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How does OBI110 work with an analog phone line and a voip line?

Started by callussun, April 22, 2011, 07:39:44 PM

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callussun

I am wondering if I can buy this for my mother-in-law to use in China. She has a local phone line and a broadband internet connection 24/7. I wonder if she uses OBI110, would she be able to receive calls from her google voice account and her local phone line number at the same time?

If she needs to make a call, is it convenient to switch between the local phone line and her google voice?

Since the device will be in China and I am in the US, would it be possible for me to update the device for her remotely?
Thanks!

jimates

You can manage the device from the Obitalk portal. to do this the device has to be registered in your Obitalk account. Initial registration of the device with Obitalk requires placing a call from the device to the Obitalk service, so it is best to set it up before shipping it overseas.

One service is designated as the default line for outgoing calls (the LINE port is the factory default). Picking up the phone a dialing will place a call on the default line. To place a call on the other service you prepend the designation for that service
**1 for sp1
**2 for sp2
**8 for LINE
**9 for Obitalk service.
So if you leave the land line as the default and then want to place a call on sp1 you would dial, **1xxxxxxxxxx.

The Obi uses the Google Chat feature of Gmail for incoming and outgoing calls. Calls made to an associated Google Voice number can be routed to Google Chat. Google features are not suppose to work outside the US.

baxtr

I have a related question. My Obi110 is connected to a landline (Obi line port -> wall jack, Obi phone port -> telephone). If I pickup the phone and hear a dial tone, How do I know that this is the land line?

On the configuration page for the Obi, the box, "Make This the Primary Line to Call Out" is checked for Google voice. Does this mean that SP1 is always the default for outgoing calls and I must press **8 to connect to the landline? I think I read somewhere in the instructions that if the line port is connected, the Obi will always default to the landline. Also, is it possible to generate a dial tone to discriminate between SP1 or landline on telephone pickup?

RonR

Quote from: baxtr on April 23, 2011, 11:47:47 AM
I have a related question. My Obi110 is connected to a landline (Obi line port -> wall jack, Obi phone port -> telephone). If I pickup the phone and hear a dial tone, How do I know that this is the land line?

On the configuration page for the Obi, the box, "Make This the Primary Line to Call Out" is checked for Google voice. Does this mean that SP1 is always the default for outgoing calls and I must press **8 to connect to the landline? I think I read somewhere in the instructions that if the line port is connected, the Obi will always default to the landline. Also, is it possible to generate a dial tone to discriminate between SP1 or landline on telephone pickup?

When you pick up the telphone connected to the OBi, the dialtone you hear is being generated by the OBi itself.

With no **n prefix, calls are sent by default to the port selected by PHONE Port -> PrimaryLine.

Dialing just a # will connect your telephone logically to the LINE Port and you will hear a landline dialtone and can continue dialing through the landline at that point.

When you dial **8 + number (or if the LINE Port is your PrimaryLine), the number will be processed by the OBi and then sent out the LINE Port.

You can modify your PHONE Port DigitMap as follows to get a second dialtone after dialing **n:

([1-9]x?*(Mpli)|[1-9]x?|911|**0|***|#|**1{t=di2}(Msp1)|
**2{t=di2}(Msp2)|**8{t=di2}(Mli)|**9{t=di2}(Mpp)|(Mpli))

This example gives the same second dialtone for **1, **2, **8, and **9, but you can choose others from this list:

bu = Busy Tone
cf = Call Forwarded Dial Tone
cm = Confirmation Tone
co = Conference Tone
cw1 – cw10 = Call Waiting Tone 1-10, respectively
di = Dial Tone
di2 = Second Dial Tone
fb = Fast Busy Tone
ho = Holding Tone
od = Outside Dial Tone
pr = Prompt Tone
rb = Ringback Tone
ro = Reorder Tone (same as fast busy)
si1 – si4 = SIT TONE 1 – 4, respectively
st = Stutter Tone

baxtr

RonR,
Thanks for your lucid explanation. I found the PHONE Port DigitMap setting in OBi Expert Config. However, I have been reluctant to mess with any of the settings for fear of breaking the OBITALK configuration because of the warnings here,

http://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=458.0

about two different data bases and also administering via the web page IP address. I can find no way to save my working configuration and restore it. Does such a function exist?

