at all. I know nothing is wrong with the dial pad on the phone itself as it works correctly when I've tested it using Comcast Digital Voice only with Obi 110 device disconnected.

I was told I'd have an easier time removing the Obi 110 from the web portal, reconfiguring, then dialing ***1 to determine the Obi's IP address. So I go back to square one. I reset the Obi 110 to factory defaults and remove it from the web portal. I unplug and reboot modem and Obi, wait ten minutes, then I reconnect everything and dial ***1. A voice gives me the IP address and i try entering it in my web browser and NOTHING HAPPENS. I try this about seven more times on multiple web browsers and I get a "failed to open page" error message. Okay, so THAT doesn't work, so I'm back to using the web portal.    

Why is this SOOO difficult? I would think it would be a relatively simple procedure for OUTBOUND calls to go thru Obi seamlessly since the Comcast Digital Voice landline servie provider already exists. The reason I need and use Google Voice for INCOMING calls is as a filtering device for all the tons of junk, spam and telemarking phone calls that we receive everyday, and for that I am grateful. I forward my Comcast Digital Voice home phone number to my Google Voice number which routes these unwanted calls to a spam folder. The downside is that when I place outbound calls, I want people to see my Comcast Digital Voice number and not my Google Voice number.

Should I purchase the new Obi 202 and try again? Is this new device a superior option? Any help much appreciated. Thank you!  

[jimates]

if you pick up the phone and press #, you should hear the dial tone from your comcast voice line. Do you?

you are probably not getting the very last number for the ip address. You must listen very carefully to get that last number because it tends to run into the next part of the statement.

192.168.x.xxx
make sure you get 10 digits.

[babobi]

Hi jmates. When I press # hear the SIT tone followed by "There is no service available to complete your call." And yes I am quite sure I got the correct and complete IP address. I called ***1 at least three times and got the same IP each time.

This is so vexing. I have tried OVER and OVER to get it to work using every possible configuration from the Obi manual and suggestions from other forum users. I even asked ObiTalk support and I've done everything THEY instructed to no avail. I just cannot make outbound calls using PSTN Line. It used to work when I first got the Obi in February and now it just refuses. I've updated the firmware, don't know what else to do. I was thinking of getting the new Obi 202 but then I read this review from voxilla.com:

"However, those who need an FXO port on their device to hook up a traditional telephone line or a locked analog telephone adaptor from Vonage or another VoIP company, are out of luck with the OBi202, and should stick to the OBi110." Here is the link to that complete article:

http://voxilla.com/2012/04/13/obi202-voip-adaptor-now-on-amazon-wait-well-worth-it/

Any suggestion? Thanks!

[jimates]

Getting the recording when pressing # likely means the Obi is not sensing a dial tone a service present on the line port.
Did you connect the incoming line to a phone to verify it is working?

[babobi]

Getting the recording when pressing # likely means the Obi is not sensing a dial tone present on the line port.
Did you connect the incoming line to a phone to verify it is working?

Yes I did.

[RonR]

The OBi does not employ dialtone sensing on the LINE Port.

The OBi determines LINE Port status by TipRing Voltage and Loop Current.

Go to:

Status -> PHONE & LINE Status -> Line Port Status

and post the Line Port Status values for LoopCurrent and TipRingVoltage for:

State = On Hook (no # pressed)

and

State = Off Hook (# pressed).

[babobi]

PHONE and LINE Port Status
Port Status
Parameter Name   Value   OBiTALK
Settings   
State   On Hook      
LoopCurrent   0 mA      
VBAT   58 V      
TipRingVoltage   45 V      
LastCallerInfo   --      


Port Status
Parameter Name   Value   OBiTALK
Settings   
State   On Hook      
LoopCurrent   0 mA      

TipRingVoltage   0 V      
LastCallerInfo   --      

[RonR]

babobi,

I don't think you posted the correct values.

We're only interested in the LoopCurrent and TipRingVoltage values that are listed in the Line Port Status column.

We need two sets of values.

The first set is with the OBi telephone on hook (hung up).  The Line Port State should display On Hook at this point.

The second set is with the OBi telephone off hook (active) and after pressing #.  The Line Port State should display Off Hook at this point.


Line Port State = On Hook :

Line Port LoopCurrent = ?
Line Port TipRingVoltage = ?


Line Port State = Off Hook :

Line Port LoopCurrent = ?
Line Port TipRingVoltage = ?

[babobi]

PHONE and LINE Port Status
Port Status
Parameter Name   Value   OBiTALK
Settings   
State   On Hook      
LoopCurrent   0 mA      
VBAT   57 V      
TipRingVoltage   46 V      
LastCallerInfo   --      


PHONE and LINE Port Status
Port Status
Parameter Name   Value   OBiTALK
Settings   
State   Off Hook      
LoopCurrent   20 mA      
VBAT   17 V      
TipRingVoltage   7 V      
LastCallerInfo   --      

[RonR]

This appears to be a capture of the informaion from the Phone Port Status column instead of the Line Port Status column.

Are you capturing this from the OBi itself while logged into the IP address returned by dialing ***1?  That's what we need to look at.

[babobi]

RonR, I was never able to access the Obi 110 via ***1 as you suggested. Here's what happened: I removed the Obi 110 from the web portal and reconfigured it to factory defaults. I unplug and reboot modem and Obi, wait ten minutes, then I reconnect everything and dial ***1. A voice gives me the IP address and i try entering it in my web browser and NOTHING HAPPENS. I try this about seven more times on multiple web browsers and I get a "failed to open page" error message. So now I am back to using the web portal.

[RonR]

I see.  Well, it's going to be really tough to diagnose a LINE Port problem if you can't see the LINE Port status.

For starters, we need to know what the OBi is seeing for TipRingVoltage on the LINE Port when the LINE Port State is On Hook.

[babobi]

Gawd, I am such an idiot loser. I don't know how to do anything