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IF YOUR OBI NEEDS UPDATES SEE HERE

See here for some good tutorials on setting up the Obi.

You can switch your current landline number into a Google Voice account to retain your phone number on a free Obi phone line.
To port your landline to GV:
  • Get ahold of an old Page Plus or Verizon cell phone that isn't being used. Port your existing landline to Page Plus for free through their website.
  • Fill out the port form and put in your landline number and the old PP cell phone's ESN or MEID number (from under the battery) and wait a couple of days for it to go through. You will know that the port is complete, when dialing your landline rings on the cell phone.
  • Once the account is active, buy $10 worth of minutes from PagePlus in order to receive the verification call from GV.
  • Now you can initiate the GV port. It's a good idea to open a new Gmail account. You can then setup all emails that come to that account (all the voicemails notifications) to be forwarded to your main Gmail account. Login to GV from the new account and port in your number. It will cost $20, and you will get an email when the port to GV is complete.
Using the above method will only have incoming Caller ID numbers, not names. If you want names as well, follow these steps:
  • Go to https://www.callcentric.com/, click Products, then click the yellow Get A Number button next to Free Phone Number.
  • Use the tool on the left to pick an area code, then order the number. It doesn’t have to be something memorable, because no one will ever have to dial it.
  • When it asks if you’re in US/Canada, either select Yes to use their E911 service, or No if you want to use something else. Callcentric setup is free, plus $1.50/mo if you want E911 services. See below for more details.
  • After you receive a confirmation email from Callcentric with your new account info, go to obitalk.com, and log into your Obi. Click SP2, scroll down to OBiTALK Compatible Service Providers, then click Next. Follow the prompts to link your Callcentric account. In the box that says Callcentric Number, enter the 1777 number you got in the email. Uncheck Primary Line for Outgoing Calls and 911.
  • Open Google Voice, go into Settings, and add a forwarding phone. Enter the real phone number you got in the email from Callcentric. Google will call it to confirm; it should ring on your Obi. Answer it and enter the code shown by GV.
  • Uncheck forward to Google Chat.
  • Log into your Callcentric account. Click Preferences. Under General, enable Caller ID with name (Inbound calls). (You can also change the maximum call duration, and unlist yourself from the directory).
or this for a $5 one time fee.
https://simonics.com/gw/?promo=nerdvittles


If you’re not using Callcentric, you have to set up SP3 in Obi settings to point to your E911 provider’s account.
E911 providers:
Callcentric$18/year ($1.50/mo) + $1.50 setup
Anveo$15/year
http://www.gv911.com/$12/year
http://www.bulkvs.com/e911.html$8.64/year ($0.72/mo)

If you want the SP2 to ring like the standard US ringtone:
go to obi expert config, then to voice service, select sp2, and change it to this:
X_ServProvProfile B
X_RingProfile   A
X_CodecProfile   A

You can add your CID http://www.listyourself.net/ListYourself/listing.jsp?ID=new
and check your CID http://who.scalling.com/411/

Author Topic: OBi Master Thread  (Read 359346 times)

Offline Dan

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Re: OBi 110
« Reply #200 on: March 20, 2012, 04:04:17 PM »
Mine is wired through my wireless router.
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline nis965

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Re: OBi 110
« Reply #201 on: March 20, 2012, 06:16:03 PM »
Try logging into your obi account and check for updates. When my obi is acting up it's sometimes because I didn't install the newest updates.

Offline njmacman

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Re: OBi 110
« Reply #202 on: March 20, 2012, 07:00:22 PM »
Mine works in Israel, but I actually use Magicjack there. I keep my Obi in the States and can use it wireless through my iPhone anywhere I get WIFI.

Offline Steven

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Re: OBi 110
« Reply #203 on: March 21, 2012, 09:22:49 PM »
Try logging into your obi account and check for updates. When my obi is acting up it's sometimes because I didn't install the newest updates.
thanks!
if anyone else has advice hope to trouble shoot with their OBi (mines keeps dropping call after a few min) I would really appreciate it. My wife is ready to make me get rid of it and get a real phone line!

Offline njmacman

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Re: OBi 110
« Reply #204 on: March 22, 2012, 04:55:45 PM »
Try going straight into the wired router to test it. If calls fine then you know the issue is with your wireless router.

Offline satturn

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Re: OBi 110
« Reply #205 on: March 22, 2012, 05:40:07 PM »
i have been having sporadic problems with incoming calls not connecting...any ideas?

I am connected directly to the router.

Offline kayef

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Re: OBi 110
« Reply #206 on: March 22, 2012, 07:35:24 PM »
i have been having sporadic problems with incoming calls not connecting...any ideas?

I am connected directly to the router.
did you check for updates?

Offline satturn

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Re: OBi 110
« Reply #207 on: March 25, 2012, 03:35:20 AM »
did you check for updates?

yes. its not the issue.

i think i figured it out.... this is a common problem on the obi forums that they have many different workarounds.


Offline satturn

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Re: OBi 110
« Reply #208 on: March 25, 2012, 03:36:32 AM »
Also great news for israel users.

Spikko can be connected to your SP2 on the obi to get a full local number in israel or abroad! and its sorta free!

