All outbound calls get "Has not received a response from the service provider." This started today; however, I haven't made any outbound calls on my home phone connected to the Obitalk for a few days.
When I go into Google Voice (and have to use the legacy UI webclient since the new UI doesn't show all the settings), and under its Settings -> Phones tab, there is no selection for Google Chat. I've seen troubleshooting articles, like Obitalk's own at
https://www.obitalk.com/info/faq/GV-and-the-OBi/My-OBi-Does-Not-Ring, but there is no Google Chat to select. Maybe Google changed something that now renders Obitalk worthless.
Google discontinued SMS to their Hangouts service. Phone users were forced to switch to a different texting client. Google is making other changes to Hangouts. Hangouts is changing to a chat-only service. SMS was removed. VOIP dialing will get removed later this year or early next year. Maybe Google remove the Chat function from Google Voice service. Since Obitalk says Google Chat is critical to their service, removal of Google Chat means calls will no longer get forwarded.
However, all of that seems oriented to receiving calls, not to getting no-response from a service provider (who is not identified in the automated call failure message). Maybe Obitalk employs some circular function where Google Voice makes the outbound call but the connection back to the caller was via Google Chat that forwarded to the phones listed in Google Voice as the phones to forward calls. That is, the outbound call is made by Google Voice but the connection back to the caller (to hear the call) is via Google Chat.
Using my smartphone and the Google Voice app, I can make outbound calls using Google Voice. That works. It's the Obitalk that is now screwed up. If Obitalk relies on Google Chat to complete a call (because Obitalk says Google Chat must be selected as a "forwarded phone" in the Google Voice setup -- but there is no longer a Google Chat choice) then Obitalk is out of business with Google Voice.
At
voice.google.com, there is not Chat option in the left pane (to pick Calls, Messages, Voicemail, etc). Selecting to go to their Legacy Google Voice webclient also shows no Chat selection in the left pane. Going into Settings (while in the Legacy webclient), under the Phones tab for the "Forard calls to" list, there is no Google Chat listed. What I now see for those settings are:
https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/16184260/Settings___old_Google_Voice.png(someone else's screen capture, but mine is also missing Google Chat)
It has been a long time since I've been into Google Voice's settings. When it is working, there's no need to go there unless I change my phone setup, but that hasn't changed after adding and getting to work the Obitalk 200. Something similar to what I used to see was:
http://www.obihai.com/GoogleVoiceUG_files/image010.pngand also shown in the above Obihai FAQ article and also at:
https://www.obitalk.com/info/faq/GV-and-the-OBi/google-voice-numberThat has Google Chat as an option. Never knew why I needed it, but it was there by default. Now, when I go into settings, Google Chat is no longer shown anywhere: not as a choice in the left pane (of communication type) nor in settings for which "phones" that Google Voice will forward calls to.
Google has been making changes to its chat clients and apps. They're likely making changes to their services, too. Maybe on what Obitalk relied but is now gone makes Obitalk no longer usable with Google Voice.
