Bought a Raspberry pi to go with my OBi

[azrobert]

drgeoff,

My Raspberry Pi was delivered on Saturday, 2 days ahead of schedule. I already flashed my SD card with Raspbx, so I was up within minutes using the PSU from my tablet.

I then tried my homemade cable and it was too weedy. My router could see Raspbx, but I couldn't login. I took your advice and reduced the length of the patch cable from 40 inches to 5. I cut off the barrel connector from the PSU and soldered the wires together. I slide a piece of black irrigation tubing over the patch and it almost looks like a real cable. It now works perfectly. I even got my wireless adapter working, so now the only cable to the Raspberry Pi is from the power supply.

I would have never thought of reducing the length of the patch cable, so THANK YOU soooo much!

[drgeoff]

Have fun and when you want to temporarily try something different, remember that you only need to pop in another SD card.

[azrobert]

I finally got my Raspbx configured. I tested comparing SipSorcery and the GV callback apps on Raspbx. I used Phonerlite to connect to SipSorcery or Raspbx. Both used the same IPComms DID. I measured the time it took to ring a phone connected to a 2nd GV number and I used a stopwatch app on a tablet to measure the elapsed time. The times varied from call to call. Here are the rough numbers.

SipSorcery - Consistently under 5 seconds
Phyton GV - Approx 8 seconds
PHP GV - Approx 9 seconds

I am routing the DID thru SipSorcery and then to Raspbx. I did it this way so I could use the same DID for both SipSorcery and Raspbx. I should be able to cut a few milliseconds off the above times if I route the DID directly to Raspbx. To eliminate any possible problem with my wireless adapter, I remove it and hard wired Raspbx to my router. I got similar numbers.

I'm using IncrediblePBX and I did an upgrade, so the software is current on Raspbx. I ran a Speed Test on my network and got 32 Mbps download and 19 Mbps upload.

If nothing changes I will be using SipSorcery (NOT Raspbx) and CircleNet for backup. I'm still hoping the Asterisk community will devise a Hangouts solution.

giqcass or anybody else,

Can you time the Raspbx GV callback app and post the times you're getting?

Thanks

[noobee]

I bought the CanaKit Raspberry Pi model B with clear case and USB Power Supply.   I'm thinking about throwing incredible PBX on there.  I've got an Obi110 and a Obi202 I'll hook up to it.  Just waiting on delivery.  This should hopefully provide weeks of tinkering fun.

Hey Giqcass -
Do you have any step-by-step guide to install Incredible PBX on RasPi? and also connection layout in reference to Obitalk and DECT phone. Is there any way to continue using Google Voice to make free calls with this set up? I am trying to follow nerdvittles blog, but being newbie, I am struggling.

[drgeoff]

I bought the CanaKit Raspberry Pi model B with clear case and USB Power Supply.   I'm thinking about throwing incredible PBX on there.  I've got an Obi110 and a Obi202 I'll hook up to it.  Just waiting on delivery.  This should hopefully provide weeks of tinkering fun.

Hey Giqcass -
Do you have any step-by-step guide to install Incredible PBX on RasPi? and also connection layout in reference to Obitalk and DECT phone. Is there any way to continue using Google Voice to make free calls with this set up? I am trying to follow nerdvittles blog, but being newbie, I am struggling.

Are you struggling with the whole RPi thing or only the Incredible PBX installation?

Did you start at the link I gave in the second post of this thread?

What exactly is your question about OBiTALK and DECT phone?

[giqcass]

I used the link provided by  drgeoff.  The initial flashing to the card gave me a little trouble but Piwriter finally got me going.  I did have some issues with the Nertvittle part as well but it eventually worked.  For me personally I couldn't get it working with direct keyboard and mouse attached.  What worked was using SSH to control it over the network.  I had some times when the process appeared to stop.  In reality it was just going very slowly without any on screen input.

