Obitalk & Vonage Simultaneously?

[TerryaG]

Hello all,

I am doing a trial run with my new Obi200 along side my existing Vonage setup to see if I could permanently switch over to it successfully.  (I'm using a Control Products Homesitter HS-700 for power, water, and temperature sensor autodialer with Vonage landline for it.  This is not my only landline use, but of primary concern.)  I have a Google Voice no. successfully connected, configured and tested with my Obi200.

I am using Comcast with my own Motorola/Arris Surfboard SBG6580 modem/router.  I have SIP ALG disabled on it.  However, whenever I connect the Obi200 to the router and someone calls me, I cannot hear them.  I experienced this problem previously with Vonage alone, and is why I disabled SIP on the router.

I've read on some of these forums that many people have used many different VOIP services simultaneously along side the Obitalk.  Anyone know why I may be experiencing this issue only when I connect my Obi200?  As soon as I disconnect the Ethernet cable from the Obi200, I can hear incoming callers.  So I assume this is a configuration issue with the Obi device, but I've been unable to find any information on it.  Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks much,

Terry

[LTN1]

I have the same SBG6580 and my SIP ALG is enabled--as a matter of fact, under the NAT ALG Status of Advanced Options, everything is enabled. Mine works fine with the OBi202. I also have Comcast.

Maybe more experienced contributors can provide other suggestions.

BTW...a pet peeve of mine is when VoIP services like the OBi, Ooma, Vonage, etc. is called a landline. Landline should be something like POTS. The services that use the high speed internet for phone communication are VoIP lines or SIP lines.

[SteveInWA]

Based on your first post, here:  http://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=11150.0

I am just guessing that you've made some sort of newbie configuration error.  There are many different causes of one-way audio.  I suggest starting over, and carefully reading and following my instructions, here:

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

With regard to SIP ALG, it should always be disabled on consumer routers; it's useless and just causes problems with SIP VoIP.  Google Voice does not use SIP, so it would not cause this particular problem.  However, I would expect it to cause problems with Vonage and other SIP providers.

[SteveInWA]

I have the same SBG6580 and my SIP ALG is enabled--as a matter of fact, under the NAT ALG Status of Advanced Options, everything is enabled. Mine works fine with the OBi202. I also have Comcast.

Maybe more experienced contributors can provide other suggestions.

BTW...a pet peeve of mine is when VoIP services like the OBi, Ooma, Vonage, etc. is called a landline. Landline should be something like POTS. The services that use the high speed internet for phone communication are VoIP lines or SIP lines.

I agree that the term "landline" is outdated, as one would think of wires on telephone poles over land.  However, it's useful as a way to distinguish the underlying carrier being used:  VoIP numbers are generally treated as wireline telephone numbers from a Local Exchange Carrier standpoint, vs. mobile numbers, because the numbers usually belong to wireline LECs.  The FCC has some specific terminology used in its regulations, when referencing VoIP.  The FCC calls VoIP service providers "interconnected voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) providers".

Interconnected VoIP service enables users, over their broadband connections, to receive
calls that originate on the public switched telephone network (PSTN) and to terminate calls to the
PSTN.31 In order to have this capability, an interconnected VoIP service must offer consumers NANP
telephone numbers.32 Interconnected VoIP providers generally obtain NANP telephone numbers for their
customers by partnering with a local exchange carrier (LEC) through a commercial arrangement rather
than obtaining them directly from the numbering administrator, which provides numbers only to entities
that are licensed or certificated as carriers under the Act."

Whereas most VoIP service providers partner with wireline LECs, to obtain NANP telephone numbers, these numbers are usually considered wireline (landline) numbers.  It gets messy when a mobile carrier's number is ported into a wireline LEC, to use with a VoIP ITSP.

If you have insomnia, you can read this document to see how the FCC treats VoIP numbers with regard to Local Number Portability:  https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-07-188A1.pdf

[TerryaG]

Thanks to both of you for responding, I appreciate it.

