Google Voice Manual Config

[revengineer]

Hi,
I am trying to setup Google Voice manually rather than through the Obitalk web site, but I am having no luck. I am setting as follows


ITSP Profile A/General set SignalingProtocol set to "Google Voice";
ITSP Profile A/General set X_UseFixedDurationRFC2833DTMF to enabled (checked)
Voice Services/SP1 in the SIP Credentials section set AuthUserName to your Gmail email address (you may omit the "@gmail.com" if you wish);
Voice Services/SP1 in the SIP Credentials section set AuthPassword to your Gmail password;
Voice Services/SP1 in the Calling Features section set X_SkipCallScreening (way at the bottom) to enabled (checked). The need for this is explained fully in Step 8 below;


This was not working so I also tried
X_UserAgentPort 5080
OutboundProxyPort 0
ProxyServerPort 0

but no luck. When I configure through the Obitalk website everything works fine. I am using the latest firmware built 2868.

Help greatly appreciated.

[gderf]

I don't think you can manually config for GV once the firmware has been upgraded to 4412. It uses a new authentication method with GV that isn't available in manual configuration settings.

[azrobert]

Try to manually install build 2824.

Download here:
http://fw.obihai.com/OBi-1-3-0-2824.fw

Then go to:
System Management -> Device Update -> Firmware Update

I don't know if the Obi will let you downgrade.

[mykmayk]

I don't know if the Obi will let you downgrade.

nope, i tried the other day. obi won't let me downgrade from 1.3.0 (Build: 2868) to 2824.

[corporate_gadfly]

I don't think you can manually config for GV once the firmware has been upgraded to 4412. It uses a new authentication method with GV that isn't available in manual configuration settings.

That's a big downer for me. I would like to use the Oauth 2.0 method for GV, but I am not willing to use the Obi portal. Am I out of luck?

What are the chances of switching to Obi portal for the GV setup briefly and then going back to manual config?

[revengineer]

I don't think you can manually config for GV once the firmware has been upgraded to 4412. It uses a new authentication method with GV that isn't available in manual configuration settings.

I was afraid of that. I tried downgrading the firmware but this is not allowed. So with the latest firmware online config is now mandatory for Google Voice and OBi has the power to shut this use down at any time. My guess is that this is done on purpose and might explain the absence of any release notes for the latest firmware. I could kick myself for "bricking" my Obi by upgrading. I say "bricking" because Obi no longer works the way it did the way I purchased it. If you have not upgraded, don't do it!!!!

[revengineer]

I don't think you can manually config for GV once the firmware has been upgraded to 4412. It uses a new authentication method with GV that isn't available in manual configuration settings.

That's a big downer for me. I would like to use the Oauth 2.0 method for GV, but I am not willing to use the Obi portal. Am I out of luck?

What are the chances of switching to Obi portal for the GV setup briefly and then going back to manual config?

To setup GV now you have to accept the firmware update and you will not be able to return to old firmware. Willing to take the chance???

[corporate_gadfly]

Willing to take the chance???

I was hoping you could speak to that yourself, since you have already used portal and are already on the new firmware.

What happens if you turn off autoprovisioning and auto updates now and only use the device's web interface?

• Does GV continue to operate with incoming/outgoing calls?
• What does the config screen look like for the GV Service Provider in the local web interface?

[revengineer]

Willing to take the chance???

I was hoping you could speak to that yourself, since you have already used portal and are already on the new firmware.

What happens if you turn off autoprovisioning and auto updates now and only use the device's web interface?

• Does GV continue to operate with incoming/outgoing calls?
• What does the config screen look like for the GV Service Provider in the local web interface?

I have not yet tried if I can remove the unit from Obitalk now. That would be worth a try because I would really like to operate the unit disconnected from the portal.

[SteveInWA]

Guys:  if you want to use Google Voice with an OBi device, "don't fight the power":  use the OBiTALK portal to update to the latest firmware and manage the service provider slots.  This method is required to use Google Voice with OBi devices.  Trying to hack this on the local web interface is just going to cause a mess, and a potential security exposure, and there is no good reason to use a downlevel release of firmware at this time.  The "I hate the portal and how dare Obihai update my firmware" attitude is really no longer realistic.  The firmware is solid.

Do this:

Open your web browser.  Log into the Google account you want to use with GV and your OBi (by "log in", I mean sign into any Google app, such as Gmail or Google Voice or Hangouts, so that your browser's session cookies are showing Google that you are logged into the account).

Open a separate browser tab (Ctrl-T), and on that tab, log into your OBiTALK portal page.  If you have an existing GV service provider slot defined on your OBi device, delete it, and wait for the OBi device to be remotely rebooted.  Then, add the GV service provider again.  When you go through the procedure, it will use OAUTH 2.0 to authenticate to your GV account.  This will pop up a window, from your Google account, and it will ask you to approve giving OBiTALK permission for offline access to your account.  Once you do that, the OBiTALK provisioning system will go through the authentication process with Google, and it will automatically download the necessary firmware to your device, if it's not already installed.  You will see a spinner icon while this is happening.  You can't make this work properly without using the portal.

Seriously:  don't try to hack this.   Just follow the procedure if you want to use GV.  If you are intent on using the local portal, you can disable updates AFTER you complete this procedure, but you will need to enable it again the next time you need to change your Google Voice configuration, so don't forget that the portal will over-write any futzing you did on the local web page.

[azrobert]

If you are intent on using the local portal, you can disable updates AFTER you complete this procedure, but you will need to enable it again the next time you need to change your Google Voice configuration, so don't forget that the portal will over-write any futzing you did on the local web page.

