Obi110 ghost calls / European line settings?

[Arpad]

I just hooked up an Obi110 and am using CallCentric as the SP1 provider.  Within hours, I started getting "ghost" rings.  It rings for a random amount of time and there's nobody there.  

The logs on the Obi110 show this every three to five minutes:

Terminal ID    LINE1   PHONE1
Peer Name      
Peer Number      
Direction           Inbound            Inbound
09:41:13           Ringing   
09:41:24           End Call

I tried to follow this guide and implemented #2 and #4: http://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=5467.msg35387#msg35387

Actually #4 was already set in the config and #2 seems to fix the problem when I set the X_UserAgentPort to 5081 (as suggested by Call Centric support).  HOWEVER, the settings reverts back to 5080, which doesn't seem to help.  (Also, I can't seem to change the admin password - it doesn't "stick" either).  Also, it seems like more of a stop-gap measure until 5081 becomes a target.

Which brings me to my absolute confusion about how all this works.  I don't have port 5060 open, inbound on my network, or any other port for that matter.  Normally, it seems to me, I would have had to port forward to the device and then I could see problem occurring from SIP scanners.  I guess the device registers with the ObiTalk network and connections are proxied into my device from an outbound connection?  But then I really don't understand what I can do to prevent scanning.

I could do some tcpdumping and figure this out but that seems like a lot of work and no guarantee of success since I haven't the foggiest about how I could affect this.

I can't effectively use the device with it ringing every 3 minutes.  Help?

[drgeoff]

See http://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=92.0 for the probable reason that your configuration changes are not "sticking".

[Arpad]

Cool.  Yup.  I was just starting to figure that out.  Your link helps even more.  Thank you.

5081 as the UserAgentPort seems to have eliminated the unwanted calls.  I haven't tried to see if I can get wanted calls, yet.

If someone could point me to a good explanation of the network configuration that makes all of this tick, I would appreciate it.

[Arpad]

Port 5081 stuck but didn't fix the issue.  Still getting inbound connections.  There were a few hours without issue but now they're back every 5 - 15 minutes.

So I still don't understand.  This Obi device is awesome but if I can't stop periodic ringing then, aargh....!

[gderf]

What do you have in X_InboundCallRoute for SP1 ?

[Arpad]

{>17772857749101:ph}

That's how it came configured, as in #4 in the guide, but I didn't touch it.

[gderf]

Nevermind.

[ianobi]

Terminal ID    LINE1   PHONE1
Peer Name      
Peer Number      
Direction           Inbound            Inbound
09:41:13           Ringing  
09:41:24           End Call

This shows the ringing is coming in via your PSTN line. The ringing may be false calls or may be triggered by strange line conditions or bad connections. If you do not use your PSTN line for incoming calls then set the Line Port InboundCallRoute as follows:

Physical Interfaces > LINE Port > InboundCallRoute: {}

If you do need it for incoming calls, then investigate the physical incoming line, then maybe check with your local Telco.

[Arpad]

Damn.  Not the answer I was looking for.  It's a crappy "wireless" landline.  Meaning it's a landline but since T-Mobile doesn't actually have a CO out here, they put in some kind of a CDMA (or something) box in the attic and it functions like a landline.

I'd like to use the PSTN for inbound.

Any ideas on the possibility of troubleshooting the issue myself?  A line filter of some kind?

[Arpad]

I had hoped to plug the entire house's POTS connections into the Obi so that my mom (her house) could call the USA from any phone at any time and also receive calls from a US number while still using her local service to make and receive calls.

[Arpad]

Okay, epiphany.   The line settings are different in Europe.  Ah hah!

Maybe I'm on to something.  Just to find those settings now.

[ianobi]

First thing is to unplug the POTS line cord from the OBi110 just to prove its definitely coming from outside of the OBi.

[Arpad]

Good point.  Troubleshooting 101.  I should have thought of that. :-)

[ianobi]

If you are in the UK (as I am), then connections between British Telecom sockets and your OBi have to be made using the correct adapters.

[Arpad]

I'm in Hungary on T-Mobile.  "Correct adapters?" 

[ianobi]

The UK home wiring does not use RJ11 style plugs and sockets. RJ11 is the telecom standard in North America and many other places. I have no idea what the standard is in Hungary.

The two wires that are the POTS line need to arrive on pins 2 and 3 of the RJ11 plug that connects into the OBi.

There may be some interaction between the phones connected in parallel with your OBi110 and the OBi110 itself. What happens if you unplug the other house phones?

As it is, does the OBi work on outgoing calls and "real" incoming calls?

I'm just throwing ideas out here!

[Arpad]

Wait, what?  You don't have RJ11?  And I thought I was well traveled. 

There's RJ11 and I have to assume, since US phones "just work" that the pin outs are the same. :-)

I really appreciate the help and the ideas.  I'm going to have to wait til tomorrow when the house is awake again to test.

My dad mentioned the obvious... all US phone we bring over work without a problem.  So, if there's a line problem wouldn't it also manifest itself with regular phones?

[ianobi]

I'm with your Dad on this one! The OBi110 Line Port should look like any US phone. In fact at default it has a "RingDelay", usually set to four seconds, so it receives ringing current for four seconds before ringing the OBi110 Phone Port. This is to collect CallerID info. It seems it is picking up a condition that it sees as ringing, but does not ring any other phone in the house.

It would be interesting to put a meter across the two wires of the POTS line and see what's going on. Failing that, while the OBi110 phone is ringing you could look at:

Status > PHONE & LINE Status > Line Port Status

This gives an instant measure of what voltage is on the Line at any one moment. You might catch it between rings or during ringing. I wonder what it reads when no ringing is going on?

I await your tests with interest 

[Arpad]

My work on this is going to go on hold for a few days as new year's eve approaches! :-)

I did, however, unplug the line; and no more ringing.

Unfortunately, I don't have a voltmeter available to me.

Again, thanks for your help.  I'll run some tests after I've recovered from tonight.

Have a safe and happy new year!