Using OBi and GV Outside the USA

[Cruize]

Where were you? Denmark
How were you connected to the Internet? 15/15MBit Fiber
What kind of calls worked? Calls to and from US
What kind of calls did not work? None
Any other observations? None

Update

Works:
Australia, China, Denmark, HK, India, Indonesia, Japan, Panama, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka

Doesn't Work:
Egypt

[humble]

Where were you? India
How were you connected to the Internet? Tomato Router - 2MBPS Speed
What kind of calls worked? Calls to and from US and Canada
What kind of calls did not work? None
Any other observations? None

Awesome and worked out of the box. Thanks.

Auto Provisioning is very useful where you don't rely on portforwarding etc.,

Keep up the good work

One time I had DTMF issue where when I called my home PSTN number from my mobile it didn't accept the OBI attendant keys (1 to go the same number, 2 to call different number etc.,)

One time when I was trying to join a conference, didn't accept the bridge id using keypad.

this is one (DTMF?) issue I faced so far. Other than that it works like charm

[cdcooker]

I am reposting my question from another thread.

I bought 2 Obi here in USA.  I have configured both with GV and both work just fine.  I want to use Obi A in USA, and Obi B in HK.  I assume Obi B in HK can call Obi A in USA by using the AA and choose option 2 to dial out other USA numbers.  I want to know how I can call from Obi A USA to Obi B in HK and using AA to dial HK numbers free of charge.  Is it possible?

Thanks

[RonR]

I want to use Obi A in USA, and Obi B in HK.  I assume Obi B in HK can call Obi A in USA by using the AA and choose option 2 to dial out other USA numbers.  I want to know how I can call from Obi A USA to Obi B in HK and using AA to dial HK numbers free of charge.  Is it possible?

The OBi's can call each other equally well in either direction and both can be configured to have the AA allow outgoing calls on its trunks.  You simply need one or more service providers configured on each OBi (SP1/SP2/PSTN) to use for those outgoing calls.

Better yet, with the proper configuration, each OBi can make local calls as well as calls through the remote OBi, directly (Single-Stage Dialing) without using the AA:

      18005551212  ->  Local PrimaryLine
**1 18005551212  ->  Local SP1 Service
**2 18005551212  ->  Local SP2 Service
**8 18005551212  ->  Local LINE Port
**9 200123456      ->  Local OBiTALK Service

     2*18005551212  ->  Remote PrimaryLine
2 **1 18005551212  ->  Remote SP1 Service
2 **2 18005551212  ->  Remote SP2 Service
2 **8 18005551212  ->  Remote LINE Port
2 **9 200123456      ->  Remote OBiTALK Service

[Dave]

I am reposting my question from another thread.

I bought 2 Obi here in USA.  I have configured both with GV and both work just fine.  I want to use Obi A in USA, and Obi B in HK.  I assume Obi B in HK can call Obi A in USA by using the AA and choose option 2 to dial out other USA numbers.  I want to know how I can call from Obi A USA to Obi B in HK and using AA to dial HK numbers free of charge.  Is it possible?

Thanks

As I understand from this thread, people in US can call your GV number and your OBI in HK will ring.   From HK use the attached phone to place an outgoing  call through your GV port (probably SP1), and it will make free call to  any US or Canada number.    You will not need to use a US based Obi unit.    Do you have a different understanding?   

[cdcooker]

Hi, what I want is to place a call from Obi A in USA to Obi B in HK, and use AA to dial out HK local number to place a call in HK.  In HK, there is no area code, just 8 digits phone number.  I want to know how to make AA recognize I am dialing a HK number.  If there is other easier way to accomplish what I want (place free HK phone call from USA by using Obi), please enlighten me.  Thanks

As I understand from this thread, people in US can call your GV number and your OBI in HK will ring.   From HK use the attached phone to place an outgoing  call through your GV port (probably SP1), and it will make free call to  any US or Canada number.    You will not need to use a US based Obi unit.    Do you have a different understanding?  

[cdcooker]

Hi, thank you for your advice.  I need some further explanation from you.  Since I have GV setup on SP1 on both Obi, I need to find a similar service in HK as SP2, right?  I really don't know if there is anything like this in HK.

The Obi that will be used in HK is Obi100, without a PSTN port.  If I can't find similar service like GV in HK, do you think it is better off to buy a Obi110 for HK use, and hook up the regular phone line to the PSTN port?  The house over there has local phone service.

