OBi needs local GUI front end for OBi configuration more like the OBiTALK Portal

[QBZappy]

The OBi is so flexible that I can not keep up with all the different possible configuration scenarios it offers. I am starting to be overwhelmed by all the features. I admit that this is a good problem to have. I find it interesting when I read some of the clever ways people are using this device.

It is starting to feel like a linux based command line interface despite the fact that the config is done via a web browser. I love the OBiTALK portal. It is 100% GUI based, however it only offers a very small subset of the configuration options. It's great that there is a lot of horse power in these units. Since this is a consumer device (I think), the knowledge required to configure this device for everyday usability has crossed over to professional or advanced user level. All the basics are covered in the OBi portal. The OBi could be easier to use if we could setup configurations (dial plans, VG, call forwarding, COT, call backs, etc...) with a GUI front end more similar to something like the FreePBX which handles the configuration for an Asterisk PBX. The configs could be setup from the GUI and still could be modified by the more expert users. A more intuitive configuration will appeal to more users. I think this is something which would  appeal to potential buyers of this device and drive sales of the OBi. Most people don't care to learn a new language when it comes to setting up an ATA. Competing ATA's don't have many of the abilities of the OBi. For this reason it is still relatively easy to setup those competing ATA's. Given that the devs have engineered a more capable product, a different mindset/model of setting up these units for the masses could be considered. This could give the OBi a broader appeal. I think people can make a strong case that it is easier to use a magicJack, Ooma, or netTALK device. Give us all the bells and whistles and make it easy to use as well.

The OBiTALK portal is the model to develop further. Even the idea of installing an app locally on my computer giving the OBi "portal like" configuration abilities would be a welcome improvement giving us local control of the unit for all of the advanced features it can offer.

[RonR]

QBZappy,

You may recall I voiced similar thoughts over two months ago in another section when the OBi Expert Configuration pages were first announced:

"The OBi Expert Configuration pages are just that, for experts.  Users who do not feel comfortable with the on-board web-based OBi device configuration pages should stay away from the OBi Expert Configuration pages.  Users who do not feel comfortable reading the OBi Device Administration Guide should stay away from the OBi Expert Configuration pages."

OK, let's assume for a moment that (1) I'm an expert user, (2) I feel very comfortable with the on-board web-based OBi device configuration pages, and (3) I feel very comfortable reading the OBi Device Administration Guide.  What does using the OBiTALK OBi Expert Configuration pages do for me that I can't do quicker and easier by just configuring my OBi using the on-board web-based OBi device configuration pages?  Surely, I'm missing something here.  If you're capable of configuring the OBi manually, what is gained by inserting the OBi Expert Configuration pages into the loop?

I understand the need for a simplified configuration facility such as the main OBiTALK portal.  At the moment, however, it's very limited and problematic due to its lack of synchronization capabilities with but a few OBi settings.  If the main OBiTALK portal loaded the entire OBi configuration at startup, you could have simplified configuration pages for every aspect of the OBi.  When the user is done, writing the entire OBi configuration back (or just the necessary parts if the provisioning protocol supports it) would eliminate all the synchronization problems.

Unless I'm missing some great benefit the OBi Expert Configuration pages offer to expert users, I think the resources would be better spent on making the main OBiTALK portal simplified configuration facilities more encompassing and bullet-proof.

[JohnBowler]

Thirded.

Configuring a service provider via the web interface requires obscure and unrelated changes to the ITSP profiles and to the SP profiles (ok, Dijkstra did say that a level of indirection was helpful, but he didn't mean this.)

Disabling the OBiTalk back-door updates to the firmware, in the way Obihai specify, also causes the Obitalk portal configuration of service providers to become inoperable, and the change is, so far as I can determine, permanent, short of a factory reset.

An improved non-obfuscated UI would be an infinite improvement to this mess.

John Bowler <jbowler@acm.org>

[Ostracus]

I'm thinking the Firefox plugins, Scriptish, and Stylish could go a ways to making the present device interface friendlier and don't require setting up a web server.

[cayossarian]

+1, YES please.  to get wide scale adoption of this device, the local admin portal needs also have the easy configuration on the Web portal and be enhanced.

[squalk]

+1

[Ostracus]

OK, so why can't a local server be set up as a sort of middle man then? Never mind tools like Greasemonkey can be used to put some polish on the present GUI.