Speed dial names?

[Marty.ba.calif.usa]

I've set up a bunch of speed dial numbers, and I have a spreadsheet that I have to update and print when I make changes.  Maintaining 2 separate lists is a hassle, so it would be nice if I could label the numbers on my Obi 200 itself.

I noticed that if I look on the Obitalk service, there is a place to enter names with the numbers, and also an easy way to change the index of the entry.  But I don't use Obitalk, and I'm a bit leery of doing that now, since everything works well with my setup and 2 voip providers.

Is this name simply something that is in Obitalk, but does not show up in the standard Obi device configuration?  If so, is there any way to enter the name as part of the speed dial, but have it get ignored when dialing?

Also, if I want to switch to using the Obitalk service instead of directly, can I safely import my current settings?  I did that (with the obitalk service still disabled), and I see a few exclamation points that I'm not sure of.

[OzarkEdge]

I believe the OBiTALK speed dial names are not installed in the device... probably a memory concern.

I think your best solution is to maintain the numbers in the device, and cross-reference these by speed dial slot number to your own list of names... numbers in the OBi, names in a spreadsheet, cross-referenced by 1-99.

I would only consider using OBiTALK.com for a really really good reason... and this would not be it.

Also, I might prefer to maintain my speed dials at the service provider level and only use OBi speed dials to solve OBi application issues.  My provider, VoIP.ms, records name, number, note, and CallerID override... just can't do OBi trunk routing at this level.

OE

[Marty.ba.calif.usa]

I believe the OBiTALK speed dial names are not installed in the device... probably a memory concern.

I think your best solution is to maintain the numbers in the device, and cross-reference these by speed dial slot number to your own list of names... numbers in the OBi, names in a spreadsheet, cross-referenced by 1-99.

I would only consider using OBiTALK.com for a really really good reason... and this would not be it.

Also, I might prefer to maintain my speed dials at the service provider level and only use OBi speed dials to solve OBi application issues.  My provider, VoIP.ms, records name, number, note, and CallerID override... just can't do OBi trunk routing at this level.

OE

Thanks for the input.  I'm also using voip.ms, so I will look further at their capabilities.

Perhaps you have input on my specific case?  My wife is from China, and makes calls to various family, etc.  So, I set up the speed dials so she can use her cell phone to make cheap calls to China (about a penny a minute) easily, by connecting to the auto attendant, and entering the speed dial.  Also, if she wants to use our home phone, she just needs to enter the speed dial number directly.  Is it easy to use voip.ms for this?

I was trying to set up the Obion app to see if it would work using an address book instead of speed dials, but I've never been able to get that beast to work.  Maybe it's an Obitalk issue.  I was able to call the Obion app from my home phone, although answering it wasn't as easy as it should have been - had to open it first.  I'm not sure if it's worth the hassles.  I've already uninstalled it twice out of frustration. :-(

EDIT:
Actually, I've now checked out the voip.ms phonebook.  It's pretty good for calling from my home phone, but I'm not sure how, or if, I can use it from a cell phone; maybe from a softphone app on the cell phone, though.  I'll look into that (for my wife, it needs to be an IOS app).

[MurrayB]

I'm confused. I use VOIP.ms and I am under the impression that the use of the *xx speed dial list conflicts with the Obi110 star codes.

[Marty.ba.calif.usa]

I'm confused. I use VOIP.ms and I am under the impression that the use of the *xx speed dial list conflicts with the Obi110 star codes.

Now I am too.  You are mostly right, it seems.  I set it up, and I put my cell phone number in slot 1, then entered *7501, and it called my cell phone, so i assumed it was working.  However, I think that's because for slots 1 - 9, you enter only a single digit for Obi, and *75 (the voip.ms prefix) expects a speed dial number to follow, so it must expect *751 to read out slot 1.  So, I entered *7510, and Obi read out the number stored in slot 10.

So, the voip.ms  speed dials do not work from the Obi.  That's OK with me, as I see no way to use them from a cell phone anyway, except to call my DID, enter a PIN, and pay for the incoming call plus the outgoing call (I don't use voip.ms for incoming calls, so I pay 1 cent/minute).

Thanks for letting us know about this, though, so i won't waste any time thinking about it.  :-)

[OzarkEdge]

I'm confused. I use VOIP.ms and I am under the impression that the use of the *xx speed dial list conflicts with the Obi110 star codes.