I am using the term "landline" to distinguish between hardwired and mobile/landline devices, as Steve suggests.  I agree that it probably isn't the best description, but it sufficed for my purposes.

So I think I worked this out, but am still doing some testing.  I needed to port forward 5060 for Vonage.  I went into the expert config mode of the Obi200 and found the port used is 5061 for SIP.  I added this to the port forwarding range, and it seems to have fixed the issue.  My question to LTN is, are you using port forwarding for your Obi or are you using DMZ?

I thought Obi was not using SIP, so I'm confused as to why this fixed it.  Thanks to both of you for your help!

Terry

[SteveInWA]

OBi devices act as Google Chat clients over XMPP, not SIP.  Thus, any settings related to SIP are not applicable, including port forwarding in the 506x range.

https://support.google.com/a/answer/1279090?hl=en

Does the OBi work correctly (two-way audio) when the Vonage ATA is unplugged from power, but fails when the Vonage ATA is powered on and connected?  Or, does the OBi never work correctly, or what, exactly?  You're not going about this in a systematic manner.

[LTN1]

My question to LTN is, are you using port forwarding for your Obi or are you using DMZ?

I am not using port forwarding or the DMZ for the OBi. I am using port forwarding only for a PBX system connected to the SBG6580.

Besides that, my OBi is pretty much plug and play with both the SGB6580 and Comcast.

[LTN1]

I have the same SBG6580 and my SIP ALG is enabled--as a matter of fact, under the NAT ALG Status of Advanced Options, everything is enabled. Mine works fine with the OBi202. I also have Comcast.

Maybe more experienced contributors can provide other suggestions.

BTW...a pet peeve of mine is when VoIP services like the OBi, Ooma, Vonage, etc. is called a landline. Landline should be something like POTS. The services that use the high speed internet for phone communication are VoIP lines or SIP lines.

I agree that the term "landline" is outdated, as one would think of wires on telephone poles over land.  However, it's useful as a way to distinguish the underlying carrier being used:  VoIP numbers are generally treated as wireline telephone numbers from a Local Exchange Carrier standpoint, vs. mobile numbers, because the numbers usually belong to wireline LECs.  The FCC has some specific terminology used in its regulations, when referencing VoIP.  The FCC calls VoIP service providers "interconnected voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) providers".

Interconnected VoIP service enables users, over their broadband connections, to receive
calls that originate on the public switched telephone network (PSTN) and to terminate calls to the
PSTN.31 In order to have this capability, an interconnected VoIP service must offer consumers NANP
telephone numbers.32 Interconnected VoIP providers generally obtain NANP telephone numbers for their
customers by partnering with a local exchange carrier (LEC) through a commercial arrangement rather
than obtaining them directly from the numbering administrator, which provides numbers only to entities
that are licensed or certificated as carriers under the Act."

Whereas most VoIP service providers partner with wireline LECs, to obtain NANP telephone numbers, these numbers are usually considered wireline (landline) numbers.  It gets messy when a mobile carrier's number is ported into a wireline LEC, to use with a VoIP ITSP.

If you have insomnia, you can read this document to see how the FCC treats VoIP numbers with regard to Local Number Portability:  https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-07-188A1.pdf

Thanks for the PDF link Steve. From my first perusal of the 2007 FCC ruling, I see why they were using the term interconnected VoIP Providers--in order to have authority and jurisdiction to regulate things like LNP and 911 requirements--basically summed up in paragraph 21.

While there may be different classifications of VoIP, I think it should be differentiated from the traditional POTS landline. I'm OK with using the terms defined by the FCC--perhaps with the acronym IVoIP?

[TerryaG]

Sorry for the late response guys, been very busy.  I appreciate the help.  I reenabled the SIP stuff and removed the port forwarding, per LTN1's suggestion, and everything works fine, both the Obi box AND Vonage!  Thanks again for the help, I appreciate it!

Terry