03-09-13
A Strange Excess of Entitlement
02-10-13
Ricky Rocket and the Radio Planet
12-23-12
The Consumer VOIP Product You've Been Waiting For May Have Arrived
How many of us still have a landline? The recently released study from the Center for Disease Control says that 34% of
US households have only a wireless phone. That's an incredible number. And yet, I'll also guess a lot of us would like
to have an alternative to both cellphones and landlines. I know of plenty of people who can't afford a regular cell
plan and use pay-as-you-go phones, at least when they can afford to replenish them. When they can't, they do without.
And even those of us that can afford to use cell for everything sometimes wish we didn't have to, especially when we
have a job, a business or a teenager that eats up the minutes as fast as they are credited. Okay, let's fix it!
I love my OBihai 100. It
plays nice with Google voice who currently provide free VOIP service to the continental US, and a number of other
providers. If (when?) Google ever starts charging for this valuable service they will go in with a lot of good will
from all of us who have enjoyed the free lunch and a proven track record. I've had mine for a few months without a
single dropped call or any of the usual VOIP issues. Best of all, calls between two Obihai end points are always free,
so if you buy two units you can place one at a relative or friends house and really save some money. This is a favorite
tactic for international callers. Read the reviews at NewEgg and Amazon and be surprised at the high ratings these
devices have received.
The OBi 100 is
the least expensive model and the one I currently own. It has a single ethernet port and a single FXS RJ-11 analog
phone port into which you will plug an ordinary wired or cordless telephone set. In combination with a regular VOIP
provider or a Google Voice account you'll be ready to start making and receiving calls. I have a cheap cordless set
with answering machine plugged into my unit with the idea that if Google voice fails to pick up an unanswered call, the
answering machine will get it. This arrangement would also serve well if I start using one of the many VOIP vendors
that can work with the device. Any vendor that supports SIP protocol should
work, but anyone who has worked with VOIP knows that you can't be sure until you try. A list of known compatible VOIP
providers is shown at the end of the review. It should be adequate for most peoples needs and can support 2 VOIP
accounts providers on one device. The web-based setup and administration screens on the devices and at Obihai.com are not dummy-simple but can be gotten through by a careful and patient consumer
with good reading comprehension and a willingness to read help files and perhaps use Google to do further research.
I've never had to call their support team but have heard good things. An app is available to allow you to run the
Obihai client on your cell phone, for extra fun, confusion and bragging rights.
The OBi110 as the next step up differs from the 100 only in the addition of a FXO RJ-11 analog port which allows use of a regular POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) line as an alternate gateway. I can think of a few folks who might have need of such a thing, IE: those who already have a preferred vendor for overseas calls or who might need to make occasional calls out on a phone switch for some reason. It costs about US $10.00 more than the OBi-100.
The next step up is the OBI202 Router. Besides being able to function as a router either for a subnet on your current network or as a main router for a small home network, the 202 can connect using a wireless USB dongle costing about US $25.00 as its uplink, turning it into a true road warrior tool. I wish more routers supported this sort of connectivity. The OBi202 goes for about US $72.00 as this is written, and supports 2 Google Voice and 4 SIP providers. The router function only provides 2 ethernet ports so if you are going to use it as your main router you will need a small switch and possibly a wireless access point for a good home or small office experience. Personally I would recommend using it as a subnet router and leaving something more capable to handle the main networks routing needs.
SUMMARY
After this device is configured it's been very trouble free and even travels well. I have driven to other peoples houses and simply plugged it in and started making calls. SIP is not very secure so do use some caution if using these devices on the road or under insecure circumstances. There is no less expensive way to get good VOIP service and Obihai is regarded as the very best option for interfacing with Google Voice accounts. Do your research and I think you'll agree. I'm not affiliated with Obihai in any way and did not recieve any compensation or free hardware for writing this review.
I love my OBihai 100. It
plays nice with Google voice who currently provide free VOIP service to the continental US, and a number of other
providers. If (when?) Google ever starts charging for this valuable service they will go in with a lot of good will
from all of us who have enjoyed the free lunch and a proven track record. I've had mine for a few months without a
single dropped call or any of the usual VOIP issues. Best of all, calls between two Obihai end points are always free,
so if you buy two units you can place one at a relative or friends house and really save some money. This is a favorite
tactic for international callers. Read the reviews at NewEgg and Amazon and be surprised at the high ratings these
devices have received.
The OBi 100 is
the least expensive model and the one I currently own. It has a single ethernet port and a single FXS RJ-11 analog
phone port into which you will plug an ordinary wired or cordless telephone set. In combination with a regular VOIP
provider or a Google Voice account you'll be ready to start making and receiving calls. I have a cheap cordless set
with answering machine plugged into my unit with the idea that if Google voice fails to pick up an unanswered call, the
answering machine will get it. This arrangement would also serve well if I start using one of the many VOIP vendors
that can work with the device. Any vendor that supports SIP protocol should
work, but anyone who has worked with VOIP knows that you can't be sure until you try. A list of known compatible VOIP
providers is shown at the end of the review. It should be adequate for most peoples needs and can support 2 VOIP
accounts providers on one device. The web-based setup and administration screens on the devices and at Obihai.com are not dummy-simple but can be gotten through by a careful and patient consumer
with good reading comprehension and a willingness to read help files and perhaps use Google to do further research.
I've never had to call their support team but have heard good things. An app is available to allow you to run the
Obihai client on your cell phone, for extra fun, confusion and bragging rights.
The OBi110 as the next step up differs from the 100 only in the addition of a FXO RJ-11 analog port which allows use of a regular POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) line as an alternate gateway. I can think of a few folks who might have need of such a thing, IE: those who already have a preferred vendor for overseas calls or who might need to make occasional calls out on a phone switch for some reason. It costs about US $10.00 more than the OBi-100.
The next step up is the OBI202 Router. Besides being able to function as a router either for a subnet on your current network or as a main router for a small home network, the 202 can connect using a wireless USB dongle costing about US $25.00 as its uplink, turning it into a true road warrior tool. I wish more routers supported this sort of connectivity. The OBi202 goes for about US $72.00 as this is written, and supports 2 Google Voice and 4 SIP providers. The router function only provides 2 ethernet ports so if you are going to use it as your main router you will need a small switch and possibly a wireless access point for a good home or small office experience. Personally I would recommend using it as a subnet router and leaving something more capable to handle the main networks routing needs.
SUMMARY
After this device is configured it's been very trouble free and even travels well. I have driven to other peoples houses and simply plugged it in and started making calls. SIP is not very secure so do use some caution if using these devices on the road or under insecure circumstances. There is no less expensive way to get good VOIP service and Obihai is regarded as the very best option for interfacing with Google Voice accounts. Do your research and I think you'll agree. I'm not affiliated with Obihai in any way and did not recieve any compensation or free hardware for writing this review.
Rear view of the
OBi202
