Topic Wiki

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 411053 times)

Offline Yisroel Tech

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Re: OBi Master Thread
« Reply #1640 on: April 27, 2023, 10:19:24 AM »
"Get added" what does that mean to those already configured?
Any reason to believe Google will keep the integration alive ?
"Get added" means - as it sounds... - to add a device not added/configured with the service yet.

I don't believe there is any change here from Google's end, it's simply Poly (who acquired OBiTALK) not wanting to still need to support old legacy setups so they won't let you add those devices to use the service any more (and "they" say that - at least for now - working devices should remain working.)

Offline Alexsei

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Re: OBi Master Thread
« Reply #1641 on: April 27, 2023, 10:22:52 AM »
"Get added" means - as it sounds... - to add a device not added/configured with the service yet.

I don't believe there is any change here from Google's end, it's simply Poly (who acquired OBiTALK) not wanting to still need to support old legacy setups so they won't let you add those devices to use the service any more (and "they" say that - at least for now - working devices should remain working.)
What exactly is Google's gain in keeping the integration alive? Google deliberately shut down any other kind of integration and kept the API open exclusively for Obi
Who's the most ignored user on the forums?

Offline Yisroel Tech

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Re: OBi Master Thread
« Reply #1642 on: April 27, 2023, 10:36:26 AM »
What exactly is Google's gain in keeping the integration alive? Google deliberately shut down any other kind of integration and kept the API open exclusively for Obi
I don't really know what their gain is, but what was their gain for the last decade or so? Nothing said to be changing with that.

Offline Definitions

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Re: OBi Master Thread
« Reply #1643 on: April 27, 2023, 07:51:03 PM »
What exactly is Google's gain in keeping the integration alive? Google deliberately shut down any other kind of integration and kept the API open exclusively for Obi
Likely a contract
My Tapatalk notifications don't always work.

Offline SearchGuy

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Re: OBi Master Thread
« Reply #1644 on: June 01, 2023, 02:33:23 PM »
What exactly is Google's gain in keeping the integration alive? Google deliberately shut down any other kind of integration and kept the API open exclusively for Obi
International calling? I am using it a lot

Offline talmid chuchem

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Re: OBi Master Thread
« Reply #1645 on: June 01, 2023, 02:59:59 PM »
any SP that charge only for usage? no monthly fee etc (can even be expensive usage, as i want to use it for emergency phone) besides GV

Offline Yisroel Tech

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Re: OBi Master Thread
« Reply #1646 on: June 01, 2023, 03:05:11 PM »
any SP that charge only for usage? no monthly fee etc (can even be expensive usage, as i want to use it for emergency phone) besides GV
voip.ms can do it. But only if you do not need any incoming calls (if you need incoming calls you already need a DID which costs 0.85/month.)

But you need to add money in $15 at a time, so you need to start with $15.

(Get $10 added - after first adding $15 yourself - by using this link https://voip.ms/en/invite/MzcwNjYz)

Offline SearchGuy

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Re: OBi Master Thread
« Reply #1647 on: June 01, 2023, 04:05:12 PM »
any SP that charge only for usage? no monthly fee etc (can even be expensive usage, as i want to use it for emergency phone) besides GV
Callcentric

Offline SearchGuy

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Re: OBi Master Thread
« Reply #1648 on: June 01, 2023, 04:06:05 PM »

Offline Yisroel Tech

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Re: OBi Master Thread
« Reply #1649 on: June 02, 2023, 12:32:05 PM »
Callcentric
Callcentric vs. voip.ms I think it would depend on your need, but voip.ms will be more complex to set up but cheaper and with more features.

Offline av83

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Re: OBi Master Thread
« Reply #1650 on: September 03, 2023, 08:38:13 PM »
I didnt go through the whole thread- Is my OBI going to stop working at the end of 2023? what the next best option for landline?

Offline csoldx

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Re: OBi Master Thread
« Reply #1651 on: September 07, 2023, 09:07:19 PM »
I didnt go through the whole thread- Is my OBI going to stop working at the end of 2023? what the next best option for landline?

If the obi website (where management happens with ease) goes down, you can still maintain paid service via programming the obi device manually.
I just resurrected an old obi 110 to use the VoIP.Ms service by following directions here:
https://wiki.voip.ms/article/OBi_100/110_%26_OBi_200

Offline m65

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Re: OBi Master Thread
« Reply #1652 on: September 27, 2023, 04:00:53 AM »
i live in israel and use obi with google voice for usa landline
i moved to a different apartment in same building and transferred the internet over
now the obi isnt connecting to my israeli router, any ideas?

Offline Yisroel Tech

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Re: OBi Master Thread
« Reply #1653 on: September 27, 2023, 06:41:03 AM »
i live in israel and use obi with google voice for usa landline
i moved to a different apartment in same building and transferred the internet over
now the obi isnt connecting to my israeli router, any ideas?

Other devices are connecting to this router (with same Internet cable)? Is the IP range the same as the old apartment's router (192.168.1.x or whatever it was) or it's a new IP range? Which OBi model?

Offline m65

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Re: OBi Master Thread
« Reply #1654 on: September 27, 2023, 01:15:16 PM »
Other devices are connecting to this router (with same Internet cable)? Is the IP range the same as the old apartment's router (192.168.1.x or whatever it was) or it's a new IP range? Which OBi model?
its a polycom device, it says google voice on it, the internet and the israeli line sitting on the internet are working fine
i dont know what my old ip range was so i cant compare the 2

Offline Yisroel Tech

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Re: OBi Master Thread
« Reply #1655 on: September 27, 2023, 01:21:27 PM »
its a polycom device, it says google voice on it
That is not a model number. Check the label/writing on the device to find the model number.

Quote
the internet and the israeli line sitting on the internet are working fine
You have a router where the internet comes in. What are the other devices connected "wired" out from this router?

Quote
i dont know what my old ip range was so i cant compare the 2
Okay. What is the current LAN (Local) IP address of the router the OBi device is connected to?


Also, what does it say on the phone when you try placing a call with the OBi?

On the phone, connected to the OBi, can you try dialing ***1 and see what it tells you?

Offline m65

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Re: OBi Master Thread
« Reply #1656 on: September 27, 2023, 08:40:36 PM »
That is not a model number. Check the label/writing on the device to find the model number.
You have a router where the internet comes in. What are the other devices connected "wired" out from this router?
Okay. What is the current LAN (Local) IP address of the router the OBi device is connected to?


Also, what does it say on the phone when you try placing a call with the OBi?

On the phone, connected to the OBi, can you try dialing ***1 and see what it tells you?
pm sent. dont feel sharing that info publicly

Offline tbg

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Re: OBi Master Thread
« Reply #1657 on: September 27, 2023, 09:02:44 PM »
Does anyone know how to block certain outgoing numbers on an obi?

Offline Yisroel Tech

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Re: OBi Master Thread
« Reply #1658 on: September 28, 2023, 01:20:51 AM »
pm sent. dont feel sharing that info publicly

There is nothing of my questions that should be an issue sharing publicly.

Offline m65

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Re: OBi Master Thread
« Reply #1659 on: October 02, 2023, 01:28:59 PM »
a huge thanx to @Yisroel Tech for coming thru and answering my questions patiently by email and getting the problem solved
ה' יברך אותו!