Telo - 15 minute boot time

[arrowcatcher]

A full power-off restart always takes at least 4+ up to 15+ minutes on my new Telo Air 2.

[Robek]

I've had magicJack since Aug 2008 ... their app still works in Canada ... which I discovered accidentally.

This functionality isn't limited to magicJack, or even to VoIP. That's just how the internet is supposed to work. Even Ooma Basic subscribers can use their Telo (or their mobile app) from other countries, "anywhere there is a high-speed Internet connection".

This is just another data point for the discussion. I rebooted my router ... It took the telo only a couple minutes to come back online.

Accessing the web-ui status page from a computer connected to the Telo HOME port could help narrow down where any bottlenecks might be. When rebooting or recovering from a loss of connectivity, measure how long it takes to open the web page, to start up applications, and to connect to the Internet or to Ooma servers, etc.

It's not quite the same as having logs available, or using a network packet analyzer like wireshark, but when combined with router logs or other information, it could help confirm (or rule out) any issues with the Telo, router/modem, ISP, network, Ooma servers, etc.

[domm]

Is there a way to remotely reboot/login to my ooma? When logging into my ooma account it says the device status is "Offline". I know my router is still working because my wifi thermostat is still connected. I am in Canada & my ooma is in Florida. Thanks

[Robek]

If the Telo were "Online", then Ooma support might be able to reboot it remotely, but if it is "Offline", then they cannot access it either. As long as the device is powered up though, it is supposed to keep trying to connect to the Ooma servers automatically, until it succeeds. However long that takes.

The Telo hosts its web-ui on the device itself, usually hidden behind the modem/router firewall. Without some other form of access to the local network (such as remote desktop software), set up ahead of time, there is no way to access the Telo management interface remotely.

[domm]

OK thanks Robek

[arrowcatcher]

"This functionality isn't limited to magicJack, or even to VoIP. That's just how the internet is supposed to work. Even Ooma Basic subscribers can use their Telo (or their mobile app) from other countries, "anywhere there is a high-speed Internet connection"."

I couldn't even call Canadian numbers from the US without extra charges on a Ooma Basic subscription. Sure, the Ooma device and app may work everywhere there's an Internet connection but not without extra charges. I can call Canada from the US and even call the US from within Alberta with magicJack for free on my $2.17/month total mJ plan (5 years for $130).

The minimum power-off restart time for an Ooma Telo 2 is about 4:30 minutes but can vary to 15+ minutes which is ridiculous as documented in this thread and others. A Telo 2 power-on Internet reconnection or reboot takes less than 2 minutes. An mJ full power-off restart takes 17 seconds while Voiply's device takes 1:08 minutes.

[arrowcatcher]

Oops, I see calls to Canada were included in my Ooma Basic subscription. Calls to Canada, Mexico, and 50+ other countries are included in my Voiply subscription, however. And again, mJ only costs me $2.17/month with 5 year promotional subscription as I've always done since 2008 inception.

Voiply country list:
https://support.voiply.com/en-us/articl ... al-tyvq07/

[Robek]

What Ooma charges for a phone call depends on the phone number, and not on the physical location of the device or mobile app. Voiply offers free calling to some numbers in 50+ countries, but not all of them; calls to mobile numbers cost extra, and calls to some landlines could cost extra too, according to their disclaimer:

In some countries, carriers can charge additional fees. Please use our rate check tool https://app.voiply.com/rate-check to get a real time rate.

If a Telo takes 15+ minutes to connect to the Ooma servers, then the problem could be anywhere between that Telo and the Ooma servers; proper troubleshooting can help to narrow down the cause of the delay, and to identify the correct fix. For example, it could be as simple as plugging a cable into the correct jack.

[arrowcatcher]

"If a Telo takes 15+ minutes to connect to the Ooma servers, then the problem could be anywhere between that Telo and the Ooma servers; proper troubleshooting can help to narrow down the cause of the delay, and to identify the correct fix. For example, it could be as simple as plugging a cable into the correct jack."

Yeah right. Are you by chance an Ooma forum shill??

[Robek]

Yeah right. Are you by chance an Ooma forum shill??

... says the ex-Ooma user still loitering here for some reason, hustling for "mJ" and "Vioply". Other Ooma users may prefer less drastic options to resolve a non-fatal issue, before just giving up. Troubleshooting involves more than staring at a blinking light with a stopwatch, and "proposing" random guesses.

The OP literally solved his 15+ minute connect time problem, by plugging his network cable into a different jack. A Telo factory reset would not have fixed that. Note also how the OP outlined a detailed, methodical test plan to eliminate suspect components one by one, and to quickly zero in on the root cause.

Connect times that vary with the time of day could suggest performance issues with the Ooma servers. They are probably more heavily loaded during the day, so non real-time traffic throughput may suffer as a result. A Telo factory reset would not fix that, (although for transient peak loads, it might appear to fix that).

Other users have reported similar issues, either due to a buggy modem/router or power supply, (see also here and here), a buggy switch, a noisy network cable, a buggy ISP, a spotty network, (including poor wi-fi/4G reception), or something else. A Telo factory reset would not have fixed any of those issues.

File system damage is probably more likely to brick a Telo than to slow it down, to the point where a factory reset might no longer be possible. Even if the one Telo itself turns out to be defective, replacing it for another could fix the problem, but a factory reset would not.

So, that's looking more and more like a really bad guess. But that's not "flaky" Ooma's fault. Anyone here looking for helpful tips or advice should probably not spend too much time on that one. And for anyone who decides that the grass is greener with a different VoIP provider, best of luck to them.