to make a simple outbound call

[TimDan]

Online comments seem to say that to make an outbound call using GoogleVoice/Obi, one must first login to the GV account, then dial the destination number on the attached telephone.  Is that true?  Or does one just pick up the phone and dial as if it were an analog landline?

TimDan

[RonR]

Online comments seem to say that to make an outbound call using GoogleVoice/Obi, one must first login to the GV account, then dial the destination number on the attached telephone.  Is that true?

No.

Or does one just pick up the phone and dial as if it were an analog landline?

Yes.

[TimDan]

OK - just like a landline.  What happens if there is a power failure?  Do any of the parameter values have to be re-entered in the Obi device?  Or do they persist in non-volatile memory?  Or does GV keep the parameters in its server(s), identifying the device by MAC id or IP address?

TimDan

[RonR]

Nothing special happens on a power failure.  In the case of an OBi110, a fail-safe relay disengages, connecting the PHONE Port directly to the LINE Port so you can still make PSTN calls.

OBi parameter values are stored in flash memory, so they're non-volatile.

Google Voice is simply a service provider. Obihai has no relationship Google or Google Voice.

[TimDan]

...Google Voice is simply a service provider. Obihai has no relationship with Google or Google Voice.

Now I don't have to worry about hooking up an Obi to a Uninterruptible Power Supply!
As for Google Voice, how does it recognize authorized client devices - MAC or IP address or username/password or other?

TimDan

[RonR]

Google Voice uses XMPP protocol to interface with its Google Chat clients.  The OBi simply uses the same interface and protocol, mimicking a Google Chat client.  All validation is done via username/password.

[TimDan]

Thanks for the info, RonR.

TimDan