OBI 202 with Obiline will not ring or answer incoming PSTN calls

[Mouse]

Thanks very much for a very clever device - worthy successor to the SPA 3102!

I am in the UK. I set up my Obi by allowing network access to the device web interface, applying updated firmware, adding a public DNS provider in WAN internet settings, registering with Obitalk, applying WelshPaul's 17 Nov 2014 UK config, and his UK Obiline config and setup, both from UkVoipForum. I am tailoring my Obi directly, not via Obitalk, so I thought I had better turn off provisioning from Obitalk.

I then set Physical Interfaces ~ Phone 1 to default to using 'PTSN line' as its primary line.  And in the Line port settings InboundCallRoute to PH1 (or should it be just PH?).

I can now call outbound over PSTN from a phone attached to Phone 1 socket no problem. But when I arrange for a ring back using the UK line test number 17070 the line (just) fails to ring. By this I mean the phone ringer LED shows a faint light, but no sound comes forth. When I try to pick up the call it will not.

The call history shows incoming on LI1 forked to PH1 and ringing, which seems correct.

(Just to tell you that I have another phone system attached to the PSTN BT socket in parallel. And I use a remote DECT phone jack sometimes. But the problem occurs even if I disconnect both - though I have not disconnected both to try every setting). Also the same complex arrangement used to work with my SPA 3102 OK.

To resolve the problem so far I have tried changing InboundCallRoute from "PH, PH2" to "PH1"; and setting different ring details (taken from my SPA3102) under Phone 1 settings: 20hHz ring frequency, 85 ring volts, Trapezoidal waveform.

I would be very grateful for any thoughts you may have.

Kind regards

Mike

[JDDD]

"Phone 1 to default to using 'PTSN line' "
You don't have a PSTN line in a OBI202, if you do not have the usb-extension for PSTN.

InboundCallRoute to PH1:
Just PH1 or PH2.

I can now call outbound over PSTN from a phone attached to Phone 1 socket no problem.
PSTN is outbound.  See message above (No PSTN withou USB-extension).

Please: Make more clear what is your config. What are you trying to do.

[drgeoff]

"Phone 1 to default to using 'PTSN line' "
You don't have a PSTN line in a OBI202, if you do not have the usb-extension for PSTN.

Yes he does have a PSTN line. The clue is in the topic title.

[LTN1]

"Phone 1 to default to using 'PTSN line' "
You don't have a PSTN line in a OBI202, if you do not have the usb-extension for PSTN.

Yes he does have a PSTN line. The clue is in the topic title.

Why must you always see the obvious! 

[drgeoff]

@mouse

ph and ph1 are synonymous.

I'd guess that you are using a US to UK phone socket adaptor which does not have a ringing capacitor. (Or the adaptor is faulty.)

[drgeoff]

"Phone 1 to default to using 'PTSN line' "
You don't have a PSTN line in a OBI202, if you do not have the usb-extension for PSTN.

Yes he does have a PSTN line. The clue is in the topic title.

Why must you always see the obvious!  

JDDD doesn't even see that his own sig is out of date.  

[Mouse]

@mouse

ph and ph1 are synonymous.

I'd guess that you are using a US to UK phone socket adaptor which does not have a ringing capacitor. (Or the adaptor is faulty.)

Oh OK makes sense! How should I identify the correct sort of adapter. I have a lot here - leads and adapters.

I guess I should try the one from the SPA if I can remember but I probably cannot.

[gsmlnx]

Look for something like this

http://www.amazon.co.uk/RJ11-telephone-adaptor-ringing-capacitor/dp/B00DK2PG86/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1436299807&sr=1-1&keywords=RJ11+to+BTS+Adapter

[Mouse]

Thanks I have one of those.

I fitted it and the locally connected phone started ringing on PH2, then I connected in the DECT extender line to the PH1 socket, and everything local and DECT extender phone stopped ringing (it previously worked with both phones connected - forked from one socket  - on the spa).

I then connected the phones each to the other phone socket and got no change. I tried forking to only one PH and got no change.

