Direct IP calls

[Cobi]

Just wondering, is it possible to make direct IP calls with the Obi100, without using Obitalk?
I.e. An Obi100 to a Cisco/Linksys ATA, based on IP address (assuming port forwards and all were set up in the router?)

If so, how?


Thanks!

[azrobert]

Assuming SP2 is defined as SIP set a speed dial to:
sp2(anything@aa.aa.aa.aa:pppp)
aa.aa.aa.aa:pppp is the IP address and port number of the device you're calling.

[Cobi]

That's great! I wonder if it would resolve a domain instead of an ip .... For dynamic ip..
So instead of the ip address, put domain.com:port#

[hwittenb]

Yes you can use a dynamic ip such as one you might get from a Dynamic DNS Provider such as providers on this list:
http://dnslookup.me/dynamic-dns/

The Obi will do a DNS lookup.  Of course you have to keep the address up to date with your current ip address.

[Cobi]

That's great!
Yeah, already do that with DDWRT, so all that would be required would be the specific port forwards, and to assign the device with a static local IP.

Powerful little device...

[giqcass]

If you want to dial an IP you must first set up at least one of your service providers as a sip provider.

To make things simple I usually set up a speed dial for IP dialing.  Here are two examples.  You may want to look into Voice Gateway setup. 
Speed dial for Callcentric test number using a voice gateway.
VG1(17770000001@callcentric.com:5060)

Speed dial for Callcentric test number using service provider 2.
SP2(17770000001@callcentric.com:5060)

[Cobi]

Why would you need a SIP provider to make a direct ip call? - the call should not need to be routed through an intermediary such as callcentric.

[azrobert]

I think giqcass's example should be:
SP2(17770000001@in.callcentric.com)

Maybe they both will work.
Anyway, you are not using Callcentric as an intermediary. You are calling user 17770000001 at Callcentric.

[drgeoff]

Anyway, you are not using Callcentric as an intermediary. You are calling user 17770000001 at Callcentric.

I think that is using Callcentric as an intermediary.  The SIP invitation is not going directly to the callee's ATA.  My understanding is that Cobi wants to do something like calling sip:123@cobyshome.dynamicdnsservice.com.

However I agree that the format sp2(anything@aa.aa.aa.aa:pppp) given earlier should work.

In a related manner I have a Voice Gateway on my OBi110 with AccessNumber set as SP2(192.168.1.75).  That directs outgoing calls on that gateway to my local Asterisk PBX from whence it goes via GoogleVoice (Motif).  Doesn't go anywhere near the ITSP that SP2 is registered to.

[Hortoristic]

What does directing your outgoing calls to the Asterisk server give you - are you actually calling the asterix server via GV or is the asterix server re-initiating the call using GV there?  Does that work around the XMPP problem?

In a related manner I have a Voice Gateway on my OBi110 with AccessNumber set as SP2(192.168.1.75).  That directs outgoing calls on that gateway to my local Asterisk PBX from whence it goes via GoogleVoice (Motif).  Doesn't go anywhere near the ITSP that SP2 is registered to.

[drgeoff]

What does directing your outgoing calls to the Asterisk server give you - are you actually calling the asterix server via GV or is the asterix server re-initiating the call using GV there?  Does that work around the XMPP problem?

In a related manner I have a Voice Gateway on my OBi110 with AccessNumber set as SP2(192.168.1.75).  That directs outgoing calls on that gateway to my local Asterisk PBX from whence it goes via GoogleVoice (Motif).  Doesn't go anywhere near the ITSP that SP2 is registered to.

Only calls for USA numbers (I'm in the UK) from the OBi go to Asterisk.  I had already used SP1 and SP2 for two other Service Providers which are more important to me and I wished them to have the lowest failure potential.

Doesn't offer an immediate solution to the XMPP problem.  But perhaps Asterisk is more likely than the OBis to get an interface to Hangouts.  

[N2VWZ]

Just wondering, is it possible to make direct IP calls with the Obi100, without using Obitalk?
I.e. An Obi100 to a Cisco/Linksys ATA, based on IP address (assuming port forwards and all were set up in the router?)

If so, how?


Thanks!

Direct IP Dialing works with the Obi devices, however, the firmware does not do any filtering by the phone number that you assign.  Any number dialed to your IPaddress:Port will cause your phone to ring.  The phone will ring every time a hacker does a port scan on your IPaddress.  

This is a serious flaw that Obihai has chosen not to fix with their firmware.

A much better solution for Direct IP Dialing is to find an old Siprua SPA2000 or SPA3000 ATA on ebay.  These devices filter by the phone number that you assign and you will not be bothered by random port scans.