[NoHomePhone]

Hello All,

I am new here, but I too have a Raspberry Pi and an Obi202.  Not sure how I will go about this all but I am exploring the fascinating extra options.  I like some of these ideas here.  I am not quite sure what capabilities the Obi202 can offer versus the benefits of having a Raspberry Pi aiding it with Asterix/PBX.

I am setting this up for an older family member who was tired of paying full price for homephone and getting mostly robodialers and telemarketers, not to mention they have limited mobility and don't want to feel obligated to pick up the phone.  I currently have the Obi hardwired to the Demark point in the electrical room for whole house distributed VoIP, it's perfect because they don't even know the difference and can use the their existing phones, and it has a battery backup as well, and they have their cell phones too.  I am currently using all the boring default settings though so far.  I know the Obi has the inboundcallroute and the autoattendant, but maybe I would be better off with the Raspberry Pi in the Mix.  I am interested in a setup where it doesn't ring at all unless the caller meets acceptable rules.

Example:
Anonymous/Blocked/Hidden/1-8xx's/overseas/spoofed CID's
Would get directed to a audioclip "This number does not accept Blocked CallerIDs or Solicitations", and then if its a human have them press 5 to leave a voicemail.  

I saw a great RasberryPi Obi project someone did a while ago but it never made it off kickstarter, their domain name was resold and they don't appear to be following up; The project never made it beyond the demo video (linked below).  Banana-phone ( hxxp://http://www.raspberrypi.org/banana-phone/ )

@giqcass That Asteridex sounds really handy =), I am sure it would be useful around our home too.  Is it like bluetooth or cellular voice dialing where you have to accentuate and pronounce everything odd ways or multiple times? =)  A bit off topic but you might find Vinux or RaspberryVi distros useful, they are build to aid people with limited vision capabilities, Vinux has been handy around here.

[MikeHObi]

Hello All,

I am new here, but I too have a Raspberry Pi and an Obi202.  Not sure how I will go about this all but I am exploring the fascinating extra options.  I like some of these ideas here.  I am not quite sure what capabilities the Obi202 can offer versus the benefits of having a Raspberry Pi aiding it with Asterix/PBX.
...
 I am interested in a setup where it doesn't ring at all unless the caller meets acceptable rules.
...

The only real benefit you gain with adding a RasberryPi to the obi you have is that you can add call treatments on your side rather than relying on the call treatments available from your voip service.  If you add a FXO port adapter to the Obi then you can use it to bridge the POTS line and give it call treatments you would otherwise not be able to have.

If you are using voip right now, your voip provider is likely able to provide most of what you want.  I know that both Anveo and Callcentric have resonable call treatments available.

[NoHomePhone]

Hello MikeHObi,

We currently have a POTS/PSTN line, but will be cancelling it and going VOIP only, current provider is FreePhoneLine.ca but looking at anveo/callcentric as you suggested;  Tthey appear to have what lacks with FPL; FPL doesn't seem to have any call screening process. It's basically a blocklist with no wildcard support or screening process that I can find in the webui.  I can turn forwarding on and off or check voicemail, but what can you expect for $0 dollars a month.  Currently only paid $50 to get a SIP account (lifetime usage across Canada, no monthly or connection fees), next step is pay $25 to port our landline number but it may go to another provider =).  I am still fiddling and doing research.  It sounds like the raspberry might be a bit overkill for a single voip line.  I guess I'll see what fancy plugins asterix, and see if it's something I may toy with after I get a permanent line configured.  Our main goal was to give the monthly bill the boot, since we mostly use cellphones, but the price difference is so minuet that the superior call filtering, and peace of mind is worth the few dollars a month.  It looks like a lot of it can be done through the Obi, to a lesser degree.  The last thing I need is to come home and find out "The nice man at microsoft called and fixed our computer" or something equally frustrating.

