News:

On Tuesday September 6th the forum will be down for maintenance from 9:30 PM to 11:59 PM PDT

Main Menu

More Service Providers (SP) for OBi Devices

Started by LTN1, April 13, 2017, 08:15:52 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

LTN1

Since the OBi200 comes with 4 SPs for configuration, it would be helpful to me to have a few more SPs for the OBi202. There are a few numbers that I would like to include in the SP configuration beyond just the current limitation of 4. They are numbers that don't often call but when they do, I'd like to be able to have it go through the OBi device to take advantage of things like OBi's T.38 fax protocol.

Any software/hardware reasons why the OBi cannot expand to more than 4 SP configurations?

SteveInWA

Quote from: LTN1 on April 13, 2017, 08:15:52 AM
Any software/hardware reasons why the OBi cannot expand to more than 4 SP configurations?

Well, yes; the firmware only supports four SPs.

The easiest way to do it would be to simply forward the other telephone numbers to one of the four telephone numbers already active on your OBi.  No OBi settings needed at all.

In other words:  123-456-7890 is an infrequently-used number.  Using call forwarding commands or a web page for that service provider, set it to forward all inbound calls to 213-867-5309, which is SP1 on your OBi.

LTN1

Steve...I think my question wasn't as clear as it should have been. What I meant to ask is whether there are any technical reasons why OBi202 devices cannot (in the future) update a firmware to add more SP configurations instead of limiting it just to 4?

The backdrop to this question is because in a family of more than 4--we each have a GV account. The current 4 SPs all have GV added. It would be nice to add a fifth/sixth to the same OBi202. I don't believe GV can forward to another GV number...so that is the reason for the request...unless you have a way to forward one GV account to another GV number.


SteveInWA

Quote from: LTN1 on April 13, 2017, 04:42:36 PM
Steve...I think my question wasn't as clear as it should have been. What I meant to ask is whether there are any technical reasons why OBi202 devices cannot (in the future) update a firmware to add more SP configurations instead of limiting it just to 4?

Well, anything's possible, if Obihai thought it was would be worth the considerable effort (effort:  engineering time to modify the firmware, extensive regression testing to confirm it didn't break something else, time to update the device's internal web server to display the new SPs and their settings, and to do the same for OBiTALK, time to update the product spec sheets, instructions, marketing materials, listings on sellers' websites, blah blah blah...).  Yours is the first time I can recall seeing this request, so I doubt it is a priority for them.  The OBi IP phones support six SPs, using similar SOCs and firmware, so I doubt it would require hardware modifications.

Quote
The backdrop to this question is because in a family of more than 4--we each have a GV account. The current 4 SPs all have GV added. It would be nice to add a fifth/sixth to the same OBi202. I don't believe GV can forward to another GV number...so that is the reason for the request...unless you have a way to forward one GV account to another GV number.

Correct, you can't forward one GV number to another, directly.  Attempting to do so via digit map trickery will break GV's control of call forwarding and voicemail.

Why not just buy a second OBi, and split up the household into two physical phone lines?  This would allow multiple family members to use a phone at the same time.  Or, if the fifth and sixth numbers are seldom used, and are mainly used for inbound calls, then port those two numbers to a SIP VoIP provider, and then forward them to one of the GV numbers?

azrobert

Two different GV accounts can forward calls to a single forwarding number.
Remove GV#4 from SP4 on your OBi20x.
Get a free number from Callcentric or IPComms.
Define this account on SP4.
Define number on GV#4 and GV#5 as a forwarding number.

LTN1

Appreciate the responses. Both of your suggestions, Steve and azrobert, are practical enough to implement.

My only purpose for making this suggestion here (under feature requests) is just in case Obihai reads it and think it is both a good idea and easy enough to implement for future firmware (however long it might be). I think it is a nice selling point...just like the move from 2 SPs to 4 SPs from the 1XX to 2XX models.

While it is a nice feature, if ever implemented, it is not a necessity for me. I do have an extra OBi202 (purchased on sale last Fall for $49.99) but since I really don't need the extra lines (I have a few other VoIP lines), I'll probably save it as a gift--or, if this one ever breaks down on me.