Since there is no registration or logging associated with this type of Direct IP Dialing, it will be a bit more difficult for the Domestic Spy agencies to tap into telephone conversations and steal your meta data.

[QBZappy]

@N2VWZ

Beg to differ. There are several ways to avoid the problem you mentioned using the OBi. Have a look here for details.

(Credit to Shale)    Summary of various methods mentioned by various posters on this forum
HOWTO: Thwarting SIP Scanners during Set-up
http://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=5467.0

The best method IMO is the oleg method because it is simple and easy to set up. I think one of the methods could be used with direct ip calls.

[gderf]

My OBi is behind a NAT router. But no manually applied port forwards or firewall rules are required for it to work.

I see UDP scans to the SIP port (5060) on my public IP address frequently in my firewall logs, but these don't cause the phone to ring as that port is not open.

Perhaps your comment applies to OBi devices directly connected to the internet such that they have a public I address.

[giqcass]

My example used a domain name but you could replace it with an IP address. I should have mentioned that.  I used that example because it's a test number.

SP2(17770000001@in.callcentric.com) is correct if you aren't using a Callcentric account to make the call.  I overlooked that because my example was a cut and paste from my device.  SP2 happened to be Callcentric on my Obi so it works both ways for me. 

I won't call the sip scanner vulnerability a flaw because it can be useful if you want multiple incoming sip uris and it's easily fixed.  Like QBZappy I believe the Oleg method is best.  It will allow multiple incoming sip uris and defeat the scanners. I think the flaw is that Obi does not document the process or make the consumer aware of it. 

If the device you are dialing uses the standard 5060 to listen for sip there is no need to define the port in the dialing string.

[N2VWZ]

@N2VWZ

Beg to differ. There are several ways to avoid the problem you mentioned using the OBi. Have a look here for details.

(Credit to Shale)    Summary of various methods mentioned by various posters on this forum
HOWTO: Thwarting SIP Scanners during Set-up
http://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=5467.0

The best method IMO is the oleg method because it is simple and easy to set up. I think one of the methods could be used with direct ip calls.

I shouldn't need a workaround for poorly written firmware.  

Only the phone number that I assign to the ATA should allow the box to ring - this is the behavior that is expected. Unless the firmware has been fixed in the last year,the Obi ATA will ring on any number that is dialed to my IPAddress:port.  Sipura and Cisco ATAs ring only on the assigned number as expected.  

The Obi ATAs ring on all numbers because there is no assigned number filtering in the firmware.  This is an Obihai firmware design flaw that needs to be fixed.

I gave up trying to get the Obihai ATAs to work properly with unregistered Direct IP Dialing and have been successfully using a Sipura SPA2000 that I bought on Ebay for $20 new.

[giqcass]

We all agree some things should be simpler.  

However,
The Obi kicks the other ATAs butts.  It's a little too complicated for some people but when set up properly it has endless possibilities. Toss one line in and you can limit income calls to the Obi.
{>17771234567:ph}

Then replace 17771234567 with your auth username or add multiple user names for multiple incoming accounts.  Please tell us something The Sipura SPA2000 does that Obi doesn't do.

[QBZappy]

@N2VWZ

I shouldn't need a workaround for poorly written firmware. 

The oleg method as highlighted above by gigcass is not a work around. It is by design. I agree that this feature is not integrated into the obi settings as well as competing products. It took a professional software engineer (oleg) to interpret the admin guide and to come to a solution equivalent to Sipura / Linksys adapters. This detail even escaped RonR who had come up with most of the other methods via crafting special dial plans. It did not even occur to obihai themselves to suggest this solution. I'm surprised that obihai has not simplified this control by implementing it on the configuration pages of the unit. This should be a feature request.

You can follow this thread from here to see the dynamics of how it came up:
http://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=4067.80 (Reply 100 and 101 are especially pertinant)

[MikeHObi]

@N2VWZ
The oleg method as highlighted above by gigcass is not a work around. It is by design. I agree that this feature is not integrated into the obi settings as well as competing products. It took a

I just reviewed the oleg method and the thread on sip scanners.  I was curious because I hadn't been having an issue.  Then I went and looked at my Expert Config for Obi and found that my inbound call route for both Anveo and Callcentric (both set at ObiTalk defaults) are setup for the oleg solution.
Anveo looks like this.
{>7XXXXXXXXX:ph1,ph2}

Callcentric looks like this.
{>1777XXXXXXX:ph1,ph2}

Seems Obihai has made that setup a default because I've never set it up that way.

[QBZappy]

@MikeHObi

Yes, it was first noticed in this thread recently. It was quietly implemented by obihai.
   
Re: Simplify the implementation of the "oleg method" {>('1777xxxxxxx'):ph1}
http://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=6976.msg44083#msg44083