Enabling call forwarding remotely on land line

[eddiey]

Hi,

If I am away from the home and can remotely access the obitalk 110 via the iPad app, how can I enable call forwarding on my land line?

I have GV as line 1, and a pots on line in.  I can successfully connect to the obitalk from remote, but not sure how to send the dial codes to enable forwarding on the land line....   
The pots line is AT&T in Texas and I believe the code is 72#myforwardnumber....   When I tried, I would connect to obi110, choose dial out, and hit **872#myforwardnum  but it looks like # is killing it.  I also tried **81172myforwardnumber.  With no luck (gets a different response though).

I am unfortunately remote and not able to do this at the house, so any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[infin8loop]

I have an AT&T POTS in Texas connected to the LINE port has well.  I tried various combinations of the *72 through the auto attendant and was not successful either.  Obviously I dialed into the OBi AA using GV on SP1 to keep the outbound LINE port free.

AT&T offers an add-on "Remote Access to Call Forwarding" (at an additional cost):
http://www.att.com/gen/general?pid=5918

From Anywhere — Add Remote Access to Call Forwarding for greater control. With Remote Access, you can change your Call Forwarding settings from any number. You don't have to call from your home phone. From a remote location, you can turn Call Forwarding on and off as well as forward your calls to another number.

Simple — It's easy to use. Simply call the Remote Access number of the Call Forwarding Center and follow the prompts. You'll be given options for turning Call Forwarding on and off and forwarding calls to any number.

Reminder — Remote Access to Call Forwarding is an enhancement to Call Forwarding and cannot be purchased as a stand-alone service. If you transfer calls to a number outside your local calling area, you're responsible for local toll or long distance charges that may apply.

I suspect this might be one of those times where you could use the "OBiTalk Portal Expert Configuration" to remotely change the inbound call routing on the LINE port of the OBi.  Assuming of course you're not one of the folks (you know who you are) that seem to despise the OBiTalk Portal and have it disabled.   I have no reason to despise it myself (yet), but I have it disabled too because the voices in my head told me too.

[Everton]

Hi,

If I am away from the home and can remotely access the obitalk 110 via the iPad app, how can I enable call forwarding on my land line?

I have GV as line 1, and a pots on line in.  I can successfully connect to the obitalk from remote, but not sure how to send the dial codes to enable forwarding on the land line....   
The pots line is AT&T in Texas and I believe the code is 72#myforwardnumber....   When I tried, I would connect to obi110, choose dial out, and hit **872#myforwardnum  but it looks like # is killing it.  I also tried **81172myforwardnumber.  With no luck (gets a different response though).

I am unfortunately remote and not able to do this at the house, so any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

I'm not 100% sure, but since you can access your OBi110 remote (or through the OBiTALK Interfcae), isn't it a simple matter by editing the LINE Port Setting:

CallForwardUnconditional:  -->  Enable   
CallForwardUnconditionalNumber: -->myforwardnumber

I suspect you could edit the incoming Call Route setting to forward the call to the "myforwardnumber" via SP2 also.

[kb_hunter]

The above is not quite the same. The original poster is having trouble setting a feature on AT&T POTS.

This is like suggesting to someone who is asking for a remedy for his wife's snoring to get a new wife :=)

[DaveSin]

This is like suggesting to someone who is asking for a remedy for his wife's snoring to get a new wife :=)

Hmmm, isn't that solution an acceptable alternative....getting a new wife of course? 

[infin8loop]

I was finally successful in remotely setting call forwarding on my LINE port which has AT&T POTS service:

1. From my cell phone (which is in my OBi circle of trust) I dialed my google voice number which is on SP1
2. The OBI attendant answered, I select 2 to make a new call, and entered mypin#
3. For the number I entered:  **81172nnnnnnnnnn#   where nnnnnnnnnn is the number to forward to

After the # is entered a new call is placed to nnnnnnnnnn.  In this case it was my cell phone.  I heard call waiting tone and clicked over to answer the call.  Then simply hung up.  I may be imagining this but it seems like the call placed during the call forwarding process has to be answered for it to take.  I cannot test forwarding to an 11 digit number (including a 1) because I don't have a default long distance service on the AT&T line.  I sure thought I tried this combination before, but I don't think I ever clicked over to answer the call waiting call on my cell phone that was coming in as part of the call forwarding process.

To remotely cancel call forwarding I performed the same steps except I entered **81173# and got 3 short tones and a dial tone which is the same thing I get when cancelling locally.

More info from AT&T instructions:
Turn On — To activate Call Forwarding, press 72# on your home phone. Dial the number you want to forward calls to. When the call is answered, Call Forwarding will be activated. If no one answers or the line is busy, press 72# again, redial the number and Call Forwarding will be activated.

So it wasn't just my imagination the call has to be answered unless you repeat the process a second time. Frankly I've never personally had a need to use call forwarding.  I guess I should have RTFM first, huh?  (grin)  But, now that I know I can set it remotely from the OBi without having to pay even more to AT&T for the privilege... it could be useful.   

[chetstone]

I'm trying the method suggested by @Everett, because I want the OBI to forward my landline to GV, not the phone company (as the OP wanted.)

It doesn't work.

The information in this thread that you can't use GV to forward to itself was helpful. So I enter my forwarding number as **21NNN-XXX-XXXX to use my other SIP provider to do the forwarding.

It just doesn't work. The incoming call on the line port just keeps ringing, and the phone on the phone port rings until its answering machine picks up.

