[asterisk-users] Some IAX calls do not disconnect.

[Steve Totaro]

On Mon, Jul 6, 2009 at 9:41 PM, Tim Nelson<tnelson at rockbochs.com> wrote:
> ----- "Steve Totaro" <stotaro at asteriskhelpdesk.com> wrote:
>> Just use SIP and solve all your problems.
>
> I seem to be noticing a common element to your posts about IAX. :-)
>
> I've been successfully using IAX in a large scale environment with no problems... yet. Can you shed some light on the reasoning behind your obvious dislike of IAX2? It is supposed to be the 'killer' of SIP from a usability standpoint (NAT traversal is quick to my mind...). BUT, is it just not robust enough in your experience? Are there inherent problems with the protocol itself? Is this changing now that IAX2 has it's own RFC? Is it the implementation within Asterisk that is the problem? I'm very interested to to know where your disdain comes from. :-)
>
> Thanks Steve!
>
> --Tim
>

First define large scale.  It certainly means different things to
different people.

Second, It comes from huge amounts of audio problems over many, many
years, and many, many implementations.

I actually don't have a disdain for it, it has made me a good deal of
money by fixing ITSPs/carrier's audio issues by switching them to SIP
and still does so I have a fondness for it.  Keep up the sub par
protocol, it helps with the balance sheet!

Third, it will never kill SIP.

First of all, Digium owns the name and we have seen what they are
willing to do to attack people for trademark or copyright infringement
(think about the Google Adwords debacle and the the Open letter to
Digium drafted by Trixter that I am not sure was ever fully addressed
by Digium.)

It would have to be renamed or something.  I think the same thing of
DAHDI.  They want control over the the names Inter Asterisk Exchange
and Digium (whatever the heck the rest of it means.)

Second, SIP is the industry standard.  Only a couple of goofy phones
do IAX2 as far as I know, some crappy handsets I wouldn't even bother
testing if offered as a free demo unit.  SNOM might now, I am not sure
but I think I read interest in it or it was actually accomplished.
SNOM is OK but I was never a big fan.

When I see it on a Polycom, Cisco, NEC, 3Com, or any other major
vendor's phones or platforms, then I may rethink my ideas.

If 3Com and Digium are partnered up now, how come the NBX for V3000
doesn't support IAX2?  They do have SIP.

Second, there are work arounds for just about every downfall of SIP,
like NAT traversal and the like.

Third, ALL REAL TIME VOICE traffic is on a single port.  There is a
big issue there, I won't elaborate, but just think about it.

SIP is here to stay until some other protocol comes about, but
certainly not IAX2.  It will be along the evolution of H323 to SIP to
X., but not IAX,lol.

Do you realize that most providers are dropping IAX2 support, even
IAX.cc recommends SIP, gotta wonder why?

Maybe it is all good now, but I won't bank my reputation on it.  I use
what I know works well, period.

Even unnamed Digium Employees have poo pooed IAX2, albeit a year or two ago.

It looks good on paper, didn't perform well historically, and now just
like anything that I have lost trust in, it has to earn my trust back
and that is not easy.

-- 
Thanks,
Steve Totaro
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