Some answers from Obihai Support concerning firmware updates out of warranty

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Webslinger:
With respect to #2, Obihai support has finally updated http://fw.obihai.com/OBi2-latest.fw to 3.1.0 (Build: 5110)

Maybe these responses will help to relieve some anxiety:


1) Will Obihai continue to allow its customers to update firmware manually without using Obitalk.com if their devices are out of warranty and without paying $10 annually? Yes/No

Answer:  YES

2) If the answer is yes, why does http://fw.obihai.com/OBi2-latest.fw download 3.1.0 (Build: 4738) when the latest firmware release is 3.1.0 (Build: 5110)? Why does http://fw.obihai.com/OBi2-latest.fw not point to the lastest firmware version?

I know that I can download Build 5110 using http://fw.obihai.com/OBi202-3-1-0-5110.fw


Answer:  Are you using the preferred Chrome browser?  Please retry...

3) Will customers who do not pay $10 annually still be able to dial ***6 to update firmware without using the Obitalk.com web portal?

Answer:  yes

4) Is Obihai planning to completely block customers who do not pay $10 annually from updating device firmware manually and also block manual firmware file downloads?

Answer:  We don't do any blockings.

5) Why haven't release notes for firmware updates been made available for firmware versions beyond build 4822?
visit http://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=8982.0

Release notes for 3.1.0 (Build: 4972), 3.1.0 (Build: 5069, and 3.1.0 (Build: 5110) are missing.

Answer:  Will be available soon.  Please allow sometime.

zorlac:
Sounds fair to me.

-DC-:
Only company I know that releases a patch first followed by documentation weeks (months?) later.

N7AS:
Quote from: -DC- on February 06, 2016, 08:40:53 am

Only company I know that releases a patch first followed by documentation weeks (months?) later.


Or maybe not at all.

RFC3261:
Quote from: -DC- on February 06, 2016, 08:40:53 am

Only company I know that releases a patch first followed by documentation weeks (months?) later.

You need to deal with more companies.  While it may not be standard practice, it happens, even with the "big names" (it is not uncommon to have network device updates available before the docs get out there).  Especially if one of the updates has one of those embargoed critical security fixes included ("patch now, we will tell you why later; trust us"), or some new capability they plan to announce at some future time (at the big splash event at the end of next month where they will enable it), or (especially in the new world of embedded devices) you were selected to be a part of the "alpha" test group that you did not even know you had agreed to be part of (ask some of the Nest users who did not have a common wire connected how they enjoyed their cold cold cold house when the battery died and they had to charge the device to get the furnace working again).

And the release notes that say "Improved user experience" and/or "bugs resolved" (as some companies do) are little better than no documentation at all.  In some cases the docs of bugs fixed have to be scrubbed of customer specific information, or reworded to be readable for others.  That does take time, and should ideally be resourced appropriate so that the docs can be available at/near update time, but I do understand it does take resources.

I think Obi needs to do better (for it is not company one should be proud to be part of), but they are far from alone.

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