Am I missing something?

[RonR]

The information in this thread that you can't use GV to forward to itself was helpful. So I enter my forwarding number as **21NNN-XXX-XXXX to use my other SIP provider to do the forwarding.

Enter it as SP2(12341234567)

[chetstone]

The information in this thread that you can't use GV to forward to itself was helpful. So I enter my forwarding number as **21NNN-XXX-XXXX to use my other SIP provider to do the forwarding.

Enter it as SP2(12341234567)

Actually I did. Or it did. When I entered it as I mentioned, after reboot, the OBI rewrote it in the form you suggest. Still no dice.

What should I expect will happen? Would it be the OBI picks up the call, then dials out, feeding back the ring tones and eventual answer to the line?

[RonR]

The OBi is not rewriting it.  It's the OBiTALK Web Portal reconfiguring your OBi with its settings.

If you wish to configure the OBi directly, you must set:

System Management -> Auto Provisioning -> ITSP Provisioning -> Method : Disabled
System Management -> Auto Provisioning -> OBiTALK Provisioning -> Method : Disabled

[RonR]

chetstone,

It's not obvious why your other thread is locked, but:

OK, I found the RingDelay parameter which was set to 4000. Setting it to 0 solved the problem.

Be aware that by making this change, the OBi will no longer be able to procoess LINE Port InboundCallRoute rules based on CallerID.

[chetstone]

The OBi is not rewriting it.  It's the OBiTALK Web Portal reconfiguring your OBi with its settings.

If you wish to configure the OBi directly, you must set:

System Management -> Auto Provisioning -> ITSP Provisioning -> Method : Disabled
System Management -> Auto Provisioning -> OBiTALK Provisioning -> Method : Disabled

OK, I did get things a little confused by making changes in both places. So now I have gone back and put the correct value in the Obitalk web portal. Looking at the OBI directly (It's OK to look, right?) I can see that the value has been pushed there.

It still doesn't do the forwarding I expect.

[chetstone]

chetstone,

It's not obvious why your other thread is locked, but:

OK, I found the RingDelay parameter which was set to 4000. Setting it to 0 solved the problem.

Be aware that by making this change, the OBi will no longer be able to procoess LINE Port InboundCallRoute rules based on CallerID.

Thanks for the answer. I have unlocked the thread. Guess I thought I found the problem and was done ;-)

I saw that note in the manual. Since I haven't added any such rules I assume there aren't any and I'm OK. But I have to wonder why, when the delay was set to 4000, it was waiting 12-13 seconds to ring. By the time my phone rings and I find it and look at the callerID the caller may hang up. Now it rings right away, displays the callerID right away and all is good.

thanks

[RonR]

Given settings of:

Physical Interfaces -> LINE Port -> CallForwardUnconditionalEnable : (checked)
Physical Interfaces -> LINE Port -> CallForwardUnconditionalNumber : SP2(12341234567)

Calls to the LINE Port will continue to ring until the outgoing call on the SP2 Service is answered, at which point the LINE Port and SP2 Service will be bridged togerther.

[chetstone]

Given settings of:

Physical Interfaces -> LINE Port -> CallForwardUnconditionalEnable : (checked)
Physical Interfaces -> LINE Port -> CallForwardUnconditionalNumber : SP2(12341234567)

Calls to the LINE Port will continue to ring until the outgoing call on the SP2 Service is answered, at which point the LINE Port and SP2 Service will be bridged togerther.

Ah! That's good to know. Working now. Thanks so much.

[Shammi]

Hi there, I need help here. could not figure out how to get PSTN forwarded ALL calls EXCEPT from numbers with a set of patterns starting 254xxxxx forward to SP1

[RonR]

Physical Interfaces -> LINE Port -> InboundCallRoute : {(254xxxxx):ph},{sp1(12345678)}

Numbers matching 254xxxxx will ring the PHONE Port.

All others will be forwarded to 12345678 using SP1.

[VeryBigTiger]

Hi,
I have two Obitalk 110 and booth are connected to landlines. I would like to get one say "X" to forward calls that is coming on phone line to the second Obitalk say "Y". I logged into my web portal and changed the obi expert configuration of the "X" Obitalk > physical interfaces -> line and enabled forward unconditional and entered the Obitalk number **920.... etc.
Is this the correct format.
Do I need to reboot and how to do this remotely.

I understand that I can call the "X" Obi and press 2 then *72, and then enter the forward number ... is this correct and can it be done this way to forward it to the seconc obi "Y" with **9200...etc number.

your help is appreciated!

Joseph

[RonR]

I have two Obitalk 110 and booth are connected to landlines. I would like to get one say "X" to forward calls that is coming on phone line to the second Obitalk say "Y". I logged into my web portal and changed the obi expert configuration of the "X" Obitalk > physical interfaces -> line and enabled forward unconditional and entered the Obitalk number **920.... etc.
Is this the correct format.
Do I need to reboot and how to do this remotely.

OBi Expert Configuration (Introduction)

I understand that I can call the "X" Obi and press 2 then *72, and then enter the forward number ... is this correct and can it be done this way to forward it to the seconc obi "Y" with **9200...etc number.

Star Code features can only be initiated from the telephone connected to the OBi PHONE Port and are effective only on that OBi.

[VeryBigTiger]

Hi RonR,
thanks much for your reply!
as for the number formate that I enter in the the forward field ... can it be the Obi110 number?