SOLVED with firmware 1.2: OBI110 Not Work with Hong Kong PSTN Line

[pchow]

In general, the OBI110 VOIP calls are ok. However, I find the OBI110 has problems with Hong Kong PSTN Line:

1. With default settings, the phone attached to OBI110 will not ring if there is a PSTN line dail-in. The Call History can show this call record.
2. The LINE Port InboundCallRoute: SP1(xx.) OBI110 will never route the call from PSTN to SP1. The phone does not ring. The caller only sees the call unanswer.
3. The Caller IDs are not detected or wrongly detected.

I think the OBI110 cannot properly detect the Hong Kong PSTN ring signal. I wish someone could suggest the settings or new firmware to Hong Kong users.

[MichiganTelephone]

You might want to visit this thread:

http://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=374.0

[LeftRight]

Some users from Hong Kong have been using these parameters for Ring Detection, you may as well try them out

go to: Physical Interface --> LINE port --> Ring Detection

Ring Frequency Min: 10
Ring Frequency Max: 100
Ring Validation Time: 256 ms
Ring Indication Delay: 512 ms  ( same to default )
Ring Timeout: 640 ms
Ring Threshold: 13.5-16.5 Vrms
Ringer Impedance: High (Normal)  ( same to default )

Interesting to know whether they indeed work ..

[LeftRight]

For callerID issue, it might be due to a different CallerID standard used in HK (see the other thread by ronaldng), and you might contact their support for a testing firmware -- support@obihai.com ...

[yhfung]

Some users from Hong Kong have been using these parameters for Ring Detection, you may as well try them out

go to: Physical Interface --> LINE port --> Ring Detection

Ring Frequency Min: 10
Ring Frequency Max: 100
Ring Validation Time: 256 ms
Ring Indication Delay: 512 ms  ( same to default )
Ring Timeout: 640 ms
Ring Threshold: 13.5-16.5 Vrms
Ringer Impedance: High (Normal)  ( same to default )

Interesting to know whether they indeed work ..

Being a group of Hong Kong OBi110 testers, we confirm that the above settings works in Hong Kong fixed lines and the caller ID still has problem.

YH

[pchow]

Some users from Hong Kong have been using these parameters for Ring Detection, you may as well try them out

go to: Physical Interface --> LINE port --> Ring Detection

Ring Frequency Min: 10
Ring Frequency Max: 100
Ring Validation Time: 256 ms
Ring Indication Delay: 512 ms  ( same to default )
Ring Timeout: 640 ms
Ring Threshold: 13.5-16.5 Vrms
Ringer Impedance: High (Normal)  ( same to default )

Interesting to know whether they indeed work ..

   

Tried the above setting. It does solve the problem 1 but the problem 2 and 3 still exist.

[MichiganTelephone]

2. The LINE Port InboundCallRoute: SP1(xx.) OBI110 will never route the call from PSTN to SP1. The phone does not ring. The caller only sees the call unanswer.

The phone doesn't ring because sp1 is not the Phone port - if you want a phone plugged into the Phone port to ring then you need to use ph.

Now, if you are saying that you're wanting to route a call from the PSTN to something accessed through sp1, then it makes a difference what something is.  Are you trying to send the call to a commercial VoIP provider?  To an Asterisk server that you control? To a Google Voice account?

But for starters, try setting it to ph and plug a phone into the device's Phone port and see if it will ring through.  If the phone has a Caller ID display, you'll be able to see whether the Caller ID is detected (though you can also determine that from the Call History).

[yhfung]

If OBi110 is not able to detect the caller ID, the phone connected to the phone port will not receive any caller information from OBi110. As a result, we have to concentrate on whether OBi110 is able to receive the caller ID in HK PSTN system.

I hope there is a solution coming out for HK PSTN very soon in the next firmware update.

YH

[OBi-Guru]

Upcoming firmware will detect the HK PSTN CallerID.

