iPhones, SIP Clients, and Mitel ICP3300 systems.

[Marci]

Recently I acquired an iPod Touch, and one of our other technicians (whom I purchased the Touch from) acquired an iPhone. We've since proved our case to the network manager that they're invaluable network tools, and he's gone and got himself one as well.

What we WANTED to know however, was how to use them as VoIP Phones tied to our internal phone system as SLT had made the decision to get rid of the work-mobiles that we all had.

Information online for this was sketchy with very little info available. Folks said they'd done it, but no-one really said how...

Well, we've sussed it out... so I'm posting it here in case anyone else out there has been looking.

We're using the following:

- iPhone / iPod Touch on OS3.1.2 connecting to WiFi via internal Trapeze system
- Mitel ICP3300


1 - Ensure you have SIP User Licenses available for number of extensions you want to add... see "License and Option Selection" in the Mitel System Administration Tool.

2 - Create a User extension via "User Configuration" in the Mitel System Administration Tool. Fill all fields in as normal. Set Device Type to "Generic SIP Phone", and set and confirm the "Login Pin"

3 - Download "iSipSimple" from the iTunes AppStore, and transfer to your iPhone or iPod Touch (NB: iPod Touch requires headphones & mic, wired or bluetooth)

4 - Connect to your WiFi connection. Note, Mitel ICP3300 needs to be accessible from this WiFi connection. Use PingLite from Appstore to see if you can ping the ICP3300's IP address from your device. If not, start looking at your infrastructure and routing tables etc - sorting that out is beyond the scope of this post.

5 - Open "iSipSimple", head to "Settings" page, and make sure "RFC3605 Support" is set to ON (otherwise you get patchy audio with frequent dropouts)

6 - Go to "Accounts" page, click "Edit", then "Add new SIP account".

7 - Select "Other SIP Provider"

8 - Set account details as follows...

Display Name: telephone-extension-number
Domain: IP Address (or resolvable DNS) of ICP3300
Username: telephone-extension-number
Password: login-pin

Click "Advanced" and set as follows

Auth Username: telephone-extension-number
Voicemail Number: whatever number you dial on your system to reach voicemail
Phone Number: telephone-extension-number

[the above settings are the same if you're using X-Lite PC Softphone client with Mitel also]

Leave all other settings as standard. Click "Sip Accounts" in top left corner.
Click "Save" in top right corner. Click "Account Manager" in top left corner.

Your account should be listed alongside an ON/OFF switch. Turn it ON.
Once it's connected, the text should become green.

Done!

Head to the "Dialer" page. You can now be reached on the extension number you programmed, and can make calls to any other internal extension, or to standard numbers, all via your Mitel ICP3300.

NOTE: This only functions when iSipSimple is open on your iPhone / iPod. As soon as you close iSip and head to your homepage, you will no longer be reachable. If you want the client to run in the background, you will need a jailbroken iPhone or iPod running Cydia's Backgrounder app. If you have this, then open iSip, turn your account on, and then hold the HOME key until "Backgrounding Enabled" appears on screen. iSip now remains running in background while you work in other apps on your device.

This tutorial only covers connectivity using WiFi LAN, where the ICP3300 is connected to the same LAN. For connection from anywhere via internet, again, you'd need a jailbroken device as Apple have disabled using VoIP via the 3G-Broadband connection. Your Mitel would also need to be accessible via the internet so relevant ports would need to be opened and forwarded to the ICP3300 on your company's router.

To avoid having to use a JailBroken device, you can pay for "iSip with Push" from the AppStore, but your Mitel ICP3300 MUST be accessible via the internet for the push notifications to work... even if you only intend to use your device on the local network.

Hope this helps some of you...!

[mothman]

Hi there
Could you perhaps find out on which firmware version your Mitel runs? Would be very valuable info!
Thanks

[Marci]

Haven't a clue and wouldn't know how to find out - active software version is 8.0.9.18 if that's of any use (altho it's getting upgraded to latest release tomorrow)

[mothman]

If you are able to log into your mitel you'll find the software version on the right -"About System Administration" But I reckon the active software you've given me is correct. Would be interesting to see if this still works on the latest software. Ask them to upgrade to MCD 4.1 aka v.10.1

[Marci]

10.1 is what it's being upgraded to and they've verbally confirmed that it will still work...

[mothman]

Ok thats good then! Please let us know if it works on 10.1!

[Marci]

Ok thats good then! Please let us know if it works on 10.1!

