Managing Your OBi Device Configuration: OBiTALK or OBi Web Page but NOT Both

[ShermanObi]

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Update:  With the addition of OBi Expert, it is no longer necessary to disable auto-provisioning and still customize your OBi configuration.  

If you disable auto-provisioning, you will not be able to manage your OBi devices remotely.  This includes managing devices remotely using the OBi Expert Configuration pages on the OBiTALK.com portal and if you are a managed service provider, devices you want to manage remotely using your in-house provisioning service.

Please see this thread for an introduction to OBi Expert Configuration:

http://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=458.0

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It is important to note that the OBi device can be managed in a variety of ways.  This makes it a very versatile VoIP endpoint for end-user consumer managed, small business (VAR) managed or full-blown Service Provider managed CPE.  So, depending on what kind of user you are, you should know that it is NOT ADVISABLE to make modifications to the OBi device web page configuration and then use the OBiTALK portal to make additional modifications.

To disable auto-provisioning via OBiTALK, open your browser to your OBi's IP address (***1).  Select "System Management / Auto Provisioning."  In the Auto Provisioning settings section, select Disabled from the drop down menu next to Method.

What will happen if you do this?  The OBiTALK derived configuration will over-write ALL settings modified directly on the device web page that are in conflict.  This includes Service Provider account information and call routing rules.

In most usage / application environments, the OBiTALK portal will provide more than sufficient management control for users who have a single OBi device or many devices and people in their Circle of Trust.  Obihai is always adding functionality to the OBiTALK portal, so if you see something you want, please speak up and post a topic in the Feature Request forum or send us an e-mail.

We have made available a detailed OBi Device Admin Guide so that expert users can gain a complete understanding of the device's operation.

Admin Guide, OBiTALK Device Management Gide, and Other Docs Here:  http://www.obihai.com/docs-downloads.html

[Tridiut]

Ok, as a newbie replying to this year-old post and advice, mainly because I'm having a problem configuring my new OBi202 to use Google Voice on SP4, I am confused about the description of what happens when you set Auto-Provisioning *disabled*...where OBiTALK settings then *overwrite* settings which are(were) set directly on the device from its own web page..? Logically, this seems flipped.  Are you sure this doesn't describe the transition to *enabled*?

Background: I have (and want to keep) my OBi202 in "bridge mode" with a static IP behind my Netgear router (with this router's QoS set highest for the OBi202, and also with its SPI firewall disabled), and I've attempted OBiTALK configuration several times (resetting to factory defaults in-between) to get all four SPs registered correctly.

I ended up disabling OBiTALK auto-provisioning (plus ITSP auto-provisioning) in the OBi202 because I was "almost home"...having both SP1 and SP2 registered with voip.ms (SP2 to a voip.ms sub-account), SP3 registered to anveo, but with SP4 failing to register with Google Voice. This after several attempts using OBiTALK to configure SP4 for Google Voice (which btw on my first attempt setting up this OBi202 as the only (SP1) worked fine--made and received calls ok).

The SP4 status was: "Register Failed: 404 Not found (server=174.34.146.162:5060; retry in 29s)", where that server IP is actually the Atlanta voip.ms server, it seems. Only using the direct web access to the OBi202 and messing around in configuration, I discovered the Service Provider > SP4 was using *defaults* for X_ServProvProfile, i.e. "A" instead of needed "D", and also "A" instead of "B" for both X_RingProfile and X_CodecProfile, plus SIP credentials (to my Google Voice account) were missing. After correcting this, saving and rebooting, now SP4 is "Connected" and the other SP1, SP2, and SP3 are all still registered.  So my confidence in OBiTALK has diminished.

Now I need to decipher some of the digit map and inbound and outbound rules stuff to get things like 911 working, again working directly with the OBi202's web server.  It doesn't help that in the "OBi Device Administration Guide", that much of the related info seems geared to the OBi110 vs. OBi202...

[Clinic802]

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We have made available a detailed OBi Device Admin Guide so that expert users can gain a complete understanding of the device's operation.

Admin Guide, OBiTALK Device Management Gide, and Other Docs Here:  http://www.obihai.com/docs-downloads.html

The ObiTALK device is very nice, but unfortunately for the normal user it is slightly overwhelming.

Is it possible to have a Guide for Dummies to understand how to interpret what is in the Admin Guide?
Not the usual, plug this in there & then plug that in here; but rather something that could explain some of the device policies.


Thank You.

[Rick]

Quite simply - the OBi devices aren't for people that aren't able / willing to play with technology.  The engineers that run OBi created a guide that is one of the most user UNFRIENDLY guides I've ever seen.  The OBi boxes are very neat/cool/techy, but the little nuances, quirks, etc. that they experience clearly show that someone that is unable to handle more than Plug 'N Play should not get one. 

I based this on the fact that in the year I've owned an OBi I've seen no attempt to "dumb down" any of the documentation, which could EASILY be done by a gifted writer.

