Hi, this past weekend, Xfinity did a swap on a defective gateway (TG1682G) in the house, and the internet was back up in no time, but my Obi202 with 2 google voice lines will no longer give me a dial tone. The Obi202 has been power cycled and all the LEDs (Power, Internet, Line1, Line2) are green. The Obi device is set up as a DHCP. SP1 and SP2 service status say 'connected'. What other steps do I need to perform for this new gateway to work correctly with the Obi202? Thank you.
OBiTALK ATAs always generate a dial tone (internally, in the box), even if they are disconnected from the network.
Try unplugging both the Ethernet cable and the power cable. Wait minute, then plug back in just the power cable and wait for the device to reboot. It will be normal for one of the LEDs to blink on and off, because it's trying to get an IP address, and it can't. Pick up the phone. If there is no dialtone, then either the OBi or its power supply are defective. If no dialtone, check to see if you have a spare 12V 1A or 2A power supply with the same connector, and swap them out. These power supplies are commonly used by routers, switches and other home network gear.
Thanks for the feedback, Steve. So, power cycling without the Ethernet cable connected also yields no dial tone from the Obi device. Your suggestion about device input voltage prompted me to verify the power supply output voltage with a voltmeter and I confirmed the +12.0 VDC as expected. I also have a 12VDC/1.5A Vonage Power Supply with the same plug and powered up the Obi without dial tone as well.
On the Obi Dashboard, when the Ethernet cable is connected gives me a connected status. Also from the Advanced configuration, the Obi reads my gateway's WAN information.
My original posting did not mention the reason why I changed the gateway. A lightning strike on the neighborhood burned out my Arris gateway (would no longer power-up). However, the Obi seemed to be unaffected given that all its status LEDs were green. Now, I am wondering if the power surge through the 12VDC power adapter would have done some damage. Both Xfinity gateway and the OBI adapter were connected on the same power strip.
Quote from: Ruovac on May 18, 2020, 02:08:21 PM
Thanks for the feedback, Steve. So, power cycling without the Ethernet cable connected also yields no dial tone from the Obi device. Your suggestion about device input voltage prompted me to verify the power supply output voltage with a voltmeter and I confirmed the +12.0 VDC as expected. I also have a 12VDC/1.5A Vonage Power Supply with the same plug and powered up the Obi without dial tone as well.
On the Obi Dashboard, when the Ethernet cable is connected gives me a connected status. Also from the Advanced configuration, the Obi reads my gateway's WAN information.
My original posting did not mention the reason why I changed the gateway. A lightning strike on the neighborhood burned out my Arris gateway (would no longer power-up). However, the Obi seemed to be unaffected given that all its status LEDs were green. Now, I am wondering if the power surge through the 12VDC power adapter would have done some damage. Both Xfinity gateway and the OBI adapter were connected on the same power strip.
Clearly, your OBi was fried by the lightening strike, which traveled through the phone wiring. The device contains several purpose-built subsystems: the main SoC (the processor and I/O, etc.) and the Subscriber Line Interface Module, or SLIC. The SLIC is what generates the dial tone and ring tones and all the other telephone-line functions. It is not user-replaceable, and this would explain why you can still access the unit via Ethernet --the SLIC sacrificed itself, but the surge didn't make it past its internal fusing.
it all makes a lot of sense. Thanks for your evaluation. Are there recommended measures to protect the Obi's phone wiring from lightning strikes in the future? I will put in an order for a new Obi at this point. As I don't find obi202 at reasonable prices what would be an alternative for a two line home setup? Best Regards!
Good questions.
I didn't ask earlier, but if you have your OBi device's phone jacks feeding into your premises phone wiring, that is a vulnerability, and if possible, don't do that. If unavoidable, then you can buy a couple of surge supressors specifically designed for analog telephone lines:
https://www.amazon.com/APC-PTEL2-ProtectNet-Standalone-Protector/dp/B00006BBGS (https://www.amazon.com/APC-PTEL2-ProtectNet-Standalone-Protector/dp/B00006BBGS)
RE: 202 cost, yes, they have always been significantly higher than the 200. Poly is still apparently having problems learning how to retail through Amazon, but Newegg has it for the typical, non-sale price:
https://www.newegg.com/polycom-2200-49522-001-accessories/p/N82E16833617016?Description=obi%20202&cm_re=obi_202-_-33-617-016-_-Product&quicklink=true (https://www.newegg.com/polycom-2200-49522-001-accessories/p/N82E16833617016?Description=obi%20202&cm_re=obi_202-_-33-617-016-_-Product&quicklink=true)
Thanks again for the sound advice. I learned a lesson on this one. Yeah, too bad, Poly is not marketing their device at the Obihai's strike price. Have a great evening!