VoIP with LMCE

[nosebreaker]

I'm trying to piece together a nice LMCE setup, and I'm at the part where I need to choose a VoIP provider (I am near Boston MA, so USA provider needed) and get phones and such.  Most of the phone posts in the forum here don't have many replies and it seems not many people are using the phone features (from what I can tell).

I understand that I can use the LMCE systems as phones with a microphone and their speakers (which is excellent) but I have a few questions that I couldn't find in the forum.

Is there a particular provider I should/shouldn't use?  I am only planning on one phone number and to use the LMCE box for voicemail, and occasionally have it forward to my cell.

Can I use an orbiter as a phone?

I see that the Cisco 7970 is a popular phone due to it also being able to be an orbiter (which is nice), are there any other phones that can also be orbiters?

If I also want just a cheap IP phone, will any Asterisk compatible phone work?

I saw a post about a "doorphone" - this sounds like an excellent feature and I'd like to do this, are there any known compatible hardware cameras for this?  I'd like the call to "ring" all the systems in the house when the doorbell is pressed.  If there aren't any specific products for this, would I just use a normal CCTV or IP camera and motion triggering?

Any other suggestions for phone stuff?

[tkmedia]

For ease of setup Broadvoice seems to be the voip provider of choice.

The orbiters can not be used as phones currently with the exception of the on screen orbiters on the Media Directors
and of course the 7970's  and by utilizing third party software all of the maemo based orbiters can be used as phones for the LinuxMCE system as well.

Various cell phones can be used as orbiters.


Sip phones are compatible with lmce.


HTH

Tim

[randomblink]

I would like to add to the original question a little.

I'm still in the house shopping phase, so I don't even have a true place that I can call my own.
I'm about 2 weeks from buying an iPhone and I have NO plans to get a landline.
My question is, is there no way to use the VoIP WITHOUT a Landline?
It would be nice to drop my iPhone on a dock or something and utilize the VoIP somehow throughout the house?

(of course, once the LinuxMCE Orbiter iPhone app hits the app store I am all over that!)
(hint, hint)

Anyone else use a Cell Phone as their only phone but have rigged up some form of VoIP for when they are at home?
Just curious

[nosebreaker]

You mean like leave the phone next to a bluetooth USB adapter and be able to take calls anywhere else in the house?  That would be excellent, is it possible?

[golgoj4]

I would like to add to the original question a little.

I'm still in the house shopping phase, so I don't even have a true place that I can call my own.
I'm about 2 weeks from buying an iPhone and I have NO plans to get a landline.
My question is, is there no way to use the VoIP WITHOUT a Landline?
It would be nice to drop my iPhone on a dock or something and utilize the VoIP somehow throughout the house?

(of course, once the LinuxMCE Orbiter iPhone app hits the app store I am all over that!)
(hint, hint)

Anyone else use a Cell Phone as their only phone but have rigged up some form of VoIP for when they are at home?
Just curious

Seems like you would need a wifi enabled phone that could register as a sip client. I tried this on my ipaq and it worked pretty well. Although not very security conscious, i could even access my lmce voip setup over the net outside of the home. So the answer I think is yes, but you need some softphone (software based ip phone) software for your iphone. Then I think the answer is yes. Now, if this mystery product exists, I have no idea. But thats essentially what you would need.

Anyone else have any ideas?

[krys]

I am interested in the VOIP setup for LMCE also, and just like the OP I wanted to check if there was certain providers that worked or didnt... there are plenty of VOIP providers that offer free calls to mobiles and land lines and I would prefer to use one of those. Here is a link with some of the top "free" providers.
http://www.voipnow.org/2007/04/want_free_voip_.html

[King]

I've been using Vitelity for about a year now with no issues. Setup is pretty easy if you know PBX systems ( I set it up as broadvoice). Only issues I have are:
1. Random tone when on the phone causing disconnect. Might be an issue w/ DTMF or codecs (i use a Linksys ATA hooked up to a standard cordless phone.
2. Having issues fowarding calls to my cell. Will forward calls but cannot talk.
3. Unable to email voicemails to my email. Minor problem, might be due to email client not set up right.

Other than that I've had great success w/VOIP on LMCE. Oh by the way I'm in RI. 

[golgoj4]

I've been using Vitelity for about a year now with no issues. Setup is pretty easy if you know PBX systems ( I set it up as broadvoice). Only issues I have are:
1. Random tone when on the phone causing disconnect. Might be an issue w/ DTMF or codecs (i use a Linksys ATA hooked up to a standard cordless phone.
2. Having issues fowarding calls to my cell. Will forward calls but cannot talk.
3. Unable to email voicemails to my email. Minor problem, might be due to email client not set up right.

Other than that I've had great success w/VOIP on LMCE. Oh by the way I'm in RI. 

Thats odd. im using a linksys spa-3102 and i dont get this.what model are you using?

[krys]

I was just looking at some of the VOIP phones and cordless phones out there, it seems as though alot of them are specific to the provider that you will be using. Are there any that dont care who your provider is?

[Zaerc]

I was just looking at some of the VOIP phones and cordless phones out there, it seems as though alot of them are specific to the provider that you will be using. Are there any that dont care who your provider is?

yes

[krys]

I've been using Vitelity for about a year now with no issues. Setup is pretty easy if you know PBX systems ( I set it up as broadvoice). Only issues I have are:
1. Random tone when on the phone causing disconnect. Might be an issue w/ DTMF or codecs (i use a Linksys ATA hooked up to a standard cordless phone.
2. Having issues fowarding calls to my cell. Will forward calls but cannot talk.
3. Unable to email voicemails to my email. Minor problem, might be due to email client not set up right.

Other than that I've had great success w/VOIP on LinuxMCE. Oh by the way I'm in RI. 

Does anyone have their email voicemails configured within LMCE? If so how did you set it up.
Thanks,
-Krys

[donpaul]

I've been using Vitelity for about a year now with no issues. Setup is pretty easy if you know PBX systems ( I set it up as broadvoice). Only issues I have are:
1. Random tone when on the phone causing disconnect. Might be an issue w/ DTMF or codecs (i use a Linksys ATA hooked up to a standard cordless phone.
2. Having issues fowarding calls to my cell. Will forward calls but cannot talk.
3. Unable to email voicemails to my email. Minor problem, might be due to email client not set up right.

Other than that I've had great success w/VOIP on LinuxMCE. Oh by the way I'm in RI. 

Does anyone have their email voicemails configured within LinuxMCE? If so how did you set it up.
Thanks,
-Krys

I am in the process of putting together a wiki page for this. I will post when it is done.

[donpaul]

Here is a wiki for installing/configuring postfix.

http://wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php/Postfix_configured_with_Gmail_SMTP

[tschak909]

Can somebody actually work to integrate the mta into the system, instead of duct taping it on via a wiki page? please?

-Thom

[donpaul]

Duct taped? You're welcome for the wiki page It is the first steps to integration! Installing and enabling postfix definitely should have already been integrated into the system, and a way to enter your gmail credentials in LinucMCE so it is magically configured would be wonderful. I am currently trying to create a script (like the many in /usr/pluto/bin) that will do the work if someone can put the ability in LinuxMCE. I just figured since I have seen so many questions about email, I would quickly toss up a wiki explaining what I did - for those who don't want to wait for the integration.