Obi110 plus SPA8000 as Poormans Analog PBX
stooba:
Is it possible to use the Obi110 as an FXO port for an SPA8000? My hope is that I can use these two devices to make a poormans analog PBX. I have eight analog phones hooked into the SPA8000 and they are able to call between themselves perfectly. As archaic as it sounds, unfortunately there are a number of reasons that I need to stick with analog phones. But I'd now like to tie my SPA8000 to the outside world. The Obi110 looks like an interesting device that could possibly provide an FXO port for a PSTN connection and also a GoogleVoice connection (not to mention the Obinetwork connection as a bonus).
Based on my limited knowledge, I am assuming that I would need an Asterisk/Trixbox/PBXIAF PBX hairpinned into the network to direct outgoing calls from the SPA8000 to the Obi110 and also to provide an auto-attendant that asks incoming callers which extension of the SPA8000 they are trying to reach. I've read a couple of threads that talk about how to set up the Obi110 as an FXO port for Asterisk, so I'm sure that there is a SPA8000 - Asterisk - Obi110 solution to this problem. But I do not know the capabilities of the Obi110 well enough to know if the PBX can be circumvented so I have only a SPA8000-Obi110 solution.....less devices means less issues.
Thanks.
RonR:
If you configure an OBi110 with a Google Voice account, a SIP provider, and a PSTN Line, your eight SPA8000 extensions should have access to 4 outside 'lines' for incoming and outgoing calls. The SIP provider is not a requirement, but you cannot use a second Google Voice account instead.
If you don't mind a rather simple Auto Attendant, I think you can get by with just an OBi. The dialog would go something like this:
Welcome to Acme Widgets
Press 1 for the Receptionist
Press 21# for Sales
Press 22# for Customer Service
Press 23# for Shipping
Press 24# for Returns
Press 25# for Technical Support
Press 26# for Human Resources
Press 27# for Accounts Payable
Press 28# for Accounts Receivable
The numbering scheme is very inflexible. The eight SPA8000 extension numbers must start with 2, followed by one or two digits (1-99), followed by a # (the caller MUST press the # key).
stooba:
Wow, thanks RonR! This is exactly what I was hoping to hear!
I don't want anything more complicated than your example for the auto attendant.
Numbering the analog extensions with a 2xx# format is not an issue either.
For right now, I would be thrilled to get things configured so that just the analog phone to PSTN line connection would work for incoming and outgoing calls. The Google Voice and ITSP connections are a secondary requirement....although that's the reason I'm using this equipment instead of just a simple analog PBX.
The way I picture this setup is that the SPA8000 will just act as the "analog - SIP converter/gateway", making my analog phones look like any other IP-phones that might be connected to the network. The Obi will be the device providing all of the call management and Auto Attendant functions to connect these network phones to the outside world. If this is correct, then I need to spend more time learning about the Obi110. After reading the guides and using the web-admin I guess I still don't understand the full capabilities of these devices.
Are there any similar threads or sample setups that I could read to help me understand this better?
RonR:
You're the first that I know of to want to use an SPA8000. If I understand the SPA8000 organization correctly, it's basically four PAP2's in a single box.
Each line of the SPA8000 would make outbound calls using unregistered SIP URI calls pointed towward the OBi. Inbound calls via the Auto Attendant would work similarly, with each of the eight SPA8000 destinations having a separate SIP userid and/or port. When the caller selects an extension, he's actually dialing an OBi Speed Dial which is pointed to that extension. The receptionist can be a phone connected to the OBi PHONE Port, or one of the eight SPA8000 extensions. I assume inter-office calling is currently handled by an SPA8000 dialplan, which would be enhanced to route outbound calls to the OBi.
This is totally uncharted territory, but I think it has an excellent chance of success. It will be some work, as the Auto Attendant prompts have to be re-recorded. Assuming you have a reasonable understanding of the SPA8000, we should be able to make it work.
Stewart:
I'll throw out a few alternatives here:
You could avoid the IVR, if you had a number for each extension. If you don't care where the number is, you could use eight free IPKall DIDs. They could be pointed directly to the phones, though that setup would not have voicemail. Or, you could have the OBi relay the calls, sending unanswered ones to a voicemail service. DIDs where you can pick the city are not free, though there are some inexpensive choices. Localphone is $0.99/mo./number for "unlimited" incoming, but quality is not the best. Anveo "Value" DIDs are also $0.99 and are top quality, but after 40 minutes per day, you're charged $0.015/min. With either paid option, voicemail is included.
With a VoIP service that includes PBX features such as VoIP.ms, your phones could register as eight sub-accounts and you can set up an IVR with options as desired. A straightforward setup would cost $5 to $7/mo. for an unlimited DID; there are some tricks to avoid the charge, though they may impair latency / quality / reliability.
With any of the above you could still send outbound calls via GV or your landline, as desired.
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