Newbie OBi110 unable to make call?

[Tango]

Hi all,

I installed a new OBi110 at home to try out VoIP phone using a Canadian service provider "freephoneline.ca". I follows their instructions specific to OBi110 for use with their FPL servers, but was able to ONLY receive calls from my current POTS phone line (to the new digital number with the OBi device) using their guides.

Attached is their updated OBi 100 Guide for your reference.

When I was able to add OBi device to OBiTalk, and set up Google Voice, I was able to make calls from the "digital phone". It was last night when I finally got it working, inbound and outbound calls.

However this morning, when I tried to make calls, there was no ring tone, other than a string of noise as if I am flashing the hook every second. I rebooted the device, reconfigure profiles, SIP ... but to no avail.

I am stuck, and freephoneline.ca -FPL, as per their policy, they can't help troubleshooting 3rd party ATA devices such as OBi. In fact, they expect the users to be able to set up the ATA with some working knowledge of networks and telephone...

I have a vague idea that somehow I have to "marry" the two, OBi Google Voice and FPL DigitMap, SIP or something. And apparently OBi Talk is very persistent in controlling the setup, as when I force a new configurations and rebooted, it is still not registered. Push come to shove, I may have to return the OBi device, swallow that 15% restocking to get the humble Grandstream or something, some ATA that can easily "marry" with FPL?!

Any help, guidance is much appreciated!  

[drgeoff]

A Grandstream will not work with GoogleVoice.  If you only want FPL on your OBi110 the instructions that they gave you appear to be reasonably complete and accurate.

The Obi110 (or 100) can be configured to work with GV and FPL.  To set up GV you must do that via the OBiTalk portal. I suggest you configure SP2 for GV as the FPL instructions assume FPL on SP1.

However you have probably fallen foul of perhaps the biggest pitfall for beginners:

http://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=61.msg109#msg109

If you want to use the local web GUI to configure your OBi you must disable the Auto Provisioning.  From the first post in the link above:

Select "System Management / Auto Provisioning."  In the Auto Provisioning settings section, select Disabled from the drop down menu next to Method.

To make calls over GV add **1 to the beginning of the number you dial.

To make calls over FPL add **2 to the beginning of the number you dial.

Calls coming in on GV and FPL will ring the phone.

[Tango]

... If you only want FPL on your OBi110 the instructions that they gave you appear to be reasonably complete and accurate.

The Obi110 (or 100) can be configured to work with GV and FPL.  To set up GV you must do that via the OBiTalk portal. I suggest you configure SP2 for GV as the FPL instructions assume FPL on SP1.

(snip)

Thank you, drgeoff for pointing that out! I kind of saw the reversed config this morning on OBiTalk portal that GV "took over" SP1, which was originally configured for FPL. At the time I did not know how to reverse the config to give SP1 to FPL, SP2 to GV. So I carefully reconfig the OBi110 device using OBiTalk portal, at the same time made the same changes to the OBi110 device itself via its IP address.

Now, I have the dial tone (again) on the (digital) handset, able to make calls from this analog phone to my POTS phone, and vice versa  !

I must admit GV is new to me, being from Canada. Now that I have it worked as expected, I'll explore GV (it is still meant to work in Canada) at my own pace (no need to screw up something working !

Thanks again!

[SteveInWA]

I'll explore GV (it is still meant to work in Canada)

No, Google Voice, meaning, the inbound call forwarding system that gives you an inbound GV phone number, is not offered in Canada.

You can, however, make outbound calls, which are actually using the old Google Chat service, with a generic outbound caller ID.

[Tango]

I'll explore GV (it is still meant to work in Canada)

No, Google Voice, meaning, the inbound call forwarding system that gives you an inbound GV phone number, is not offered in Canada.

You can, however, make outbound calls, which are actually using the old Google Chat service, with a generic outbound caller ID.

Thanks! I also saw similar notes from drgeoff earlier about the access code if GV is not configured as Primary line.

Just to close the thread, I am now able to set up the new OBi110 for use with FPL as SP1, and GV as SP2. Making a call without the prefix **2 will show my primary number assigned by FPL together with CID, with the access code will show a GV (random?) number with area code 760.

As you said, I need not try to call this 760 number as it is not available in Canada. For my possible uses (calling in-laws in the States) this is more than enough . Reversely, they just have to use their landline or VoIP phone to call me !

[SteveInWA]

When you don't have your own Google Voice phone number, outbound calls will show a generic Google phone number (the 760 number) as the caller ID.  That number goes nowhere -- it can't be used for inbound calls.   If you make outbound calls using Google Hangouts, the caller ID will show "anonymous".