More VOIP Service Provider Capability

[kb2dhk]

More, at least 4, VOIP Service Provider (VOIPSP) capability.

Many VOIP users have to communicate with people/companies that have different VOIPSP services, or, like myself they use different VOIPSP's depending on the price to where they call.

We use Skype with some corespondents that are English speaking.

We use Yahoo! Messenger (Y!M) for my wife's corespondents who use the many language interfaces Y!M has.

We have started a Google Voice account for Obi Hai compatibility.  It also gives us a dedicated Fax number instead of having people call so we can connect the Fax machine to the phone line.

We have a LocalPhone account because the prices to Viet Nam are much better and the quality is excellent also.

I'm considering a VOIPWise account because the prices for PSTN are only a bit over USD21 per year per corespondent, and my wife has go a large family she likes to call every week.  It's only a bit over USD53 per year to the family members who live where there are no phone lines yet and must use cellular phones.  Thank goodness for automobile cellular repeaters and home made yagi antennas.  Since mains electricity hasn't reached them either, they use solar panel charged batteries.  12vdc automobile cellular repeaters fit right in.

Having the Obi110+, or a more capable version, being able to handle at least four VOIPSP would eliminate the need to keep a computer running 24/7.

[Stewart]

I'm considering a VOIPWise account because the prices for PSTN are only a bit over USD21 per year per corespondent, and my wife has go a large family she likes to call every week.  It's only a bit over USD53 per year to the family members who live where there are no phone lines yet and must use cellular phones.

Does VoipWise offer "plans" with "unlimited" calling to one destination for the prices you mentioned?  That would be an excellent value for many users here, but I couldn't find any info on their site.  Could you please post a link?

Though I, too, would very much like to see more SPx slots and interoperation with other non-SIP providers, you may be able to find a decent (albeit more costly) solution with presently available products.  Assuming that your OBi is set up for GV and Localphone, there is no problem adding VoipWise (or additional Betamax providers) to VGx slots.  You might buy a used SPA3102 to provide Yahoo compatibility (though I don't know whether you can use SIP gateways when Line 1 is configured for Yahoo).  You could connect it to the Line port of the OBi110 or, with two-line phones, you'd have some concurrent call capability.  For Skype, you could use a Skype ATA, connected to the Line port of your OBi or SPA, or to a separate line on your phone system.  Or, you might run siptosis on an old netbook or nettop.  Such computers require only about 10 watts and should cost no more than $1/mo. to leave running 24/7.

[kb2dhk]

Thanks Stewart.  My telephone knowledge and experience is rudimentary.  My Obi Hai knowledge and experience is almost non existent.

I don't understand, with Google Voice as SP1, how a second SIP provider (VOIPWise) can be added without removing the first provider SP2 (LocalPhone).

I've been doing research on the Cisco/Linksys SPA2102 and 3102 ATA/Routers but have not found the instructions for Yahoo! Messenger or Skype.  Would Skype and Y!M be connected to a standard 12 DTMF tone phone?  Can the SPA3102 handle Skype and Y!M protocols together?

I know there are Skype no-computer-needed adapters.  I've considered them as a last resort.  I understand that the Obi110 can handle Skype, but have not found the installation instructions yet.

I'm looking for the simplest (least complicated?) way to provide 24/7 incoming service from Viet Nam and a couple of other countries.  Because the Obi110 only handles two VOIP providers, and presently can't handle Yahoo! Messenger, it looks like I'm going to have to have 3 systems, ObiHai, Skype and SPA2102/3102-Yahoo! Messenger and reinstall SP2a or SP2b as necessary.  If the SPA310-2 can handle Skype and Y!M protocols one at a time, that would simplify the hardware costs.

Most of our non United States callers have dial up access.  One, maybe two who have DSL access.  Keeping Skype or Yahoo! Messenger is necessary to provide most of the non United states callers with incoming service to us in the US.  Yahoo! Messenger is the preferred provider because of the many foreign language interfaces.

Our USA originated calls go via VOIP to PSTN.  Right now, we use LocalPhone with a local access number which is inexpensive enough for us and provides us the time flexibility we want.  Skype and Y!M soft phones with the adapters will provide our non USA callers with the time flexibility they would like.  Three days worth of EMails to schedule a phone call can be a pain.

Thanks for your help.  My Obi Hai, Skype and Y!M knowledge has increased by at least 50%.

Here are the links you asked about:
VOIPWise:  WWW.VOIPWise.com  (Offers unlimited free calls to many countries, see home page)
LocalPhone:  WWW.localphone.com

Bob
KB2DHK
(I'm good in the call book.)