The OBi's can call each other equally well in either direction and both can be configured to have the AA allow outgoing calls on its trunks.  You simply need one or more service providers configured on each OBi (SP1/SP2/PSTN) to use for those outgoing calls.

[RonR]

I don't have any knowledge of what service providers are available in HK or what they might cost.

[Dave]

Hi, thank you for your advice.  I need some further explanation from you.  Since I have GV setup on SP1 on both Obi, I need to find a similar service in HK as SP2, right?  I really don't know if there is anything like this in HK.

The Obi that will be used in HK is Obi100, without a PSTN port.  If I can't find similar service like GV in HK, do you think it is better off to buy a Obi110 for HK use, and hook up the regular phone line to the PSTN port?  The house over there has local phone service.

I'm trying to set-up the same service but in the Philippines.  I'm told not many people have land lines there, so I'm looking for a VOIP service in Phils.   You might look here, http://www.voip-catalog.com/voip_countries_hong-kong_1.html   or if you have a land line, use the 110.     

[cdcooker]

Hi, thank you for your help.  I think I will need Obi110 in HK to make use the available PSTN line.

Can you tell me a little more about the gateway stuff here?  I read the Obi admin guide, and I am new to telephony, I don't understand what they are talking about.  Gateway, trunk, all kinds of jargon.  On the expert page of the Obitalk, there is a Gateways and Trunkgrps page.  I assume this is the page to setup the sing-stage dialing.  I don't have call-ID feature for my land line.  How to make it work?  thanks in advance.

Better yet, with the proper configuration, each OBi can make local calls as well as calls through the remote OBi, directly (Single-Stage Dialing) without using the AA:

      18005551212  ->  Local PrimaryLine
**1 18005551212  ->  Local SP1 Service
**2 18005551212  ->  Local SP2 Service
**8 18005551212  ->  Local LINE Port
**9 200123456      ->  Local OBiTALK Service

     2*18005551212  ->  Remote PrimaryLine
2 **1 18005551212  ->  Remote SP1 Service
2 **2 18005551212  ->  Remote SP2 Service
2 **8 18005551212  ->  Remote LINE Port
2 **9 200123456      ->  Remote OBiTALK Service

[RonR]

An OBi110 supports four trunks, which are its entry/exit points: SP1, SP2, PSTN, and OBiTALK.

An OBi110 supports two endpoints: the Phone and Auto Attendant.

Most of these trunks and endpoints can be connected or 'bridged' together.

You posted earlier that you wanted to have one OBi in the US and another in HK, and wanted each to be able to initiate calls through the other.  This can be accomplished using a two-stage process by calling the Auto Attendant of one OBi from another OBi or OBiON App and then placing an outgoing call.  It's also possible to initiate a call directly from an OBi or OBiON App through another OBi using a one-stage process by using the dialing syntax you quoted.

I've illustrated the necessary configuration steps for single-stage calling through any number of OBi's here:

http://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=1103.0

[brentowen]

I set up my OBI in Canada with a Gmail account that was also set up from Canada.  Because I am outside of the US, I can not get a Google voice phone number and I understand the reason why etc.  I am not impressed with the quality of the phone calls that I have made because of clipping of the start of each sentence.  I rarely hear the person I just called say hello for instance and they hang up because they think I am a telemarketer.   My question is this: Do I have to set up my OBI in the US to get better sound quality?  Is the Google chat that I am using in Canada the same system as Google voice in the US?  Are there things that I can do to make my call quality better?  Open ports etc.  Enable QoS?

[QBZappy]

brentowen,

Welcome. Have a look at this thread. I explain how to setup a Google Voice number in Canada.

http://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=93.0

I have excellent voice quality with my OBi. You can setup everything from Canada. You will need to setup GV with a US IP. Above mentioned thread explains how to do it.

Voice quality issues can sometimes be router related.

[brentowen]

brentowen,

Welcome. Have a look at this thread. I explain how to setup a Google Voice number in Canada.

http://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=93.0

I have excellent voice quality with my OBi. You can setup everything from Canada. You will need to setup GV with a US IP. Above mentioned thread explains how to do it.

Voice quality issues can sometimes be router related.

If I set up a Google Voice number in Canada the way you suggest in your post, will the sound quality be better than what I have set up now?  Will the only advantage be that I will be able to receive calls to the OBI?  I use a land line to receive calls so I don't need a phone number for the Obi.