I wondered if what made the local phone work was disconnecting and reconnecting the PSTN to the line socket. So I tried that, waiting 15 secs before reconnecting, and Bingo, it worked again. Then I tried the same trick with the DECT extender attached as well as the local phone. That worked once (so both phones were ringing at that and then failed again. I then tried connecting and disconnecting with only the DECT extension phone connected and that did not work. Finally I tried using the phone I had been using as the local phone with all its connctors and cables on the and of the DECT extension, connecting and disconnecting the telephone line first, and that did not work.

I also swapped cables and connectors during most of these experiments, so see if any problem there was involved (eg lack of ring capacitor), it seemed not. The problem seemed fairly independent of the connectors used.

During this last experiment I tried to monitor the phone statuses on the OBI and noted that the port used by the DECT extension (now PH1) showed ringing when it was not, then went quickly to on hook even though I had not answered the call, almost as if the Obi had answered it. On a second occasion it did not even show ringing, though the line was (from my completely separate monitor phone plugged into the BT master socket), and the call status showed it as ringing.

I am wondering whether:
a) the OBi202 used with Obiline is seriously unstable, at least with current UK settings
b) the DECT extender is casing instability, which reconnection of the phone line to the line input with only the local phone attached, corrects

I note that from time to time I get a very bad line (very crackly) which is not typical in my location. I also wonder, because the ring back facility sometimes seems to fail, that sometimes the Obi is failing to pass on incoming calls. Though maybe it's operator error! Both these considerations suggest it may be option a) that is true, but I will try just using the local phone to see if that turns out to be stable.

Kind regards

Mouse

[Mouse]

OK some progress

First I split the output from the PH1 socket and connected both the DECT extender and the local phone, connecting and disconnecting afterwards - no go. Neither worked.

Then I tried the same config but with the completely separate monitor phone disconnected and both thee local phone and the DECT extender worked.

So I am thinking now that it's the load on the phone line that is bringing maybe some key current or voltage down to a degree that the SPA settings allowed it to tolerate, but the OBi will not. I think the ren load is just 3 (which is OK?) but I will check.

Still need to prove if it is reliable though.

Is there an Obi setting that might help this situation. Have a feeling that the Obi UK config is not complete yet.....

Also got a noisy line once so far with this config.

Kind regards

[Mouse]

OK no it is not reliable.

Just had another instance of line rining but no phone port shown as ringing. Closely followed by (after an Obi reboot)  line ringing and phone port shown as ringing but DECT extension not - once again that went back to on hook quickly without me picking up the phone.

Looks like the only stable config is local phone on PH1 or 2 (and nothing else connected) after disconnecting & reconnecting line to BT socket.

I think there are multiple problems here.....

[Mouse]

OK just tried local and DECT extender in phone sockets 1 and 2 respectively with wholly separate monitoring phone disconnected. Rebooted and disconnected/reconnected line. Local phone worked, DECT extender did not (weak flash of ring bulb again.

Now will do longer term test with just separate monitor phone and local phone attached, so see if this is stable ring wise. Also if any calls fail to get through.

Kind regards

Mike

[drgeoff]

You seem to have two problems which I would tackle independently. You appear to be trying to troubleshoot both together.

1. Getting phones connected to the OBis phone jack(s) to ring properly.

2. Getting calls into the 202 from the PSTN via the OBiLINE.

If you have an Android or iphone install the Obion app and give it the softphone number that Obihai have allocated to your account. This will give you a way to call in to the 202 without using PSTN and OBiLINE. Unplug the OBiLINE for now and concentrate on getting 100% reliable ringing of the OBi phones. Start with a single phone plugged directly in to the Phone1 jack. If you have a phone with a US type jack on the back or underneath try using the cable that came with the OBiLINE between that jack and the OBi.

(You may not be aware that the jack labelled Phone1 actually has both the phone ports wired on it. The centre two pins are ph1 snd the outer two are ph2. Perhaps some of your adaptors and cables are making unwanted connections between the two.)

