OBi100 stopped working - only get busy signal when dialing out

[TaiwanOBi]

Been using an OBi100 for over a year now. Switched from a MagicJack and noticed a definite improvement in call quality. I was really very pleased with it.

A few weeks ago, my OBi100 stopped working. The lights are on, internet connection is fine. Nothing changed on our hardware end, except for a bump up in speed from our internet provider, but now any outgoing calls ring once and immediately get a busy signal. Every phone number.

I'm living in Taiwan and have a Google voice number for South Dakota (area code 605). I believe I had Google Voice setup correctly, as it was working, but does not now.

I've already tried a factory reset, removing the device from my dashboard, adding it back. Everything registered fine, but I still only get busy signals when dialing out.

Any idea on what the problem is? The OBi is the BEST solution I've found for keeping in touch with family and friends back in America. I'd really like to get this figured out.

[SteveInWA]

A busy signal upon dialing an outbound call with Google Voice indicates that you do not have the Google Chat forwarding pseudo phone destination added to your Google Voice account, or that you set up your OBI while accidentally logged into some Google account other than the one associated with your Google Voice number.

Please go through my detailed instructions, here, to solve your problem:

http://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=8560.msg56460#msg56460

[TaiwanOBi]

Thanks, those instructions are very detailed.

Just a few problems:

I don't have a phone number that GV can forward to. As I said, I live in Taiwan, and GV will not forward to numbers outside the U.S. I guess that means I'm sunk, eh?

Additionally, concerning Google Chat, it seems like when you want to use it to make a call, Google is forcing you to download and install the Hangouts plugin, which seems to go against your specific directions.

Is there any other option I have since I can't do this? If I get a VoIP line with Anveo or another provider, would it start working again? I'm not too concerned about getting it totally free via GV, but I do need to keep in contact with family.

[SteveInWA]

Thanks, those instructions are very detailed.

Just a few problems:

I don't have a phone number that GV can forward to. As I said, I live in Taiwan, and GV will not forward to numbers outside the U.S. I guess that means I'm sunk, eh?

Additionally, concerning Google Chat, it seems like when you want to use it to make a call, Google is forcing you to download and install the Hangouts plugin, which seems to go against your specific directions.

Is there any other option I have since I can't do this? If I get a VoIP line with Anveo or another provider, would it start working again? I'm not too concerned about getting it totally free via GV, but I do need to keep in contact with family.

Google Voice is a US-only service, and it requires that you have a working US-based forwarding phone number to add to your account when obtaining a GV phone number.  You could use a VoIP number for that purpose.

I know it's confusing, but Google is mostly shutting down the legacy Google Chat service.  Google is leaving the Chat forwarding destination in place just for the benefit of OBi users.  Currently, the way to add that Chat destination to your GV account, is by making a one-time outbound phone call, using the old Chat service within Gmail.  After you do that, there is no further need to use Chat in Gmail; you can convert to Hangouts, and it will not disturb or remove the existing Chat forwarding pseudo-phone from your GV account.  Hopefully, at some point in the future, Google and Obihai will come up with a new and simplified setting to handle this.

You can certainly abandon Google Voice entirely, and instead, use any SIP VoIP service provider you wish.  The three services that have proven to be the best combination of reliability and competence at customer support, are Callcentric, voip.ms and Anveo.  Phonepower is another good option, as is Localphone for outbound calls.  Your choice.

Of course, if you and your family both have OBi devices, you can call each other directly, OBi-to-OBi, for free, by calling each other's OBi device number, like this:  **9 123 456 789, where the nine digits are the digits printed on the bottom of the OBi next to "OBi number".