It does... Release level 4.1, Software load 10.1.0.69_1. Currently using both X-Lite on desktop and iSipSimple on iPodTouch without issue, and the new "Personal Ring Group" feature is superb - can make multiple extensions ring simultaneously - eg: ring 730, and my X-Lite desktop will ring (ext 730), AND my iPod will ring (ext 725). The call gets routed to whichever gets answered first. Means you can have a departmental number where every phone rings rather than waiting for huntgroup to round-robin the call til it answers.

[mothman]

It does... Release level 4.1, Software load 10.1.0.69_1. Currently using both X-Lite on desktop and iSipSimple on iPodTouch without issue, and the new "Personal Ring Group" feature is superb - can make multiple extensions ring simultaneously - eg: ring 730, and my X-Lite desktop will ring (ext 730), AND my iPod will ring (ext 725). The call gets routed to whichever gets answered first. Means you can have a departmental number where every phone rings rather than waiting for huntgroup to round-robin the call til it answers.

Ok thats awesome! I also tested with a iphone yesterday and worked first time around! Yes the ringroups is a very nice addition but there is something even better ~ Its called dynamic extension and will allow you to actually use your standard cellphone ,SIP & normal handset as one, allowing you to transfer calls between whichever one you prefer. Best part is it doesn't require additional licenses.... Still have to test though

[Marci]

Am looking for that at the moment in the new menu structure... that was actually the main reason we got the upgrade...

[Marci]

Ah - hang on - Personal Ring Groups IS Dynamic Extensions... however, licenses required for your cellphone, as that portion requires you to use External Hotdesking - each External Hotdesk User consumes an additional IP license, AND requires an External HotDesk User license... sod's law - we don't have any External Hot Desk user licenses.

The Mitel components that enable Dynamic Extension include External Hot Desking and Personal Ring Groups (PRG).

External Hot Desking
External Hot Desking allows external devices (usually identified by an external phone number) to be hot desk devices. This enables calls made to the user’s hot desk number to ring any device associated with that user (see Personal Ring Groups below).

Through External Hot Desking, when a user calls into the business communications system, it will authenticate the device and MCD will recognize the user as being permanently logged on. From there, the user can make multiple calls without leaving the business PBX. Once logged in, the user gains access to all the attributes and features of her Mitel IP desk phone.

Personal Ring Groups
The Personal Ring Groups (PRG) feature allows a collection of devices (directory numbers) to be associated with a single user. When the user’s primary number is called, MCD rings all associated devices (up to eight) simultaneously. In this way, the primary number acts as the unique PBX identity or directory number. Similarly, whichever device in the PRG a mobile worker uses to make a call or access a feature will take on the user’s identity including all his rights and permissions.

In addition, PRG’s Handoff feature allows calls to be pushed or pulled between devices in a group. A push passes the call to the group, where it can be answered by any other enabled device. A pull takes an in-progress call away from another device.

Group Presence
Group Presence allows users to indicate which device/identity/number in their groups is available to receive calls. For example, if a user is in the office, she would set up her wireless, mobile and home numbers as “absent” from a ring group. This does not remove them from the group, but simply ensures they do not ring when a call comes in. Alternatively, when the user is at home covering off-hours calls, she can make her cellular phone “present” in the group to ensure it receives any incoming calls.

Group Presence can be selected for voice hunt groups, Name Tag hunt groups, ring groups, Personal Ring Groups, and ACD agent groups. The Group Presence option is controlled by Class of Service.

Source: Dynamic Extension | Mitel Phone Systems

[mothman]

Ah - hang on - Personal Ring Groups IS Dynamic Extensions... however, licenses required for your cellphone, as that portion requires you to use External Hotdesking - each External Hotdesk User consumes an additional IP license, AND requires an External HotDesk User license... sod's law - we don't have any External Hot Desk user licenses.



Source: Dynamic Extension | Mitel Phone Systems

Aah yes your right there! Check with my colleagues and apparently this works well!

[mothman]

If anyone else was wondering I got this working on my HTC HERO (ANDROID) with SIPAgent 0.8.9.

[Marci]

Update time... I updated my iPod to iOS4, and purchased the full isip client. Everything stopped working.

Solution: set your ICP3300's IP address in the SIP STUN SERVER field.

Also, vNet have brought out a private APN Push server for sending push notifications to your iDevice running their client to allow it to run in the background under iOs4. They provide a virtualbox image for this - 472Mb - am setting it up at the moment. Means your ICP3300 does NOT need access to the internet as stated in first post.

[engalaa]

Dear Marci;

can you please tell me which ports i need to open for connectin over 3g.

Kindly Regards
Ala'a