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Google Voice back as Approved Service Provider!?

Started by AntonS, August 14, 2014, 06:54:50 PM

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mo832

Quote from: SteveInWA on September 12, 2014, 07:00:41 PM
The configuration process will "see" your logged on Google session, and ask it permission to access your Google account in the future.  You'll see a pop-up window on your Google account asking for you to permit this.  Once you do so, Obihai and Google exchange secure "access tokens", and there will be no future need for the OBi to know your user name or password at all.

This seems to be a little misleading, from what I can tell. I have gone through the prompt to auto-update the firmware, and then I was asked to reauthorize the GV login with the new method. I got all the familiar permission screens, and then my dashboard said I was connected. So I assume I am now registered with the new Oauth system. But in my Obi settings under device configuration/sp and also in expert config/sp settings, it still shows my google user name. In expert the name field is filled but the password is blank. Therefore, it appears that the Obi still "knows" the Google user address, but not the password or any login info. This is OK with me, but still the Obi technically has a record of the user name at least. Is this correct?

SteveInWA

Yes, you are correct about the user ID.  I've fixed my post; thanks -- I am getting punch drunk from working on thousands of posts over on the GV and Hangouts forums.

Kage

Exactly how is this working now with Obi website? I've read on other forums that with the latest firmware update one can no longer configure Google Voice locally and that disabling Obi Talk provisioning is not possible.

Why must we go through the obi site to make a GV call and more importantly are they able to keep track of how many calls you make, to whom, and who your providers are? Can't the new OAuth 2.0 protocol exchange be done locally?

Knowing these answers are important since they involve privacy issues. I have always kept Obi Talk provisioning disabled and prefer it that way. As of yet I haven't updated the firmware with my obi100. 

SteveInWA

Quote from: Kage on September 16, 2014, 01:45:47 PM
Exactly how is this working now with Obi website? I've read on other forums that with the latest firmware update one can no longer configure Google Voice locally and that disabling Obi Talk provisioning is not possible.

Why must we go through the obi site to make a GV call and more importantly are they able to keep track of how many calls you make, to whom, and who your providers are? Can't the new OAuth 2.0 protocol exchange be done locally?

Knowing these answers are important since they involve privacy issues. I have always kept Obi Talk provisioning disabled and prefer it that way. As of yet I haven't updated the firmware with my obi100. 


This has already been explained at great length elsewhere in the forum.  Do some reading and put your tin foil hat in the drawer where it belongs.

Kage

Quote from: SteveInWA on September 16, 2014, 02:11:10 PM
This has already been explained at great length elsewhere in the forum.  Do some reading and put your tin foil hat in the drawer where it belongs.

After perusing hundreds and hundreds of posts I could not find it, but maybe instead of being snotty you might be helpful and post it for us. Or better yet provide a quick answer. We're all adults. For me it is a serious issue and if it's nothing I'll be more than happy to acknowledge it.

aragno

Can anyone tell me if Google Voice will maintain all my incoming, outgoing, and missed call logs while using an OBi device?

I would like to purchase an OBi device but this, along with accessing other Google Voice features such as call routing dependent upon the incoming caller, are important to me.

Kage

Quote from: aragno on September 17, 2014, 07:06:11 AM
Can anyone tell me if Google Voice will maintain all my incoming, outgoing, and missed call logs while using an OBi device?

I would like to purchase an OBi device but this, along with accessing other Google Voice features such as call routing dependent upon the incoming caller, are important to me.

You can go to the Google Voice account and delete your history but my guess is Google still keeps a record of your calls somewhere else but I haven't seen any policy of theirs if that's the case or for how long the data is kept. Skype maintains calls for at least six months. There may be laws or regulations that requires this for potential criminal investigations and of course Google has their own self interest for wanting it.

Just so you know, the obi device also stores your calls locally but you can easily delete them. 

SteveInWA

Quote from: aragno on September 17, 2014, 07:06:11 AM
Can anyone tell me if Google Voice will maintain all my incoming, outgoing, and missed call logs while using an OBi device?

I would like to purchase an OBi device but this, along with accessing other Google Voice features such as call routing dependent upon the incoming caller, are important to me.