RonR

Quote from: baxtr on April 23, 2011, 02:57:00 PMI can find no way to save my working configuration and restore it. Does such a function exist?

System Management -> Device Update -> Backup Configuration (check: Use OBi Version)

System Management -> Device Update -> Restore Configuration

callussun

Quote from: jimates on April 22, 2011, 11:33:22 PM
You can manage the device from the Obitalk portal. to do this the device has to be registered in your Obitalk account. Initial registration of the device with Obitalk requires placing a call from the device to the Obitalk service, so it is best to set it up before shipping it overseas.

One service is designated as the default line for outgoing calls (the LINE port is the factory default). Picking up the phone a dialing will place a call on the default line. To place a call on the other service you prepend the designation for that service
**1 for sp1
**2 for sp2
**8 for LINE
**9 for Obitalk service.
So if you leave the land line as the default and then want to place a call on sp1 you would dial, **1xxxxxxxxxx.

The Obi uses the Google Chat feature of Gmail for incoming and outgoing calls. Calls made to an associated Google Voice number can be routed to Google Chat. Google features are not suppose to work outside the US.
Thanks jimates for the answer.
I think when you use Google talk online, it shouldn't care whether it's in US or any other country, calling US/Canada numbers from it should be free, right?
How about receiving phone calls? Will all services be able to ring the phone at the same time?
Thanks

jimates

Quote from: callussun on April 23, 2011, 06:35:58 PM
Quote from: jimates on April 22, 2011, 11:33:22 PM
You can manage the device from the Obitalk portal. to do this the device has to be registered in your Obitalk account. Initial registration of the device with Obitalk requires placing a call from the device to the Obitalk service, so it is best to set it up before shipping it overseas.

One service is designated as the default line for outgoing calls (the LINE port is the factory default). Picking up the phone a dialing will place a call on the default line. To place a call on the other service you prepend the designation for that service
**1 for sp1
**2 for sp2
**8 for LINE
**9 for Obitalk service.
So if you leave the land line as the default and then want to place a call on sp1 you would dial, **1xxxxxxxxxx.

The Obi uses the Google Chat feature of Gmail for incoming and outgoing calls. Calls made to an associated Google Voice number can be routed to Google Chat. Google features are not suppose to work outside the US.
Thanks jimates for the answer.
I think when you use Google talk online, it shouldn't care whether it's in US or any other country, calling US/Canada numbers from it should be free, right?
How about receiving phone calls? Will all services be able to ring the phone at the same time?
Thanks
Default setting will ring the phone for all incoming calls on all services.

Google features are not suppose to work outside the US.

Google limits it's services based on IP Addresses. IP addresses outside the US do not work with all Google services. Most users outside the US report not having the call phone feature show up in Gmail. Some do not get the restrictions so it is strictly YMMV.  

callussun

Quote
Default setting will ring the phone for all incoming calls on all services.

Google features are not suppose to work outside the US.

Google limits it's services based on IP Addresses. IP addresses outside the US do not work with all Google services. Most users outside the US report not having the call phone feature show up in Gmail. Some do not get the restrictions so it is strictly YMMV.  
Didn't know that Google voice has restrictions for IP address. What's the other voip services that people use?
Thanks

SteveInWA

"And now, for something completely different"   ::):

This might be a case where simplicity outweighs technical complexity, because of the geographic distance and, unless your mother-in-law is an engineer, difficulty in doing remote troubleshooting.

Unless I am missing something, we're now agreeing that Google Voice is not an option for her. 

But, if your goal is to create a free or low cost voice calling solution between you and her, (or between her and a few other people), how about getting her a MagicJack (or NetTalk Duo or the upcoming MagicJack Plus), and forget about the OBi?  A pair of these things are cheap, and they can call each other for free, and if it doesn't work, due to Chinese network restrictions, you have not spent a lot of time and money trying to get it working.

