Problem with calls coming into my OBI 202 tied into Google Voice.
Of course there are MANY threads out there with similar issues, and please trust me, I have attempted to read them all!
This started about 4 years ago, after a move to Florida.
I actually have a "fix" for this issue but I do not like it, will explain below.
Facts - basic setup - GV forwards allowed numbers in my contacts to ring my home (OBI) phone.
GV is NOT forwarded to ANY phones. This was all worked out to avoid SPAM and nuisance calls and works very well.
Simply put, when my phone rings, I know it is a contact of mine or an allowed number - spam and unknown numbers go straight to voicemail. ;D
Our biggest issue may be really poor internet service (which, thank the tech Gods, is about to change): 6 mbps down and .5 mbps up. in NJ Verizon provided 75 mbps up/down!
Example: daughter called today four times. Each time, the OBI home phone rings once or twice and then goes to voicemail - picking up the phone immediately will not connect the call - as I try to pick up the home phone, the cell phones start ringing (normal) but cannot pick up a call/connect from them either. Google Voice shows 4 incoming calls from her.
When this happens, I do not see a connecting number on the phone as usual - it just says "Incoming Call" and then the call drops. For example, when my daughter calls the phone normally says "Incoming Call" for a millisecond, then "Barb".
The "fix" - the only thing that appears to restore normal functions is a restore from backup. Ugh. I do not have a problem doing this, but I am up to my 9th restore in 4 years.
I am trying to find out if other users have this same issue, and see if it is possibly internet speed, a power issue (in Florida, when power corrupts, it goes all out!) or my 202 is just getting old (seriously doubtful - purchased in 2015 and seems solidly made). I do have the OBI on an UPS to smooth out power issues. FYI, rebooting the OBI has no effect.
All the info - I have verified the following many times: my Google address/account are correct. I have no options set in Google Voice other than to allow my contacts and stop others.
No GV calls are forwarded to any number - our OBI and cell phones ring based on our GV contacts/labels setup - calls come to GV, then direct to the OBI and ringing our cell phones. The "Rules", "Labels" and "Groups" in Google Voice are all correct and verified..
My belief is the software in the OBI 202 is becoming corrupt, and the restore gets it back to business.
The WHY is my query. When working (98%+ of the time) it is an absolutely awesome system.
If I have to keep restoring from backup it will just become a labor of love, but I'd like to keep it down to once every few years!
Which voicemail takes the calls? GV voicemail or cellphone voicemail?
Sorry, evidently reply notifications were turned off. Okay, I just checked, and they were not turned off - I did not get a notification you replied.
The voicemail goes to one of our GV voicemails - sometimes mine, sometimes my wifes. Since it rings all three (OBI, cell, cell) at one time, I suppose it goes where it last rang.
Example, a "normal" call comes in, starts ringing the OBI, then starts ringing the cells a few seconds later.
If i do not pick up the home phone after about 3 rings, the cells continue to ring a few more times, then go to our Google personal voicemail message - again, I believe it just ends up on the last rung phone. It still goes to GV voicemail - that's the part that perplexes me. It's a "good enough" call to start the Google Voice ring cycle, but if you try to answer, it will not complete the call. ???
Quote from: gritz on October 20, 2020, 04:49:59 PM
The voicemail goes to one of our GV voicemails - sometimes mine, sometimes my wifes.
To be clear, I think you mean that you recorded two or more voicemail greetings, and used Google Voice Legacy Groups settings to select a custom voicemail greeting based on the calling group. I assume you do
not mean that the calls are going to two different Google Voice numbers' voicemail boxes.
Disable all of your Groups rules. Set all calls to ring the Google Voice number and play one and only one greeting. Confirm that you have removed the check marks to forward to any 10-digit forwarding phone numbers on the Phones tab of Legacy settings. Be aware: these two tabs do not automatically update each other, and every single time you delete or add a number, that change will not be reflected properly in Groups. For example, adding a device or number will automatically add it with a check mark to your Groups settings, whether or not you intended to have it ring.
Make some test calls and report back what happens.
Thank you - I will attempt this tomorrow. Again, I verified email notifications are turned on, but I am not seeing replies to the post. Will report results.
While investigating, I noted the local web gui settings. I know I had changed the IP address scheme to Static with 2 Google DNS servers. Changed it again, submitted, after reboot, back to DHCP, though it retained the IP address I gave it. Tried this 4 times (and yes, I was checking the correct boxes). Also, the DNS server reverted to the gateway address, not the Google servers.
Logged into OBItalk and went into expert config. As I suspected the settings matched the local interface.
Did a full backup, logged out of the local gui and worked with the OBItalk gui.
Was able to change the WAN IP settings to what I wanted.
Problem - the local gui settings were not "sticky" - after submit, as soon as I rebooted, the WAN settings went BACK to DHCP with the router address as DNS server.
I saved a full backup from OBItalk and started testing. I have had three calls come in correctly as well as one I placed from another number.
I was going to remove my GV labels this morning and decided to go through the settings one more time.
Now the local WAN settings are correct - this will at least tell me if DNS was the issue.
Quote from: gritz on November 04, 2020, 09:43:54 AM
While investigating, I noted the local web gui settings. I know I had changed the IP address scheme to Static with 2 Google DNS servers. Changed it again, submitted, after reboot, back to DHCP, though it retained the IP address I gave it. Tried this 4 times (and yes, I was checking the correct boxes). Also, the DNS server reverted to the gateway address, not the Google servers.
Logged into OBItalk and went into expert config. As I suspected the settings matched the local interface.
Did a full backup, logged out of the local gui and worked with the OBItalk gui.
Was able to change the WAN IP settings to what I wanted.
Problem - the local gui settings were not "sticky" - after submit, as soon as I rebooted, the WAN settings went BACK to DHCP with the router address as DNS server.
I saved a full backup from OBItalk and started testing. I have had three calls come in correctly as well as one I placed from another number.
I was going to remove my GV labels this morning and decided to go through the settings one more time.
Now the local WAN settings are correct - this will at least tell me if DNS was the issue.
The local GUI settings will be overwritten on reboot unless OBitalk Provisioning is disabled. That setting is only on the local GUI, System Management, Auto Provisioning, Obitalk Provisioning, Method.
Update: first, my telecom knowledge diminishes every day. Disabling the Provisioning was/is absolutely critical to what I was experiencing. Three weeks in there have been NO issues with calls. If GV sends it, we get it, like it used to be. Thank you for your knowledge and help.
Another update - after convincing myself everything was good, after 4 weeks, exact same problem. Reboot does not help, and if it sits long enough, it will suddenly "start working" again. Outgoing calls, no problem. Incoming, rings, then straight to Google Voicemail. Opened another ticket with OBI/Poly.