View source for How to configure Yate as IAX server


Yate can be used as IAX server and YateClient as IAX client. This configuration will be done on a server that has Mandriva 2010 spring OS.

The purpose of this document is:

* to know what modifications must be made for Yate to function as an IAX server.
* to be able to configure YateClient as an IAX client.
* to use Yate as a telephony engine, as it knows several widely spread protocols (IAX, SIP and H.323, just to mention 3).

===Main concepts===

IAX is a VoIP open protocol that uses a single UDP port (usually 4569) for the channel signaling and voice streams. This means 2 major accomplishments:

* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inter-Asterisk_eXchange minimizes the bandwidth used in media transmissions]
* [http://ofps.oreilly.com/titles/9780596517342/asterisk-UnderstandingVoIP.html provides transparency for easier management when using firewalls and Network Address Translators]

[[File:how_IAX_works.png]]

You can find out more about IAX using this links: [http://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc5456.txt IAX2 protocol] and in the [http://www.voip-info.org/wiki/view/IAX IAX page for VoIP info].

'''Yate''' is the telephony engine, currently focused on VoIP and PSTN.[http://yateclient.yate.ro Yate Client] is an Instant Messenger and a softphone. It is based on Yate, just like [http://www.freesentral.com Freesentral]. 

=== Test situation – scheme and presentation===

* a functioning telephony service ---> Yate server will provide that in our case, with the proper configuration.
* two phones ---> we used YateClient for these.

[[File:test_scheme.png]]

Elements:

*  Yate, the telephony server, installed on the desktop computer .
*  YateClient1, also installed on the desktop.
*  YateClient2, installed on another computer.

IAX uses the same UDP port for both signaling and voice. When using the default configuration, both Yate and YateClient use the 4569 port. So, running on the same computer, both will try to secure and use the same port for IAX. Two programs need the same resource, and only one will be fully functional.
The configuration must be modified so that Yate or YateClient to work at the same time.

Yate will use the default port, and change it for YateClient. Some protocols generally use certain ports (SIP for example, with 5060/5061). If you change them for your own system, many calls that should work just fine using Yate's default configuration simply won't.

So first set up the server, then the clients. '''When you want to put in place a telephony solution, always start with the server – this ensures you have the core of your communication system.'''

===Setting Yate as IAX server===
	
On the desktop computer, logged as '''root''', do the following steps:

Download Yate from [[Installation |here]].


{|class="wikitable" width="80%"
|<br><div style="color:red;text-align:center;"><b>IMPORTANT TIP #1!</b></div><br><font style="text-align:left;">When you install yate on your system, you'll have the necessary files for it to work properly written in several locations:<br><br>shared files directory (/usr/local/share/yate)<br>conf files directory (/usr/local/etc/yate)<br>user files directory (/home/user/.yate)<br>modules directory (/usr/local/lib/yate)<br><br> (Type “yate -h” in your bash to see more details).<br><br> You can make your own modifications on the default files and run yate with the new configuration.<br><br> It is strongly recommended that you write them on a different location on your computer, say /usr/local/etc/iaxsrv.<br> Copy the installed version of configuration files, then modify them as you wish. </font>
|}

Install Yate.

Make a directory called '' iaxsrv'' located in '''usr/local/etc''' to hold your configuration files for the IAX server.

Copy the files from '''/usr/local/etc/yate''' to '''/usr/local/etc/iaxsrv'''. <br>
'''Make sure that you rename the configuration file(s) you modify, removing the word "sample". The software functions even if you don't but it uses other files (the ones in &#47;usr&#47;local&#47;etc&#47;yate). So end your new configuration file with ".conf".'''

Open the '''regfile.conf''' from /usr/local/etc/iaxsrv with any text editor. Find the 	2 commented lines looking like this:	
 
 ;[username]
 ;password=something
 
This indicates the way you should add any new users that will connect to your server. The semicolon in front of the row marks a comment - this means that the line will be ignored when the file will be compiled and executed. This is the way to insert new comments in Yate configuration files, with a semicolon in front. See more [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/INI_file on configuration files and similar way of placing comments ].

Add the 2 users in the regfile.conf, like this (see above):

 
 [007]
 password=pass1
 
 [008]
 password=pass2

Save the file --> Exit.


{|class="wikitable" width="80%"
|<br><div style="color:red;text-align:center;"><b>IMPORTANT TIP #2!</b></div><br><font style="text-align:left;">To run Yate using the configuration files that you modified, and placed in <br>
usr/local/etc/iaxsrv, type:<br>$yate -c /usr/local/etc/iaxsrv -v -d -l log_filename <br>Now you'll have yate running as a server with the new configuration files, the rest of the neccessary modules being loaded from their standard location.<br>Strongly recommended:<br>
 When you start Yate, please make a habit of it and use the following options:
 -v 			 Verbose debugging (you can use more than once)
 -d 			 Daemonify, suppress output unless logged
 -l filename 	 	 Log to file

</font>
|}

Using a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shell_%28computing%29 command line shell],  run Yate, by typing:
 
 $yate -c /usr/local/etc/iaxsrv -v -d -l log_filename 
 

If you see something similar to the following lines: 
 
 Yate (13127) is starting Tue Jun 28 17:27:58 2011
 Loaded module File Transfer
 Loaded module DumbChannel
 Loaded module MsgSniffer
 …......
 …......
 Initializing module MGCP Gateway
 Initializing module SNMP Agent
 Initializing module Late Router
 Initialization complete
 Yate engine is initialized and starting up on localhost.localdomain
 

then you have the Yate server running.