[Stewart]

Can your Vietnam contacts make free or inexpensive calls to Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh landlines?  If so, you could set up Rebtel so your contact would dial a local number that would ring your OBi via a Localphone iNum.  The setup is somewhat complex, but you can test using an iNum gateway (Ho Chi Mihn only).  Get a free iNum from Localphone.  Test it by dialing a US iNum gateway from your cell phone, e.g. 1-646-843-6969.  At the prompt, enter the last 9 digits of the Localphone iNum and press #.  Your Obi should ring.  Once that's working, call your contact and have them call +84873054367.  They then enter your iNum in the same way.  After that's working, set up a Rebtel account and they won't need to do two-stage dialing.

The OBi has 8 "voice gateways" that can be used for additional providers.  They work for outgoing calls only, but I assume that's all you need with VoipWise.  See the OBi admin guide, starting on page 82.

Though I'm familiar with the "free days" offered by Betamax companies, I was intrigued by your mention of "the prices for PSTN are only a bit over USD21 per year per corespondent".  What do you mean by per correspondent?  I was guessing that they have some sort of unlimited plan, restricted to one number.  Can you please explain?

[QBZappy]

kb2dhk,

For the money you plan on spending on hardware have a look at this product. Grandstream  GXV3140 with 3 sip accounts, builtin Skype, Google talk, Yahoo, MSN, Google voice. (plus many other features). This plus OBi's ability to bridge calls should cover all your bases.

Currently $169.50 (Price increased a little since I purchased, still best deal I could find. I think you can negotiate a little if you place the order by phone.

http://www.voipbaez.com/grandstream-gxv3140-ip-video-phone

I just receive 2 of these units a few weeks ago. I can vouch that the sip accounts and Skype work as expected. I have not tested the other methods of communication. This is basically a netbook in the form factor of a telephone. Did I mention the video is top rate. Puts my Nortel 1535 video phones to shame. (They are on the market, if anyone cares for 3 units)

[Stewart]

Just for laughs, I just configured my SPA3102 for Yahoo.  Unfortunately, it won't register, though the device works fine with standard SIP providers.  It's been a couple of years since I had tried it with Yahoo; possibly they have made some changes that make it incompatible.  I hope that another member can confirm Yahoo operation with a Linksys ATA.

I was unaware that the Grandsteam supported all those systems; if it works with Yahoo that may be an excellent choice, especially if some of your contacts have video capability.

@QBZappy: could you test whether your Grandsteams work with Yahoo?  AFAIK, Yahoo doesn't officially support any hardware devices at all, so you won't get help from them.  You shouldn't need a paid account to test; calls to US toll-free numbers and other Yahoo users are free.

[kb2dhk]

Answers in text.
Can your Vietnam contacts make free or inexpensive calls to Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh landlines?

>I'll find out.  If they can, I start plodding through the Rebtel process.

If so, you could set up Rebtel so your contact would dial a local number that would ring your OBi via a Localphone iNum.  The setup is somewhat complex, but you can test using an iNum gateway (Ho Chi Mihn only).  Get a free iNum from Localphone.  Test it by dialing a US iNum gateway from your cell phone, e.g. 1-646-843-6969.  At the prompt, enter the last 9 digits of the Localphone iNum and press #.  Your Obi should ring.  Once that's working, call your contact and have them call +84873054367.  They then enter your iNum in the same way.  After that's working, set up a Rebtel account and they won't need to do two-stage dialing.

The OBi has 8 "voice gateways" that can be used for additional providers.  They work for outgoing calls only, but I assume that's all you need with VoipWise.  See the OBi admin guide, starting on page 82.

> I believe this is what I was looking for.  My telephone and VOIP ignorance is showing big time.  Lets see if I've
> got this bit straight:  An SP1 or SP2 is a incoming and outgoing line.  A gateway is an outgoing only VOIP
> Service provider.  If so, and I can select which outgoing VOIP SP, that is indeed what I'm looking for.  If
> Google Voice will work on a dial-up line from the caller's end, and calls to Google Voice numbers are free from
> SE Asia, I've have 24/7 telecommunications at the time of the callers choosing on one phone at my end.

Though I'm familiar with the "free days" offered by Betamax companies, I was intrigued by your mention of "the prices for PSTN are only a bit over USD21 per year per corespondent".  What do you mean by per correspondent?  I was guessing that they have some sort of unlimited plan, restricted to one number.  Can you please explain?

