Is a router a necessity?

[JohnSV]

Just wondering if it's possible to network my OBi 100 straight onto a laptop, and if so, how?

[azrobert]

See:
http://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=6164.0

[JohnSV]

See:
http://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=6164.0

Thanks for the link, but I meant wired, not wireless. I'm connected to the internet via a community (meraki) wireless network. Cannot have any shared connections open for others to hook into. My router is wireless one and useless since it requires a dsl modem for internet access, which I don't have. So the ATA needs to go through the pc, as I understand, perhaps through a wired router first. Or?

[azrobert]

Here is a diagram of my suggested setup.
ATA->Wired Connection->PC->Wireless Connection->Router->Internet

Isn't this what you want?
You don't need any device between your OBi and the PC.

[JohnSV]

Good to hear the ATA connects directly to the pc and I don't have to buy another router... Network Sharing Center shows an ethernet conn. but no internet access. Clicking on the etherlink gives a status page with packets sent but non received.
Ethernet properties Networking link shows a bunch of ticked boxes with install/uninstall links; while the one clickable box in the Sharing link gives me the option to now disconnect my WiFi connection to the internet and enable the internet connection through 'Ethernet' instead. This cannot be the way to proceed, as my ethernet conn. only goes as far as my pc, or?
Doing an ipconfig shows one ethernet adapter and four tunnel adapters. (three with disconnected medias) one Local Area Conn. *16
Connection=specific DNS Suffix: blank
IPv6 Address: listed
Link-local IPv6 Address: listed
Default Gateway:  ::

How should I proceed please to both retain my WiFi connection to the internet and get the ATA recognized by the pc...

[JohnSV]

Am getting a dial tone!! No idea why this didn't happen before. But when I dialed **9.222.222.222
I got the voice message "There is no service to complete your call" Please advise...

[azrobert]

What version of Windows do you have?
I don't have a Windows 8 machine, so I don't know if the procedure is different.
Did you follow the instructions?
Dial ***1
If you are connected corrected, an IVR will say your IP address

Use the Bridge option, not ICS.
Under the Sharing tab, make sure nothing is checked.

Repeating the instructions:
For Windows 7:
In the Network and Sharing Center:
Click on Change Adapter Settings on the left column.
A list of your adapters will be displayed.
Are both adapters listed?
If yes:
Click "Organize" and then "Select All"
Both adapters should get highlighted.
Right Click on one adapter then select "Bridge Connections"

It will take approx a minute to reconnect to the internet.
Now connect the OBi to the ethernet port on the computer.

FYI, the OBi should produce dial tone when not connected to anything.

[JohnSV]

Windows 8.1 but the Win. 7 instructions seem applicable. Only a Quick Start Guide came with the ATA. Dialed ***1 and the IVR returned: IP not available, DHCP is enabled. There is a sharing problem though. My laptop's internal WiFi adapter is too weak to receive the community signal where I'm at. It's disabled and I connect through an aux. antenna/adapter which is shared by a virtual router that connects a tablet and an iPhone to the incoming WiFi signal also. The VR is called Local Area Connection* 12 and is a private network. The Ethernet (LAC* 16 according to ipconfig but unidentified network in the adapter list) at the moment shows up as a public network.

Does this mean that the bridge connecting mode is n/a? Is there another way to proceed?   

[OzarkEdge]

Does this mean that the bridge connecting mode is n/a? Is there another way to proceed?    

Before I would try to make all of those interdependencies work... just to get VoIP bridged through a user laptop/USBwifi/virtual router/etc, I would consider installing a normal router for your own wired and wireless LAN use, and use a wireless bridge device to connect the WAN side to the community wifi.  Then everything on your side can be normal networking with no built-up precarious connections, including your own WLAN, and ready for a better Internet connection down the road when the time comes.

Your laptop can then probably connect to your own router WLAN using its internal wifi adapter... no USB dongle required.

Ultimate answer is 'yes', a router is a necessity to have the functionality of your own LAN/WLAN.

OE

[azrobert]

My router is wireless

Most routers have a built-in 4 port switch. If your router includes a switch and is compatible with dd-wrt firmware it can be converted to a bridge.

See: http://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=5229.0

[JohnSV]

Thanks for the suggestion, but I tried installing what I think is a normal router (Trendnet TEW-432BRP) and can't get to first base because a cdrom installation requires a cable/dsl modem connected to the internet at the receiving end. You think a manual install could be possible?