Nope.  From my notes under OBi202/Dial Plan:

OBi Star Codes *xx digits dialed are matched automatically *last* by default and do NOT require dial plan support. However, precedence is given to a literal/exact match in either a digit map or call route to allow using a matching service provider feature code *first*.  A conflicting OBi Star Code can be reassigned.

OBi Speed Dials 1-99 digits dialed are mapped in the PHONE port digit map (Mphn), but are not routed.  The rules are |[1-9]|[1-9][0-9]|.

VoIP.ms Speed Dials *7501-*7599 digits dialed are mapped in the Spn service digit map (Mspn).  The rule is |*75xx|.

OE

[OzarkEdge]

Perhaps you have input on my specific case?  My wife is from China, and makes calls to various family, etc.  So, I set up the speed dials so she can use her cell phone to make cheap calls to China (about a penny a minute) easily, by connecting to the auto attendant, and entering the speed dial.  Also, if she wants to use our home phone, she just needs to enter the speed dial number directly.  Is it easy to use voip.ms for this?

Yes, if your dial plan is constructed to map and route the VoIP.ms Speed Dial digits accordingly.

I was trying to set up the Obion app to see if it would work using an address book instead of speed dials, but I've never been able to get that beast to work.  Maybe it's an Obitalk issue.  I was able to call the Obion app from my home phone, although answering it wasn't as easy as it should have been - had to open it first.  I'm not sure if it's worth the hassles.  I've already uninstalled it twice out of frustration. :-(

I suspect the Obion app may suffer the usual deficiencies of not being their bread and butter product.  I have not looked at it.  I would try another softphone over WiFi like CSIPSimple registered with a sub-account on VoIP.ms (not sure if it runs on iOS).

OE

[OzarkEdge]

Now I am too.  You are mostly right, it seems.  I set it up, and I put my cell phone number in slot 1, then entered *7501, and it called my cell phone, so i assumed it was working.  However, I think that's because for slots 1 - 9, you enter only a single digit for Obi, and *75 (the voip.ms prefix) expects a speed dial number to follow, so it must expect *751 to read out slot 1.  So, I entered *7510, and Obi read out the number stored in slot 10.

So, the voip.ms  speed dials do not work from the Obi.

They work once you add the rule |*75xx| to the Spn service digit map (Mspn).  Doing so then defeats the OBi Star Code *75.  You can choose to not use the OBi Star Code *75, or simply assign another unused code to it.

OE

[Marty.ba.calif.usa]

Yes, if your dial plan is constructed to map and route the VoIP.ms Speed Dial digits accordingly.

I can't really see a viable way to use the cell phone, though.  With my pay-as-you-go incoming call plan, it would cost money to call the DID to use their speed dial.

I suspect the Obion app may suffer the usual deficiencies of not being their bread and butter product.  I have not looked at it.  I would try another softphone over WiFi like CSIPSimple registered with a sub-account on VoIP.ms (not sure if it runs on iOS).

OE

I've used CSIPSimple, and it was much easier to set up; also, voip.ms had some guidance on their wiki for it and some other apps.  It doesn't work on IOS, unfortunately.

I also realized that this is not a good way for me to go, though.  Calling the Obi AA from a cell phone is just a normal, free phone call.  But using an app will use data, either wifi, which is no big deal, or cellular data, which is.  So it's more efficient to leave things as they are now - and much easier for me. :-)

[Marty.ba.calif.usa]

Now I am too.  You are mostly right, it seems.  I set it up, and I put my cell phone number in slot 1, then entered *7501, and it called my cell phone, so i assumed it was working.  However, I think that's because for slots 1 - 9, you enter only a single digit for Obi, and *75 (the voip.ms prefix) expects a speed dial number to follow, so it must expect *751 to read out slot 1.  So, I entered *7510, and Obi read out the number stored in slot 10.

So, the voip.ms  speed dials do not work from the Obi.

They work once you add the rule |*75xx| to the Spn service digit map (Mspn).  Doing so then defeats the OBi Star Code *75.  You can choose to not use the OBi Star Code *75, or simply assign another unused code to it.

OE

Thanks, I thought maybe there was a way, but to be honest, after discovering how to use the Obi star code, I think it's more useful.  It was a bit weird figuring it out, though, because they start with what sounds like an error tone, and I didn't listen at first to the results.  Of course, if I could use the voip.ms speed dials, then I woudn't need the Obi *75 star code.  But it seems that for me, the Obi speed dials are the way to go.