Thanks for the input and suggested Voip providers

~NPH

[azrobert]

The OBi can do a lot of what you want. You can route 10 or 11 digit CID's to the Phone Port. 800 numbers and everything else can be routed to a different destination. Some examples of the other destination are:

A voicemail service, like GoogleVoice. All inbound calls can be routed to VM. You can change the VM message.

You can connect an answering machine on port #2 of your OBi202 and route these calls there.

Your Raspbx.

If you require a prompt like "Enter X to leave a message", you can 1st route these calls to the OBi AA. Then the AA can route the call to the Other Destination. You can change prompts, but the problem with the AA is you can't change the function.

1=Continue the call
2=Make a new call
3=Enter a callback number

You can change the prompt to " Enter 1 to leave a message", but if the caller mistakenly entered a 2 the OBi would expect the caller to enter a new number. You could setup the OBi to route the call to the desired destination no matter what the caller did.

I never setup prompts in Asterisk, but there are plenty of examples on the Web. It might be easier to set this up in your Raspbery Pi. I think Callcentric has this function.

[giqcass]

Raspberry pi is probably an overkill for most people.  It's a great piece of hardware for hobbyist. The Asterdex feature is useful but you do need to speak clearly for it to work.  If it doesn't like what you say the first time it just hangs up on you.

Callcentric has a nice telemarketer block function.  I used the Auto Attendant to screen calls before I started using Callcentric but it's a little bit more of a pain in the butt creating a whitelist on the Obi.  Both the Obi and Callcentric will let you use wildcards.

I'm checking out Vinux and RaspberryVi as you suggested.

Here is what happened to Banana phone.
https://www.facebook.com/TheBananaPhoneProject

Hello Project Followers,

I am sorry to announce, but the Banana Phone Project has stopped development as of last month. The field of phone technology and human call validation is rife with patents; market entry without a lot of potential infringement would be difficult, if not impossible.

I am pushing my coding towards other equally as worthy projects, and cannot continue this endeavor any longer.

I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your support and encouraging messages. They meant the world to a guy who was just starting of his software engineering career (in a national competition, no less).

The world has not seen the last of my code.

- Alex Ruiz

[noobee]

I bought the CanaKit Raspberry Pi model B with clear case and USB Power Supply.   I'm thinking about throwing incredible PBX on there.  I've got an Obi110 and a Obi202 I'll hook up to it.  Just waiting on delivery.  This should hopefully provide weeks of tinkering fun.

Hey Giqcass -
Do you have any step-by-step guide to install Incredible PBX on RasPi? and also connection layout in reference to Obitalk and DECT phone. Is there any way to continue using Google Voice to make free calls with this set up? I am trying to follow nerdvittles blog, but being newbie, I am struggling.

Are you struggling with the whole RPi thing or only the Incredible PBX installation?

Did you start at the link I gave in the second post of this thread?

What exactly is your question about OBiTALK and DECT phone?

I started with Raspbx installation, which I guess worked well.. but first of all, i have a basic question as to as a home phone user what are the most prominent uses of this set up - RasPi, IncrediblePBX, Obi110 connected to DECT phone? I am a hobbyist and would like to try new things, but I would be delighted to know the nice features that I can explore.

I would like to see the connection diagram and also how RasPi connects to Obi110 (if it does) and then to DECT phone (if it does).

I started with Raspbx then went on with installing IncrediblePBX but as of now, when I boot on RasPi connected to my TV as monitor, there's no display on Component as well as HDMI.  I tried reformatting and reimaging SD card with IncrediblePBX but no display.  I did get the display at the time of initial install of IncrediblePBX and enabling Hylafax. But not sure what went wrong in between.

[drgeoff]

1. The RPi and OBi110 connect by Ethernet, preferably each being hard wired to your router but Wi-Fi is also possible as per one of azrobert's posts above. The DECT phone plugs into the 110's PHONE socket. Your POTS line, if you have one, goes into the 110's LINE socket.

