OBi100 dropping calls

[Rhododendron]

I have two OBi100s, one for a home line and one for an office line. The office OBi is six years old and has just started to drop calls. It drops both incoming and outgoing calls after about five to ten minutes. The other OBi is about two years old, is connected to the same router and phone service, and is working fine.

Is it worth plunking down $10 for premium support and upgrading firmware on a six-year-old device?

Would it make more sense to buy a new OBi200 or 202?

Or is there some other fix that I should explore?

[azrobert]

You don't need the premium support when you manually upgrade.
See:
https://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=11256.msg73954#msg73954

[Rhododendron]

Thanks, azrobert.

Apparently when I installed a new router last summer and tinkered with settings, I must have absentmindedly updated the firmware, because it tells me now that the new firmware I just tried to install is identical to what I have on the device.

So, is it time to buy a new OBi or is there some other step I should try?

Out of curiosity, I will start a new thread asking people what kind of lifespan they have gotten with their OBis.

[azrobert]

You can try a factory reset. First delete the OBi100 from the Dashboard and remove the ethernet cable. There is an access hole on the bottom of the OBi100. It's a little larger than the vent holes. Press the reset button with a paper clip and hold until the OBi100 starts to re-boot (the LEDs will start to flash). After it boots re-add the OBi100 to the Dashboard and configure like it was a new box.

[SteveInWA]

With regard to the firmware, pick up the phone attached to the OBi 100, and key in ***0 then 1, and it will speak the firmware level to you.  If the last 4 digits are lower than 2886, it needs an update.  If it is 2886, then you have the latest and last firmware to be released for that now-obsolete product.

WRT product life (your other question), there is no specific time period -- it's not like an expiration date on a can of soup.  Generally, if the device is protected from power spikes/surges on both the power connection and the telephone connection, it can last indefinitely.  Many 1x0 devices failed with bad flash memory after a few years.  Some fail due to lightening or ESD or user stupidity (attaching the Phone port to a POTS line and frying it with ring voltage).

The 20x series use newer, <mostly> different components, and have had far fewer failures.

[Jackson]

You might also try blowing out any dust, with some canned air, that has to have accumulated (thus insulating) inside the OBi after all those years.

[Mango]

The office OBi is six years old and has just started to drop calls.

Before buying hardware, I'd swap the two OBis and see if the problem follows the OBi or stays at the office.  If it stays at the office, look at your router as a possible cause of the problem.

[Rhododendron]

Thanks to all for the advice.

I checked the firmware version on my two OBis. Both were set to periodically update. One OBi had the current firmware version, ending in 86. The malfunctioning OBi had older firmware, ending in 24.

When I tried to update the firmware manually, it told me that the new firmware was identical to the installed firmware, and no changes were made. At the same time, it told me that my software was out of date and would not support Google Voice for security reasons. It still reported firmware version ...24 installed.

I tried the reset. I also blew out dust for good measure. After the reset, the device accepted the update to firmware version ..86. I was able to reconnect to my primary phone provider and also connect a Google Voice line.

I haven't tried the swap yet (clever idea). I'm hoping the update has done the trick. If the problem persists after the reset and update, the swap is next on my list.

Again, many thanks for the good advice. 

[Rhododendron]

I just had a 45 minute call without a drop. I think the reset and firmware update has solved the problem. Thanks again to all.