Offline MnM1130

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Re: OBi 110
« Reply #209 on: March 25, 2012, 05:27:43 AM »
im also having trouble now with incoming calls- They arent coming in- the phone rings- and noones there.. but if i press 1 it comes through. weird. and also im having trouble with calls dropping... didn have these problems b4 (im in israel)

Offline satturn

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Re: OBi 110
« Reply #210 on: March 25, 2012, 05:51:16 AM »
im also having trouble now with incoming calls- They arent coming in- the phone rings- and noones there.. but if i press 1 it comes through. weird. and also im having trouble with calls dropping... didn have these problems b4 (im in israel)

i had the same problem here in israel.

look it up on the obi forums, (http://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=2703.0) they have multiple fixes there. i did one of them last night, i will see if it works next time i get a call. also update the firmware. they released a new one last week.

btw get spikko, it great for israel calls for  cheap/free and it can be added to the obi so it works on a regular phone.
« Last Edit: March 25, 2012, 05:55:58 AM by satturn »

Offline MarkS

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Re: OBi 110
« Reply #211 on: April 01, 2012, 04:34:20 PM »
Question!
I got the Obi, some kind guys on the forums helped me figure out how to port my number (Thanks!) and I'm all set up. Since the configuration is from my modem to my router to my Obi, and my router drops of every other day or so out of the blue only to reconnect by itself after a minute, I wanted to configure the Obi directly through the modem. The problem is that the modem only has one ethernet port.

Does anyone know if an ethernet splitter would work? I would put that into my modem, one cord would go to Obi, and one to Router.

Some reports I've seen say using an ethernet splitter is never a good idea and will cause all sorts of problems and others say no problem.

Did anyone try doing this with their Obi?

Offline MarkS

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Re: OBi 110
« Reply #212 on: April 01, 2012, 04:52:05 PM »
I have both incoming and outgoing faxing working! I set my fax transmission speed to 9600 as I've seen online to enable faxing.

As far as the 911 discussion goes, every city/town has a direct police local number. Calling that actually gets you help sooner since calling 911 takes you to a regional center who then transfers your call to your local police station.

I programmed the local 732 number for the police station in my Town into my phone and now I can dial them with only pressing 2 digits on my phone (even quicker than dialing 911!)

Offline njmacman

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Re: OBi 110
« Reply #213 on: April 01, 2012, 07:06:37 PM »
How can you downgrade the fax to 9600 baud? I have a Brother fax. There is an overseas mode, but you have to program it each time.

Offline MarkS

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Re: OBi 110
« Reply #214 on: April 01, 2012, 07:09:51 PM »
How can you downgrade the fax to 9600 baud? I have a Brother fax. There is an overseas mode, but you have to program it each time.
On my Canon there is an option under fax settings to change it.
The truth is, I didn't even try it without changing, I just relied on online reports that said you need to change it....

If you have this one it may already be on 9600. I have noticed that it prints the fax much slower on 9600 than my machine did before I switched but it's worth saving $30 per month!!!

Offline moto

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Re: OBi 110
« Reply #215 on: May 01, 2012, 01:42:12 AM »
I just ordered the thing can someone please explain me when I get it how to set it up and how to connect my google voice to it thank you

Offline satturn

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Re: OBi 110
« Reply #216 on: May 01, 2012, 03:37:25 AM »
I just ordered the thing can someone please explain me when I get it how to set it up and how to connect my google voice to it thank you
http://www.obihai.com/tutorials-tips.html

Offline MarkS

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Re: OBi 110
« Reply #217 on: May 01, 2012, 11:00:17 AM »
I just ordered the thing can someone please explain me when I get it how to set it up and how to connect my google voice to it thank you
Here is a previous post on this thread from Smurf. I've made some changes to the post for clarity.


heres a landline to GV port demo;

Get a hold of an old Page Plus or Verizon cell phone that isn't being used. Port your existing landline to Page Plus for free through their website
select I want to port my existing number
Then fill out the port form and put in your landline number and the cell phones ID number (from under the battery) and wait a couple of days for it to go through. You will know that the port is complete, when dialing your landline rings to the cell phone.

After the port completes you should have an active PP line with 2 dollars credit in the account DON'T WASTE IT!! You'll need it to accept a 1 minute call to verify the GV port!
Once the port is complete you can initiate the GV port. People have reported that it's wise to open a new Gmail account (ie not one that you have open a lot on your computer). I then setup all emails that come to that account (all my voicemails...) to be forwarded to my main gmail account. Login to Google voice from that new account and port in the number. It will cost $20, and within 24 hours the port to GV will be complete.

 Verify the number and you are all done!

Go through the tutorials in the post above as well!!

Offline JEWDA

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Re: OBi 110
« Reply #218 on: May 01, 2012, 11:05:53 AM »
When u port your # from pp to gv does that mean it will ring on both your pp an gv?
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Offline MarkS

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Re: OBi 110
« Reply #219 on: May 01, 2012, 11:07:05 AM »
When u port your # from pp to gv does that mean it will ring on both your pp an gv?
NO. Porting it removes it from the PP phone and puts it into GV which when configured properly with your obi that has your landline phone plugged in - will become your landline.

I waited so long after this was originally posted to cave in and go for it. Now that I have it, I kick myself for not doing it earlier! I pay $30 per month for my internet and that's all!!

Even when it's not on sale and costs $50, it's not worth waiting for it to go on sale. Every 10 days that you wait, costs you another $10 in phone bills (on a $30 per month landline!)