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Setting Up Conditional Call Forwarding

Started by peacefrogs, July 17, 2012, 11:25:33 AM

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peacefrogs

We have an Obi110 in our office that is set up to receive calls from 2 different Google Voice numbers.

We are trying to have incoming calls that are not answered (busy/no answer) go to our answering service and are hoping to make use of the Obi.

I tried the number codes (*62, etc) from the Obi-connected landline phone and didn't have much success. I got a long beep after entering in *62, and inputted the forwarding number and got 3 short beeps.

When I went into the Expert Configuration, however, the forward number didn't show up under the SP1- Voice Service. Or under the ObiTalk Service.

I tried to input the numbers manually by unclicking the "ObiTalk Default" and "Device Default" boxes (the only way that I could make the input boxes clickable) and when I clicked "save changes" I got little red exclamation points next to everything I had changed.

So I undid all of the changes and reset it, but I'm still left without the ability to forward calls.

Please help!

QBZappy

peacefrogs,

Welcome

Quote from: peacefrogs on July 17, 2012, 11:25:33 AM
I tried the number codes (*62, etc) from the Obi-connected landline phone and didn't have much success. I got a long beep after entering in *62, and inputted the forwarding number and got 3 short beeps.

That means that the OBi accepted the change you made, as you may have surmised. So far so good.

Quote from: peacefrogs on July 17, 2012, 11:25:33 AM
When I went into the Expert Configuration, however, the forward number didn't show up under the SP1- Voice Service. Or under the ObiTalk Service.

I tried to input the numbers manually by unclicking the "ObiTalk Default" and "Device Default" boxes (the only way that I could make the input boxes clickable) and when I clicked "save changes" I got little red exclamation points next to everything I had changed.

You should not be looking at the Expert configuration to see if the changes were made. In all cases people should look in the OBi unit web page to see if changes were made. That is the only place that matters. I bet if you look there you might be surprised to see what you find. The phone is just another input device like the keyboard on the computer. The OBi can read input from either.
Owner of the 1st OBi110/100 units in service in Canada & South America. 1st OBi202 on my street. 1st OBi1032 in Montreal.

peacefrogs

QuoteYou should not be looking at the Expert configuration to see if the changes were made. In all cases people should look in the OBi unit web page to see if changes were made. That is the only place that matters. I bet if you look there you might be surprised to see what you find. The phone is just another input device like the keyboard on the computer. The OBi can read input from either.

Where on the Obi website should I be looking to see if the changes were made?

QBZappy

Not on the web site. You need to look at the web page of the OBi unit itself.
Owner of the 1st OBi110/100 units in service in Canada & South America. 1st OBi202 on my street. 1st OBi1032 in Montreal.

QBZappy

On the unit web page you will see the following:
Confirm if you see the number you typed in along with some reference to SP1 or SP2

Voice Services
    SP1/2 Service
Calling Features

Parameter Name   
CallerIDName   
MaxSessions   
CallForwardUnconditionalEnable   
CallForwardUnconditionalNumber      
CallForwardOnBusyEnable      <- Check box should be checked when active
CallForwardOnBusyNumber      <- SP1/2(5145551212) some number should be here
CallForwardOnNoAnswerEnable         
CallForwardOnNoAnswerNumber         
CallForwardOnNoAnswerRingCount
Owner of the 1st OBi110/100 units in service in Canada & South America. 1st OBi202 on my street. 1st OBi1032 in Montreal.

QBZappy

peacefrogs,

Just in case you need to know. To get the ip of the OBi you can simply use the phone directly connected to the OBi and dial:
***1
Owner of the 1st OBi110/100 units in service in Canada & South America. 1st OBi202 on my street. 1st OBi1032 in Montreal.

peacefrogs

I'm so sorry, but I need additional clarification. The only "unit webpage" that I'm familiar with is the page I see when I'm changing the settings of my Obi from obitalk.com when I log in.

