OBi110 Voice Service Bridge and VoIP Telephone Adapter

As an avid Google Voice user and owner of a MagicJack, I was seeking a solution that would allow me to eventually drop the MJ service. Also, I wanted my Google Voice number to always show up on the caller ID of the person I am calling, not my MJ number. Prior to purchasing the Obi, I would have GV callback my MJ simply to display my GV caller ID, just an unwanted step. Now with the Obi, I just pick up the phone and dial out and my GV caller ID is displayed. Easy and the sound quality is even better than with the MagicJack. I purchased the Obi110, instead of the Obi100, just so I can plug the MJ into the Obi Line jack until I cancel the MJ service at the end of the year. If I want to use the MJ line I can enter **9 followed by the phone number. If I want to use GV for outgoing I configured the Obi to automatically use this line as the default and no prefix is necessary.The included Obi instructions are ridiculously organized and, therefore, confusing when one first looks at it. The information is there, but it is the organization of the content that will throw off the novice or impatient.MY RECOMMENDATION: If setting up for GV just go to the ObiTalk web site and follow the short video on setting up the Obi for GV. Easy and you'll be up and running in minutes.ADDING SIP CALLING (NOT NEEDED) -TAKING IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL: A free SIP solution should also allow me to make free IP calls from my Android phone. There are many solutions but instructions are typically written by super geeks writing for other super geeks and not easily understood by the novice, until I found a user named "Newbies Delight" on a site called Megebe. The setup allows one to create a SIP setup that allows free incoming calls into the OBi and allows me to pick up the call through Google Chat, Cell Phone, Softphone of my choice, Regular Phone, and even using a SIP App on my Android (or any smartphone), without concern for a possible Google Chat conflict that may cause me to miss an incoming call coming in through GV. This setup uses the flow of: Incoming ==>GV ==> SIP ==> Obi, Outgoing ==> GV. Amazon strips out links in comments so I am pasting in the person's post with creative modifications to the URL.HERE IS FREE AND EASY SIP SETUP:In short we are going to use Google voice, sip2sip, ipkall and x-lite to make a totally free call to USA and Canada landlines and mobiles. First make sure you are reading this to have a 100% free voip (Voice Over Internet Protocol) phone that you will use to make calls to USA and Canada.What you need:1. Computer with xp/vista/win72. Internet - Highspeed for best result3. Microphone and working speaker. Mic could be builtin or external4. Ability to follow the steps I show youTo begin with, we are going to use Google voice, sip2sip, ipkall and x-lite to make a totally free call with neither credit card nor personal address asked. The phone number that we will get from google voice will be our main line. As I said earlier the aim of this tutorial is to show you a 100% free calls to usa and Canada landline and mobile phones, but if you are already paying or want to keep your existing local phone number all you need is just to signup to google voice , nothing else you are done here.Steps toward our Free Phone which will enable us to make free call all over USA and Canada.Step 1: Get a SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) serviceGet a free SIP from [...]IMPORTANT: use a valid email address because that is where all the needed information will be send.Once you signup, they will send you credentials with the following informations:- SIP address: 2233xxxxxx @ sip2sip dot info (you will need this to log in to your sip2sip account)- Password: xxxxxxxxx (needed for ipkall and sip2sip login)- Username: 2233xxxxxx (needed for ipkall )- Domain/Realm: sip2sip dot info(needed for ipkall )Important: If you don't see a mail fron sip2sip on your inbox, look for it in your spam mail and move it to your inbox so that it will be easy for you to find it when you need it.Step 2: Get ipkall number:We need a number that we will use to receive incoming calls on our Sip.Where do we get one for free?* www dot ipkall dot comNow you need to use the information received on email from sip2sip to signon for ipkall.I have already marked them needed for Ipkall on step 1.On ipkall:Your account type is SIPChoose your area code: your number will start with the area code you chose.SIP username : sip2sip username as shown in your email. It is a number without @ on it.Host name or ip address: sip2sip dot infoEmail address: Your email address where you want to receive your credentials.Password: your sip2sip password which is emailed to youNow you will be emailed your ipkall number and the following credentials:Thank you for signing up. Your IPKall phone number is: XXX-XXX-XXXX.SIP Phone Number: 2233xxxxxxSIP Proxy: sip2sip dot infoEmail: xxxxx@ example dot comPassword: xxxxxxxxNotice: your Ipkall and sip2sip user name and password are the same.Step 3: Get x-lite softphoneSo far we only got SIP provider and a phone number for our incoming calls. We need a phone that will enable us to enter numbers. Although we are not going to use this soft phone to make outgoing calls we will need it to receive calls from google voice which requires conformation to get a google number.What do we need?Install x-lite 4 from www dot counterpath dot comImportant: make sure you downloaded the free version as they have a paid ones as well. And download the windows version for windows and mac version for mac operating machine. Mine is windows so if you are running mac you are on your own, there is nothing I can help, sorry.Once your soft phone has successfully downloaded, there is a button called soft phone (on x-lite 4) on the top left, click on it go to the account setting.All you need is the following (they are all in your email from si2sip) and leave the rest as is:User id: your sip2sip username 2233xxxxxx (without @sip...)Domain: sip2sip dot infoPassword: your sip2sip password (it is on your mail)Authorization name: sip2sip user name (similar to user ID 2233xxxxxx without @sip...)Domain proxy: please select the box "register with domain and receive calls"Click ok to configure x-lite with SIP.If It says phone ready proceed to next step, if not you need to get it right before you proceed.To those of you who configured your x-lite successfully, congratulations and proceed to next stepstep 4: get google voice numberWhat do I need?a. gmail account - if