In the mean time, should you need to allow calls from the FXO to access the AA, you may check "All incoming calls answered by Attendant" and rely on PIN to make a new outgoing call.

[pchow]

2. The LINE Port InboundCallRoute: SP1(xx.) OBI110 will never route the call from PSTN to SP1. The phone does not ring. The caller only sees the call unanswer.

The phone doesn't ring because sp1 is not the Phone port - if you want a phone plugged into the Phone port to ring then you need to use ph.

Now, if you are saying that you're wanting to route a call from the PSTN to something accessed through sp1, then it makes a difference what something is.  Are you trying to send the call to a commercial VoIP provider?  To an Asterisk server that you control? To a Google Voice account?

But for starters, try setting it to ph and plug a phone into the device's Phone port and see if it will ring through.  If the phone has a Caller ID display, you'll be able to see whether the Caller ID is detected (though you can also determine that from the Call History).

 
I have been using SPA3k for years. I am trying to replace the SPA3k by OBI110. What I did (inboundcallrouting Li1 to SP1) is to do PSTN to VOIP something like in SPA3K 2 stage diallingl. The outcome is failed maybe due to HK PSTN line problem.

I am just using free VOIP accounts from VSP. Working happily with my SPA3k.

I tried Obi VOIP to PSTN is ok but not PSTN to VOIP. I meant not using AA.

From the Call History, Caller ID field was just blank. No PSTN Call ID was detected.

AS YH said we hope there is a solution coming out for HK PSTN very soon.

[yhfung]

Upcoming firmware will detect the HK PSTN CallerID.

In the mean time, should you need to allow calls from the FXO to access the AA, you may check "All incoming calls answered by Attendant" and rely on PIN to make a new outgoing call.

Please note there are several PSTN operators in Hong Kong. When the firmware, cater for different operators, is ready, I shall ask my friends who have OBi110 to test if the new firmware works for HK caller ID or not.


YH

[MichiganTelephone]

I have been using SPA3k for years. I am trying to replace the SPA3k by OBI110. What I did (inboundcallrouting Li1 to SP1) is to do PSTN to VOIP something like in SPA3K 2 stage diallingl. The outcome is failed maybe due to HK PSTN line problem.

I am just using free VOIP accounts from VSP. Working happily with my SPA3k.

Well maybe either you or I is not thinking this through, but the reason I asked is that it appears that although you are sending the call to sp1, you're not specifying a destination.  So even if the service provider gets the call, you aren't telling them where to send it.

Think of it this way, someone calls you on your PSTN line, The OBi answers and what you are doing is in effect forwarding the call to a VSP, but if they get the call they don't know what to do with it because you haven't sent any kind of destination number.

Now maybe I am having a "duh" moment and just not understanding what you are doing, but I'm just offering this as a possible reason why the call isn't going through.  Your VSP may or may not use a CallerID that you send, and if they don't then it's not going to make much difference whether you receive CallerID - they will send the number associated with your account.  But a few VSPs (maybe more in your part of the world) will actually send the CallerID that you send, so for one of those it might make a difference.

If you want callers to be able to select their own destination you're sort of stuck with using the AA.  If you want to send all incoming calls to a particular number, then you need to specify that number in some way.

[yhfung]

I guess what pchow means that whenever there are known and registered caller IDs calling to OBi110 from PSTN line, all the PSTN calls from Hong Kong will be forwarded to SP1 with predefined SIP accounts in other end such as China. Other callers call the PSTN line, the call will not be forwarded and the HK phone attached to the OBi110 will ring.

YH

[ronaldng]

Upcoming firmware will detect the HK PSTN CallerID.

In the mean time, should you need to allow calls from the FXO to access the AA, you may check "All incoming calls answered by Attendant" and rely on PIN to make a new outgoing call.

Yes!

OBIHAI update my unit with testing firmware and my phone can show correct CallerID now.

Thanks a lot OBIHAI.

FYI, my PSTN serive provider is PCCW.

However, there are several service providers in Hong Kong so I cannot confirm whether it will work on other service providers.

