Help TechIlliterate set up Obi202 w/modem

[NanD]

Ok, First I ordered another ATA, realized I'd not got one that would handle anything but a phone, sent it back. Ordered Obi202, which is supposed to allow my computer to be hooked up via the LAN plug at the same time as having a phone connection.

Per the Quick Start Guide:

I have the modem feeding into the Obi202 at the Internet plug.
I have the computer hooked to the LAN plug.
I have the phone hooked up where the phone goes.

The Obi power light continues to flash green. I can get a dialtone. (But I already have VOIP access via Time Warner Cable.) I do NOT have access to the internet through my computer. Hence, I can't set anything up. The little "Quick Start" guide is not helping here....

So I am back to the start - looking at the Obi202 and wondering what to do. I am running Windows 7 home edition and have a Time Warner provided Touchstone Telophony modem.

I really am not very computer literate, so if you have time to step me through this please don't leave anything out thinking I'll know what to do. I won't.

Would very much appreciate your help!

Nan

[carl]

Your choice of Obi 202 is excellent but I would not use it as a router. Get a separate router ( which you connect to the modem) and connect the computer and Obi to it.
If you have Obi 202 with Google voice (and preferably also another provider you will not need VOIP from your cable company . that would be a waste of money.

[NanD]

Hi. Thank you. I really cannot afford another router, that is why I got the Obi202 - it claimed it was possible to do so. Is this not true? If so I will return it and ask for my money back.

[dircom]

you might look for a router on http://www.freecycle.org/

[NanD]

Thank you. 

In the meantime, if this device will not work as advertised, I need to return it and get something cheaper. If it WILL work as advertised, if someone can please walk me through the installation process (other than what I've described from the Quick Start Guide) I would very much appreciate it. 

Nan

[Shale]

Per the Quick Start Guide:

I have the modem feeding into the Obi202 at the Internet plug.
I have the computer hooked to the LAN plug.
I have the phone hooked up where the phone goes.

The Obi power light continues to flash green. I can get a dialtone. (But I already have VOIP access via Time Warner Cable.) I do NOT have access to the internet through my computer. Hence, I can't set anything up. The little "Quick Start" guide is not helping here....

Try power cycling your modem. Then power-cycle your OBi202. Does the Obi power light go solid green?

[NanD]

Hi. It went solid green for a few seconds, then went blinking again and remains blinking.

[Ostracus]

Was your original setup (before you bought the Obi) a cable going from your TWC modem straight into your computer?

[giqcass]

I'm using my OBi202's networking functions as we speak.  It can function as you want.  Power cycling is always the first step after you check your cables.  I would make sure both cables are patch cables.  It often does not make a difference if a patch cable is mixed up with a crossover cable but I have ran into cases where the wrong cable completely took a network down.

A crossover cable usually says "crossover" on it.  The following link explains crossover cables for you.
http://www.ehow.com/how_5098962_identify-crossover-cable.html

If the Obi isn't connecting then a computer connected to it is unlikely to connect so before trying to debug your internet connection I would try to get the Obi going.  Once the Obi is connecting then move on to the computer. 

[NanD]

Hi. Yes it was. Cord comes out of the wall, into the modem. From the modem directly to the PC. The current VOIP I have has the phone line coming out of the same modem.

I hooked everything up per the quick start, including the phone (unplugged from modem, plugged into Obi). Tried the **9222222222 number with my handset, got "no service available" message. (It never did stop blinking green - I had gone out for an hour and came back and it was still blinking green, before I tried the phone number to see what would happen.) Then noticed that I couldn't use the computer.

I make perhaps a half dozen outgoing calls a year, and have maybe two or three incoming per month. And almost all of the incoming will go directly to my phone's answering machine, but we do need to have  a phone line for all these and for emergency. I have contacted CallCentric and set up an account there.

They recommended I do the Obi dashboard, which I did. (I think I did it properly.) But since I can't do anything on the computer if the Obi is attached, I don't know what else to do.  I have emailed Obi Help Desk, hopefully they will respond. In the meantime, if you have any ideas I can try??  I am really a dinosaur - haven't fiddled with computers in 20 years and it's like someone who could rebuild a model "T" trying to figure out what's under the hood of a formula race car now.....

