Defective Obihai?
johnny.medellin:
Hello, I have a pair of Obi110 units. One unit I have in the USA and the other one in South America-Colombia.
I don't have them "linked" I just keep them independent of each other. The one that's overseas has been giving me some problems, I have it connected to a landline and when it rings it's suposed to call my GVoice number. It does sometimes, sometimes it doesn't. When I call the GV # associated with it, it picks up sometimes, and sometimes not. When I manage its web portal (through a PC that's on its network and to which I VNC from the US) it works ok simetimes , but then sometimes I get a "cannot connect" error (its random when it works or doesn't). FYI I set a static IP address for it.
Also, to test it out, I saved its config file and loaded it onto my other unit (here in the US) and everything works just fine. I know that being overseas might be the problem, but then why would it work only sometimes?
FYI, people in my house overseas can use their own GV numbers to call me through either Sipgate or Gchat without using proxies. Also, I used to have a PIAF system on that same network that managed those same GV numbers and always worked. I'm thinking this unit can be defective, but wanted to see if you have any other opinions or hints before I send another one.
Also, these on-off problems happen regardless of whether the internet is being used by someone else or not, again, I managed all my calls with a PIAF system for years before. Another piece if info: when the calls do get through, often the voice cuts off, I can hear them fine, but they cannot hear me there
Thank you.
John M
QBZappy:
johnny.medellin,
Hi, since you are managing both units why don't you put both units in the Circle of trust (COT). The COT uses the OBi servers to overcome NAT issues, if this is indeed the problem you are experiencing. You can call them using the OBi tel #.
It sounds like you are only using GV accts. Is that correct, no SIP SP? I assume you have separate GV accounts on each OBI.
Something came up recently in the call behavior of my Granstream PBX. I could receive calls, however my outgoing calls were not passing over my SP. For some reason ougoing calls started going out using a different codec not supported by the SP. Make certain that the same codec is being used on both sides. Start trouble shooting by setting codec only to G711U on each OBi.
By the way, it is more efficient to go directly into the OBi unit web page directly instead of going throught the other computer via VNC. Change the web port number on the OBi unit from 80 to say 90, and change the port forwarding on the router to point to the static IP of the OBi unit. Any reason you do not use the Expert Configuration method on the OBiTALk web site?
If you have a fixed ip or dyndns service you can consider direct ATA to ATA connection strategy as proposed by Oleg in this post. This too will resolve NAT issues. (if that is the issue)
http://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=954.msg0;topicseen#new
Quote from: johnny.medellin on May 30, 2011, 06:25:53 pm
When I call the GV # associated with it, it picks up sometimes, and sometimes not. When I manage its web portal (through a PC that's on its network and to which I VNC from the US) it works ok simetimes , but then sometimes I get a "cannot connect" error (its random when it works or doesn't).
"cannot connect" error. This is a VNC error message? You lost internet connection to the PC?
Quote from: johnny.medellin on May 30, 2011, 06:25:53 pm
Another piece if info: when the calls do get through, often the voice cuts off, I can hear them fine, but they cannot hear me there
Can you make good 2 way calls sometimes?
____________
Since you can VNC into the other computer, you might consider installing a vpn service called Hamachi on each end. When both computers have proper internet connection you can see green light on the Hamachi panel indicating your VPN connection status. Next time you see that you can not make call or something unusual happens have a look at the green light. You will be able to confirm that the internet connection on the other end was interupted. This might give you some clues.
RonR:
Quote from: QBZappy on May 30, 2011, 08:59:23 pm
The COT uses the OBi servers to overcome NAT issues, if this is indeed the problem you are experiencing.
QBZappy,
Are you sure about this? All OBiTALK calls (and only OBiTALK calls) go through the OBiTALK server regardless of whether any COT is in effect or not. None of this is documented, but I suspect the servers are used only for call establishment via SIP and the audio is peer-to-peer RTP. It's always been my understanding that COT is strictly CallerID matching in the OBi's OBiTALK Service InboundCallRoute and that's the extent of COT. Do you have some information or evidence otherwise?
QBZappy:
RonR,
Hi,
This was lifted from the OBI FAQ:
"OBiTALK is a web portal and OBi configuration utility which helps OBi users configure devices and access applications. OBiTALK is also where users set-up Circles of Trust which provide a means to network groups of individuals so that calls can be made as inexpensively as possible."
The above statement kind of implies that COT can facilitate a connection between 2 or more Obi's without having to worry about NAT issues. The OBi servers are there to offer this service. Without it, there is no COT ability.
Quote from: QBZappy on May 30, 2011, 08:59:23 pm
The COT uses the OBi servers to overcome NAT issues, if this is indeed the problem you are experiencing.