I expect that in 2013 we'll see OBi pair with third parties that offer the box, and support, configured to run their VoIP service. 

[carl]

"Quite simply - the OBi devices aren't for people that aren't able / willing to play with technology.  The engineers that run OBi created a guide that is one of the most user UNFRIENDLY guides I've ever seen.  The OBi boxes are very neat/cool/techy, but the little nuances, quirks, etc. that they experience clearly show that someone that is unable to handle more than Plug 'N Play should not get one.

I based this on the fact that in the year I've owned an OBi I've seen no attempt to "dumb down" any of the documentation, which could EASILY be done by a gifted writer."


1+
So far they have been ignoring all requests to improve the manual..
You can use the Obi without being an IT engineer but you need to spend some time on this forum, especially fishing out the old posts from RonR, or work with a provider who is willing to do some configuration help. Important thing is- keep it simple, get a working digit map and once it works do not touch it.

[Felix]

Yes, the manual absolutely sucks; and by the way, the solution is not to dumb it down - but to run it through the spell checker, and then to run it by a competent editor. Or, alternatively, publish it as a wiki, and get a community to make the correction.

That said, I disagree that "the OBi devices aren't for people that aren't able / willing to play with technology". My non-technical cousin bought OBi110, set up Google Voice, Phone Power, and plugged RJ11 leaving most settings to their default. I offered help if needed - but so far he didn't need any.

Obviously, advanced topics like tweaking DigitMap or setting up two-stage dialing requires help - but to make it work like Grandstream or Sipura/Linksys device seems quite straightforward.

[Felix]

Hi KevinB, and welcome to the forum

Not to dismiss your extensive experience in call center solutions, but making a post in an unrelated thread (especially in a sticky) is a sure sign of a newbie.

If you have trouble setting an OBi with a static IP, you may want to post your question in an appropriate forum, and I am sure somebody will be happy to help. I have several devices with static IP address and never had a problem setting them up.

Obviously, if you already boxed it up, there is no point continuing. I have used SPA when it was still Sipura, and while I love them, and they've got better over years - there is no comparison to OBi. Whatever you choose - good luck. Just don't hijack stickies on the forums!

[SIMPLE_desires]

description of what happens when you set Auto-Provisioning *disabled*...where OBiTALK settings then *overwrite* settings which are(were) set directly on the device from its own web page..? Logically, this seems flipped.  Are you sure this doesn't describe the transition to *enabled*?

yes, I, too, desire this LOGICAL CLARITY

If I disable the portal I initially setup, then ALL manual changes I've made will be wiped??

[Lafong]

Yeah---this thread isn't of much use due to the logical inconsistency pointed out by 2 earlier posters.

I am going to assume the first post in this thread is simply wrong until proven otherwise and that DISABLING auto-provisioning will NOT overwrite manual settings. The OP could be right, but it's a poorly worded post at best.

It seems more likely that he meant to say that ENABLING auto-provisioning may overwrite manual settings.

I'm specifically referring to this passage from the first post:

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

What will happen if you do this?  The OBiTALK derived configuration will over-write ALL settings modified directly on the device web page that are in conflict.  This includes Service Provider account information and call routing rules."

[sdb-]

It is entirely possible that a configuration made via the portal will be wiped if the portal is subsequently disabled.

You should save your configuration just in case.

I think it more likely that for clarity the 2nd and 3rd paragraphs following the row of +'s should be swapped.


now:

1st paragraph says using both is bad.

2nd paragraph says how to disable.

3rd paragraph explains why using both is bad.


It would be more clear if read 1, 3, 2 instead.

[antony66]

I just would like to add 1 more thing, that might help someone somehow. Today I experienced a power outage, and when I got it back, my original issue - OBi did not recognize the entered conference number - appeared again. So I had to follow drgeoff instruction, and that solved my issue again

[vailiyat]

Quite simply - the OBi devices aren't fo filezilla uc browser rufus r people that aren't able / willing to play with technology.  The engineers that run OBi created a guide that is one of the most user UNFRIENDLY guides I've ever seen.  The OBi boxes are very neat/cool/techy, but the little nuances, quirks, etc. that they experience clearly show that someone that is unable to handle more than Plug 'N Play should not get one.  

I based this on the fact that in the year I've owned an OBi I've seen no attempt to "dumb down" any of the documentation, which could EASILY be done by a gifted writer.

I expect that in 2013 we'll see OBi pair with third parties that offer the box, and support, configured to run their VoIP service.  

I ended up disabling OBiTALK auto-provisioning (plus ITSP auto-provisioning) in the OBi202 because I was "almost home"...having both SP1 and SP2 registered with voip.ms (SP2 to a voip.ms sub-account), SP3 registered to anveo, but with SP4 failing to register with Google Voice. This after several attempts using OBiTALK to configure SP4 for Google Voice (which btw on my first attempt setting up this OBi202 as the only (SP1) worked fine--made and received calls ok).

[Black1Star]

Thank You.