===Setting YateClient as IAX client===

Yate and YateClient have to use different ports at the same time. Since Yate uses the default (4569), in YateClient modify configuration file to put a diferent port.

{|class="wikitable" width="80%"
|<br><div style="color:red;text-align:center;"><b>IMPORTANT TIP #3</b></div>When you choose a certain port to allocate it for IAX communication with YateClient, make sure that the port isn't used by another process.<br><br>You can do that by typing in a shell:<br> # netstat -nan | grep xxxx <br>where xxxx is the number of the port.  If you don't get a return, the port is available.<br><br>It is better to use a number between 1023 and 65535, as the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_TCP_and_UDP_port_numbers first 1024 (0 ... 1023) are used by system processes ]
|}

This is a very specific situation, when Yate server and YateClient work on the same computer. 
The reason for which it isn't needed to install YateClient separately: running YateClient means you run Yate with a graphical interface, and more functionalities (like instant messenger). So just customize the configuration file that regulates what port YateClient should use for IAX protocol. 

Make a directory called '''yateclient1*''' located in '''usr/local/etc''' to hold your configuration files for the IAX client. 

Copy the files from '''/usr/local/etc/yate''' to '''/usr/local/etc/%purple%yateclient1'''<br>
'''Make sure that you rename the configuration file(s) you modify, removing the word "sample". The software functions even if you don't but it uses other files (the ones in &#47;usr&#47;local&#47;etc&#47;yate). So end your new configuration file with ".conf".'''

Open the yiaxchan.conf from '''/usr/local/etc/yateclient1''' with any text editor. 

Find these lines in the file: 
 
 ;port: int: UDP port for incoming connections
 ;port=4569
 

Remove the semicolon from the line “port=4569” and replace the number with the UDP port that you checked beforehand if it's available (see [[#Importanttip3|important tip #3]] from above), like this:
 
 port=4672

Save the file --> Exit.

{|class="wikitable" width="80%"
|<br><div style="color:red;text-align:center;">'''IMPORTANT TIP #4'''</div><br>To run YateClient using the configuration files that you modified, and placed in usr/local/etc/yateclient1, type: <br>$yate-qt4 -c usr/local/etc/yateclient1<br>
|}

Now you'll have YateClient running using the new configuration files, the rest of the neccessary modules being loaded from their standard location.
Next, the graphical interface will appear and you'll be able to log in. 

Run YateClient from a shell 

 $yate-qt4 -c usr/local/etc/yateclient1
 
You'll see similar messages for the Yate server, just that the final one should be:

 Yate client engine is initialized and starting up on localhost.localdomain 

and then the graphical interface will appear.

Setting up the second YateClient on a different computer is easier because you just download and install it. There is no conflict with Yate telephony server on the same computer resources, so you don't change its configuration.

So right now we also have (2) and (3):

[[File:IAX_configuration.png]]

===Testing YateClient with Yate===

So right now we have all the elements from our scheme. Just to make sure that everything works so far, we should test if YateClient works with Yate.

Start Yate on the desktop with the following command:

 $yate -c /usr/local/etc/iaxsrv -v -d -l log_filename 

 
Start YateClient:
 
 $yate-qt4 -c usr/local/etc/yateclient1
 

Click Yate Main Menu --> Add account and log in with your account, let's say 007:

[[File:YC_account_IAX.png]]

With this parameters:<br>
Username: 007 <br>
Password: 008 <br>
Server: _''your_local_IP''_

You can see in more detail how to use multiple accounts with Yateclient on its homepage [http://yateclient.yate.ro/index.php/UserGuide/GettingStarted here].

Check if your account is “online” – go to YateClient Main Window --> Settings --> Accounts. The 007 account should be listed like this:

[[File:account_online.jpeg]]

From the telephony tab, dial one of the following (what you should hear in your headphones is listed next to the number): 99991001 (dial tone), 99991002 (busy tone), 99991003 (ring tone).

These are numbers defined for testing purposes and you can find all of them in the '''regexroute.conf" file. When you call one of these, you'll get a standard telephony tone.

What happens right now between YateClient and Yate is this: 

when the online user '''007''' tries to call 99991001, for example, YateClient sends a signal to Yate '''Signalling'''. 
Yate receives the signal on 4569 port, finds the destination and replies to the port from where it got the signal with the corresponding tone '''Audio/Voice'''.

===Making the IAX call===

Considering that you completed all the stages listed above without errors, right now 007 can call 008. <br>
'''No routing is required''' - as the whole process of call negotiation and establishing the connection is solved by the server, Yate, internally.

Let's go over again through the steps:
: – Yate server must be ran first (as root).
: – YateClient1 and 2 can be ran in any order, once the server is on.
: – Logg on the users. 
: – Call.

[[File:IAX_finalcall.png]]

Things happen in this order, once everything is running: <br>
'''007 loggs to Yate''' --> '''Yate associates 007 with UDP 4672'''<br>
'''008 loggs to Yate''' --> '''Yate associates 008 with UDP 4569 from its machine'''<br>

'''007 calls 008''' is made up by: <br>
007 --> Yate <br>
Yate --> 008 <br>
so we have '''007 <------> 008'''

===Common issues===

Obviously, lots of things can go wrong. I can only tell you of the ones I encountered. 

:a) User is not authenticated.

:b) You cannot hear the dialtone when testing 

:c) Users are logged, but the call doesn't go through.

These problems can have various solutions. For detailed troubleshooting, please make sure you use the “-v” option when you run Yate and YateClient. It shows the messages passed on between the internal modules. 
This shows you the settings you need to change in the configuration files in order to make it work.


'''See also'''

* [[IAX| IAX Module]]