[NanD]

I'm using my OBi202's networking functions as we speak.  It can function as you want.  Power cycling is always the first step after you check your cables.  I would make sure both cables are patch cables.  It often does not make a difference if a patch cable is mixed up with a crossover cable but I have ran into cases where the wrong cable completely took a network down.

A crossover cable usually says "crossover" on it.  The following link explains crossover cables for you.
http://www.ehow.com/how_5098962_identify-crossover-cable.html

If the Obi isn't connecting then a computer connected to it is unlikely to connect so before trying to debug your internet connection I would try to get the Obi going.  Once the Obi is connecting then move on to the computer.  

It is a white cable that says "Golden Bridge E122276" and "Verified UL Cat 5" and is what the cable installation people put from their modem to my computer. Hopefully it is the correct thing - it works just fine when it's plugged from the modem to my computer.  And the cord I'm using from the modem to the Obi (when I have it connected) is the one that came with the Obi.  Yes, hopefully when the Obi works everything will work.

Thanks.

[giqcass]

Just to be clear about how you have connected everything let's go through it from scratch.  Power everything down including the Touchstone Telephony modem.  

Unplug all of the cables and inspect them to makes sure none are damaged. The port Marked "internet" on the Obi must be connected to the LAN port on the Touchstone Telephony modem with the RJ-45 Ethernet Cable that came with your Obi.  The port marked "LAN" on the Obi must be connected to your computer.  The Phone must be connected to phone port 1 on the Obi.  Make sure the coaxial cable is connected to the Touchstone Telephony modem properly.  Plug all of the power supply's in and make sure they are connected to the correct devices.

[Shale]

Just to make sure somebody had not set up something non-default, you might do a factory reset. From http://www.obihai.com/OBiAdminGuide.htm#_Toc333506085 says "By default, the hardware reset button located via an opening on the underside of the OBi202 will reset all settings. "  It does not say you have to hold the button in for a few seconds, but I would. I think that reset is done by pushing a standard small paper clip wire through the hole in the round boss near the foot closest to the power light. You should see some reaction from the lights when you do that.

Regarding cables, also try swapping cables to put the other cable between the OBi and the modem. This would be to check if there could be a problem with the cable that you put between the OBi and the modem. It is unlikely, but worth checking.

Make sure that the cable to the modem is connected to the Internet port.

[NanD]

Just to be clear about how you have connected everything let's go through it from scratch.  Power everything down including the Touchstone Telephony modem.  

Unplug all of the cables and inspect them to makes sure none are damaged. The port Marked "internet" on the Obi must be connected to the LAN port on the Touchstone Telephony modem with the RJ-45 Ethernet Cable that came with your Obi.  The port marked "LAN" on the Obi must be connected to your computer.  The Phone must be connected to phone port 1 on the Obi.  Make sure the coaxial cable is connected to the Touchstone Telephony modem properly.  Plug all of the power supply's in and make sure they are connected to the correct devices.

Did that.
Three times now.
Same issue.

[Shale]

Take your OBi to a friend with good Internet and a router and plug the Internet port into the friend's router. If you cannot get a solid green light there, I suspect your OBi202 is defective.

If you do get a green light there, I wonder if the MAC number of the OBi has to be registered with your cable provider. I don't know if Time Warner does that. I know some cable internet providers in the past did that.

[Ostracus]

If that was the case, he could clone his computer's MAC.

[giqcass]

Cloning a MAC address is rarely needed.  I don't see the setting to do it on the Obi202 anyway.

I would try the reset procedure on the Obi202.

