Questions re Obi 212 Setup

[rico]

I don't have a 212 yet, but would like to understand how it works before I buy one and try this out.

1.   If you hook a phone up to an Obi 212 and connect the FXO port to an existing VOIP line (home phone line from cable company), will the phone ring (via the Obi) if someone calls your home phone?
2.   If so, is there a way to turn off the ringer internal to the Obi so that the FXO port doesn't cause the phone to ring, but a call via SP1 will cause the phone to ring?   How would you set this up?

I would like to use one phone, forward my home phone calls to SP1 number, allow inbound calls via SP1 only (i.e. stop inbound from ringing via FXO line), and route all outbound calls via the FXO line.  Reason:  cut down on robocalls.   I have nomorobo on my existing home phone, but still get a lot of annoying one ring calls and multiple ring spam calls from my local area code.

[zapattack]

The OBI has multiple incoming/outgoing ports,SP1-4, LIne and PHone.
These ports are connected using Inbound and Outbound Call routing.

The default Inbound Call Route for the line is to the phone.

If you delete PH from the LIne call route, the phone won't ring on incoming LIne calls.
If you set SP1 Inbound Call Route to PH, the phone will ring on SP1 incoming calls.

If you set phone port Outbound Call Route to li, then all calls will go out on the line.

[Taoman]

If you delete PH from the LIne call route, the phone won't ring on incoming LIne calls.

Deleting PH from the X_InboundCallRoute would have zero effect. Having a blank X_InboundCallRoute is the same as having PH there. OP would need to use the null/empty set symbol: {} to block the phone from ringing. However, since the OP plans on forwarding incoming calls to SP1 I don't understand the issue. Incoming calls should never reach the FXO port in the first place if all calls are being forwarded elsewhere.

If you set phone port Outbound Call Route to li, then all calls will go out on the line.

The OP would need to set the PrimaryLine, not the Outbound Call Route.

[drgeoff]

Incoming calls should never reach the FXO port in the first place if all calls are being forwarded elsewhere.

@Taoman
The OP has incoming calls from a VoIP line on his cable modem. That line is presented just like a POTS line for connection to an ordinary POTS phone.  He is thinking of running a cable between that RJ11 socket on the cable modem to the LINE socket on an OBi212.

[Taoman]

Incoming calls should never reach the FXO port in the first place if all calls are being forwarded elsewhere.

@Taoman
The OP has incoming calls from a VoIP line on his cable modem. That line is presented just like a POTS line for connection to an ordinary POTS phone.  He is thinking of running a cable between that RJ11 socket on the cable modem to the LINE socket on an OBi212.

Understood. I've done the same thing with my OBi110 and Comcast Voice for years. Perhaps I am misunderstanding. But if the OP is going to forward his VoIP line at the cable company level to another number (SP1) my question remains:
How would the incoming VoIP call ever get to the FXO port if it's being forwarded elsewhere (unless OP would be using simulring)?
I understand how the call path would work theoretically.

[rico]

Here's my current setup, maybe this will help clarify.

Cable VOIP box is a Cisco DPQ3212.  Output of that goes to a wall phone right now via regular telephone wire.  Calls to the associated number are forwarded to Callcentric.  Despite the forwarding (no simultaneous ring set up now, but used to have Nomorobo as simultaneous ring), the wall phone rings once before forwarding to Callcentric.

Callcentric comes in through SP1 on an old Obi100.   A cordless phone is connected to the Obi.

If I got an Obi with an FXO (same as LINE?), I'd like to hook the output of the Cisco box directly to the LINE port on the Obi and use the cordless phone for all calls.   But I could not turn off the ringer on the cordless phone because that's how I'd hear when a call from Callcentric comes in via the Obi.   I am assuming the cordless phone would ring (like my wall phone does now) when a call is forwarded.

Reading through all the responses so far, it sounds like there is a way to disable the ring internal to the Obi (if needed).   I also saw a post from Dec 2019 where someone mentioned setting Do Not Disturb (DND) on a LINE port in the Obi setup, so assume that might work also.

If anyone has additional thoughts, I'm all ears.  Otherwise, thanks to everyone for your support!

[SteveInWA]

So, your setup looks like this:

Cable-provided DID is provisioned on cable MTA.  That MTA's phone cord is plugged into a useless wall phone, useless because you've unconditionally forwarded it to a Callcentric DID.  The CC DID is provisioned on an OBi 100.  The OBi 100 is plugged into a cordless phone.

The only thing that would make this more of a Rube Goldberg contraption is if you then bridged the cordless phone to a cell phone, and forwarded that cell phone to an answering service, which then forwarded it to a satellite phone.  Well, you could also add two Progresso soup cans and some string, but I digress.

I can't see a benefit from doing this, other than using Callcentric's call screening feature to reduce the neighbor-spoofing, random robocalls that nomorobo can't stop.  In exchange for that, you've added a whole pile of potential points of failure.

Simpler alternatives:

• Just plug the cordless phone into the cable MTA (Cisco box) and be done with it.  Don't answer calls if you don't recognize the calling phone number; if they are legitimate callers, they'll leave a message.
• Port the cable company's telephone number to Callcentric, and just use Callcentric directly with your OBi 100 and the cordless phone.

[Taoman]

If I got an Obi with an FXO (same as LINE?), I'd like to hook the output of the Cisco box directly to the LINE port on the Obi and use the cordless phone for all calls.   But I could not turn off the ringer on the cordless phone because that's how I'd hear when a call from Callcentric comes in via the Obi.   I am assuming the cordless phone would ring (like my wall phone does now) when a call is forwarded.

Your plan should work as designed. Very easy to disable ringer for any incoming calls on the line port.
If you're going to continue using your cable company's number as your primary number then getting an ATA (OBi212) with an FXO/line port is a good idea. That's what I would do.
Most cable company numbers have been recycled numerous times hence the above average number of robocalls. Callcentric has the best array of tools in the business to stop robocallers.

[azrobert]

Is eliminating the single ring when a call is blocked by NoMoRobo the ONLY reason you want to route calls to Callcentric? If yes, you might not need Callcentric to eliminate the ring.

My provider also sends a single ring when a call is blocked, but no CallerID. You will have to check if your provider does the same. I eliminated the single ring on my OBi110 by blocking calls with no CallerID using the following Line inbound route rule: {(?):},{ph}

Calls with CallerID ring and calls without CallerID won't.

[rico]

Thanks, all, for the suggestions.   Main reason I was considering this was to use Callcentric features to cut down on locally spoofed robocalls.

After thinking about it, I'll probably go with one of Steve's suggestions to keep things simple.

Thanks again.

[SteveInWA]

Great.  I forgot to mention:  the single ring is commonly used by carriers to remind the customer that they have unconditionally forwarded their number to some other number.  Otherwise, customers may set up the forwarding then forget they did it, and miss phone calls.