[OT] Re: Which VoIP program do you use?

[Al Bogner]

Am Fr, 18 Feb 2011 19:03:14 CET schrieb Christoph Wickert:

Hi Christoph,

> I think this is off-topic, but well...

Thanks, if you want to help, but my question in this mailinglist was
referred to XFCE originally, since I noticed, a strange behavior with
twinkle. it worked sometimes perfect and then not. AFAIR it was
something like DHCOP-error which is related to KDE AFAIK. Twinkle needs
some KDE3-packages. So I think to ask for a sip-phone which works fine
with XFCE is legitime here. The things below are of course offtopic and
we can discuss this by private mail, if the lists want it.

At the moment I am fighting, that eg. sound works with one
voip-program, but it doesn't with another. Then it rings or not, or
doesn't stop ringing for a while, when the call is accepted, a.s.o.
Simply, it is chaotic and I don't know where to start. A few moments
ago I found, that a stun-server can be configured with Ekiga using a
command line, but not with the configuration interface, a little bit mad
for me.

> Am Freitag, den 18.02.2011, 15:17 +0100 schrieb Al Bogner:
> > I am having troubles with VoIP programs. The strange thing is,
> > everything works partially with different VoIP-apps. I tried
> > twinkle, which works with UMTS only, if it is used with a DSL-line
> > before, I think there is something missing re KDE.
> 
> Not sure if I can follow you. I guess you are using a router when
> using DSL 

I use a Fritzbox from my ISP as modem for DSL and it had a slightly
non-standard firmware from my ISP (UPC).

The route could be Client -> Server -> Fritzbox
or
Client -> Asterisk-Server  > Fritzbox
or
Notebook > Fritzbox (WLAN)

> (unlike with 3G where you are connected directly to the
> network),

I use a 3G-WLAN-modem (Mifi), Huawei E585
e.g. you see a picture here
http://www.slashgear.com/three-huawei-e585-mifi-style-3g-router-packs-oled-display-1189441/

> therefor you'll need to use a sip-proxy or forward port
> 5060 through the router.

Ok, I use Port 5061 (5060 is reserved by the Fritzbox). I think this
shouldn't matter, if it is configured with the sip-client, at least it
works in some situations.

If I connect to the Fritzbox via Wifi _both_ directions work, so I
think everything should be ok with portforwarding at the Fritzbox and
the Opensuse-firewall.

Now I close the Wifi-connection with the Fritzbox and connect to the
Mifi-Modem from Huawei (E585).

Note, it is again a wireless connection. Internet works fine and I can
connect eg to my mobile phone, but when the mobile phone tries to call
the sip-client the call is blocked.

Since the mobile phone reached the sip client via the Fritzbox, it must
be the configuration of the mobile modem, but there I _disabled_ the
firewall. I have no idea, if voip is blocked nevertheless. The Huawei
E585 allows to configure port-triggering, but not port-forwarding.

Compare for the mobile modem configuration:
http://pinguin.uni.cc/huawei_ekiga_ports.png
http://pinguin.uni.cc/huawei_virtual_server.png

It could be simply a firmware bug, which is fooling me. Unfortunately I
cannot test, if the firewall is off, because I get a 10.x.x.x address
from my mobile provider, which is identical for all customers.

> Again, configure a proxy.

I think this is a good idea. I never have setup a sip-proxy. I thought
to setup an asterisk server on the notebook and try, but it seems to
be overkill.

Do you have a suggestions for an easy setup with a sip-proxy? I managed
it to setup an asterisk server, but I am not very familiar with it.

> > That is why I ask, which VoIP apps you use without problems with
> > XFCE?
> 
> You can use http://www.sflphone.org/ - it has both a GTK and QT
> interface.


Thanks, I will have a look into it.

Al