Two devices in conflict

[MDunkleSr]

I have an Obi200 & an Obi202 on my network.  It appears that they are creating some sort of crosstalk (?) with each other.

I set up the Obi200 originally w/ a Google Voice account for my home number.  Everything was working great, so I thought I would setup my office line & office fax using an Obi202.  I installed the Obi202 and put GV on SP 1 & 3 (planning to come back & put 911 on SP2). 

Two strange behaviors manifested after I set up the 3 numbers:
1.  When I called SP3, my home phone (SP1 on the Obi200) started rining along w/ the fax machine on SP3. 
2.  When I dialed out from SP1 on Obi200 (home) I was getting a background ring tone after the call connected, followed by my voicemail.  The remainder of the call was then recorded in voicemail.

So, I deleted the Obi202 from my account & did a factory reset on the Obi202.  I added the device back into my Obi dashboard, but did not configure any of the SPs. Now when I attempt to call out from the home number (SP1 on Obi200), I am hearing the following message in the background: "No service configured error. Please log into ObiTalk.com & configure your device."

This leads me to believe that something is causing the 2 devices to step on each other (for lack of a better term).

Does anyone have any suggestions what might be wrong and how to correct it?

Thanks!

[SteveInWA]

Hi:

On the late, great NPR show "Car Talk", when someone with a particularly off-the-wall problem would call up, the guys would ask "Doesn't anyone screen these calls?!"

None of that behavior is expected or normal at all.  You have probably farkled up some portion of the configuration somehow.

How many different Google Voice telephone numbers do you have, and how, exactly, did you attempt to set them up?  Did you make any "Expert mode" configuration changes to your OBis, or did you just follow the basic OBiTALK portal procedure to set up Google Voice?  On your Google Voice account(s), did you attempt to forward your Google Voice phone numbers other phone numbers, in addition to Google Chat, and, if so, are any of those numbers also listed as forwarding phones on another Google Voice account?

We need more specifics from you to try to diagnose this.

[SteveInWA]

Oh, and aside from the logical configuration issue(s), there's the lower-tech, analog configuration issues:  perhaps you have mistakenly wired up the telephone wires from one OBi to the other, or from line 1 to line 2 on the 202...

[Taoman]

None of that behavior is expected or normal at all.  You have probably farkled up some portion of the configuration somehow.

Ya think? Thanks for taking this one, Steve. I was racking my brain how what the OP was describing could possibly be happening and I was coming up blank. 

Great analogy with "Car Talk." You're killing me. I really want to see how you're going to figure this one out. You go, Steve! 

[SteveInWA]

Heh, heh.  The endless creativity of users finding ways to make a mess out of things is what keeps internet life entertaining. 

There were SO many wonderful Car Talk conversations, like the guy who wanted advice on a submarine, or the caller whose dog got carsick and puked right into the dashboard vent (I think they told him/her to drive the car into the lake or set it on fire).

[Taoman]

There were SO many wonderful Car Talk conversations, like the guy who wanted advice on a submarine, or the caller whose dog got carsick and puked right into the dashboard vent (I think they told him/her to drive the car into the lake or set it on fire).

One of my favorites was when a guy called in about some older Ford that he had had for 20 some years. In that time, he had NEVER changed the oil in the vehicle. Not once. So he was asking if they thought he should change the oil now. They both yelled "NO!!!!!!" They basically said if it's gone this long without an oil change it is now "a force of nature" that should not be messed with. I about died.

[MDunkleSr]

Heh, heh.  The endless creativity of users finding ways to make a mess out of things is what keeps internet life entertaining.  

I'm sure you guys see a lot of weird stuff, so I suppose assuming the OP has decided to screw stuff up just for the heck of it is standard fare.  I certainly didn't write all the original details under the impression that the behavior I'm seeing is expected or normal.  I'm just trying to understand what might be wrong so I can get it fixed.  In the course of this adventure, I assumed this would be a pretty straight forward configuration...

The entire install is stock except for one item.  I enabled access to the OBi202 Web Admin Configuration UI via the WAN IP (https://www.obitalk.com/info/faq/OBi202-sec/Howto-Access-Web-from-WAN).  No other changes at all.  So what might I have "farkled up"?

