Obi 100 going offline.

[Rulo]

This is happening more and more lately, I have Google voice set up as primary SIP and VOIP.MS as secondary SIP provider, what happens is the Obi will lose its connection with the servers, I've got a solid green power LED and intermittent Internet LED but no Phone line LED. If I hard reboot it comes back online for another day or 2 until it goes offline again. If I go to my OBi Dashboard, it tells me that it is offline. Again hard rebooting solves this. This was never a problem for me before, it started happening the last few months. Is this a widespread issue?

[Rulo]

I have tried factory resets and starting from 0 several times.
Did not fix it, my router is an Apple Airport Extreme 5g. I have forwarded the ports that OBi recommends, this again did not fix it.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks!

[OzarkEdge]

If you've logged into the OBi web interface and Status shows no registration/connection for BOTH SP1 and SP2 after some period, maybe this suggests equipment malfunction on your end... router or OBi?  Maybe router NAT is losing it associations... I'm not a router expert.  Maybe the OBi power supply is failing... can you try a spare AC adapter with the exact DC voltage rating and sufficient current rating?  A spare OBi would be helpful in these situations...

OE

[Rulo]

Thanks for the reply; I have already tried different power supplies, and I still get disconnected. It seems to be related to the Obi Talk auto provisioning. I've followed the instructions to disable that and it has worked for 2 days now without interruptions, it is a bummer, because I like the additional features that come with having Obitalk.
Any one else has noticed that?

[drgeoff]

Are you confusing the Obitalk portal (for remote configuration etc) and the Obitalk service which enables calling between Obi devices and softphones using 9-digit Obi numbers?

[Rulo]

Thanks for your reply, I'm not confusing those 2 aspects that you've mentioned. I just want to know if OBihai is having problems with the provisioning of older hardware, after disabling those features, my OBi 100 has been stable with G voice and VOIP.MS.
Although I've lost web management and OBi to OBi talk.

[drgeoff]

"Web management" and "OBi to OBi talk" can be enabled/disabled independently.

Perhaps if you explain more fully how you are configuring your OBi device someone can offer assistance.

[Rulo]

Thanks again for replying, well this OBi 100 worked for almost 2 years without major problems, always using the OBi Dashboard website for configuration, but after the disconnects started a couple of months ago, I tried everything, last thing I tried was following this VOIP.MS recommended instructions for OBi. See link below.
http://wiki.voip.ms/article/OBi_100/110
With these settings the OBi has been stable and online for 3 days, but I lost OBi dashboard and Obi to Obi calls.
It seems to me that there must be a problem with the system when it checks the OBi server and it takes it offline.
Thanks again for your interest.

[drgeoff]

Those voip.ms instructions assume you do not want or need the Obi to Obi service. If that is not the case just do not implement the bit about disabling Obitalk.

Voice Services -> OBiTALK Service -> Enable : Unchecked

Change it back to checked. That has no impact on remote provisioning.

[OzarkEdge]

It seems to me that there must be a problem with the system when it checks the OBi server and it takes it offline.

I think you're better off not using the proprietary OBiTalk Cloud provisioning and peer-to-peer service.  Read around here and you'll find that it causes various problems.  And now they are charging an annual fee to use it and to continue using the device you bought a year ago.  I say skip it... bring your own device and manage it yourself.  Then you'll be free to patronize any OEM and not be locked into just one, like it was with POTS.

OE

[drgeoff]

Obihai are NOT charging an annual fee to use the Obi to Obi voice service.

[OzarkEdge]

Obihai are NOT charging an annual fee to use the Obi to Obi voice service.

Do you mean the OBiTALK Service crashing the OP's device, the one he was advised to disable... that one?  Yeah, leave that running... no charge!   

OE

[SteveInWA]

It seems to me that there must be a problem with the system when it checks the OBi server and it takes it offline.

I think you're better off not using the proprietary OBiTalk Cloud provisioning and peer-to-peer service.  Read around here and you'll find that it causes various problems.  And now they are charging an annual fee to use it and to continue using the device you bought a year ago.  I say skip it... bring your own device and manage it yourself.  Then you'll be free to patronize any OEM and not be locked into just one, like it was with POTS.

OE

This string of replies to various discussions, bashing the portal and/or bashing Google Voice is just trolling.  Hundreds of thousands of people are successfully using these services with their OBi devices; only the few people having problems show up here.  And, as drgeoff has pointed out, and I have empirically proven, there is no charge to continue using out-of-warranty devices on the portal, as long as the devices are at current firmware levels.  Are there some problems?  Yes.  Does that mean everyone should stop using the services?  No.

[OzarkEdge]

Thanks again for replying, well this OBi 100 worked for almost 2 years without major problems, always using the OBi Dashboard website for configuration, but after the disconnects started a couple of months ago, I tried everything, last thing I tried was following this VOIP.MS recommended instructions for OBi. See link below.
http://wiki.voip.ms/article/OBi_100/110
With these settings the OBi has been stable and online for 3 days, but I lost OBi dashboard and Obi to Obi calls.
It seems to me that there must be a problem with the system when it checks the OBi server and it takes it offline.
Thanks again for your interest.