Let's see how that goes.

[Mouse]

You seem to have two problems which I would tackle independently. You appear to be trying to troubleshoot both together.

1. Getting phones connected to the OBis phone jack(s) to ring properly.

2. Getting calls into the 202 from the PSTN via the OBiLINE.

If you have an Android or iphone install the Obion app and give it the softphone number that Obihai have allocated to your account. This will give you a way to call in to the 202 without using PSTN and OBiLINE. Unplug the OBiLINE for now and concentrate on getting 100% reliable ringing of the OBi phones. Start with a single phone plugged directly in to the Phone1 jack. If you have a phone with a US type jack on the back or underneath try using the cable that came with the OBiLINE between that jack and the OBi.

(You may not be aware that the jack labelled Phone1 actually has both the phone ports wired on it. The centre two pins are ph1 snd the outer two are ph2. Perhaps some of your adaptors and cables are making unwanted connections between the two.)

Let's see how that goes.

Thank you very much for your reply.

I have since posting tried the Obi110 with Welsh Paul's 15 Nov settings, and that works fine for inbound and outbound PSTN with the DECT extension phone connected. (The monitor phone is also connected but not via the Obi).

But I like the 202 facilities so lets see if we can troubleshoot it as you suggest.

1. I do have a phone with a US style socket - my separate monitor phone. I will swap the two phones.
2. I don't have a smart phone, but I do have a Zen voip service - should I try to set that up?

I did not realise that PH1 and PH2 were both present on each phone socket. Hmm that could certainly confuse things. Do UK phone cables support two circuits on one phone wire too?

Kind regards

Mike

[drgeoff]

I was just suggesting a method of calling the 202 without using the OBiLINE. I hadn't twigged that you also have a 110. If you have both active and with a phone on each one you can call the 202 from the 110 by the 9-digit number on the bottom of the 110.

Standard UK wiring with 4 conductor cable is really only intended for 1 circuit. 3 wires are used.  2 for the speech,  line voltage and pulse dialling. The third for the bell. Although many modern phones do not connect to that third wire (they have their own ringing capacitor) the master socket will have a ringing capacitor from that leg to one of the other two.

[Mouse]

I was just suggesting a method of calling the 202 without using the OBiLINE. I hadn't twigged that you also have a 110. If you have both active and with a phone on each one you can call the 202 from the 110 by the 9-digit number on the bottom of the 110.

Standard UK wiring with 4 conductor cable is really only intended for 1 circuit. 3 wires are used.  2 for the speech,  line voltage and pulse dialing. The third for the bell. Although many modern phones do not connect to that third wire (they have their own ringing capacitor) the master socket will have a ringing capacitor from that leg to one of the other two.

OK Ta, I guess I need to preface that number by a star code? Sorry I am new to Obi so i don't know these things.

Thaks also for the info on UK connections.

I have just tried the phone with the US style socket connected to PH1, and arranged an inbound PSTN call. The phone rang only once, and I could not pick up the call. Line port was set to direct inbound to "PH1". Physical interfaces ~ Phone 1 primary line was set to PSTN.

But of course that is still testing two things at once. If you give me the code I will do an Obi to Obi call.

[drgeoff]

**9 followed by the 9-digit OBi number.

[Mouse]

Results:

Using supplied connector to attach phone with US style socket:

Obi110 (Phone w US socket) to Obi202 (Phone on DECT phone jack extender)
Rang and picked up OK but ring tone was US not UK

Obi110 (Phone on DECT extender) to Obi202 (Phone w US socket)
Rang and picked up OK, ring tone was UK

Obi 202 setup as per last post.

(I have installed Welsh Pauls UK settings and then loaded his UK Obiline settings).

Kind regards

Mike

[Mouse]

OK did the obvious and reimported the UK settings after checking with Welsh Paul the obiline settings were incorporated in the main file.

I had turned off autoprovsioning, but maybe too late as some settings seemed to be over-written. Others were not which is strange and why I did not notice.

Appears to be working now, but I will keep you updated....