Read the suggested: http://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=6164.0 again, and just ordered a TP-LINK TL-WR702N Wireless N150 travel router that I plan to use in client mode. With it the OBi should show up in the connected peer list of the virtual router don't you think? For some reason Amazon won't ship this unit to Canada, so I ordered from Alibaba instead; meaning an extra couple of weeks shipping time. Would prefer to install the above router in the mean time though.

@azrobert whose reply came in as I was writing the above. Unfortunately my router isn't dd-wrt firmware compatible. Checked the link yesterday. No switch is visible either.    

[OzarkEdge]

>>

>>Thanks for the suggestion, but I tried installing what I think is a normal router (Trendnet TEW-432BRP) and can't get to first base because a cdrom installation requires a cable/dsl modem connected to the internet at the receiving end. You think a manual install could be possible?

That looks like a single antenna Wireless-G router with 4-port switch.  It could work well enough, if it doesn't mess with VoIP and is a restricted-cone NAT router (Google it).

Install it manually... you don't need software to install a router.  I would first update the firmware and reset to factory defaults.  You'll still need a wireless bridge device.

Router tasks:
o  Login...
o  Update firmware.
o  Reset to defaults.
o  Setup and secure WLAN with WPA2.
o  Setup router LAN IP and DHCP IP range to not conflict with community router IPs:
community router/ap 192.168.1.1-255?))) wifi ((( wireless bridge >> your router/ap 192.168.2.1-255 >> your lan/wlan devices
o  Setup router WAN per new wireless bridge device instructions.
o  Confirm firewall is enabled.
o  Disable any SIP ALG or SIP Passthrough function that can upset VoIP traffic.

>>Read the suggested: http://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=6164.0 again, and just ordered a TP-LINK TL-WR702N Wireless N150 travel router that I plan to use in client mode. With it the OBi should show up in the connected peer list of the virtual router don't you think?

Try it!

OE

[JohnSV]

Thanks for the effort OzarkEdge, but if my own router cannot be made to function as a wireless bridge device I guess I'll just wait for the travel router to arrive. My cell phone is still good for another month anyway.

[JohnSV]

Have almost given up hope to get my OBi100 connected. After my last posting I retried the bridge approach as suggested by azrobert, by first disconnecting my virtual router. But while the connection to the Meraki network remained showing active, no signal to the internet came through. This provided the proof that the Meraki admin. here blocks bridged connections. Then when I received the TL-WR702N and finally got that working in client mode (it's a Mainland Chinese version logging into a ditto website to set it up, so I needed some help with that), the phone-light indicator of the OBi blacked out after a few seconds of activity. ***1 provided an IP address in the range of the virtual router, dhcp is enabled, +02 (whatever that means). So I guess there is a way to detect an upstream bridged? signal and block that as well? BTW, my PC connection to the internet remains unaffected this time. Any thoughts on it all, or is this the end of the line?             

[azrobert]

You can use your cell connected via WiFi for phone service. Install the Hangouts app for Google Voice. Android also needs the Hangouts Dialer. You can use a SIP softphone for other service providers. I use CSipSimple for Android and you can use Zoiper for an iPhone.

[JohnSV]

Don't understand... If the Meraki mesh here doesn't provide the necessary additional? protocol(s) for a 2-way initialization voip, am I not still out of luck? It looks to me that I'm stuck with my telco for incoming calls and use skype for callback and extended outgoing calls... No?

[azrobert]

I thought you determined that Meraki was blocking bridged calls. I'm suggesting using your cell connected directly to the Meraki network via WiFi, without the OBi100. Now the call is not bridged and should work, assuming you're correct about bridged calls. You don't need a calling plan on your cell to use it with WiFi.

Another option is to buy an OBi200 with an OBiWiFi dongle then you can connect the OBi200 directly to the Meraki router.

[JohnSV]

As I understand the situation, blocking bridged calls is only half my problem. The other and more significant part is that as an ISP they need to provide a SIP or similar protocol as well as a codec in order for me to use a phone with a number that can be called over WiFi. I guess because of bandwidth concerns, they purposely crippled their router. But then again, I love to be set straight on this and use your suggestion...

[SteveInWA]

Where are you located (what country)?

[JohnSV]

Just across the border from you Steve... Fraser Valley, BC