If you are convinced you want to use an OBi, of course a pair of OBis can call each other for free on OBi's own network.  There are several other VoIP providers that allow their customers to call each other for free.  For example, Callcentric does, easily, via their 1-777-xxxx internal numbers, just like OBi's network.  I have no idea if it's blocked in China, though.

Hardino.devil

Quote from: SteveInWA on April 27, 2011, 07:22:22 PM
For example, Callcentric does, easily, via their 1-777-xxxx internal numbers, just like OBi's network.  I have no idea if it's blocked in China, though.

yeah good idea, you could use proxies you can find some at http://proxy-zone.net or add "https" before link. ;))

yhfung

Hello callussun,

Since I often stay in China and Hong Kong, I have already installed two OBi110 devices in each area with different GV accounts.

For the China one, the GV works perfect without any problem except the voice quality is not as good as your are in the US.

However, I am not able to access the google voice website when I am in China. I have to use VPN to connect my Hong Kong VPN server to access the google voice website.

Concerning the settings of your mother's Obi110 is:

1) Set the primary line (trunk) as the LINE port

2) Configure SP1 as the GV account

3) Configure SP2 to other SIP account if necessary (for instance ET263, such that your mother can make all domestic calls at RMB 0.07 doller per minute.

Dialling preferences if the callroute and digitmap have been set correctly.

1) To make China local area call using the local fixed PSTN line: <7- or 8-digit telephone number>

2) To make China local distance call  using the local fixed PSTN line: 0 + <other city area code> + <local telephone number>

3a) Speed dial to your OBi110 installed in the US using the OBiTalk: <OBi Speed-dial number>
In most cases,  the speed-dial 1 is the OBiAPP, speed-dial 2 for your US OBi110, speed-dial 3 for China OBi110. With these speed-dial definition, your mother just pickup the telephone and press the number 2 button, your US OBi110 telephone will ring.

3b) Use the OBitalk standard way by pressing your OBi number of your US OBi110

<**9> + <9-digit OBi number>

4) If your are not at home, you may forward your mother's call to your other phone such as mobile phone or office phone numbers OR ask your mother to make another US call by using  

<**1> + <your US telephone number>

If SP2 is configured as ET263 account, then use the following way to make China domestic phone call

<**2> + 0 + <area code> + <telephone number>

Should you need any help in setting up the OBi110 in China, please let me know. May I know which city that your mother lives?



YH
Hong Kong and China OBi Users Group
www.telecom-cafe.com

Kaizer

i just setup obi for my mom and my uncle in china. my setup uses 3 obi's:

obiONE (in US at my house)

Setup obitalk account for this device. This is my obi right out of the box with Google Voice setup on SP1 and SP2.

obiTWO (in US at my mom's house)

Setup obitalk account for this device. This obi is right out of the box with Google Voice setup on SP1 (not necessary).

obiTHREE (sent to China)

Setup obitalk account for this this device. This obi is right out of the box.

Steps:

1) under obitalk for obiONE, i add obitalk of obiTHREE to My Circle of Trust
2) under obitalk for obiTHREE i setup speed dial #3 to obiTWO (**9xxx), speed dial #8 to obiONE (**9xxx)
3) under obitalk for obiTWO i setup speed dial #3 to obiTHREE (**9xxx)

After each party adds a phone to their obi and connecting their obi to their broadband, everything should work. obiTWO and obiTHREE call each other by dialing 3#. obiTHREE can call any USA/Canada phone number by dialing 8*xxx (xxx is the 10 digit USA/Canada phone number) without going through obiONE's auto-attendant. This routes their calls to USA/Canada through my obiONE's GV account.

Note: I use 3 obi's not just because there are 3 locations. i'm assuming that GV does not work outside the US. Even if it works temporarily, it may get cutoff at anytime. With my obiONE, anyone in My Circle of Trust can route their USA/Canada phone calls through my obi's GV. However, if they ever dial directly to my obi to talk to me (**9), they must go through obiONE's auto-attendant. this is fine for English speakers who can follow simple instructions but its a hassle for some elderly and non-English speakers.

Originally I had setup a fixed IP for obiTHREE. That was a mistake since the gateway for China side is unknown. I had to get my uncle to do an obi reset to get it back to factory DCHP enabled.