When you use an OBi device with Google Voice, the OBi device is simply emulating a human user logged into their Google Voice account.  So yes, the usual GV website features are available, such as managing your inbox, history, and spam folders, which contain your logs of calls, voicemail messages and text messages.  You can save or delete them as you wish.  You can also use a program called Google Takeout to export the data to save it elsewhere.  For more information, check out the help documentation for GV.

BobTeatow

1. BIG THANKS  ;D to the folks at Google Voice and Obihai who brought this back.  I was using dirt-cheap localphone.com for outbound, but free is even better than cheap!  Plus of course google voice now has a log (history) of my outbound calls, which is sometimes handy.

2. I hadn't looked in a while, but seems Google now offers dirt cheap calling rates to Brazil landlines and the cheapest I've seen to mobile.

3. Just one little thing missing.  AFAIK, Google voice inbound to Obi, does not support Caller-ID-with-Name. Now I know the drill about CNAM lookup - but I'd be fine if somehow Google/Obi would just figure out how to just pull names from my Google Contacts.  I'll populate that with my friends, family, and usual suspects.  No need to go to an external CNAM database - but if you'd like to do that as a second, fine.

Which is just the way the CallCentric does it - First look in my personal directory and then if that fails, use a CNAM directory. 

Which is why I'm still using Google==>CallCentric path for inbound calls.  After all inbound calls are "free" with CallCentric, so why not?  The only downsides are:t I have to separately populate my Callcentric "Name/Number" phonebook.  And I think sometimes the extra hop(?) creates a funky connection with extra delay/noise/echo/dropouts. 

I use a panasonic phone system that pronounces and announces each incoming call, Caller-ID-Name makes this very very helpful. (Scenario: should I bother running to "catch the call" from Sally? no. - The boss? Yeah probably.  That callback I've been waiting for? yes.  The wife? Definitely  ;)

Ostracus


Wilbour

We we seem to be back to normal. I had to manually update my firmware. The obi said there was no update required but the Obiha portal said I could not configure GV without the update. After the manual update it was still not connected. Don't get me wrong, the unit still worked as it was intended. I forced a factory reset ***8. Then I had to re-register it but then the GV configurer worked. I just had to do some adjustments like the # key to force a barge in. Trust me, it took less time to re-learn this time.

MrBi11

Do all new obihai devices use the new OATH method?
If not, which use the old?

Does firmware update of my OBI100 load the new OATH?
(that seems implied by posts, but i cant find obitalk.com coming out and saying so.)

BTW I used the lazy persons approach to moving providers, just waited for it to stop working, which never happened.
My home phones are my second phone, so if they stop working i dont care much. I dont see a need to pay for 2 phone services since my cell  is primary.

OT- i could never get a good fax over obi100. Is this changed in newer OBI models? Firmware update?
Does GV or hangouts have any (public) plans to support fax?
(SteveinWA, thanks for the valuable and helpful posts.)

drgeoff

My understanding is that all the OBi devices which support GV use the new OATH method.  Possibly a device which was configured using the old method and has never been 'disturbed' will continue to work unless/until GV is reconfigured on it.  Maybe someone else can confirm or refute that.

SteveInWA

Quote from: MrBi11 on March 30, 2015, 09:44:57 AM
Do all new obihai devices use the new OATH method?
If not, which use the old?

All OBi 100, 110, 200 and 202 ATAs running current firmware, and all OBi IP phones, use OAUTH 2.0 authentication to access users' Google Voice accounts.  You can refer to the firmware section of this forum to check version and build levels and, if necessary, upgrade to the latest version.

Quote
Does firmware update of my OBI100 load the new OATH?
(that seems implied by posts, but i cant find obitalk.com coming out and saying so.)

The OAUTH 2.0 support was added via a firmware update for OBi 100, 110, 200 and 202 models.

Quote
OT- i could never get a good fax over obi100. Is this changed in newer OBI models? Firmware update?
Does GV or hangouts have any (public) plans to support fax?
(SteveinWA, thanks for the valuable and helpful posts.)

OBi 200 and 202 models added support the T.38 fax over IP protocol, which is also supported over the Google Voice IP carrier network, and which provides improved reliability for faxing over VoIP service providers that support it.  Google has not announced any plans to provide a fax mailbox service, nor would I expect them to expend any resources doing so.
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