[yhfung]

Good news! What is your fixed line operator? PCCW, HGC, HKBN or others?

YH

[ronaldng]

Good news! What is your fixed line operator? PCCW, HGC, HKBN or others?

PCCW

[yhfung]

Thank you for your information, I am looking for new firmware update.

YH

[obi-support2]

pchow,

The caller-id problem should be fixed. Beta f/w has been pushed to your unit by our staff earlier today. Please give it a try.

Regarding problem 2, I believe what you want is to have the OBi answer the PSTN call, then let the caller dial another number to go out on SP1.

Unlike the SPA3102 which is based on prompt tones, OBi uses a built-in auto-attendant (AA or aa; English only at this time). What you need to do is to invoke the aa, then the PSTN caller can continue to dial the target number. Here is an outline:

1. LINE Port inboundCalRoute = {aa}
2. PSTN Call rings, OBi AA answers and announces option 1,2,3,...
3. Caller selects option 2, OBi asks user to dial the number follow by #
4. Caller dials **1 1234 5678 #, OBi says please wait while your call is being connected
5. Called number rings, etc.


For 1, you can allow just  a few caller-id numbers like this: {(11112222|33334444):aa}
In this case only if the caller number is either 11112222 or 33334444 the aa will answer and let
you dial further. Other caller numbers are rejected.

AA can be setup with 1-4 PIN so that the caller will need to enter a PIN before
he can use option 2. In that case, OBi will say, Please enter PIN, after you select option 2.

The **1 prefix can be eliminated if your AA is setup to use SP1 as Primary Line (parallel to the
setup of the PHONE Port.

Note that AA option 3 is also very interesting. It may save you some toll charge by calling you back from the OBi. (Not sure if HK cell phone charges differently for incoming and outgoing calls?).

There are many ways you can enhance this. Check out other topics in this forum or take at look at our OBi AdminGuide for more information.

[yhfung]

Caller ID problems on Hong Kong and China PSTN have been fixed， our members have tested the firmware of version 1.2 and found no problem in getting the Caller ID from the LINE port.

YH

[pchow]

pchow,

The caller-id problem should be fixed. Beta f/w has been pushed to your unit by our staff earlier today. Please give it a try.

Regarding problem 2, I believe what you want is to have the OBi answer the PSTN call, then let the caller dial another number to go out on SP1.

Unlike the SPA3102 which is based on prompt tones, OBi uses a built-in auto-attendant (AA or aa; English only at this time). What you need to do is to invoke the aa, then the PSTN caller can continue to dial the target number. Here is an outline:

1. LINE Port inboundCalRoute = {aa}
2. PSTN Call rings, OBi AA answers and announces option 1,2,3,...
3. Caller selects option 2, OBi asks user to dial the number follow by #
4. Caller dials **1 1234 5678 #, OBi says please wait while your call is being connected
5. Called number rings, etc.


For 1, you can allow just  a few caller-id numbers like this: {(11112222|33334444):aa}
In this case only if the caller number is either 11112222 or 33334444 the aa will answer and let
you dial further. Other caller numbers are rejected.

AA can be setup with 1-4 PIN so that the caller will need to enter a PIN before
he can use option 2. In that case, OBi will say, Please enter PIN, after you select option 2.

The **1 prefix can be eliminated if your AA is setup to use SP1 as Primary Line (parallel to the
setup of the PHONE Port.

Note that AA option 3 is also very interesting. It may save you some toll charge by calling you back from the OBi. (Not sure if HK cell phone charges differently for incoming and outgoing calls?).

There are many ways you can enhance this. Check out other topics in this forum or take at look at our OBi AdminGuide for more information.

Thank you for your quick action. HK PSTN line and caller id problems were solved in couples of days.

I knew my question #2 could be solved by using AA but my home oldies (non-english speaking) just could not handle AA well. I was just trying to do PSTN2VOIP like the way SPA3k does. Now I know SP(xx.) is not a correct callroute.