> The two prices are based on a one hour call, every week, to a particular corespondent.  The USD21 is to a
> PSTN Land Line.  The USD53 is via mobile/cellular to the few corespondents who have neither mains
> electricity nor Land Line phone service. 
>
> Two visits ago I built some yagi antennas to point at the least farthest cellular tower and
> connected them to a automobile cellular phone repeater.  The one limitation is that the auto cell repeater
> has abut a 2 to 3 meter range on the local end because of safety power limits for automobile passengers.
>  Because of that limitation, the neighbors can't sneak up to the outside of the house and use the repeater.
> The neighbors with cellular phones seem to do their best to stay on the good side of my in-laws. ;-)

Bob
KB2DHK@arrl.net

[kb2dhk]

QBZappy,

Thanks for the lead.  I looked at the GXV3140 User Manual.  The GXV3140 will do more than I know can be done.

How did you interface the GXV3140 with the Obi110?

The possibility of using the GXV3140 with a WiFi adapter and taking it all over the house and yard is very interesting.

Bob
KB2DHK@arrl.net

kb2dhk,

For the money you plan on spending on hardware have a look at this product. Grandstream  GXV3140 with 3 sip accounts, builtin Skype, Google talk, Yahoo, MSN, Google voice. (plus many other features). This plus OBi's ability to bridge calls should cover all your bases.

Currently $169.50 (Price increased a little since I purchased, still best deal I could find. I think you can negotiate a little if you place the order by phone.

http://www.voipbaez.com/grandstream-gxv3140-ip-video-phone

I just receive 2 of these units a few weeks ago. I can vouch that the sip accounts and Skype work as expected. I have not tested the other methods of communication. This is basically a netbook in the form factor of a telephone. Did I mention the video is top rate. Puts my Nortel 1535 video phones to shame. (They are on the market, if anyone cares for 3 units)
[/quote]

[QBZappy]

kb2dhk,

I have a PBX.I added an extension in the circle of trust (inboundbound call route). I will get the auto attendant, then press option 1 or 2. I call  my parents in Florida with SP2 setup with google voice. I set them up on a speed dial.

RonR has a setup for one stage dialing using an ip phone if you want to do it that way, if there is no PBX in the mix.

[kb2dhk]

QBZappy,

I received your message last night, Feb 27, but the system seemed to be down, I couldn't get in.  Tonight the reply URL does not seem to work, probably because I haven't figured out how to sign in correctly.  I got in through the ObiTalk sign in route "http://www.obitalk.com/obinet/".

Reply:

If you plan to use a laptop on the road, you could easily use the OBiAPP to connect to your OBi unit, and then use all the features of the OBi unit from wherever location you could be at.

>*  I plan on doing this as soon as I figure out if ObiApp would be one of my two SP's (I'd have to get rid of the soft phone) or a separate function all together.  Bypassing a motel's outrageously priced phone system by using the line I've already paid for at home via my Obi110 would certainly make my frugal hart happy.

It might even be feasible to to do this with your friends and relatives overseas. Of course your internet connection speed might be a limiting factor.

>  It's the overseas band width that is limited.  That would only affect my ObiApp when I'm calling home from overseas.  I believe the Grandstream would take care of the 24/7 calling capability from overseas via their Yahoo! and Skype soft phones.  I know Yahoo! and Skype have worked on a dial up lines from overseas at the end of abut 5 miles of bundled pairs of field phone wire.  Cross Talk City!

You mentioned that bandwidth is limited, you should force the 729 codec on the OBi, by disabling all the other codecs on the unit. I have an OBi in Bolivia (South America) which I could not make acceptable calls until I configured it this way. I can now make calls which sound local to me.

Does forcing the g729 CoDec on my end force the calling Obi's or ObiApps to use it also?

There are no courses for such devices that I know of. If you need a particular setup for your OBi, the best place is to ask on the forum. RonR gives incredibly detailed configuration setups for novice users.

>  As soon as I learn enough to know what to ask, I'll have to learn how to contact RonR.

The unique feature of the OBi is that you can connect to a local phone line from far away.  If the OBi is in the USA people using the OBiAPP or another OBi can connect to your phone line to make local calls in your city.

>#  I believe that is what I was describing in >* above.  It's what I was intending to describe.

Same thing in reverse if they have an OBi in their location.

If this is not a feature you plan on using, you may be better off keeping the OBi configuartion as simple as possible until you gain some confidence.

>  I hope confidence will come with skill.

>  Now if I can figure out how I did the private message thing...

>  Thanks for putting up with me.  Every time you reply, I learn something new that I didn't know could be done.  Usually it's something I wanted to do, but didn't know could be done.

Bob
KB2DHK@arrl.net

[QBZappy]

Does forcing the g729 CoDec on my end force the calling Obi's or ObiApps to use it also?

The voip (sip) call tries to find a compatible voice codec. If the only one being offered by the OBi is the 729 codec, it will be the only choice for the units to select. There might be other ways to achieve this. This way is simple.

Just remember if you choose to use Google voice, then you will need to enable the PCMU codec.

Happy voiping