Answer calls from PSTN on mobile

[a8ree]

Hi,

Can anyone tell me if its possible to get calls from the PSTN line on the 110 to ring also on my mobile phone, allowing me to answer the call as if at home?

Thanks

[ianobi]

There are several ways of doing this. "Forking" is the most obvious. Here's two examples:

1. Install the OBiON app on your mobile. Then set:

Physical Interfaces > LINE Port > InboundCallRoute:
{ph,pp(ob290123456)}
Rings the OBi110 Phone Port and the OBiON app on your mobile phone.

Where 290123456 is your OBi softphone number.
Advantages – no cost to you. CallerID from the incoming PSTN call will be passed through to the OBiON app on your mobile phone.
Disadvantages – ObiON needs to be logged in via wifi or mobile data (4g to be reliable). OBiON app is not very user friendly and is in need of updating.


2. Forward the call using an existing voip provider. From our past dealings I'm assuming that you still have sipgate set up on sp1:

Physical Interfaces > LINE Port > InboundCallRoute:
{ph,sp1(07123456789)}
Rings the OBi110 Phone Port and your mobile phone.

Where 07123456789 is your mobile phone number.
Advantages – works anytime you have a mobile phone signal, no need for wifi or mobile data.
Disadvantages – you pay for the sipgate call to your mobile. The CallerID will show as your sipgate number.


In both cases you can arrange for a delay so your OBi Phone Port rings for say 10 seconds before the call is forwarded to your mobile:

Physical Interfaces > LINE Port > InboundCallRoute:
{ph,sp1(07123456789;d=10)}


To avoid unnecessary delay in processing all incoming calls from PSTN make sure this is set like so:

Physical Interfaces > LINE Port > LINE Port > RingDelay: 0

Ring Delay is not required in the UK.


Sipgate are quite expensive for calls to UK mobiles. There are cheaper options if you wish to set up this option. Maybe use a betamax provider like voipcheap and set it up on a Voice Gateway.

[a8ree]

Thanks for the very detailed response Ianobi!

I prefer the first option as by your description it will ring simultaneously with the home phone.

I've tried to install the Android client however and it force closes when opened - fail...

I'm not sure that option 2 gives me what I'm after but I might give it a go out of curiosity.

Many thanks again - and I will take a look at Voipcheap too as a potentially cheaper voip provider. I'll have to try understand these 'Free days'

Cheers

[drgeoff]

If you are a real cheapskate, get a FreedomPop account which will give you 200 minutes* per month to UK numbers at zero cost.  (But do be careful to ensure that you cancel any of the free trials that incur charges after the free trial finishes.)

Instructions are available if you search the net for obtaining the SIP credentials which can be used elsewhere eg on your OBi.  In addition to forking incoming calls as ianobi's #2, I use that for outgoing calls, Monday to Friday, admittedly from Asterisk in both cases but no reason it won't work as an SP on an OBi.  I have not tried it on a Voice Gateway.

(* That is the part of the UK offer which includes 200 texts and 200 Mbyte data.  The US offer may be different.)

[ianobi]

I'm not surprised you have problems with the OBiON app. It does work for me in a very clunky way, but many report having problems with it.

If you do decide to go with voipcheap or many other betamax providers, then you need to convert national numbers to international format. If you wish to dial 07123456789, then voipcheap expects to receive 00447123456789. This can be done like so:

Physical Interfaces > LINE Port > InboundCallRoute:
{ph,vg1(00447123456789)}
Rings the OBi110 Phone Port and your mobile phone.

Voice Services > Gateways and Trunk Groups > Voice Gateway1 >
Name: voipcheap
Access Number: sp1(sip.voipcheap.co.uk)
DigitMap: (<0:0044>7[1-9]xxxxxxxx|00447[1-9]xxxxxxxx|00xx.S4)
AuthUserID: your accound id
AuthPassword: your account password


To additionally allow dialling mobile and international numbers from the OBi Phone Port via voipcheap add (Mvg1) like so:

Physical Interfaces > PHONE Port > DigitMap:
([1-9]x?*(Mpli)|[1-9]S9|[1-9][0-9]S9|911|**0|***|#|(Mvg1)|**1(Msp1)|**2(Msp2)|**8(Mli)|**9(Mpp)|(Mpli))

Physical Interfaces > PHONE Port > OutboundCallRoute:
{([1-9]x?*(Mpli)):pp},{(<#:>|911):li},{**0:aa},{***:aa2},{(Mvg1):vg1},{(<**1:>(Msp1)):sp1},{(<**2:>(Msp2)):sp2},{(<**8:>(Mli)):li},{(<**9:>(Mpp)):pp},{(Mpli):pli}

Using the above setup, you dial mobile numbers in the standard 07123456789 format and the digitmap will convert to international format for you. The digitmap also allows for normal international dialling - 00xx.

You might notice that voipcheap and some other betamax companies are not totally upfront about their costs. For example, if you buy £10 credit from voipcheap, then you will be billed for around £13 as they add on VAT and a small handling charge after you choose the £10 credit option. Having said that, they are still very cheap for UK mobile calls and for most international routes, plus some free days to some destinations.

Drgeoff – I'll have a look at FreedomPop - might be interesting ...

[azrobert]

Does Sipgate allow sub-accounts? If not, get an account at a free SIP provider like Callcentric or Sip2Sip. Install a softphone on your cell and register it to the provider. I use CSipSimple. Route calls to your cell for free via SIP.

[drgeoff]

Does Sipgate allow sub-accounts?

I've had Sipgate UK accounts for more than 5 years and I've never found anything resembling sub-accounts during quite extensive examination of their offerings to residential customers.

[ianobi]

Does Sipgate allow sub-accounts? If not, get an account at a free SIP provider like Callcentric or Sip2Sip. Install a softphone on your cell and register it to the provider. I use CSipSimple. Route calls to your cell for free via SIP.

No sub accounts. I did consider advising the sip2sip option along with CSipSimple. The downside is that the mobile phone in question must always be receiving a good wifi or a good mobile data signal.

As always with anything OBI, there's always many ways to achieve the desired result. I'll wait for the OP to come back to us if he wants to try new things - he's probably already got enough to think about