To the questions:
- How many different Google Voice telephone numbers do you have, and how, exactly, did you attempt to set them up?  3.  As mentioned in the OP, 200 was setup w/ the first GV on SP1, Anveo 911 on SP2. 202 was added to Dashboard about a week later.  GV account #2 was setup on SP1, GV account #3 added to SP3.
- Did you make any "Expert mode" configuration changes to your OBis, or did you just follow the basic OBiTALK portal procedure to set up Google Voice?  Only enable web from WAN on 202.  No expert mode changes were made.  Followed the ObiTALK portal procedures for setup.
- On your Google Voice account(s), did you attempt to forward your Google Voice phone numbers other phone numbers, in addition to Google Chat, and, if so, are any of those numbers also listed as forwarding phones on another Google Voice account? GV on 200 has my wife's cell phone setup to send text message only.  Calls not forwarded. GV 2 & 3 on 202 have no forwarding phones at all. I deleted them after setup.  Currently 202 has NO GV accounts setup SP1-4 are empty.  That, I'm guessing, is why I'm now getting the message, "No service configured error. Please log into ObiTalk.com & configure your device." when dialing out on 200's SP1. It seems reasonable that this message is coming from the 202.

For wiring, 200 is fed into the house's phone lines.  As mentioned previously, this was working prior to the install of the 202.  If I power off the 202, all is well and SP1 on 200 works exactly as expected.  Line 1 & 2 from 202 are direct fed to my office phone & my fax line.  They're different directions in my office, so no lines have been crossed up.  No splitters are used.

I'm open to suggestions on what I should check, settings to look at & compare, steps to take.  Just want to have stable phones.

Thanks.

[SteveInWA]

Thanks for the details.  We can rule out a call forwarding loop.

"Currently 202 has NO GV accounts setup SP1-4 are empty.  That, I'm guessing, is what I'm not getting the message, "No service configured error. Please log into ObiTalk.com & configure your device." when dialing out on 200's SP1."

That's impossible.  You wouldn't hear a message on a phone plugged into the 200, which relates to the 202.

Let's start over, and build this up in stages.

Unplug the 200 from power, unplug it from the house wiring, and plug in just one standard telephone, and no fax. 

Unplug the 202 from power.  Delete the 202 entirely off of your OBiTALK dashboard for now.

Plug the 200 back into power and Ethernet, , and wait for it to reboot.  Look at its status on your OBiTALK dashboard.  It should show SP1 GV status as "connected", and SP2 status as "registered".  Does it?  If so, confirm that it properly makes outbound calls, displaying the correct Google Voice account #1 caller ID to the called party's phone, and you can call it from some other non-Google Voice phone number, and it answers, and you don't hear any error messages.  Does that work?  If not, stop here and report back.

If that worked, then unplug the 200 from power.  Unplug the telephone, and plug it into the Line 1 jack on the 202.  Do not plug anything into Line 2, and do not attach a fax machine. Unplug the Ethernet cable.  Power up the 202.  After it powers up, dial ***8 from the attached telephone, then dial *1 to confirm resetting it to factory defaults.  Wait for it to reset and completely reboot.  Unplug it from power.  Reattach the Ethernet cable.  Plug it back into power and let it reboot.  Add it back to the OBiTALK dashboard using the **5 procedure.  After the addition is complete, then configure one, and only one, of your other two Google Voice accounts on SP1.  Do the same inbound and outbound call tests.  Confirm that the correct Google Voice account #2 caller ID appears on the called party's phone.  Does that work?

[MDunkleSr]

Plug the 200 back into power and Ethernet, , and wait for it to reboot.  Look at its status on your OBiTALK dashboard.  It should show SP1 GV status as "connected", and SP2 status as "registered".  Does it?  If so, confirm that it properly makes outbound calls, displaying the correct Google Voice account #1 caller ID to the called party's phone, and you can call it from some other non-Google Voice phone number, and it answers, and you don't hear any error messages.  Does that work?  If not, stop here and report back.

Done.  Works as expected.  SP1 & 2 have the correct values.  Calls go out from GV #1 w/ correct caller ID.  Calls received to GV #1 as expected as well.

If that worked, then unplug the 200 from power.  Unplug the telephone, and plug it into the Line 1 jack on the 202.  Do not plug anything into Line 2, and do not attach a fax machine. Unplug the Ethernet cable.  Power up the 202.  After it powers up, dial ***8 from the attached telephone, then dial *1 to confirm resetting it to factory defaults.  Wait for it to reset and completely reboot.  Unplug it from power.  Reattach the Ethernet cable.  Plug it back into power and let it reboot.  Add it back to the OBiTALK dashboard using the **5 procedure.  After the addition is complete, then configure one, and only one, of your other two Google Voice accounts on SP1.  Do the same inbound and outbound call tests.  Confirm that the correct Google Voice account #2 caller ID appears on the called party's phone.  Does that work?

Done.  Works as expected.  SP1 shows "Connected".  Calls go out from GV #2 w/ correct caller ID.  Calls received to GV #2 as expected as well.

I went forward w/ adding GV #3 to SP3.  Phone calls for GV #1 & #2 still work as expected when the phone line for GV #3 is not connected.  As soon as I connect the phone line for GV #3, I lose GV #2.  I can still call out on GV #1. 

