QUESTION Setting up OBi device as a 3CX extension via the Internet

[batchris]

I have 3CX running on a Debian 8 VM on Cloud At Cost. I have my GV number working via Simonics, and I have a Windows 3CX client working. I am using the box as a conference server, so incoming calls to the GV number route to the conference virtual extension. It's working great, now I just want to add a couple of extensions on my OBi devices.

What I would like to do is set up an OBi110 and an OBi1022 as 3CX extensions. I am trying to follow this guide but I think it works based on the 3CX server and the OBi being on the same LAN.

What am I missing in the configuration to make my extensions work on the OBi's?

I would also like for the OBi1022 to use the same extension as my Windows 3CX client, so that I only have one entry for presence in the 3CX client.

Thanks for taking the time to read this, and for any guidance that you can give me.

 

[batchris]

I took a different approach and used the multiple extensions feature in the Simonics gateway to provide sip trunk to my OBi phone.

When setting up the trunk for my 3CX server, I used GV12125555555x1 for the Simonics username.
When setting up the trunk for my OBi, I used GV12125555555x2 for the Simonics username.
The password is the same for both extensions. There is no provisioning to do on the Simonics side.

I then added an outbound calling rule for 3 digit calls using this post as a guide. I named the rule OutSimonics3, where calls with a length of 3 go out the "Generic SIP Trunk" without adding or stripping digits.

I also used the "move up" and "move down" buttons the sort the rules in order of the number of digits. I don't know if it has an effect on wait times, but it helps keep the rules straight.

It works, for the most part. It has good points and bad points:

The good:
First: making outgoing calls on the OBi via my Simonics extension doesn't use the 3CX server, so there is no impact on the number of calls that the conference line can handle. The exception, of course, is when I use the Simonics extension on the OBi to call the conference line.

Second: as luck would have it, it appears that the 3CX trunk answers incoming calls immediately, so my OBi does not ring when there is a call placed to the Google Voice number. Callers are greeted with the conference line message after one ring.

Third: Using the Simonics extension doesn't show me as having multiple instances of presence in the 3CX client. In fact, my OBi is not logged in to 3CX at all. Other users of the 3CX client can call my Obi by dialing 102 thanks to the outbound dialing rule that I added.

The bad:
First: Obviously, my OBi doesn't ring on incoming calls because the conference extension picks up immediately. This isn't a big deal for me, since my goal is to set up a conference server, but it may be a pain point for others.

Second: There is no presence information for the extension, so being able to call my OBi from a 3CX client is a kind of secret. I am wondering if I could do some sort of simultaneous ring thing to ring my 3CX extension and my OBi at the same time.

Third: Calls to and from Simonics extensions do not go to voicemail. Calls to my OBi just ring and ring. There is probably something I can do to the OBi to forward calls to something with voicemail, I just haven't done enough digging.

I am pleased with the performance of 3CX on my tiny Could at Cost server, and the multiple extensions feature of Simonics makes excellent reuse of a Google Voice number.

I am now tempted to use a similar approach to configuring my home phone system