News:

On Tuesday September 6th the forum will be down for maintenance from 9:30 PM to 11:59 PM PDT

Main Menu

My Obi Does Not Ring (FAQ is years out of date)

Started by KevinB, January 05, 2019, 12:59:51 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

KevinB

Went through GV set up (after updating firmware on my 202) and state shows as connected.
Have dial tone, but no dialing out, and no inbound calls can be received.

When I make an outbound call, the SP1 Service Status shows CallState as 1 Active Calls, however OBiTALK Service Status is showing as 0 Active Calls.  Also see the attached pic of the attempt for an outbound call.   When calling in, the call status is that there is no call.  So there is a disconnect between Obitalk and GV somewhere.  I checked all of the settings in advanced config and they look good to me.  I'm a SIP guy so I initially honed in on those, but as you can see in the other attachment, they are all good.

On the ObiTalk service portion, the inbound call route and display name have red ! next to them.  IB call route being wrong would explain why no inbound calls.  But not sure if the red exclamation point is relevant here.

As mentioned in the subject line, the FAQ is woefully out of date (there is no Google Chat) and there doesn't seem to be any updated help or troubleshooting.

Any ideas on what I can change to make GV ring and also allow me to make outbound calls through the Obi 202?

drgeoff

1.  Obitalk Service has nothing to do with GV.  The InboundCallRoute for Obitalk Service has no influence whatsoever on what happens to incoming calls on any of SP1 to SP4.  And there is probably nothing amiss with the Obitalk Service InboundCallRoute.  Those 9 digit numbers there are the Obitalk numbers of the softphone and other devices you have registered on your dashboard.  The portal does that automatically.

2.  The red exclamation mark just means that the value has been changed from the default.

KevinB

Thanks for that info DrGeoff! I used this Obi and its predecessor for years with CallCentric and never configured it with GV, so this is new to me.

I can see activity, but nothing happening. I would like to use GV as this is just for some outbound calling for SIP testing on my enterprise phone system. But it appears the combination is not working.

Makes me wonder if Polycom will shut down support of GV, they haven't updated any documentation or support.

SteveInWA

Quote from: KevinB on January 05, 2019, 07:03:29 PM
Makes me wonder if Polycom will shut down support of GV, they haven't updated any documentation or support.

So, you've never used Google Voice on an OBiTALK device, and you can't get it to work, despite the hundreds of thousands of other people using it, so it must a sign of Polycom dropping support?  SMH.

Follow my detailed instructions here:

https://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=13868.msg89076#msg89076

Perform every step in order, and do not skip any steps.  Google Voice is not a vanilla SIP provider, and you can't set it up manually.

KevinB

#4
Already followed those steps to the letter. I do RTFM. But when the FM is years out of date, I might as well ask Alexander Graham Bell.

As to my question about Polycom's support:

  • Polycom calls the shots today, not Obihai
  • Documentation is years out of date
  • Number of users previously using a free service doesn't guarantee future support

I've lived in Telecom for 26 years experiencing countless acquisitions and mergers. If you think support of this free service is guaranteed, I have some beachfront property to sell you in Arizona.

If Obi has support, I'll see if they have any ideas. But I won't be holding my breath. I do have a very large annual budget with Polycom, so perhaps I can get Obi's attention from the mothership.

SteveInWA

Your ego is getting in the way of solving the problem.  I neither work for Polycom, nor do I contest that their documentation is outdated.  However, if you read through this forum, you'll find a very large number of users who followed my instructions got their products to work.

My point was:  you made an invalid assertion:  the instructions are out of date, therefore the company may be abandoning the product.  In truth, Obihai has always had crappy documentation, but the products have always worked as intended.

You repeatedly referred to your expertise in SIP.  Google Voice is not configured like other SIP clients.  Having many years of telecom experience is irrelevant, if you don't know the details of the particular service you are using.  As DrGeoff pointed out, you have demonstrated that you don't understand how OBiTALK devices work.

Now:  Google has completely replaced the Google Voice infrastructure in the past year.  They have now introduced an enterprise (paid) version of Google Voice via G Suite, currently in an early adopter phase for customers with 100+ seats.  Google is investing many millions of dollars in the service, and it is not going away any time soon.  Whatever may have worked in the now-useless OBiTALK website instructions, which refer to the old Google Voice infrastructure, is irrelevant.  Google now has specifically-dedicated server resources, tested and verified to work with OBiTALK devices.

It is an undisputed fact that OBiTALK devices running the latest firmware work properly with the latest generation of Google Voice.  IF an OBiTALK device can successfully make and receive calls using a generic SIP ITSP such as Callcentric (thus proving that the hardware is not damaged/defective), THEN it will successfully make and receive calls when used with Google Voice.

We can't tell from your post what other tests you may or may not have performed.  For example:

  • Did you try making a call to the OBiTALK echo test server (**9 222 222 222)?  This tests round-trip function, including sending and receiving audio.
  • Did you try configuring the device with some other service provider and then making test calls?  In your post, you described your use case as "just for some outbound calling for SIP testing on my enterprise phone system".  You certainly do not need Google Voice for that testing; any ITSP will do.
  • Did you test your Google account's Google Voice function without the OBiTALK device, by making and receiving calls either on the Google Voice or Hangouts websites, or via the Android or iOS apps?

You asked about troubleshooting steps.  Try the above tests.

KevinB

Steve,
I'm aware of GSuite's VoIP roadmap, but I don't see it tying into the current Obihai offerings. But recognize it's my opinion and we may disagree on this. In any case, don't take my one question as an attack on Obihai or anyone on this board, it's just an honest question given the current situation.

