For organizations with existing legacy paging and intercom systems, NocTel recommends the use of the Obihai OBI110 FXO VoIP adapter to integrate with NocTel VoIP service. Since most legacy systems are integrated with a POTS system that NocTel replaces, it then becomes necessary to either maintain lines to the paging/intercom system or integrate it with NocTel. This article will provide guidance on how to config the Obihai OBI110.
The Obihai OBI110 is a very simple FXO VoIP peripheral that consists of one ethernet, Phone, and Line port each, though for organizations spanning multiple buildings and sites it proves very cost effective. While this article does not provide configuration of more advanced OBI models, the same general configuration should be consistent though the placement and potentially naming of certain properties in configuration may not align fully in relation to the OBI110.
Until recently, NocTel recommended the use of Cisco SPA line VoIP adapters for integrating legacy paging and intercom systems. However, some of the most cost effective models are approaching end of life and will not have manufacturer support for issues. This also means eventually production is likely to cease making procurement of the devices harder and more expensive. To remedy this, NocTel evaluated and successfully integrated the Obihai OBI110 FXO VoIP adapter for the same purpose with a lower price per unit (for the OBI110 model).
Whereas comparable devices by other manufacturers as well as Obihai itself may include additional ports for LAN, Phone, and Line; the OBI110 is very simple. This makes configuration fairly simple and purchasing multiple devices for multiple locations more affordable.
Similar to the FMA device NocTel uses, the OBI110 - an FXO VoIP adapter peripheral - receives calls from NocTel VoIP handsets to then call into the connected legacy intercom/paging system on its Line port. Formerly, the intercom/paging system would be integrated with a POTS or similar phone system and various vendors like NEC have models of phones that feature an intercom button that calls directly into the intercom/paging system. This is the same idea with using the OBI110 for VoIP integration. The following should be the only differences reaching and operating your legacy intercom/paging system after successful installation and configuration of the OBI110 or similar device:
Note: The Obihai OBI110 or similar model FXO VoIP adapter does not modify any existing paging/intercom codes. The device acts as a means of calling into the existing paging/intercom system through a VoIP handset allowing the use of a simple extension number, which will usually differ from a legacy sequence. If you are uncertain of what valid paging/intercom codes there are for your existing system, please locate and verify documentation. If the operation codes cannot be ascertained, please reach out to your system's vendor for assistance. |
Before the OBI110 can be configured for deployment, it must first be added as a generic SIP device extension in your NocTel account:
1.) As a user with the appropriate privileges to add extensions, this is under Extensions -> Add a New Extension -> Generic SIP Device.
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Note: If you modify the configured VoIP servers for the generic SIP extension it will recreate the SIP username and password. For this reason, it's highly recommended you configure the VoIP server(s) properly prior to the third step or the SIP user/pass taken may be invalid. If the configured VoIP servers for the OBI110 change for any reason, be sure to grab the updated credentials and add them to the OBI110's own configuration that follows this section. |
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