you don't have one, signup and get a gmail account at www dot google dot com - click on the gmail linkb. singin to www dot google dot com/voice with you gmail accountc. when asked for your phone number - enter the phone number you have received from ipkall which is in your mail that you have received from ipkall.Now your x-lite should call, and to enter the conformation code, please use the dial pad on your x-lite (click on the Icon which is located to the left of where you enter phone numbers to call. To be specific there is a call icon on the right.). If you use your key board it is not going to detect it, make sure you used the soft phone dial pad.Once the number is confirmed, you are set. Now go to google voice and make calls to your friend for freeeeeeee. Hey when you place a call if you are asked which line to use to connect you, make sure you select the ipkall phone, not google talk. If you don't know what I am talking about just go to google voice click call, then you will see a pop up window where you put the number to call and provide you option to select , that is where you need to select your ipkall number and save setting for further use.Don't try to intiate call from x-lite it is not going to work because you need credit, instead use google voice.How it works?When you place a call on google voice, it will first ring on x-lite then when you accept the incoming call on x-lite it will automatically calls the number you entered on google voice and make use of your soft phone (x-lite) mic and speaker ready for use.ENTER SIP ACCOUNT INFO ON THE OBIJust enter the same SIP configuration used for the X-Lite into the OBI SIP Provider 2. Now incoming calls into GV will go GV==>SIP==>Obi. All of the phones you have configured in GV will ring without issue.USING ON ANDROIDCurrently using SIPDROID and followed the instruction to configure the SIP account. There are many apps for Android and I am sure there are many apps also for the IPhone.

Update 4/7/2015 The phone number I gave on the last Update no longer is answered so I do not use it anymore. I do not trust the security of it with my Google passwords as whenever it has them my Google account gets opened and then the passwords to both are changed and Obi is not available to talk about it anymore either. I got sick of endless password recovery and ditched the Obi.I would rather use a mic off my computer anyways as I hated holding a phone while on a long hold and I can hear better too on a 500 watts 5.1 THX certified surround sound.UPDATE 11/17/2012: I spent endless hours again trying to fix the problem again when I sent off another email to the same address and OBI replied to it this time. I got their tech support number and it eventually got fixed. With their permission here is the tech support number: 408.634.5904.The tech guy was very nice and helpful. He could not believe what the Obi110 was doing but we reset everything all over again a few times and it eventually worked.Consequently I put the 5 stars rating back up because the one star rating was for not replying to my emails or having a working tech support line, both of which have been remedied. All I was out was a few months phone use and that can be forgiven. *******************************************************************************************************************************UPDATE 11/11/2012: My Obi110 worked great once set up last year until last month. I think the problem is google voice. It sure is not my router or my internet. I can call the test numbers just fine but it does not work with google voice either to send or receive but my google voice does send and prints and records incoming calls that do not work on the Obi110.When the Obi110 suddenly stopped working last month I noticed it needed a firmware update. After the update and it listed as online like it is supposed to on the obi site I looked at google voice. My google voice was having server issues at the time where it would not make calls sometimes. However google voice has worked fine for several weeks yet the Obi110 still does not work.I wrote several emails to Obi110 customer service with no replies. Thus I am about to abandon my Obi110 and changed my 5 star review to 1 star. I decided to see what was said on the issue here in the reviews first in case somebody could help me. Help!********************************************************************************************************************************All the reviews said it was plug and play easy but I found their support pretty frustrating. The problem was you must make not just a Google Voice account (GV) but also run the GV from a gmail account as well.I made my GV from another email service which caused their instructions not to work by failing to give the correct options listed in the directions. Then after trying every possibility I gave up trying and just went to trouble shooting to start exploring the return option. The trouble shooting then eventually said somewhere in piles of possible malfunctions that you had to use gmail to set up and use GV with it.Maybe it was just me but they should have written the directions clearer. They should have written that IF a certain option was not available to make sure they set up their GV from a gmail as you can have GV without gmail and not get this to work no matter what you do.Once set up the Obi110 works good. The phone does not ring as loud however. The sound quality is better than the phone company's but lags a little. I like having my area code auto filled in for making calls so I only have to dial 7 numbers in my area code even if it is long distance.My biggest concern was getting a local number but I had no problem with that.If you have router room to plug another ethernet in then it is great and I recommend it if for no other reason than to get a second phone for long distance. I got mine for $50 but it was $45 on sale recently.GV has great options for free just make sure you have a cell phone or land line to call your isp if your internet goes down. I tried using the wall land line option using the old phone company line but that did not work.I do much prefer an normal house phone than cell or Skype type voip so I am very happy with the device. I will save $250 next year instead of paying $25 a month to a phone company that has a hard time correcting billing errors and broken promises without using the BBB. After my third win at the BBB and I cancelled my land line and went shopping.I found this to be the best voip option despite the seemingly bad directions for those with GV and no gmail.