Two Obi110s How to Register?

[baxtr]

I have two Obis and will be sending one to a very non-tech savvy friend in Europe. For the one going to Europe, should I simply add the device to my ObiTalk account as another device or should I set up new gmail/voice/ObiTalk accounts for the second Obi. I set up my personal Obi with a new gmail/voice account to be used only for the Obi.

[yhfung]

It depends on your application. Should he/shee need the additional feature for making US/CAN calls?

Also you have to add the OBi110 devices to be sent into your own OBi devices such that both OBi can de reached by speed dials.

YH

[QBZappy]

baxtr,

Hi

Depending on which country you are sending it to you may need to do some research on certain regional phone configurations.

This thread talks about how to set up in Australia
http://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=616.0

Hong Kong regional settings (Mentions that it is similar to the UK)
http://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=622.0

Using OBi and GV Outside the USA (Discussion of successful installations around the world)
http://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=269.0

As far as I can tell People have used them in the following countries: (I'm certain list is not complete)
USA, Canada, Australia, UK, Hong Kong (+China), Sri Lanka, Bolivia, Philippines, Japan, , Costa Rica, Israel, Egypt, Panama, Singapore (Anyone care to update this list)


You will probably need to read these instructions. If you are sending to a non techie I would preconfigure the unit to use the AddressingType=DHCP (instead of static). Might simplify their involvement in the setup.
How to enter IP address on phone menu? -- Solved
http://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=157.0

Configure all the inbound call routes with your numbers, "ITSP InboundCallRoute","OBiTALK InboundCallRoute", "POTS-line InboundCallRoute". Easiest way is to configure all this using the OBitalk portal.

If you plan on configuring the dial plans/SIP accounts/GV, try making config changes using the OBItalk portal and/or the Expert configuration web page. Also make sure you keep the Auto Provisioning = Periodically, instead of disabled, or even "System start". Periodically is the most automatic method requiring fewer remote side instructions.

Test everything before shipping it to make it as plug and play as possible, and to give you assurance that you will be able to control the unit remotely.

[baxtr]

QBZappy,

Thanks for the detailed reply and references. Reading this topic,

http://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=269.0

the most straight forward approach seems to be the creation of new gmail/voice/ObiTalk accounts for the second Obi. Then, if I understand it correctly, it will only be necessary for my friend to gain internet access and dial my Obi number via the ObiTalk network (or conversely). I have a spare compact Buffalo WCR-GN router that I can also send as a companion to the Obi.

However, I really don't think it so simple.The other issue is interfacing the analog telephone in another country to the Obi. Not all countries use RJ-11 jacks,

http://phone-jack.org/

http://phone-jack.org/phonejackguide

Moreover, there is the issue of different country phone settings,

http://www.carrollcommunications.com/locales/germany.html

(see Country Phone Settings on the left menu for other countries)

So, if my friend establishes internet contact with the router, plugs in the Obi, is it possible to administer the Obi if I know its IP address? Maybe it is even simpler to just forget all of this and use the OBiAPP for PC.

Best regards,

Baxter

[QBZappy]

baxtr,

Hi

You provided some very interesting sites for local settings. Might be very useful for international OBi users.

By now the OBi has traveled the globe. It is very likely that there is an OBi user in the country you are planning to ship it to. I would put up a thread requesting help from someone with an OBi in the country you are planning to send this unit to. Mention the country in your request for help and see what happens.

You have mentioned several potential technical barriers which are outside the design of the OBi unit and some which probably can be configured to the local regional settings (Phone jacks, local phone settings, etc...). It might be possible to adapt the OBi to the remote location.

Considering that the OBi is also a Voip box (ATA), you will still be able to setup SIP accounts, perhaps even GV. This will allow you to bridge calls in the remote country. You might consider sending a cheap small telephone with the OBi along with that router since you mentioned non standard phone jacks.

If you are planning to send that router, I would really set it up with port forwarding to the OBi. You will give yourself 100% access to the OBi unit. Set it up with your friends' internet configuration in advance. If your router has the ability to configure a Dynamic DNS service like DynDNS or NOIP, I would set that up as well.

As you can see there are a few things to consider. I should know, I preped one before sending it to Bolivia.

[yhfung]

baxtr,

May I ask you a few questions?

1) To which country you are ging to sent the OBi?

Let the name code as country B to be the country that you are going to send the OBi device.

2) Do do you want people in country B with the OBi device to make phone call?

If just the people want to contant you ONLY, then you do not need set anything and just let them have the OBi device, that is all.

3) Besides calling you via OBiTalk, are they going to make call via GV?

If yes, of course, you have to set it up correctly and test without any problem before sending it to country B.


Anyway, you have to tell us what you want to make call between two OBi devices.


YH

[baxtr]

I will be sending the Obi to Ukraine. It will be traveling to western Europe. Basically, I only want to establish establish a comm. link between it and and the one I am keeping. Once this is working, I wiil look into forwarding a call to another number in the US. So, you see I am not trying to do any thing exotic.

I am completely new to the world of VoIp. When I signed up with Google Voice, I somehow rceived a number with an area code in Louisiana and I live in Los Angeles, but I guess this doesn't matter if Google Voice is free for calling in the US. As a matter of fact, I don't see where the Google number enters into the Obi picture at all.

Based upon all of your comments, I am going to add the Obi to my ObiTalk account, configure it and the router, buy a cheap telephone (thanks, QBZappy; didn't think of this.) and ship it off.

I did have some reservations about adding the second Obi to my account in the event that it was lost or stolen, but then I read somewhere that no account information is stored in the Obi.

Thanks for all of your comments,

Baxter

[QBZappy]

baxtr,

One last suggestion. You may want to setup a free SIP account with sip2sip (https://mdns.sipthor.net/register_sip_account.phtml) along with a free GV account. You will be offering yourself a possible 3 voice channels between the two OBis. Might as well configure the two SIP accounts in the OBi before shipping it off.

SIP account
OBi network
GV (maybe)

GV has been reported to be blocked in certain regions. It may not work out of the box in the Ukraine without getting fancy. I hope you will let us know if you succeed.

I mentioned this  before. Since you are also sending a router, you have an opportunity to set up a Dynamic DNS service inside the router. Most routers support this. You really should consider setting that up so that you can have direct access to the OBi. It will be just like having access to it next to your router at home. You will minimize the involvement of the other person fixing or modifying configurations. I spend half my time explaining what to do. It is more efficient for everyone to make the changes magically from your side. Everyone is the happier for it.

Good luck an let us know the results.

[yhfung]

I do not know whether you are able to tell your friend in Ukraine to test if any voip-blocking action imposed in your friend's telco. You may apply a public voip account such as iptel such that your friend can make outbound call without any problem.

If there is a voip-blocking action found in Ukraine, then you have to VPN between Ukraine and the US.

YH