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Obi212 dialing 911

Started by jwreed211, February 16, 2018, 02:37:56 PM

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jwreed211

Hello.  My issue is this:
My setup is a POTS handset plugged into the Obi212 and Google Voice setup on the VOIP line.  

Today I tried calling 911 on our phone which should work through the POTS connection.  However, I was greeted with the lady's voice from Obi saying that my call couldn't be completed.

My question is why was 911 going through the Obi212 instead of through the POTS line and how can I fix this setting?

Thank you in advance for any help.

SteveInWA

Hunh?  No, you cannot plug a "POTS line" into an OBi 202.

If, by "POTS handset" you mean an ordinary analog telephone, connected directly into the OBi's phone port, using a RJ-11 phone cord, then nothing is connected to the POTS telephone network.

If you meant that you plugged the OBi 202's phone port into the wall jack, then you are at risk of frying it due to the ring voltage from the telephone company.

So, your post doesn't make any sense.

However, some basic information, as clearly stated on the sticker that came on your OBi and in all the user information, Google Voice cannot make 911 calls.  If you want to do that, then you need to add a SIP VoIP service provider (for example on SP2) that provides the 911 service.  Most of us use Callcentric for that.

jwreed211

My apologies.  I should have said Obi212 which has a dedicated "Line" jack for using a POTS line in conjunction with the VOIP service.  Yes I know that VOIP can't provide 911 service.  I'm talking about 911 service through my local POTS line.

SteveInWA

In that case, you should be able to go into the OBiTALK dashboard, click on your 212 device, and select the line port to be used to call 911.

jwreed211

#4
Thank you.  Any idea where that setting is?  I can't seem to find it in the device settings or in the Expert settings.  It is possible the voice I'm hearing is Google Voice saying "We could not complete your call.  Please try again."  Regardless, the device is defaulting to the VOIP when I try dialing 911 instead of the POTS as a POTS error would tell me "This is the Yokota end office switch..."

jwreed211

After searching the forums, I found a similar issue here:
https://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=13219.0

However, I discovered in checking this setting that under the Phone 1 PHONE Port Parameters that the PrimaryLine value was defaulted to SP1 (Google in my case).  I unchecked the ObiTALK box and changed this dropdown to "PSTN Line."  Now it seems the phone is dialing the local phone numbers as its primary and 911 service will work.  Before it was treating any number dialed as a Google Voice call.  Now I have to hit **1 before dialing the 10-digit number I want to call with Google Voice.

For Obi tech reps if you're listening, on the Obi212 since it has a PSTN jack on the back, consider making the "ObiTALK Settings" parameter value be PSTN Line by default instead of SP1.  It would seem anyone buying that Obi device uses a traditional home phone and would want it to be the default for emergencies like the one we had today.  Without a cell phone as a backup we wouldn't have had a way to easily reach a 911 operator.  This is just feedback for your next staff meeting.

drgeoff

#6
I don't have an Obi212 and Obihai do not appear to have updated the AdminGuide to cover it, but I have no reason to believe that it functions in a markedly different way to to other models.  Set the PHONE port OutboundCallRoute to

{([1-9]x?*(Mpli)):pp},{(<##:>|911):li},{(<**70:>(Mli)):li},{(<**82:>(Mbt2)):bt2},{(<**81:>(Mbt)):bt},{(<**8:>(Mbt)):bt},{**0:aa},{***:aa2},{(<**1:>(Msp1)):sp1},{(<**2:>(Msp2)):sp2},{(<**3:>(Msp3)):sp3},{(<**4:>(Msp4)):sp4},{(<**9:>(Mpp)):pp},{(Mpli):pli}

(That is all one line and you are advised to copy and paste it rather than manually type character by character.)

Wth the Primary Line set to SP1 the result will be:

911 calls go out on the LINE port
Other calls not prefixed by a **code will go out on the Primary Line (SP1 if so set).
Numbers prefixed by **n will go out on SPn where n=1 to 4
Calls prefixed by a **70 will go out on the LINE port
Calls prefixed by **81 0r **82 will go out via the respective cell phone if linked with the optional OBiBT Bluetooth dongles.
Calls prefixed by **9 use the Obitalk network to reach other OBi devices.
Dialling ## connects to the POTS line.  At the POTS dial tone you can dial normally.
Calls of the form number*number will be treated as attempting to use the 'call through' facility of another OBi device.

jdud

1. Go into the Dashboard and click the gear next to your obi212 device

2. Go down on the bottom of the page to obiline and click the gear.

3. Check the box that says Use This Service for Emergency 911 Calls

4. Hit submit

5. Give it a few - then pick up the phone and dial 911.  Just tell them your making a test call and verify the address with them

all done and happy 911ing

SteveInWA

Quote from: jdud on March 05, 2018, 05:47:58 PM
1. Go into the Dashboard and click the gear next to your obi212 device

2. Go down on the bottom of the page to obiline and click the gear.

3. Check the box that says Use This Service for Emergency 911 Calls

4. Hit submit

5. Give it a few - then pick up the phone and dial 911.  Just tell them your making a test call and verify the address with them

all done and happy 911ing

Great, but, don't call 911.  Call 933.  It will test the complete path from your phone to the 911 system, and it will read back the street address, and it will not tie up a 911 operator on a non-emergency call.

jwreed211

Quote from: jdud on March 05, 2018, 05:47:58 PM
1. Go into the Dashboard and click the gear next to your obi212 device

2. Go down on the bottom of the page to obiline and click the gear.

3. Check the box that says Use This Service for Emergency 911 Calls

4. Hit submit

5. Give it a few - then pick up the phone and dial 911.  Just tell them your making a test call and verify the address with them

all done and happy 911ing

Obiline is not the right option for me here. This is about calling 911 on my landline not through a VOIP service. The best options are to either edit the outbound call route as above or change the primary line setting from SP# to PSTN. Thanks for the inputs. Good luck everyone getting your system working.

jdud

I'm confused.  The OBI212 has a line input for the POTS line.  You configure the 911 in obitalk.com like I said.  Even if you unplug the power to the OBI212 with the POTS line plugged in, 911 it will still work.  So OBI plugged in or not 911 will go through the OBILINE not the voip line.

jdud

Thanks SteveInWA for the 933 comment -- did not know that.

azrobert

Quote from: jdud on March 06, 2018, 07:27:02 AM
I'm confused.  The OBI212 has a line input for the POTS line.  You configure the 911 in obitalk.com like I said.  Even if you unplug the power to the OBI212 with the POTS line plugged in, 911 it will still work.  So OBI plugged in or not 911 will go through the OBILINE not the voip line.

OBi212 Specs:
https://www.ukvoipforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=1128

QuoteBuilt-In FXO Line Port with Relay to FXS on Power Loss

Your phone becomes hard wired to line on power loss, so anything you dial will go to PSTN.