QuoteVoice Services
   SP1/2 Service
Calling Features

Parameter Name  
CallerIDName  
MaxSessions  
CallForwardUnconditionalEnable  
CallForwardUnconditionalNumber      
CallForwardOnBusyEnable      <- Check box should be checked when active
CallForwardOnBusyNumber      <- SP1/2(5145551212) some number should be here
CallForwardOnNoAnswerEnable        
CallForwardOnNoAnswerNumber        
CallForwardOnNoAnswerRingCount

From that page, when I go into "Expert Configuration" I do not see that these boxes are checked. When I try to manually enter in numbers and check those boxes, I get little red exclamation boxes.

QBZappy

Some background reading which may be of interest at the moment.
   
Managing Your OBi Device Configuration: OBiTALK or OBi Web Page but NOT Both
http://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=61.0

You can configure the OBi in 2 different ways. Using the method that you described over the internet using the Expert configuration tool, or locally by using the ip address of the OBi.

I suppose that you can also test it using your cell phone. Pick up the handset (make it busy), call in using your cell phone and see if it gets forwarded to the number that you configured with. Make sure that you dont use the same number as the cell phone that you will be calling in with.
Owner of the 1st OBi110/100 units in service in Canada & South America. 1st OBi202 on my street. 1st OBi1032 in Montreal.

peacefrogs

Can you explain to me why the Expert Configuration changes that I made had little red exclamation points? I'd love to be able to just configure it while not next to the Obi (which I'm not right now) but there doesn't seem to be any documentation as to why I got those little error alerts.

QBZappy

#9
OBi Expert Configuration (Introduction)
http://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=458.0

You need a primer on the Expert tool. Have a looke at the above mentioned link.

Those two check boxes have caused alot of needless confusion for new users. They are not error messages. They are basically a way to force you to activly enable/disable the Expert tool configuration or to pick up and use the OBi unit settings. It is unusual and not intuitive in my opinion.
Owner of the 1st OBi110/100 units in service in Canada & South America. 1st OBi202 on my street. 1st OBi1032 in Montreal.

peacefrogs

QuoteThose two check boxes have caused alot of needless confusion for new users. They are not error messages. They are basically a way to force you to activly enable/disable the Expert tool configuration or to pick up and use the OBi unit settings. It is an unusual and not intuitive in my opinion.

Thanks for the link.  The check boxes weren't the error messages I was referring to. After I made the changes and submitted them, little circles with white exclamation points popped up at the righthand side of every field that I had changed with no additional information.

QBZappy

#11
Quote from: peacefrogs on July 17, 2012, 02:13:59 PM
After I made the changes and submitted them, little circles with white exclamation points popped up at the righthand side of every field that I had changed with no additional information.

I don't ever use the Expert tool. I have tried it and prefer to configure the unit directly. I looked over the images on the link that I provided explaining the Expert tool, I don't see anything like you describe. Unless they have changed something recently, I don't see it in that guide. I think someone with more experience with the Expert tool should be more helpful than me.

Don't forget I also suggested that you can make a test call to see if the CF will work. There is no real need to verify any web page to conclude if the setting was accepted. Just test it with a phone call.
Owner of the 1st OBi110/100 units in service in Canada & South America. 1st OBi202 on my street. 1st OBi1032 in Montreal.

peacefrogs

Hi, I went into the IP address of the phone itself and the checkboxes for CallForwardBusyEnable and CallForwardNoAnswerEnable are clicked and the number I'm sending those calls to: 855-XXX-XXXX is in there as XXXXXXXXXX (no +1, etc, etc).

But when I run tests they're going to my Google Voicemail box after a great number of rings. It doesn't forward, and I don't know what I'm doing wrong.

"Default" is unchecked. I tried attaching a screenshot but it didn't work.  Help please!

QBZappy

CallForwardOnBusyEnable      <- Check box should be checked when active (Confirmed Good!)
CallForwardOnBusyNumber      <- SP1(5145551212) some number should be here with your Phone PrimaryLine


The Phone PrimaryLine is supposed to be the Trunk that you selected for the OBi to choose automatically to make the outgoing call from. Seems funny that SP1 or SP2, or a reference to Trunk Group or Obitalk Service is not in front of your number. That's how it shows on my box.

