How to connect your Nokia E61 / E70 to your Asterisk phone server SIP VoIP

It took me days to get my new Nokia E61 connected to my asterisk server for the first time ... Nokia does not support the VoIP client (that's me buying my last Nokia, folks!) and there is no documentation. Hard to believe that a hardware manufacturer with the reputation of Nokia dares to do something like that. Great stunt. As I had so many problems, I want to help you along a bit setting up your phone for VoIP ....

The current VoIP client is far from perfect - it even sometimes makes the phone hang completely and only restarting it makes it go back to normal. This will need some serious work from the Symbian / Nokia developers. Good Luck.

My E61 has software version 1.0610.04.04 19-04-06 RM-89 (you get that when you type *#0000# into the phone)

Nokia has now released a new firmware which you can download here which fixes the WiFi stack problem - which also makes the VoIP client work a lot better! I am now running 2.0618.06.05 14-07-06 RM-89

Configuring Asterisk

Here is my sip.conf entry for the user we will connect with the Nokia E61:

[christian2]
type=friend
callerid=("Christian" <1000>)
username=christian2
host=dynamic
secret=********
regcontext=merus-internal
regexten=1005
dtmfmode=rfc2833
insecure=very
canreinvite=yes
nat=yes
qualify=yes
context=merus-sipphone
pickupgroup=1
callgroup=1
mailbox=1000@default

The qualify=yes is important, so that asterisk regularly pings the nokia phone to check it's still there

Configuring the Nokia E61 / E70

Go to Menu - Tools - Settings - Connection - Sip Settings.

This works for me:

Profile name: Merus
Service Profile: IETF
Default Access Point: MyNetwork [you will have to have that defined as an access point]
Public user name: christian2@86.135.35.224 [use the IP address of your asterisk server to avoid DNS problems]
Use Compression: No
Registration: Always On
Use Security: no

Proxy server settings

Proxy server address: sip:86.135.35.224 [use the IP address to avoid DNS problems]
Realm: asterisk
User name: christian2
Password: ********
Allow loose routing: Yes
Transport Type: UDP
Port: 5060

Registrar Server Settings

Registrar serv. addr.: sip:86.135.35.224 [use the IP address to avoid DNS problems]
Realm: asterisk
User Name: christian2
Password: ********
Transport Type: UDP
Port: 5060

Troubleshooting

Make sure you can connect to the access point you defined above (browse the web using the web browser and the same access point)
log into your asterisk server, run asterisk -r, then give command "set verbose 5". Switch the Nokia off and on, see if you can see any registration attempts from the Nokia.
Lots of powercycling the Nokia (e.g. switching it off and on) helps ... especially after having made changes

WiFi connection problem E61

After twiddling around for ages, I had the persitant problem of the wireless connection breaking off after several seconds to several minutes. Noting helped, I even changed my access point. This was particularly annoying when trying to use the VoIP function. I have now boxed my phone up and sent it to Nokia for repairs.