Proper usage of user's and peer's (was Re: [Asterisk-Users] IAX2 Trunking confirmation?)

[WipeOut]

Jeremy McNamara wrote:

> WipeOut wrote:
>
>> Jeremy, Can you elaborate on how using type=friend would restrict the 
>> dialplan.. Just so I am aware of the pitfalls.. :)
>
>
> Mark's words to me, when I was a newbie: [00:08] <kram> a user is to 
> authenticate an incoming call
> [00:08] <kram> a peer is someone you send a call to
> [00:08] <kram> friend, of course, is both
>
>
> I'll give you a real world example that has happened to more than a 
> few NuFone customers:
>
> NuFone Customer A orders a toll-free number and termination from us.
> Instead of following the example config we send he does:
>
> [NuFone]
> type=friend
> secret=his_secret
> host=switch-1.nufone.net.
> context=NANPA
>
> When NuFone sends the toll-free calls to his Asterisk box, they will 
> land in HIS NANPA context, which is really confusing, but he does 
> figure that fact out and is able to make both toll-free inbound and 
> outbound calls work.
>
> Then a few weeks later he decides to pick up a regular DID from us. 
> Now, his (above) configuration will fail for the regular DID inbound 
> calls, but nothing else, because our regular DIDs do not come from 
> switch-1.nufone.net.
>
> The proper way is to separate the tasks. Starting with the user:
>
> [NuFone]
> type=user
> secret=his_secret
> context=inbound
>
> This way he is not restricting the hostname/IP address where the user 
> 'NuFone' can call in from. Plus, he now has a more logical context for 
> all of his inbound calls.
>
> and the peer simply has the required information:
>
> [NuFone]
> type=peer
> secret=his_secret
> context=NANPA          host=switch-1.nufone.net
>
>
> Yes, a friend is a very easy way to get things started and it can be 
> made to work, but you will end up causing hair loss and/or heartburn 
> trying to figure out why everything doesn't work the way you expect it 
> to, when you go to add more complexity to your operation.
>
> The moral of the story is:  Separate those tasks now, so you can avoid 
> problems later.
>
>
> Jeremy McNamara
>
Jeremy,

That makes a lot of sence (although I will have to read it a few more 
times just to cement the concept).. I can already see where this would 
have become a problem for me in the not so distant future..

Thanks a lot..

Later..