VOIP Tech Chat → Linux Softphone for Comcast Business

Comcast Business Service is now offering Windows and Mac softphones. I understand these applications are provided by CounterPath. I want to use such a softphone, but I run Linux.

If I purchase the CounterPath Bria app for Linux, will it work with Comcast's telephone service (in about the same way their Win and Mac apps do)?

Since I already have Comcast phone service, and it is a VoIP service, I would prefer to use it instead of paying additional for another VoIP service. (Given that I use about 8000 minutes a month, we are talking $80 or so extra. That's not a trivial amount.)

My goal is to make calls from my Ubuntu Linux PC. That's the #1 requirement. The #2 requirement is to use Comcast's VoIP rather than buy another VoIP service.

(However, if I have to buy another VoIP service, I guess I will ask a separate question about which is best for my needs...)

I cannot answer your specific question, but I'm curious if Comcast Business Service provides explicitly the pertinent Authenticating Login credentials (sip-like "UserID" and "Password") for their Softphone App? Or, are these somehow generated by Comcast when a Customer Account number is entered on some form of Login Screen?

I would think you need, at a minimum, these two pieces of information to use on with the Bria App.

EDIT: The reason I asked the question is get at the ability to use these credentials on an ATA device.

The Comcast softphone app for Win or Mac requires a userID and password, but they appear to be the typical Comcast userID and password that are required to log into all Comcast web services.

I pulled up the user manuals online to find this info.

»business.comcast.com/doc ··· v413.pdf

In that manual, it asks you to add @bve.wdv.comcast.net to your username. If you are really, really lucky, the username, password and server name bve.wdv.comcast.net might work with a regular SIP softphone.

Test that it is working with the Windows softphone first. Shut down the Windows softphone, then start your Linux softphone. If it doesn't work right away, shut it down and you will need a different solution. Do not leave the Linux softphone running. While Comcast might not be blocking Linux softphones on purpose, they may block your service due to too many failed registration attempts. Start the Windows softphone again to make sure it is still working.

If not, a few seconds with Wireshark should get you the settings you need.

Im not sure why you would want to pay for a separate SIP client, unless it offers some special features, when there are many clients available for linux. You didnt mention what distro you use so ill just list a few for you to check out.

Empathy »wiki.gnome.org/action/sh ··· =Empathy

Jitsi »jitsi.org/

Ekiga »www.ekiga.org/

That's what I suggested to him, too. Though an even easier solution would be to search the Windows registry (or less easily: ini's...or entire PC byte-by-byte) for the strings comcast.net or maybe .comcast.net (if too much irrelevant stuff comes up without the dot). In the same neighborhood (registry branch, text file, filesystem folder, etc) I'm pretty sure you'd find the SIP server IP/details...

This ain't some top secret Ed Snowden next-leak information we're talking about here...

One thing I notice is that the softphone service only works if you are a VoiceEdge (a virtual PBX service) customer. If you are a Comcast Business Telephone customer (an eMTA/ATA based VoIP service), I don't think it will work.

Woops.

That's a pretty damn good point and could render moot this whole discussion.

It appears that you need not only VoiceEdge, but also the Unified Communication option.

If you have that service or have been offered the softphone on a lower plan, it is likely that you can get SIP access working on Linux. Set up a test on Windows or Mac, running Wireshark on the same machine to capture a SIP registration. Try the captured server, user ID and Auth ID info with your portal password. If you get a 401 or 407 error, I have a perl script that can extract the SIP password from most "locked" softphones. I'll post it here if there is any interest.

Like antibiotics, I'd say it's probably safer not to post it here but IM it on a per-need basis.