What kind of lifespan should you expect from an OBi?

[Rhododendron]

I have two OBi100s, six and two years old. I'm wondering how long they will last.

Can anyone report how long your OBi lived before it went to the great phone exchange in the sky?

[Mango]

I used an OBi110, not behind surge protection, (don't recommend this) from 2011-2013.  Then a lightning storm took out its FXS port.  (I guess - the timing was awfully coincidental.)

From 2013-2014 I used a second OBi110 behind surge protection for both power and POTS.  For some unknown reason, my POTS line suddenly had fluctuating loop current and fried it.  It also fried my backup OBi110 before I figured out what the problem was.

I bought a loop current regulator and used that with a fourth OBi110.  (Order was POTS->Surge protector->Loop current regulator->OBi110.)  I still use that OBi110 today, though no longer with a POTS line.  Late last year my ILEC upgraded their infrastructure and now the internet here is reliable enough to use for VoIP.

I've never had an OBi device spontaneously stop working.  All failures I've had were due to external influence.

[vtsnaab]

Our original Obi110 was bought about a month after they came out, has no POTS line connected to it, is powered via UPS with surge protection - and has been going strong 24/7/365 for however many years that has been...no complaints here.

Our other Obi200 has been in full time use connected the same way for most of 3 (?) years already.

They have both provided very good service and value.

Side note:
Should I desire or need to change things in the future I will most likely go forward into a cheap ATA instead & use Simonics Gateway to access GV.
Not only would this be a little cheaper, but with the correct ATA I could have a bunch of providers all ready to use anytime.
This thought is inspired simply by having learned more about VOIP & SIP since getting the Obi boxes & having a couple of different SIP phone devices already...the options are THAT good.

[Jackson]

Just keep in mind that heat is the enemy of all electronics.  Many folks learned this the hard way when they used to stack stereo components in pretty cabinets behind glass doors.  My OBi, phone and cable modem are all plugged into a UPS and the OBi sits all by it's lonesome on an inexpensive, elevated wire rack I got at the $ store.