2. The RPi does not have component output. You mean "composite".

3. There is a risk of corrupting the contents of the SD card if power is removed before an RPi OS is properly shut down. When re-imaging be sure to follow all the instructions for whichever method you use.

[azrobert]

Wifi was very easy to install. I just followed the answer for FAQ on wifi.
http://www.raspberry-asterisk.org/faq/#wifi

I think it's a cleaner install with the adapter. I had the Pi hard wired before I bought a case and the cable seemed huge compared to the Pi board. The adapter I have is on the RPI.ORG's approved list, so maybe I got lucky.

[noobee]

1. The RPi and OBi110 connect by Ethernet, preferably each being hard wired to your router but Wi-Fi is also possible as per one of azrobert's posts above. The DECT phone plugs into the 110's PHONE socket. Your POTS line, if you have one, goes into the 110's LINE socket.

2. The RPi does not have component output. You mean "composite".

3. There is a risk of corrupting the contents of the SD card if power is removed before an RPi OS is properly shut down. When re-imaging be sure to follow all the instructions for whichever method you use.

I tried re-formatting and reimaging... Write was successful, but no luck. I will try JUST re-imaging.

In regards to RPi and Obi connection. Is that like below
Router > RPi
Router > Obi

Both are connected to Router but not directly, is that correct?

[NoHomePhone]

So great to see their is such an active, friendly  & knowledgeable community on ObiTalk Forums =).  

@azrobert, Thanks that maybe the best short term solution for me while I do some reading .  I could easily call route all suspicious numbers to the 2nd phone port with an answering machine.  That way we don't miss anything potentially important and I can have a custom audio greeting with desired effect.  Definitely added to my list of potential options.

@giqcass, Thanks for the Asteridex & Banana Phone info.  It's a shame I bet the patents for defeating robodialers are owned by the robodialer manufactures too, so they could push for them to not exist.  It's a doable project though so maybe something similar will resurface.  You may still need to do your own adjustsments in Vinux for cursor size or system text, but the screen reader and other stuff work great, the screenreader voice can be a bit bothersome (like microsoft sam narrating window titles, every tab, button or box you click, ect,. there are some adjustments that can be made to the voice like pitch, speed, pronunciations), depending on your needs it maybe a trade off.  Orca Screenreader is free, nicely integrated into the OS, and great for someone who can't shell out major money for similar windows software, or doesn't want to have to constantly pay for updates.  

@noobee, double check your /boot/config.txt make sure you still have the right monitor settings, also that you aren't overclocked too much, some people release images with settings that were right for them personally.  I know overclocking too much also causes errors in the SD card filesystem.  I  also never stop hearing about how a great PSU makes all the difference, can you ping/ssh into it, wonder if it's just thee screen turning off, or if that's just a symptom of another underlying problem?  You might have to re-image your SD card. =S

Modem ----> Router (Ethernet port1)---->RaspberryPi
                  Router (Ethernet port2)---->Obi
                                                           |
                                                           |
                                                          Line-In (PTSN)

They talk over IP addresses, they are both just mini computers, you would have to assign in the PBX a the virtual extension to the Obi IP address, and the Obi may need the PBX's IP in the config somewhere.  I am not sure where or what the option is called as I have no experience installing a PBX yet, but it is just using your router to communicate between the two devices.  My understanding is the Raspberry becomes sort of like a server (or a middleman for the Obi and your voice provider) and it just forwards them to the Obi over the network.  There is no special cabling though as far as I know.

I managed to finish work early today so I will be testing out some of these suggestions =).    If all goes well, I shouldn't have to tell the "Duct Cleaning" telemarketers, "I only have Canadian Geese" or "My ducks are cleaning themselves in the pond", they really hate that *laughs*  

Thanks for the great info everyone, & good luck Noobee.

~NPH

[drgeoff]

I tried re-formatting and reimaging... Write was successful, but no luck. I will try JUST re-imaging.

In regards to RPi and Obi connection. Is that like below
Router > RPi
Router > Obi

Both are connected to Router but not directly, is that correct?

