[Asterisk-Users] e164.org

[Joe Baptista]

On Sun, 23 May 2004, Tony Hoyle wrote:

> Simon Dorfman wrote:
>
> > I wonder if someone can help me understand this.  Let's say I configure my
> > asterisk box to use e164 and then I try to call a phone number in Germany.
> > I'm in the U.S.A.  So if the number I'm calling in Germany is registered in
> > e164's dns, would my call be routed directly via their voip provider?  Or
> > directly to their asterisk box?  And would it be free?
>
>  From the looks of it, they're just a directory... it looks like their not
> running asterisk themselves.
>
> They use something called EnumLookup which I guess is some kind of
> plugin/script.  If the number you're calling is in their database, it calls
> the VOIP number directly, otherwise it calls the POTS number

No they just provide the dns - it's your equipment that does the
connecting.  Exampple - if you use my number 17058721310 and conver it to
enum format it will look like this:  0.1.3.1.2.7.8.5.0.7.1.e164.org

If you do a look up of that number - you'll see the associated enum
pointer. example: dig 0.1.3.1.2.7.8.5.0.7.1.e164.org. any

; <<>> DiG 9.2.2 <<>> 0.1.3.1.2.7.8.5.0.7.1.e164.org. any
;; global options:  printcmd
;; Got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 44741
;; flags: qr rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 2, AUTHORITY: 9, ADDITIONAL: 4

;; QUESTION SECTION:
;0.1.3.1.2.7.8.5.0.7.1.e164.org.        IN      ANY

;; ANSWER SECTION:
0.1.3.1.2.7.8.5.0.7.1.e164.org. 600 IN  TXT     "Joe Baptista"
0.1.3.1.2.7.8.5.0.7.1.e164.org. 600 IN  NAPTR   100 10 "u" "E2U+IAX2" "!^\\+17058721310$!iax2:guest at phone.joebaptista.com/17058721310!" .

;; AUTHORITY SECTION:
e164.org.               600     IN      NS      alberta-2.bcwireless.net.
e164.org.               600     IN      NS      ns1.au1.com.au.
e164.org.               600     IN      NS      ns1.e164.org.
e164.org.               600     IN      NS      ns2.au1.com.au.
e164.org.               600     IN      NS      ns2.au1.net.
e164.org.               600     IN      NS      ns3.bcwireless.net.
e164.org.               600     IN      NS      apollo.bcwireless.net.
e164.org.               600     IN      NS      mutual.bcwireless.net.
e164.org.               600     IN      NS      alberta.bcwireless.net.

;; ADDITIONAL SECTION:
ns2.au1.net.            172800  IN      A       202.87.28.2
mutual.bcwireless.net.  3600    IN      A       198.231.65.11
alberta.bcwireless.net. 3600    IN      A       209.115.243.234
alberta-2.bcwireless.net. 3600  IN      A       66.244.202.59

;; Query time: 343 msec
;; SERVER: 127.0.0.1#53(127.0.0.1)
;; WHEN: Sun May 23 10:15:37 2004
;; MSG SIZE  rcvd: 434

In this case systems doing enum lookups are told to contact th iax2 server
at phone.joebaptista.com use a guest login.

So basically enum is a facility which uses the dns to route calls in such
a way that they bypass the regular PSTN system if an internet routing and
supported protocol exists.

for more information on ENUM visit

http://www.rfc-editor.org/rfcsearch.html

and search for enum and e.164.

Now the proper domain for enum is e164.arpa - and the respective
assignments by the ITU of telephone delegations under e164.arpa has been
at best very lame.  As you can well imagine telephone companies have as a
rule refrained from adopting e164 because as I have mentioned above e164
facilitates the bypassing of PSTN via the internet and that would of
course mean lost revenue.

Check out http://www.itu.int/osg/spu/enum/ for more info on the politics
and bureacracy of enum.  You can get information on enum assignments and
registries at:

http://www.ripe.net/enum/request-archives/

At you can see there are very few official enum registries - so I think
what e164.org is doing in invaluable to the community.

regards
joe baptista