VoIP.ms is a reputable full-featured service provider frequently recommended here.  If their recommendation to disable OBiTALK Cloud services (http://wiki.voip.ms/article/OBi_100/110#Disabling_auto-provisioning solves your OBi going offline trouble, I would follow their advice.  Note that leaving only the OBiTALK peer-to-peer service enabled still permits Obihai to remotely manage/update your device, which they are known to do.  This is not unlike what any turnkey VoIP service provider might do with their equipment connected to their service, but it my not be what you need or want to keep your equipment stable and in service with your other service provider(s), especially if you have no use for OBiTALK calling OBi-to-OBi.

OE

[restamp]

Note that leaving only the OBiTALK peer-to-peer service enabled still permits Obihai to remotely manage/update your device, which they are known to do.

This is interesting and something I didn't know.  Can you (anyone) explain what updates to the device OBiHAI will make given only that OBiTALK service is enabled and everything under Provisioning (Firmware updates, ITSP provisioning, and OBiTALK provisioning) have been disabled?  (Realistically, since they control the firmware, I suppose any disabling of provisioning is only a suggestion, not an insurmountable lockout, but still I would think that disabling everything on the Provisioning page is a pretty good indication the owner does not want anyone else messing with their device.)

[OzarkEdge]

Note that leaving only the OBiTALK peer-to-peer service enabled still permits Obihai to remotely manage/update your device, which they are known to do.

This is interesting and something I didn't know.  Can you (anyone) explain what updates to the device OBiHAI will make given only that OBiTALK service is enabled and everything under Provisioning (Firmware updates, ITSP provisioning, and OBiTALK provisioning) have been disabled?  (Realistically, since they control the firmware, I suppose any disabling of provisioning is only a suggestion, not an insurmountable lockout, but still I would think that disabling everything on the Provisioning page is a pretty good indication the owner does not want anyone else messing with their device.)

I can't explain what Obihai may or may not do.  I know from reading here that they have pushed firmware updates directly to devices not configured for remote provisioning.  Bottom line... if you do not want uncertain interaction, disable all connections.  If you leave the OBiTALK Service enabled, I would assume they reserve the power to manage your device as Customer Premise Equipment even though you brought it... understandable from their end.

As for the current situation of not being able to configure your device unless you upgrade firmware, and you can't upgrade firmware unless you buy an extended support plan, and you can't buy an extended support plan because the system doesn't work yet... I assume that Obihai intends to not publish future firmware releases for manual download/installation... you'll have to use the OBiTALK web portal after you pay up for extended support... otherwise, what's the point of it all?

OE

[drgeoff]

... you can't upgrade firmware unless you buy an extended support plan...

That isn't true. A link to the 1.3.0-2872 firmware for OBi100/110 has been posted recently and I successfully downloaded that firmware yesterday.  Manual loading of firmware has not been removed or disabled.

[SteveInWA]

I can't explain what Obihai may or may not do.

Correct.

I know from reading here that they have pushed firmware updates directly to devices not configured for remote provisioning.

Incorrect.

As for the current situation of not being able to configure your device unless you upgrade firmware, and you can't upgrade firmware unless you buy an extended support plan, and you can't buy an extended support plan because the system doesn't work yet... I assume that Obihai intends to not publish future firmware releases for manual download/installation... you'll have to use the OBiTALK web portal after you pay up for extended support... otherwise, what's the point of it all?

Completely incorrect.

[OzarkEdge]

... you can't upgrade firmware unless you buy an extended support plan...

That isn't true. A link to the 1.3.0-2872 firmware for OBi100/110 has been posted recently and I successfully downloaded that firmware yesterday.  Manual loading of firmware has not been removed or disabled.

Per their Support page, Obihai publishes firmware in this forum sticky message:  http://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=9.0.  This topic was last updated March 19, 2015, by Mark, who no longer works for Obihai.

For OBi 100 Series, it says:
Manual download:  http://fw.obihai.com/OBi-latest.fw  1-3-0-2824  May 2014
OBiTALK.com auto download:  1-3-0-2872  Sept 2014.

ALL of these dates pre-date the current pay-to-play requirement on OBiTALK.com.  I see no new or current firmware posted for manual download.  (I know how to craft the url http://fw.obihai.com/OBi110-1-3-0-2872.fw to download OBiTALK.com Build 2872 or http://fw.obihai.com/OBi202-3-0-1-4738.fw to download OBiTALK.com Build 4738, but these links are not published.)

Please show me their published links to manually download the ransom firmware currently being pushed out on OBiTALK.com.  For an OBi202, this would be Build 4738 or later... where is the link to manually download Build 4738 to bypass OBiTALK.com's new pay-to-play scheme?

And please explain why Obihai would setup a firmware release process that would entice OBiTALK.com users to manually update firmware before continuing to use OBiTALK.com, just to avoid paying for extended support?  Clearly, such a process is a mess and would make no sense (pun intended).

If Obihai continues to ransom firmware updates on OBiTALK.com, do not expect them to post that same firmware for free download... unless they want to continue insulting everyone using OBiTALK.com.

OE

[RFC3261]

... I assume ...

And we all know what assuming does.

At this point, it is clear that Obihai failed to get in front of this (from a marketing standpoint) and announce the changes at/before they happened, and has failed to react (and spin, if needed) to the controversy those changes have started.  At this point all we have is a lot of conjecture, pontification, and FUD from the people posting, with no facts to support any of the words.

I continue to expect that Obihai will announce their future business/support model(s) for the consumer devices eventually.  I may be disappointed with that model.  I may be pleased with the model.  And I may be resigned to that model.  But first it needs to get announced.