[QBZappy]

brentowen,

Hi,
Sound quality will not improve simply because of getting a GV number. You will have to investigate a little more to figure that out. Try connecting the OBi directly to the DSL modem to see if the quality improves. Give us some details of your router.

One of the benefits of getting GV is that you can make and receive calls on that trunk. I have GV only for making outgoing calls. You don't need to give the GV number out to anyone. If you use Google Talk, I believe you can receive calls on the phone instead of using the computer. Primary benefit is to use it to make long distance calls since GV calls are free in North America (for the time being). Of course you can also make local calls. GV gives us a second trunk at no cost with the above mentioned benefits. The OBi helps us cut out the computer in this mix.

[Flahusky]

Where were you? Afghanistan, Kandahar
How were you connected to the Internet? iFONE ISP (sat. link provider)
What kind of calls worked? All
What kind of calls did not work? n/a
Any other observations?
Due to craptastic bandwidth here on post, I'm still searching for a codec setting that will work with the 2kbB/s to 9kB/s speeds we seem to be able to maintain.

[QBZappy]

Flahusky,

Hi, This might help.

Following is a list of VoIP codec’s along with how much data network bandwidth they consume.

* AMR Codec
* BroadVoice Codec 16Kbps narrowband, and 32Kbps wideband
* GIPS Family – 13.3 Kbps and up
* GSM – 13 Kbps (full rate), 20ms frame size
* iLBC – 15Kbps,20ms frame size: 13.3 Kbps, 30ms frame size
* ITU G.711 – 64 Kbps, sample-based Also known as alaw/ulaw
* ITU G.722 – 48/56/64 Kbps ADPCM 7Khz audio bandwidth
* ITU G.722.1 – 24/32 Kbps 7Khz audio bandwidth (based on Polycom’s SIREN codec)
* ITU G.722.1C – 32 Kbps, a Polycom extension, 14Khz audio bandwidth
* ITU G.722.2 – 6.6Kbps to 23.85Kbps. Also known as AMR-WB. CELP 7Khz audio bandwidth
* ITU G.723.1 – 5.3/6.3 Kbps, 30ms frame size
* ITU G.726 – 16/24/32/40 Kbps
* ITU G.728 – 16 Kbps
* ITU G.729 – 8 Kbps, 10ms frame size
* Speex – 2.15 to 44.2 Kbps
* LPC10 – 2.5 Kbps
* DoD CELP – 4.8 Kbps

[nontechnie]

I am extremely non technical and I've just bought an Obi to use to make calls to my relatives in Canada. I live in the US and please tell me how I can call them (on their mobiles) from my mobile ( I have no other phones now) Can I configure their cell phones so they can call my cell free? Their cell phones are registered in Canada while I have one from US. I am not interested in providing them with free calls, but I just want them to be able to call me either from their cell phones or land line.
Right now I have an ATT cell plan to call Canada and it is getting very expensive.

Please don't use terms such as DID, VPN etc as I looked them up and can't understand them at all. I need some step by step help.

Thank you.

[RonR]

With your OBi configured with a Google Voice account, you will be able to make calls to US and Canada numbers free of charge (at least throught the end of the year) from a telephone connected to the OBi.  You will also be able to call your OBi using your Google Voice number and have the OBi's Auto Attendant answer.  Using the Auto Attendant, you can make free outgoing calls as if you were using the OBi's telephone.

Since your Google Voice number will be a US number, relatives in Canada will have to pay applicable rates to call you.

If one of your relatives in Canada also had an OBi, they could call your OBi telehone and mobile phone free of charge.  If their OBi was connected to the local telephone service, calls into that OBi could be forwarded to your OBi telephone and mobile phone free of charge.  In addition, they could actually make free calls to any US or Canada number free of charge using your Google Voice account.

[nontechnie]

Thank you. I've read pages and pages of things Obi could do. But how? I need step by step instructions.
I will receive my obi in a couple of days, and I think I know how to connect it since I've had an Ooma before. But do I have to connect a Real phone to the Obi? Can I not tell my Obi to forward all calls to my cell phone?
I've read also of people configuring their family's cell phones so they can take their phones overseas and yet to able to call to the US free. How do I configure my relatives' cell phones (they are Canadian cell phones though) so they can  call my Obi and then have my Obi forward all calls to my cell?
If these scenarios described above could be done, please tell me the steps I need to do to accomplish this.