Yes, I've done all of the troubleshooting you outline in your previous post and everything comes back fine. In fact, I've been using Google Voice for my testing using a headset through my computer. The echo test was one of the first things that I did when I reactivated my 202.

And yes, I'm well aware that Google Voice is not set up in the Obi as a traditional SIP provider.

As to your question why I want to use Google Voice for my testing, the reality is that I used to use CallCentric because I paid for the service for use as a home landline and using it for testing with a second number was an almost no cost add-on. Like many in the USA, we dropped the use of a landline and have gone exclusively to mobile. I use 8x8 and RingCentral as VoIP carriers in my consulting business and use both of them for my testing in my enterprise role. However, I thought it would be quite easy to set up Google Voice on Obi for testing from home and also as yet another path in to test various SIP carriers' paths into the enterprise. During last week's CenturyLink outage, it was very useful to have multiple paths in to test where there were issues, though it appeared that recovery was in place on several fronts.
All in all, not a huge deal for me for Google Voice not to work with the Obi, but thought if there were some easy troubleshooting steps that I could cause it to work, it would be worthwhile. I'll see what Obi has to say Monday.

Thanks again for trying to help.

DaveInNC

I am having a similar problem (analog phone connected to Obi202 does not ring with -incoming- calls.)

-- Had existing GV number for years.  Only used to forward to my cell phone.

-- Added Obi202 yesterday.  Connected per instructions, registered and configured only per Obitalk website (per instructions included with Obi202), not via the local device GUI.  I made zero changes to the auto-configured values.

-- Firmware came already up-to-date on the unit.  Build 5921EX, verified via the local device GUI.

-- In GV Settings-->Calls, under Incoming Calls, GV shows my Cell Phone number and my ObiTALK Device, both with the enable switches turned on.  There isn't anything listed there for Google Chat.  I understand this is all as expected, from the following threads:
https://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=13868.msg89076#msg89076
http://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=13824.0

-- I am able to use the analog phone, which I connected to the Obi202, to successfully place a call to my cell phone number.

-- If I then use my land line phone (not connected to the Obi), and I place a call to my GV number, the call only goes through to my cell phone.  Obi202 does not ring the attached phone.

-- The Obi-attached phone is verified good (I removed it from my land line for this debug.)

What could be wrong here?

Thanks.

LTN1

Quote from: DaveInNC on January 09, 2019, 03:24:31 AM
I am having a similar problem (analog phone connected to Obi202 does not ring with -incoming- calls.)

-- Had existing GV number for years.  Only used to forward to my cell phone.

-- Added Obi202 yesterday.  Connected per instructions, registered and configured only per Obitalk website (per instructions included with Obi202), not via the local device GUI.  I made zero changes to the auto-configured values.

-- Firmware came already up-to-date on the unit.  Build 5921EX, verified via the local device GUI.

-- In GV Settings-->Calls, under Incoming Calls, GV shows my Cell Phone number and my ObiTALK Device, both with the enable switches turned on.  There isn't anything listed there for Google Chat.  I understand this is all as expected, from the following threads:
https://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=13868.msg89076#msg89076
http://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=13824.0

-- I am able to use the analog phone, which I connected to the Obi202, to successfully place a call to my cell phone number.

-- If I then use my land line phone (not connected to the Obi), and I place a call to my GV number, the call only goes through to my cell phone.  Obi202 does not ring the attached phone.

-- The Obi-attached phone is verified good (I removed it from my land line for this debug.)

What could be wrong here?

Thanks.

Let's take it one step at a time. Can you use the OBi device to call your cell phone or another phone with the abilities to show caller ID? What caller ID shows up on the receiving phone (you don't have to answer--this is just to see if the OBi device and GV account was properly signed in).

DaveInNC

Thank you for your reply.

I performed the requested action in two ways, with the same result:

Calling from the analog phone, connected to the Obi202:

-- Called my cell phone (which is also where my GV number gets forwarded, along with to the Obi202)
-- Called my wife's cell phone (not associated with GV)

Both show my GV number on the Caller ID (as expected, I think).

LTN1

I would try to reset the OBi device and sign on to your Google accounts again with the device. Follow SteveInWA's instructions that you had previously linked.

Other than that, one time, a person found out after all the troubleshooting that his phone ringer either wasn't on or defective--so you may want to test that just in case.

DaveInNC

Thank you.  I only posted here because I have already followed instructions in previous linked replies, including starting all the devices over in order, from power-on (modem, router, Obi).  But I'll try it again.

And we have now tried two analog phones on the Obi202.  Both have good ringers.

DaveInNC

LTN1, you were correct.  It works  now, and it -was- the phone ringers.  -Both- of them.  It's been one of those days...

My wife had turned the ringer off on the first phone without me knowing it.  The phone is old and the switch label is gone.  The second phone she got for me from another room today, while I was at work, and plugged it in for me to try remotely.  That phone hadn't been in use, and when I came home from work tonight and checked it, I saw the switch was off. (That's when I went back to check the first phone).

Because I wanted to organize the cables better anyway, I had also disconnected it all and reconnected (no GV or ObiTalk changes), but of course that wasn't the issue, and it behaves as expected.

Sigh.  Sorry about the false alarm.  Now I need to go find the $1.50 a month e911 thread.


KevinB

As a follow up.  Finally got it to work five attempts later, including one stint where it would not factory reset and a Newbie's post of dialing **8 (I think) got me back on track.  Again, not documented anywhere by Obi and not in their step by step troubleshooting instructions.

I informed the Polycom folks about the out of date and missing documentation. They are aware and concurred with my points, saying their plans include a revamp of all Obi support.  Polycom support has been good for me over the years, so that sounds positive.