What computer OS and what app are you using to write to the SD card? What image are you writing?

I suggest you don't install Hylafax yet. Get the phone basics working and then install Hylafax only if you really need it.

You can connect the RPi's Ethernet port to the OBi110's Ethernet port. But as they won't be connected to anything else that is not a particularly useful setup.  

[noobee]

I tried re-formatting and reimaging... Write was successful, but no luck. I will try JUST re-imaging.

In regards to RPi and Obi connection. Is that like below
Router > RPi
Router > Obi

Both are connected to Router but not directly, is that correct?

What computer OS and what app are you using to write to the SD card? What image are you writing?

I suggest you don't install Hylafax yet. Get the phone basics working and then install Hylafax only if you really need it.

You can connect the RPi's Ethernet port to the OBi110's Ethernet port. But as they won't be connected to anything else that is not a particularly useful setup.  

I have Windows 8 and using SDFormatter to QUICK format SD card and then Win32diskimager to write IncrediblePBX image (raspbian7-incrediblepi-12-02-2013.img) file.

I probably took out the SD card without proper shut down and likely caused SD card image to get corrupt.

Any work around to start over with "clean slate"?

I am still trying to understand how can I use this set up to keep Obi+GV free calling "alive" and add other useful features of PBX and what those features are..

[azrobert]

Noobee,
Does your router see Raspbx?

Anyway, 2 must have apps are PuTTY and WinSCP.

Using PuTTY you can display the Raspbx console on your Windows monitor.

WinSCP makes it very easy to edit files on Raspbx. You can find examples on your Windows browser and then do a copy and paste to a Raspbx file. You can also use it to transfer files in both directions between Windows and Raspbx.

http://winscp.net/eng/download.php

You can setup the GV callback method (non-XMPP) in Raspbx to get free calls.
http://tech.iprock.com/?p=9784

There is also a PHP script available that does the same. I think it's a little easier install than the Python script. I have both installed and my limited testing showed the Python script runs about a second faster than the PHP script.

The pygooglevoice-0.5 source needs 2 updates. There are instructions out there to run a patch after the Python install. I updated the source using WinSCP before doing the Python install.

Edit:
If you decide to install pygooglevoice-0.5 let me know. I will post the two source changes you need.

[noobee]

Noobee,
Does your router see Raspbx?

Anyway, 2 must have apps are PuTTY and WinSCP.

Using PuTTY you can display the Raspbx console on your Windows monitor.

WinSCP makes it very easy to edit files on Raspbx. You can find examples on your Windows browser and then do a copy and paste to a Raspbx file. You can also use it to transfer files in both directions between Windows and Raspbx.

http://winscp.net/eng/download.php

You can setup the GV callback method (non-XMPP) in Raspbx to get free calls.
http://tech.iprock.com/?p=9784

There is also a PHP script available that does the same. I think it's a little easier install than the Python script. I have both installed and my limited testing showed the Python script runs about a second faster than the PHP script.

The pygooglevoice-0.5 source needs 2 updates. There are instructions out there to run a patch after the Python install. I updated the source using WinSCP before doing the Python install.

Edit:
If you decide to install pygooglevoice-0.5 let me know. I will post the two source changes you need.

I do have PuTTY and downloaded WinSCP just now per your recommendation.

I formatted and reimaged SD card using Raspbx impage couple of times, but for some reason when I connect Rpi to the my router via LAN cable, that particular port does not light on. I switched ports with my other working Obi Port, but only when connected to Rpi, it does not light up.  My display also does not show any thing.  IP Scan does not show RPi on my network (obviously as the Router port light is off).

Not sure if my SD card is corrupt and if I could do something about it (apart from formatting). Not sure what is overclocking and if my Rpi has caused any damage due to my consistent tries. My earlier attempt to RaspBX was good and display was working, it was also accessible via SSH (PuTTY).  But now, nothing seems to work!