GNU Gatekeeper 5.9 released

GNU Gatekeeper version 5.9 is out with a number of bug fixes and a few new features.

Download: https://www.gnugk.org/h323download.html

New features:

• new switches [Proxy] CachePortDetection=1 and CachePortDetectionDuration= to cache port detection packets for faster media connects when IgnoreSignaledIPs= is active
  
• new switch: [EP::] ForceTerminalType=
• new place holder for port notifications: %t for port type
• experimental: better error recovery if multiplexed RTP sending fails

Please note that Radius support is disabled by default now. You can enable it with the --enable-radius switch when running configure.

Bug fixes:

• fix bug in port detection with AllowSignaledIPsFrom=
• when DNS name resolves to IP without alias, remove alias from ACF completely (Cisco interop)
• remove RTP session 0 from internal tables once H.245 master has assigned a session ID
• fix compilation of Avaya support
• initialized cmsg struct to zero before using
• fix regression introduced with MatchH239SessionsByIDOnly= switch

GNU Gatekeeper 5.6 released

Today GNU Gatekeeper version 5.6 has  been released.

Download: https://www.gnugk.org/h323download.html

It contains an important bug fix to H.460.19 multiplexing and H.460.26 (media over TCP) when using GnuGk's internal call forwarding (ForwadOnFacility).

I have also added an interop tweak to be able to call video services that don't understand H.323 URL aliases (eg. videobutler.nl). You can enable it with

[Routing::SRV]

ConvertURLs=1

Here is the full changelog:

• new switch: [Routing::SRV] ConvertURLs=1 to convert URL_IDs into H323_IDs
• BUGFIX(ProxyChannel.cxx) fix RTP multiplexing and H.460.26 when ForwardOnFacility is used
• BUGFIX(ProxyChannel.cxx) remove H.460.19 feature from Setup when using ForwardOnFacility=1
• new switch: [Gatekeeper::Main] GrantAllBRQ=1 to accept any BRQ, even if the conferenceID is invalid

GNU Gatekeeper 5.4 released

I am happy to announce the release of GNU Gatekeeper 5.4.

You can download it from https://www.gnugk.org/h323download.html

New features:

• new accounting module to send accounting data to an MQTT server
• support for redis as database (eg. as backend for password storage)

Bug fixes:

• important fix for H.245 tunneling translation with H.460.18 endpoints
• fix for snmpwalk in PTLib-SNMP implementation
• fix sending alternate gatekeeper list to endpoints with assigned gatekeeper
• improved DRQ from child gatekeepers
• fix TLS with neighbor gatekeeper

Please also note that a bug has been found in PTLib that can cause a crash in any GnuGk version if you use the status port (manually of from an application). Please upgrade to PTLib 2.10.9.3!

GNU Gatekeeper 5.0 released

I'm happy to announce the release of GNU Gatekeeper version 5.0.

This version has new features and a few bug fixes. You can download it from https://www.gnugk.org/h323download.html

Whats new ?

• support for Azure and Alibaba Cloud in addition to AWS
• performance optimizations, especially for multiplexed RTP and LUA
• compatible with OpenSSL 1.1.x
• switch to translate Facility transfers into gatekeeper TCS0 reroutes

There were also a number of bug fixes, please see changes.txt for
details.

Enjoy!

GNU Gatekeeper 4.9 released

This version has new features and a few bug fixes. You can  download it from
https://www.gnugk.org/h323download.html

Whats new ?

We have 2 new accounting modules: HtttpAcct and AMQPAcct that allow
you to send accounting events via HTTP GET or POST to a web service
or push them into a RabbitMQ queue.

There are also many new accounting placeholders that you can use with
any of the accounting modules and there is a new accounting event
'reject' to track calls rejected with ARJ that went unnoticed before.

The new RTP inactivity checking allows you to drop calls if there
wasn't any RTP activity for a defined amount of time.

GeoIP authentication has been significantly updated to support all
RAS and all Q.931 messages and to support the new Maxmind database
format (GeoIP2).

There were also a few bug fixes:

• fix crash while handling RTP packets
• fix disconnecting unregistered endpoints
• fix crash in some Avaya endpoints when receiving GCF with a gatekeeperIdentifier
• fix crash when using IPv6
• fix handling of CloseLogicalChannel

What to do when your H.323 videoconferencing equipment reaches end-of-life ?

The big videoconferencing vendors (Polycom, Lifesize, Cisco etc.) only support their products for a limited time. After that they go „end-of-life“ and don't receive any more updates. That doesn't mean they don't work any longer. That H.323 standard how to do video conferences didn't change much in recent years, so there is no need for updates to accomodate other changes. But you there is a certain risk that they may have a security hole that doesn't get fixed any more.

Save money and stay independent

The vendors would prefer if you simply buy something new or subscribe to their proprietary “cloud service”. But to you this means spending money and a possible lock-in into their system versus just keeping systems going that run fine and owning the technology yourself with the independence that comes with it.

Move endpoints inside your firewall to private IPs

One important suggestion is to move end-of-life endpoints away from public IP addresses and to private IPs inside your firewall. Out of convenience many people used to operate their H.323 endpoints on public IPs, but nowadays its not much of a problem to use H.460 NAT traversal and move them to a safe place inside behind a GNU Gatekeeper.

If you have very old endpoints that don't support support H.460 NAT traversal, you can still do this. You just need a 2nd GNU Gatekeeper inside your firewall that tunnels the calls out to your external GNU Gatekeeper on the public IP. (Hey, its a free, you just need a 2nd server!)

Replace infrastructure devices with a GNU Gatekeeper

Some infrastructure devices (gatekeepers, gateways, proxies etc.) need to be on public IPs and thus there is a risk of exposing possible security holes to the open internet. Many of those can be replaced with a GNU Gatekeeper. Keep in mind it can be configured to do many different things that ordinary gatekeepers don't do.