Obi w/ cable (Optimum) voice line?

[AnsyG]

I posted this in one of the other categories, but I don't know the best place for the question, so I figured I'd throw it in here as well.

I ditched my rental modem from Optimum and bought my own. Of course, since vast majority of retail cable modems are not don't come with EMTAs, I don't have an ability to plug in my home phone to anything.

I've heard of people using a second (cheap) modem to that has EMTA, but I can't find anyone discussing the ability to use a 3rd party ATA with a cable/service provider voice line. While I know that I could just get rid of my phone line with Optimum and get a 3rd party, Obi-compatible VoIP line, the price I get from Optimum ($10/month, no lock-in or contract) is actually quite competitive price-wise (after the fees, guys like PhonePower and Axvoice come out to the same price). Plus the multi-week wait on porting my numbers is a pain that I would rather avoid if I can.

In other words, I'm looking to understand if its possible to run my Optimum voice service with my Obi200 and, if so, how to configure it. Optimum had no clue what I was talking about when I asked them. I have no idea what the inputs would be for Service Provider Proxy Server, Outbound Proxy Server, Username/Password, and URI on the Obi service configuration page for Optimum (or any cable/service provider, for that matter - its not immediately obvious that such information is public or provided). Does anyone have an idea on how to do this or if its even possible?

Thanks.

[SteveInWA]

I don't "have a clue" what you are doing, either.

"EMTA" refers to a combination cable modem, router and WiFi access point.  Retail cable modems are sold either as just a modem, or as a modem with a router and a WiFi access point.  You didn't specify what device you bought.

Regardless of the type of Internet service you have, you need at minimum, two things (and those things can be inside one box or two):  a modem and a router/switch.  You plug the router into the modem, and then plug your computer, OBiTALK ATA, and all your other Internet-using gizmos into the router or to a switch attached to the router.

If you are trying to replace the VoIP telephone function built into a cable Internet service box, then no, you can't use an OBiTALK device for that.  If you want to use Optimum's bundled telephone service, you need one of THEIR approved devices, since their phone service runs over their private network.

If you are getting rid of Optimum's bundled telephone service, then you need to subscribe to telephone service from an Internet Telephone Service Provider (ITSP).

[AnsyG]

Thanks. You hit it at the end - its not possible to run optimum voice with "bring your own ATA" because they run it on a private network. The private network aspect theoretically shouldn't inhibit the ability to access it with an off-the-shelf ATA, though I imagine Optimum won't provide the network details for someone to configure it into the ATA.

FYI - you should probably have a clue what I'm doing, given that an EMTA is specifically a modem with an embedded analog telephone adapter (ATA). EMTA = embedded multimedia terminal adapter. It DOES NOT refer to a combo cable modem/router/Wifi AP.

See here - https://itlaw.wikia.org/wiki/Embedded_multimedia_terminal_adapter, or just google "embedded multimedia terminal adapter definition".

So if you know what an EMTA is, my question should make perfect sense on the first read. Thanks.

[SteveInWA]

You truly have no idea what you are talking about.

The answer is:  the cable companies provide VoIP telephone service using their own, private managed network, not over the public Internet.  Their phone switches manage the transition from their network to the telephone network.  There are no SIP credentials available to the user.  You cannot provision an OBiTALK product, nor any other generic ATA nor IP phone to use their service.  This design has two benefits:  higher call quality and reliability, because there is a direct route to the cable company's backbone, which isn't subject to the random problems on the public Internet, and improved security.

If you want a solution that does not use Optimum's EMTA (i.e. a product that they approve and that they provision), then you need to subscribe to VoIP telephone service from an independent ITSP, and provision an ATA or IP phone to that ITSP's service.