How do I perform a factory reset?
The first step in performing a full reset of the OBi is to remove the device from your OBiTALK web portal account. The second step is to depress the physical reset pin (button), found on the bottom of the OBi, to reset the settings on the actual device. After the OBi is fully removed from OBiTALK and reset with the physical pin, you may re-add the device to your OBiTALK account. You will also have to re-configure any service-specific credentials (username and password) to be used with the OBi device. Follow these steps to remove and reset your OBi:

Step 1: Remove the OBi From the OBiTALK Web Portal
1. Log-in to www.obitalk.com and select the device you are going to reset from the OBi Dashboard.
2. Select the "Delete Device" button located on the right side of the screen. You will be prompted to confirm. Click "OK".
3. After a few seconds, you will see a message stating, "The device was deleted successfully." Proceed to Step 2.

Step 2: Reset the OBi Device Using the Physical Pin (Button)
1. With a paper clip (or similar) depress the reset pin located at the bottom of the OBi.
2. While keeping the reset pin depressed, plug-in the power cord.
First, the Power LED will turn red, then become sold green.
Keep depressing the reset pin while this is occurring.
3. After 10 seconds, the Power LED will start to flash green (slowly).
You may now release the reset pin.
4. Within 5 seconds, the Power LED will start to flash green rapidly for about 3 seconds.
5. Next the Power LED will change to red briefly indicating the OBi is now rebooting.

The factory reset is now complete. You may now proceed to re-add the device to your OBiTALK account.
Important Note: You will need to re-configure any service-specific credentials (username and password) to be used with the OBi device.
Top

[NanD]

Ok, I've contacted Obi support and told them twice now how things were set up. Their response was to ask if I had the freaking cable from the Modem to the blue internet port. (YES!!!! and NO I still do not have a solid green light.)

If I can't access the internet while the Obi202 is plugged in, I can't add it to my dashboard since it starts a countdown. Since it can't find an IP address ...

I'll try the reset. When I go to my dashboard there is a device listed there called "Soft Phone" with an obi number that is not the same as the one listed on the bottom of the Obi. On the chance that someone has sold me a "diddled with" Obi202, I'll try the reset. Thanks.

[NanD]

Take your OBi to a friend with good Internet and a router and plug the Internet port into the friend's router. If you cannot get a solid green light there, I suspect your OBi202 is defective.

If you do get a green light there, I wonder if the MAC number of the OBi has to be registered with your cable provider. I don't know if Time Warner does that. I know some cable internet providers in the past did that.

Not an option.

[NanD]

Cloning a MAC address is rarely needed.  I don't see the setting to do it on the Obi202 anyway.

I would try the reset procedure on the Obi202.

How do I perform a factory reset?
The first step in performing a full reset of the OBi is to remove the device from your OBiTALK web portal account. The second step is to depress the physical reset pin (button), found on the bottom of the OBi, to reset the settings on the actual device. After the OBi is fully removed from OBiTALK and reset with the physical pin, you may re-add the device to your OBiTALK account. You will also have to re-configure any service-specific credentials (username and password) to be used with the OBi device. Follow these steps to remove and reset your OBi:

Step 1: Remove the OBi From the OBiTALK Web Portal
1. Log-in to www.obitalk.com and select the device you are going to reset from the OBi Dashboard.
2. Select the "Delete Device" button located on the right side of the screen. You will be prompted to confirm. Click "OK".
3. After a few seconds, you will see a message stating, "The device was deleted successfully." Proceed to Step 2.

Step 2: Reset the OBi Device Using the Physical Pin (Button)
1. With a paper clip (or similar) depress the reset pin located at the bottom of the OBi.
2. While keeping the reset pin depressed, plug-in the power cord.
First, the Power LED will turn red, then become sold green.
Keep depressing the reset pin while this is occurring.
3. After 10 seconds, the Power LED will start to flash green (slowly).
You may now release the reset pin.
4. Within 5 seconds, the Power LED will start to flash green rapidly for about 3 seconds.
5. Next the Power LED will change to red briefly indicating the OBi is now rebooting.

The factory reset is now complete. You may now proceed to re-add the device to your OBiTALK account.
Important Note: You will need to re-configure any service-specific credentials (username and password) to be used with the OBi device.
Top

Reset complete. Same darned thing. I've also powered off and on the modem and the Obi device since doing the reset. Nada.