When I have both lines connected to Obi202, Phone Line 1 & Phone Line 2 lights on Obi202 flash green.  When I unplug the line for GV #3, both lights go solid green.

[SteveInWA]

I went forward w/ adding GV #3 to SP3.  Phone calls for GV #1 & #2 still work as expected when the phone line for GV #3 is not connected.  As soon as I connect the phone line for GV #3, I lose GV #2.  I can still call out on GV #1. 

When I have both lines connected to Obi202, Phone Line 1 & Phone Line 2 lights on Obi202 flash green.  When I unplug the line for GV #3, both lights go solid green.

I don't understand exactly what you did in this step.  You said you added Google Voice #2 to SP3.  SP3 on the only the 202, or also on the 200?  Let's focus only on the 202.  Your problem is almost certainly the way you have wired up the telephones to the 202's two line jacks, erroneously feeding one line into the other, or your telephone is defective.

The 202 has two telephone jacks.  The Line 1 jack is wired as a RJ-14 jack.  This means, it is a two-line, four-conductor jack.  It has the OBi's Line 1 circuit wired to the center two pins, and the OBi's Line 2 circuit wired to the outer two pins.  This RJ-14 wiring standard is designed to use a four-conductor, four-pin telephone cord, to connect between the OBi and a two-line telephone, which is wired the same way (RJ-14, L1 + L2).  The other telephone jack on the OBi is wired as a RJ-11 jack.  It has the OBi's Line 2 circuit wired to the center two pins.  The reason for this, is if you wanted to connect two different, single line telephones, using two separate RJ-11, two-conductor cords, or you had some other two-line wiring scheme, such as a two-line telephone that had two RJ-11 jacks, but no RJ-14 jack.

So:  you've somehow got L1 and L2 shorted together in your wiring.

[MDunkleSr]

I don't understand exactly what you did in this step.  You said you added Google Voice #2 to SP3.  SP3 on the only the 202, or also on the 200?  Let's focus only on the 202.  Your problem is almost certainly the way you have wired up the telephones to the 202's two line jacks, erroneously feeding one line into the other, or your telephone is defective.

Obi200 only has GV #1 & Anveo 911 configured.  After I verified that, I have not made any changes to it.

The 202 has two telephone jacks.  The Line 1 jack is wired as a RJ-14 jack.  This means, it is a two-line, four-conductor jack.  It has the OBi's Line 1 circuit wired to the center two pins, and the OBi's Line 2 circuit wired to the outer two pins.  This RJ-14 wiring standard is designed to use a four-conductor, four-pin telephone cord, to connect between the OBi and a two-line telephone, which is wired the same way (RJ-14, L1 + L2).  The other telephone jack on the OBi is wired as a RJ-11 jack.  It has the OBi's Line 2 circuit wired to the center two pins.  The reason for this, is if you wanted to connect two different, single line telephones, using two separate RJ-11, two-conductor cords, or you had some other two-line wiring scheme, such as a two-line telephone that had two RJ-11 jacks, but no RJ-14 jack.

So:  you've somehow got L1 and L2 shorted together in your wiring.

This was the direction I was starting to test.  I remembered reading another post about line 1 using 4 pins vs. 2 on line 2.  I found what you mention above when I removed line 2 from my office phone (a 2 line phone w/ Line 1 + 2).  When I dialed out using line 2 on the phone, GV #3 from Obi202 showed up on the caller ID.

I'm not exactly sure why I would get 2 lines dialing out when I use line 2 on the phone (line 2 being GV #1 on Obi200).  Is there a way to tell Obi202 to only use 2 pins on line 1?

I only want to use Line 1 & Line 2 on Obi202 as single use lines.  One goes to a fax machine, the other to the office phone.  The office phone is set to use line 2 for our home phone.  I don't want line 1 of Obi202 to carry both lines.  I'm trying to ensure that Obi202 SPs use only 1 line each.

[SteveInWA]

This is an electrical wiring problem.

Look carefully at your telephone cords (the "silver satin" modular plug cords).  They will either have two gold pins on each plug, connected to two wires in the cord, or four gold pins, connected to four wires in the cord.  If you find any four-wire cords/plugs, don't use them.  Replace them with two-conductor, two-pin cords.  On your telephone, make sure that, if it has a switch on the body of the phone somewhere, controlling the wiring of its jacks, that they are treated as two separate lines.  The goal is to electrically isolate line 1 from line 2.  Be absolutely sure that you are not using any four-wire cords, especially with your all-in-one printer/fax.

On the OBiTALK web portal, you can select which of the two physical lines are used for each service provider.  Set them accordingly.