Looking directly in the OBi unit, you can find your setting here:
Setup Wizard->Outbound Settings->Phone PrimaryLine = ?  <- What do you have here?

Owner of the 1st OBi110/100 units in service in Canada & South America. 1st OBi202 on my street. 1st OBi1032 in Montreal.

peacefrogs

Okay I changed the forwarding number to SP1(XXXXXXXXXX) and my Outbound Settings are set to SP1 Service).

I have 2 lines coming into my Obi.  Is that an issue?  The SP1 is my primary number and the only number that's ever being called into.

Okay, when I leave the phone off the hook and call in it goes to the forwarding number, but when I place a call out and have someone else call in it goes to our general GV mailbox.

When I am on the phone with another number and someone calls in, it goes to the general GV mailbox.

On no answer (when no one is on the phone), it goes to the forwarding number.

So right now, it's working in many conditions, but not the ones that we need the most! What am I doing wrong?

QBZappy

peacefrogs,

You need to remember that GV allows 2 voice channels.

When you take the phone off hook it Forwards OK (GV thinks line is busy)
CallForwardOnBusyNumber (Seems to work)

It seems that when you are talking on the line (SP1 I presume) it goes to GV VM. I'm not certain if the 2nd voice channel is at play at this moment. BTW What number are you forwarding these calls to?
CallForwardOnNoAnswerEnable (?)

On no answer (when no one is on the phone), it goes to the forwarding number.
CallForwardOnNoAnswerEnable (Seems to work)

Let me understand your objectives.
1) You want all calls to be Forwarded?
2) No calls should ever reach the GV VM?

Since you mentioned that all incoming calls use the SP1 number, why don't you disable the SP2 acct for the time being in order to keep it simple.

You may want to look in the GV account settings as well for inspiration (click on the gear icon).
Owner of the 1st OBi110/100 units in service in Canada & South America. 1st OBi202 on my street. 1st OBi1032 in Montreal.

peacefrogs

QuoteIt seems that when you are talking on the line (SP1 I presume) it goes to GV VM. I'm not certain if the 2nd voice channel is at play at this moment. BTW What number are you forwarding these calls to?
CallForwardOnNoAnswerEnable (?)
Yes the Call Forward on No Answer IS enabled. We are forwarding these calls to our answering service since we are a small business and trying to proxy a VirtualPBX.

QuoteLet me understand your objectives.
1) You want all calls to be Forwarded?
2) No calls should ever reach the GV VM?
I want calls to be answered by me, but when I am on the phone or placing a call or in the bathroom (aka unavailable) I would like the calls to forward to our answering service. I don't want them to not be answered by a real person.

QuoteSince you mentioned that all incoming calls use the SP1 number, why don't you disable the SP2 acct for the time being in order to keep it simple.
Okay.

QuoteYou may want to look in the GV account settings as well for inspiration (click on the gear icon)
Yea, I've sort of abused this option to its maximum up to this point. The problem is that having our calls forward to both the Obi and the Answering Services means Google rings them both simultaneously, not sequentially, so it becomes a race with the answering service to see who answers the call first.
I'd love to create the option within Obi to have the answering service only take the calls that I can't get to first.

QBZappy

Quote from: peacefrogs on July 18, 2012, 01:56:28 PM
The problem is that having our calls forward to both the Obi and the Answering Services means Google rings them both simultaneously, not sequentially, so it becomes a race with the answering service to see who answers the call first.

Did you consider not having GV forward the call to the other VM service. Let the OBi handle the CF.
Owner of the 1st OBi110/100 units in service in Canada & South America. 1st OBi202 on my street. 1st OBi1032 in Montreal.

peacefrogs

QuoteDid you consider not having GV forward the call to the other VM service. Let the OBi handle the CF.
Right now Google Voice is only forwarding to the Obi. The voicemail that's picking up is the GV voicemail.

QBZappy

Jimmates is pretty good with GV settings. Perhaps he can suggest something. He should be along shortly.
Owner of the 1st OBi110/100 units in service in Canada & South America. 1st OBi202 on my street. 1st OBi1032 in Montreal.