COT+ OBi server = NAT traversal solution, is a fair comment to make. "COT is strictly CallerID matching", is also a fair comment to make.
Quote from: RonR on May 30, 2011, 10:31:29 pm
None of this is documented, but I suspect the servers are used only for call establishment via SIP and the audio is peer-to-peer RTP.
Are you sure about this? I think there is much more that the OBi servers can do. I think you might be correct in that the OBi servers are making a peer to peer connection. The Hamachi VPN service comes to mind as another example of how a relay server is used in order to facilitate the connection between two endpoints, then removes itself from the connection. Ultra VNC also has a relay server application which provides similar service with several VNC servers installed on PCs scattered over the internet.
I think the grand design of the OBi is for massive build outs for use by big voice SPs. The OBi has a control infrastructure that has never really been brought up in this forum. I think it has never been brought up because there has been no need for discussing it. Here and there we can find a reference in their marketing blurbs referencing the OBi having the ability to mass provision the units. On this forum we are only seeing individual cases because of the initial appeal to early adopters of the OBi. If you look here: http://www.obihai.com/partner/partner.html , you will see Obihai soliciting SP's. What we are seeing on this forum is only the tip of the iceberg. The OBi servers must have abilities to service the OBi units in ways which would make it efficient for a major SP to handle their customer accounts.
At the moment Obihai is selling one unit at a time. In the near future Obihai will land a contract for hundreds/thousands of units. We will be seeing SPs offering SIP accounts using OBi ATA's with locked/unlocked units. I am using a Freephoneline DID. At the moment they only officially support Grandstream ATA's with their offering. Once the OBi is accepted in the VOIP community it will make it easier to displace the competing ATA's simply because OBihai has built the better mouse trap.
RonR:
Quote from: QBZappy on May 31, 2011, 07:05:39 am
This was lifted from the OBI FAQ:
"OBiTALK is a web portal and OBi configuration utility which helps OBi users configure devices and access applications. OBiTALK is also where users set-up Circles of Trust which provide a means to network groups of individuals so that calls can be made as inexpensively as possible."
The above statement kind of implies that COT can facilitate a connection between 2 or more Obi's without having to worry about NAT issues. The OBi servers are there to offer this service. Without it, there is no COT ability.
I think you're reading way too much into that statement. The OBiTALK web portal is an OBi configuration utility which helps OBi users configure devices and access applications (OBiON apps). When you set up Circles of Trust, just like setting up Google Voice or a VoIP provider through the OBiTALK web portal, it simply provisions (configures) your OBi or OBiON app for you. Circles of Trust configuration is done in the OBi's InboundCallRoute, not through additional support in the (separate) OBiTALK Service communications server. Circles of Trust can be set up manually, without using the OBiTALK web portal, and if done so on SP1, SP2, and the LINE Port, works equally effectively on those trunks which have no need for and don't use the OBiTALK Service communications server. The OBiTALK Service communications server, like a SIP server, is necessary to allow OBi's and OBiON apps to establish calls to each other, but I don't believe Circles of Trust come into play anywhere but at the OBi itself and is done simply by restricting access using CallerID matching in the InboundCallRoute(s). I don't believe Circles of Trust have anything to do with the OBiTALK Service communications protocol and therefore have nothing to do with NAT traversal or any other aspect of the transmission mechanism. I hope someone with actual knowledge of this will correct me if I'm wrong.
Quote from: QBZappy on May 31, 2011, 07:05:39 am
Quote from: RonR on May 30, 2011, 10:31:29 pm
None of this is documented, but I suspect the servers are used only for call establishment via SIP and the audio is peer-to-peer RTP.
Are you sure about this? I think there is much more that the OBi servers can do.
That was said in the context of calls between OBi's and OBiON apps and whether Circles of Trust improve NAT traversal. Yes, there is a server that is involved in the provisioning, firmware updates, and debugging aspects of the OBi. Whether it's an integral part of the OBiTALK Service communications server or is a separate entity is known only to the Obihai folks.
Quote from: QBZappy on May 31, 2011, 07:05:39 am
At the moment Obihai is selling one unit at a time. In the near future Obihai will land a contract for hundreds/thousands of units. We will be seeing SPs offering SIP accounts using OBi ATA's with locked/unlocked units.
I hope you're right, because if Obihai doesn't succeed and goes under, all OBiTALK Service communications (OBi-to-OBi and OBiON-to-OBi) will stop working when Obihai closes the door and turns off the lights. Having so much stuff undocumented and being totally reliant on a small start-up company that's playing everything very close to the vest really scares me.
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