If you need to make any GV changes, the following procedure should preserve any changes made locally.

Via Web Interface:
System Management -> Device Update
Under Backup Configuration check Use Obi Version
Click Backup

Via OBiTalk
Enter OBi Expert Configuration
Under Manage Expert Configuration
Click Browse and find the backup from above
Click Import Config to OBi Expert

Now turn provisioning on and make your GV changes via OBiTalk
After updates are complete turn provisioning off
I have not tried the above
If you try this procedure please report back
SteveInWa, please comment

[SteveInWA]

Robert, thanks; that make sense to me; all the non-GV settings should successfully backup and restore.

Obihai is pushing frequent firmware updates for the 1032 phone right now, and I need to factory reset and manually reconfigure the phone for testing purposes.  The phone has its own ability to change settings from the GUI, and until all three of those settings methods are working reliably, I can't do a conclusive test.  I don't have GV configured on my 202. 

What I don't know, is what, if anything, GV-related is properly backed up and restored via the local backup procedure.  Hopefully, your procedure will just ignore and not overwrite it.  So, like you said, if someone (not me), could test it, and report back, that would be great.

In any case, it isn't difficult to just nuke and re-create the GV configuration via the portal, as long as you've restored the rest of the settings via your procedure.

[revengineer]

Hi Steve,
thank you for your insight. My intention was not to "fight the power" but rather use the Obi the way I was able to use it since I bought it two years ago, i.e., it was possible to easily configure it manually without giving a third party access. I do not see any security issue with that path.

The security is that I did see, however, was that I had to give Obitalk my google credentials, which was less than ideal. This is now solved with the oauth login.

As you said, with oauth there is no manual configuration option and use of Obitalk is required. This is what I figured out the hard way trying many things because I did not find this spelled out so clearly as you did. 

I do confirm that after configuring google voice, I can now turn off auto-provisioning and the Obi keeps running. This is an ok solution but not ideal since I rely on Obi to offer google voice configuration in the future if I need to reconfigure. I would hate to have Obi's financial interest (e.g., partnering relationships with voip providers) get in the way of me configuring my device at a later time. Of course, if google really turns of the google talk protocol we are screwed for other reasons.

I do beg to differ on the comment that the "firmware is solid". My recent reconfiguration was triggered by a repeatedly occurring problem, where once in a while the network light start flashing like crazy and Obi can no longer make inbound or outbound calls. the only way around that is to reboot the Obi manually, which requires me to be at home. A number of folks have reported this issue, and a few "solutions" are offered. However, none of these solutions have stood the test of time. I am at a loss, and it seems like Obi tech support is too.

In any case, I know now that I have to use Obitalk to configure and that I can disconnect from Obitalk afterward if I wish to do so for security reasons.

Thanks again for the input.

Cheers.

[Mango]

I do confirm that after configuring google voice, I can now turn off auto-provisioning and the Obi keeps running.

Can you also disable OBiTALK Service?

I have another question, just based on my curiosity: if you look at the SPx Service for your Google Voice account, do you see anything relevant there?  In other words, once OBiTALK generates the OAuth credentials, could you copy/paste them to another device?

[SteveInWA]

Hi Steve,
I would hate to have Obi's financial interest
(e.g., partnering relationships with voip providers) get in the way of me
configuring my device at a later time. Of course, if google really turns of
the google talk protocol we are screwed for other reasons.

I don't know why people think there is some sort of nefarious, sneaky motive by Obihai or Google or the SIP ITSPs.  There simply isn't.  Obihai wasn't trying to con anyone into switching to one of their authorized providers, and as you can see, they want their devices to work with GV, as evidenced by their continued development of firmware and software to support GV.

If you look at Obihai's history as a company, they "bootstrapped" their business by riding on the lure of free calling via Google Voice.  It attracted a lot of users, obviously.  Now, Obihai is diversifying their business model to be less dependent on the uncertainty of continued access to GV.  They're doing some smart things by adding new products for the enterprise and system integrator market, and partnering with service providers and resellers for mutual benefit.  It's no different than a product manufacturer, for example a furnace and air conditioner manufacturer like Carrier, establishing an authorized dealer network.  It makes perfect sense.  

Obihai is still leveraging that "GV lure", as long as the fish are biting.  They honestly couldn't care less which service provider you use, as long as you buy one of their products.  I have no idea what sort of financial terms are involved with a SIP ITSP being blessed into Obihai's "Approved service provider" program, but it's probably more of a mutual back-scratching arrangement than a substantial source of revenue for Obihai.  Remember:  the more choices of service providers a Obihai customer has, the more likely they are to buy an OBi device.  That's all it is.

[azrobert]

There is a problem with my procedure in Reply#10 above.
Obi config backups don't include passwords, so you will probably need to re-enter passwords after the import into OBi Expert.

[SteveInWA]

There is a problem with my procedure in Reply#10 above.
Obi config backups don't include passwords, so you will probably need to re-enter passwords after the import into OBi Expert.

And, that also answers Mango's question... no, there is nothing of interest at all, to copy over, on the local web page for the Google Voice SP slot.

You'll simply need to re-do the GV SP provisioning via the portal, if necessary.

[Mango]

Very interesting, so the credentials are stored in a secret non-accessible place.

[gderf]

Very interesting, so the credentials are stored in a secret non-accessible place.

That was the security enhancement

[Mango]

What I should have said was "so the access token is stored in a secret non-accessible place".